A son of two religions

Yep this post is about me

As you may already know Georgia is a Christian country, and most of the population (82%) practices Orthodox Christianity, Religious minorities of Georgia include Armenian Christians (3.9%), Muslims (9.9%), Roman Catholics (0.8%), as well as sizeable Jewish communities and various Protestant minorities. The feeling for Christianity is very strong here.

Talking about religion in Georgia I wanted to write how it feels to be a child of two religions, I’m child of a Christian (mom) and a Muslim (dad), but I’m Muslim. I’m Muslim not because when I was born somebody came up to me and asked which religion I wanted to practice, no! This was not a question that I was given an opportunity to decide on. I became a Muslim because my dad wanted me to be, even though he himself does not practice it as much, this was part of his family tradition and probably will be mine too. So this was the first and the last case of my parents misunderstanding in religious issue. Marrying each other nothing has changed neither for her nor for him. After the decision was made, everything has been flowing like a river. If you ask me which religion you like the most, it would be like asking a child who do you love more mom or dad? Hard to answer right?

In difference to other traditional Christian or Muslim families I did not have much pressure from parents to practice any religion. So I had a really good opportunity to see religion from a neutral position, seeing both religions from the side. And frankly I don’t see difference between them; they both teach us humanity, kindness, fairness, they both teach us to care about one another. For me practicing different religions is like talking about one thing on a different languages.

When people sometimes tell me, hey! You’re such a good guy; we should baptize you, they do not even understand that this could be hurting to hear! What? If I am not a Christian I can’t be a good guy or what? I can respond to that, but I better not! (It just would not be polite) I am what I am and I am not going to change just because somebody thinks I should I don’t really need somebody’s help in making choices in this question, I am Muslim so take it or leave it! I am not going to change because there is nothing to change! First of all I am a human being as all of us are, and if I was not being told all the time in my childhood that I am Christian or Muslim and not been pressured to practice any religion it doesn’t mean I’m bad or I can’t be good friend or boyfriend or husband or citizen or an employee. I just do not see it as a principle of my life. For me the most important thing is that a person is polite, well grown, kind, respective etc. If you don’t grow up your child well it wouldn’t matter for society whether he is Muslim or Christian. If you are criminal, being a representative of some religion will not make you a sweetheart.

I don’t really face many problems due to my religion in Georgia, but sometimes this fact causes a big surprise for some people. I mostly feel it when I start some relations with Georgian girl coming from a traditional family (and they have always been coming from such families), they never tell you directly but you can feel it, you can feel you are different, you can feel this is taken as a disadvantage of yours, you can be a cool guy, but still you will be different. And if she doesn’t care about it, her parents will and she will know about that and I will also get informed soon.

There are no other questions where my religion would be an issue, or an issue that I would care about in that question.

There is another advantage of being the son of two religions; our family celebrates twice as much religious holidays than any other! Isn’t that great? We have red eggs twice a year while others paint them only once!

Living in Georgia I feel myself different but, going to Azerbaijan I feel myself even more different. I’m some kind of an alien I’m different everywhere!