Divinities Collide

Religion is something that most of us have carried since birth. Some may keep it just until adulthood and others to the deathbed. What most do not typically encounter is the conversion of 2 religions in one upbringing. I was born into a Hindu household. My parents were pretty lax when it came to actually practicing, but I found a genuine comfort in the beliefs, as my grandmother made sure to instill them into me from a very early age. I became a sort of sidekick to her, as I would take in her wisdom, both new and old. Hinduism was a crutch that I not only relied on, but enjoyed as well. I was confident in my beliefs, all up until I was enrolled in Catholic school in the first grade. My parents had no ill intent when registering me. They knew that the school had the best primary education system in the city; and that is what they wanted: the best. I was told that I could still remain Hindu, but when I walked into those chapel doors every weekday morning I was Catholic. At first it was confusing; why would I pretend to be Catholic, when I am so obviously Hindu? I stood strong in the beliefs of my ancestors and nodded along respectfully when Bible study was in place. But after a few weeks of Mass, Prayers, and Ash Wednesday, my once confident beliefs began to crumble. I heard some school girls, my peers, talking. They were talking about Hell: its depths, its origins, and all the ways to be damned. That day I learned that not actively believing was one of many. I began to reconsider my Hindu beliefs and was stuck: Am I a Hindu that is going to Hell or a Catholic that is betraying my ancestors? I spent a few years tackling this question and in its most chaotic depths is when I realized that the two religions have many intersections. I finally understood that it was okay to believe aspects of both and be non-conforming. For my Junior Year AP Art Portfolio I decided to study: How can the intersections of Hinduism and Catholicism be represented in art?