Rejected and hidden: those are the two words that come to mind when I hear faith and religion. I came to this country that stands by the values of Israel and by the importance of humanitarian actions across the world. It’s a country that has promised to wage wars on poverty and injustice, and although these two promises are ambiguous, it still is crucial to mention them. In standing for theological values, I was expecting more from this great nation in terms of faith and religion.

I have been disappointed by how the notions of faith and religion in this country have both been reframed to fit into the current era. God has been reframed to conform with the American people; the American people have decided not to adapt themselves to God. Power and supremacy, acting at their finest, have gotten the best of the American people. Everything has become controversial at every layer, and dissected with no precautions or thoughts of the consequences. Even God has become subject to studies and rebuttal. Simple notions of faith that we all, human beings, have acquired at birth, have now been put to the test and second-guessed.

Who is God? What is faith? Who gets to say that God exists? Who got to say that faith is even a thing? Although enticing, those have been very deceiving questions that I have been exposed to ever since I stepped foot in this country. To make things even worse, opinions on those questions have become so divergent that the question of “truth” has become another player in this cynical game. Not a day goes by that people do not come with other explanations to give to those questions, creating more confusion than clarification.

I am from a country that has decided to leave natural things to their natural places, to where they belong, instead of moving them around for the sake of science and cynical curiosity. Such a notion seems nonexistent in this country. Everything has become subject to study and questions; curiosity has pushed and opened up the gate to reflect and embrace Lucifer as savior and master of some. An acceptance that can be translated in the openness to the bloodshed of newborns in the name of freedom and constitutional rights. WOW, never predicted that one!

In one of my classes, students reflected on the question of faith and religion. For some, faith should not be associated with the existence of God, as not everyone ought to believe in the existence of God. What was more surprising was the enthusiasm behind that thought. Morality has become the enemy of curiosity and the need for answers. The notion of disconnect between God and faith would have made sense if they—the supporters of that notion—had a better explanation to give to the existence of human beings, the universe, the planets, the sun, the moon, the constellations, the creation of life in the womb of woman, and everything else that we can’t reproduce regardless of our technological advancement.

We have craved cutting-edge technology to reach out for extensive knowledge to unlock the secret of life, yet we reject the creator of life: God. Not one standing explanation has been made, yet many excuses have been provided to rebuke the unbreakable connection that exists between God and faith. Although faith has lately been associated with the notion of allegiance to the state, therefore undermining its holiness, it is still crucial to keep that notion of faith far away from the notion of allegiance to the State.

What is surprising again is the impartiality of the church in this battle for truth. Although I believe that “truth” is a matter of perspective, I cannot help but to also think that in some notions like faith and religion, the truth should not be put into question, and the ambiguity surrounding the existence of God should be off the table.

For political purposes and capitalist interests, the church has neglected to step in with their definition of truth and religion as the world becomes more blindsided by darkness and modernization.

This is evident is when some proclaim that democracy and women’s rights should be above God’s words, as what matters is the progress toward a world where women become superior to men and in full control of their bodies: at its finest, late-term abortions.The church has failed in its missions, in this case of reminding people of the notions of faith, religion, and God; the notions of democracy and freedom have cost the church its mission.

I have had the privilege— because it is still a privilege regardless—to deal with colleagues that have a far-left-different definition of God and faith. Not only that their interpretation is leaping, but also is a total reflection of the current political climate. Politics have played a crucial role in the way they have come to perceive faith, religion, and God. For some, God is not real.

There is an African saying that says, “For tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.” We can prepare for a tomorrow that includes everyone in it, gives rooms for changes, and has no place for discrimination, but we ought to do that without crossing the most precious value of them all: respect for life.