A Future Meeting Foram Naresh Mehta

In a day and age when religious persecution might be expected to be a diminishing issue, one might be surprised to realize that it is in fact alive and well. While crusades may no longer be erupting to rid the world of the "non-believers" and convert them to Christianity, a more passive religious persecution has arisen in some of the more conservative, Christian areas of the country. Growing up as a Hindu and having been frequently subjected to the teachings of Christ in a harsh, obtrusive manner, I personally know how it feels to be a victim of religious torment. For this reason especially, I hope to meet someone on my college journey who does not govern his or her life solely by strict religious standards, but instead espouses strong, personal beliefs while allowing others to freely practice their own religions. I strongly believe that meeting someone of this nature will help me grow into a more confident and stronger person, knowing that the number of those who attempt to oppress my religion is, at least, lessened by one.

Growing up as a Hindu, I learned to practice passiveness, a belief that also applies to my attitude towards other religions. However, I have not been so lucky as to have often been on the...