Ian Colin Griffin Lee
I have always been highly interested in religion. This stems from an academic as well as a personal interest about the complexities of the topic. When I was eleven I was introduced to Wicca by my mother. Highly enthusiastic, I found myself entranced by the doctrine and morality of the religion. It was like nothing that I, growing up in the Bible belt, had ever been exposed to before. Before being exposed to Wicca I feared the rage of “fire and brimstone” Evangelists, and hoped not to get caught in a discussion about religion. After being introduced to an alternative, I felt empowered.
Overwhelmed by happiness, I sought to share my new found faith with classmates. They declared me a heretic,and despite my refutations, they ostracized me incessantly. For the next four years I spent my time dodging all discussion of religion. Whenever asked where I went to worship I said the name of the church nearest to my house. I lost faith in the God and Goddess, feeling that in such a horrible place they must have no authority. Slipping into anxiety and depression, I isolated myself from a world I thought was cruel and capricious.
However, when I was given the opportunity to move to Pennsylvania and live with my father, I immediately accepted the invitation. Once there, I found that the judgmental fanatics that had been hounding me for so long were no longer a threat. Fascinated by the tolerance of different views, I studied religion out in the open, finding new philosophies and points of view every day. For the next three years, I delved in libraries and searched through academic articles. I learned rudimentary Greek, and studied the Old Irish dialect, just for the opportunity to understand the concepts behind the names of ancient gods and heroes. As time went on I realized that my thirst for knowledge could not be quenched with so much knowledge just beyond my reach. At thatmoment I understood what I needed to do with my life.
Before, I kept my interest in religion and faith a hobby, something to pass the time after completing my English or Algebra assignments. I now know that I have the ability and motivation to delve into the academic study of religion. I have already begun the transition into serious study of comparative religions. I have participated in an independent educational contract with my Social Studies teacher, in which I researched the different schools of Buddhism. After gathering enough information, I prepared lectures on various topics concerning the philosophies of Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.With these experiences I am prepared to pursue my studies in a college environment, and I relish the opportunity to do so.