Regardless of where I travel, I’m comfortable being myself. Sometimes that person is shy and watches from the background; occasionally she is a bit more outgoing and has no problem chatting it up with strangers. But for as comfortable as I am to just be me, there is one topic that always makes me feel a bit squeamish abroad, and that’s the topic of religion.
If you’ve taken the time to read through any of the cultural information in a guidebook (that filler stuff that talks about the history, festivals and other interesting tidbits that don’t specifically relate to certain places and experiences in a destination), then you know that, in most countries, the two topics of conversation that should be avoided are politics and religion.
Well, here’s the problem: I do my very best to steer clear of religion-related conversations, yet it is such an ingrained part of the cultural make-up in many countries of the world. The second problem is this: When the conversation of religion comes up, it’s very hard for me to keep my opinions to myself.
I’m a spiritual person, but not a religious person. As a result, when I’m asked my religion pointblank by someone in another country, I stutter step a bit. I don’t want to offend anyone by stating how I really feel about religion, and yet, by avoiding the question or downright lying about it, I feel dirty and dishonest to myself.
When we joined the Peace Corps, we went through a whole training class on how to negotiate religion. In Kenya, people are religious (either Christian or Muslim), and they consistently go to church every week (for hours upon hours upon hours). We were advised that we would be questioned about our faith, and that we should consider how we would handle this question prior to being asked. I’ve found that most Americans are rather nonchalant about whether their neighbors, colleagues or friends go to church, so I’d never thought to devise some sort of response to the question. In the United States, I’d simply state that I don’t consider myself religious and that I don’t go to church. In Kenya, the same response could lead to a whole series of negative consequences, including losing credibility with our community, a conscious effort to “save” us or the incredulous “tsk“ing from the Kenyan mamas.
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The paddle boards were lined up on the shore, picturesque and bright white in the morning sunlight. My toes curled in the cool sand, which had yet to heat, though I was told that it was never exceptionally warm on the banks of Lake Tahoe. Because it was already September, the season’s hottest temperatures were long past.
