Course Reflection Lucas Hunter AHSS 2410: Religious Traditions of Asia Prof: Danielle LaGrone April 4th, 2021 Religion has always fascinated me, from a very young age. I don’t now, nor have I ever considered myself to be a religious person in the traditional sense of the word, yet my life has always had a heavy dose of religion in it. My grandparents were quite committed to the Presbyterian sect of Christianity, and my parents, though not religious, took my brother and I to church every Sunday, with my grandparents, while we were growing up. I think that was in part to make my grandparents happy, but also because they felt that understanding religion was an extremely important part of growing, learning, and understanding and respecting other people. At the same time, by way of another story too long to tell here, my family attended a Jewish summer camp. (My mother was a nurse at the time and her best friend, also a nurse at the camp got her the job). So, every summer, for 18 years, we went to that camp. At this camp I was exposed, in a very deep and meaningful way, to the Jewish religion and way of life. I faced some mild discrimination, as did my brother, for being the only two non-Jewish kids at the camp, but again, it was mild, and would eventually lead to a deeper understanding of why that might have happened. I experienced a different level of this when I got a little bit older and dated a few Jewish women. In one relationship I was not ever allowed inside my partners house. In another I was offered a large sum of money to stop the relationship, and in yet another, my partners parents discussed the fact that suicide would be preferable to our continued relationship. All of this led me at the age of 18 to get my first tattoo (a cross blended with the Star of David and the words “all people are created equal”) and start my journey of trying to better understand why, without really knowing me at all, I would be treated the way I was. My end goal is to be a social worker. Though I already consider myself one as I have two diplomas in social service work and child and youth work, and over 13 years in the field, I need to go through the motions for the designation. My father is a social worker, so we were exposed to his work throughout my whole life and I took interest. I would ask him questions, read his books, read the papers his students would write (help mark them when I was older haha), and see the pride he took in the work he did. I always wanted to help people. So after 5 years as a travel agent (not the right career for me), 6 years working in television production (too cut throat and shallow), I finally gave in to what I believe I was meant to do. Though I have had roles in this field I haven’t enjoyed, I can’t imagine doing anything else. The plan is to finish my undergrad and do a masters. I would like to continue my focusing on child and adolescent mental health and crisis and eventually open a private practice working with these children and youth and their families. Religion is an incredible thing. It provides those who believe in it comfort and peace, and for most, a satisfactory and acceptable explanation for everything that goes on around them be it good, bad, or completely unexplainable. It dates back as far as dates go and is filled with rich, often fantastical stories that could rival those of Tolkien. Religions provide structure to ways of living, being, and behaving as people in the world and rules and laws that dictate what is acceptable and not acceptable. Not all ‘religions’ are religions in the traditional sense of worshipping a specific ‘all-knowing’ God and following them, without question, in an effort to reach a peaceful afterlife. In fact one of the ‘religions’ that resonates most with me is Buddhism, which, though based primary on the wisdom of one, it provides guideposts along life’s journey, and doesn’t attempt to answer questions that many consider unanswerable. The importance of understanding religion and spirituality are paramount to working in the helping professions, especially in social work. The people we see and care for are from everywhere (one of the greatest parts of living in Canada), with all types of backgrounds, and who believe in and follow religions of all types. I believe the most important piece to understanding religion, is understanding the fundamentals of what it provides people, and what people take from it. I am not suggesting that we have to have a detailed understanding of the intricacies of all belief systems, but having a solid base of knowledge on which to build through learning from those who live them, can go a long way to understanding those in our care, respecting those in our care, and building a rapport of trust and mutual respect. I appreciate that people, including myself, love living in a country that is considered a ‘melting-pot’, but that doesn’t mean that we live in a country where all are truly welcomed and accepted. Religion can be a barrier for people both in seeking and receiving help. I am a white male of privilege so it is often assumed, and given most peoples experiences I would say rightly so, that I am ignorant to the different cultures, backgrounds, and religions of the people that I work with. I have found that because I am able to speak knowledgably, to a point, about different belief systems, I have been able to create much stronger therapeutic relationships with the families of the youth I work with. The other part of understanding and learning about religion that I am impacted by is the effect it has on me personally. Again, though I am not a religious person, I do consider myself a spiritual one, and through the study and understanding of religion, I feel that I reconnect myself to something bigger, and through that find a peace of my own.
