By this point in the semester, my spiritual health has become so decrepit that this article could only be a comedic account of it.

I have not been to a single Mass since I’ve been at this Catholic institution (which is bad even though I’m not Catholic). And I haven’t seen the inside of a Bible since I went home to the Bahamas during the Christmas holidays.

One would need to know my background to truly grasp how bad my situation is.

I’m from a “Christian” nation as the Bahamas regularly calls itself and I am also closeted to my family, causing another entire sphere of issues for my spirituality that I couldn’t even summarize in a full page spread.

Since I’ve come to St. Edward’s University and the liberal atmosphere of Austin, I’ve come to realize that traditional, conservative lifestyle and guidelines of Christianity are nowhere near as necessary as I previously thought to believe.

Being a part of the Social Justice LLC here has also made me realize that I can still have an excellent moral compass and stand up for the moral good of others without adhering specifically to the dated laws of the Bible, laws which discriminate against many people, including myself.

Honestly, one of the closest things I can equate to a spiritual experience that I’ve had on campus would be certain encounters with very friendly men I’ve met here, if you know what I mean.

The amount of calling to God that goes on during those times would make outsiders think we were having a very emotional prayer session.

Although coming here has made it easier for me to come out as a gay man, I think of that as a good thing because it has allowed me to grow as who I really am, instead of pretending to be a fake devotee like I was back at home.

St. Edward’s University has taught me that you can be a good person without being a Christian. Everyone, no matter where they’re from has a conscience and a moral guide that tells them what is right and wrong.

An old book isn’t going to give you more enlightenment on those matters than what is already written on your heart.