It was a regular Sunday afternoon, the sun almost fully set in the sky; casting a shadow in the room. A bright ceiling lamp being the only thing keeping the room itself lit. I was getting ready to ask my mom some questions about her Christianity. Why did I choose her to interview? Very good question. She…was the only person available at the moment and I truly did not feel like waiting. I know, I know; it’s a great reason (insert sarcastic response here). I really would have preferred to interview somebody, anybody, else. But what do you do when life gives you lemons? (Take them and squeeze them in your eye?) No, you make lemonade! Anyways, a very obvious theme came out during the interview. It’s very typical for a person like my mom to respond to the questions I asked the way she did. She’s very religious, strong in her faith (which is a word that will be repeated a lot during the course of the interview), and has her own way of doing things, per se. So basically, the main theme of this interview was faith. Faith in things such as: God, and your own religious beliefs. Okay, well, enough jabber from me. Here is how the interview went:
Me: Have you always believed in Christianity?
Mom: Yes, I have always had a strong belief in God as my Father and Jesus as my Lord and savior.
Me: When were you first exposed to it?
Mom: As a very young child when I first learnt it from my parents.
Me: Interesting, who influenced your religious views, and how did they?
Mom: Parents. . I grew up as a Baptist at first but later, as a grown up, I began to attend a church without a label but as a Christian.
Me: Have you ever questioned your faith?
Mom: No, I never have had a reason to.
Me: Have you ever questioned the way God does things?
Mom: Yes, a few times, due to the situations I would be in.
Me: Has your beliefs helped you at all? If so, how?
Mom: Yes. I previously had an injury that doctors said that I might need surgery, but I stood on God’s word and believed in him for feeling of my body and lo and behold, it happened. I was healed.
Me: If you were not exposed to it the way you were, would you have become a Christian?
Mom: Yes, I believe if the word of God was ministered to me at a later point in time, that I’d still would have become a Christian.
Me: What are your main values?
Mom: My values are to always love and put God first in my life, believe in his son and my Lord Jesus, and that he died for our sins. I will always keep the faith in him no matter what trial or tribulation I go through and I shall always keep his commandments close.
Me: Has there ever been a situation where you have doubted God/ your faith?
Mom: I hate to admit it, but I almost did. I was in an extreme situation in a relationship and I was very close to thinking that He couldn’t hear me. Doubt, however, would not have helped me. It probably would have made things worse, since He was all I had right then.
Me: What would one event be that your faith had pulled you through and even increased?
Mom: Well, I’m currently going through financial trouble and things before did look like I might lose my job, but I kept strong and still is keeping strong in Him and I thank Him for what he has done so far and I fully believe and have faith in what He will do soon.
Me: What would you tell a person that has not yet put their faith in Christianity?
Mom: I would not tell them anything major to get them to do so, instead, I would bring them to church (or tell them to go) and let them hear the word for themselves. Hopefully, hearing the good news would open their eyes to all of the possibilities of becoming a true Christian.
Me: Has there ever been a time that you personally have been discriminated against because of your religious beliefs?
Mom: Unfortunately, when I was working at an old job a long time ago, I was the only Christian in the workplace, and for some reason no one wanted to talk or get near me.
Me: That is unfortunate. How about a threat? Have you ever been threatened because of your beliefs?
Mom: Thankfully no. That has never happened to me before, but I would not be too surprised if it did. Because I know I’d still hold fast to my faith no matter what threat may be said to me. In his word it says: “No weapon formed against you shall prosper”.
Me: What is your view about the removal of God in places such as some schools, or the media, for example?
Mom: I think it’s a shame. Back in my day, you could hear about God anywhere. Now they mad a law against saying God in the Pledge, and a lot of advertised things and media related things are starting to talk about God less and less.
Me: Okay, well thank you for your time, mom. I appreciate it. However I do have one final question: what’s for dinner?

So that’s how the interview went. Funny, but, I kind of knew what she would say to most of those questions. Well, from knowing her, just about all of them I knew what she was going to say. Though, just writing down my assumed answers wouldn’t have been as much fun as waiting and writing down what she actually says, now would it? If you were like my mom, or someone that likes to keep up in current events, maybe you’d think it a shame that Christianity has gotten some slander over the years. “Christians force their religion on people.” is that true? I highly doubt that, but corruption is everywhere. As asked in my second to last question, what is the problem with God being removed in media or some public places. Does saying “God” in the pledge conflict in the First Amendment in anyway? Sadly, I cannot answer that, but that can be something for you to think about.