California Catholic Daily reporter, Mary Rose, visits a California college each week and asks students about God, good, and evil. Interviews with Fabiola, who is studying nursing, outside the Humanities Building and Kiana, who is studying graphic design, outside the Health Sciences Building at Golden West College in Huntington Beach on September 4, 2019.

Fabiola

California Catholic Daily/Mary Rose: Do you consider yourself religious?

Fabiola: Not really, no. My family is very spiritual so they’re very open, they’re welcoming. We don’t really go to church because they’re mostly working and they’re busy.

Do you think being spiritual you live your life a little differently than people who aren’t?

Fabiola: Yeah, I believe so. Some people are very devoted and I guess I’m not devoted to anything, or believe strongly in anything. It’s more of, I’m here to live my life as best I can and very freely. I try to enjoy the moment without having anything in the way.

Do you believe in a god?

Fabiola: I do believe there’s something out there but I don’t know what it is. I don’t think there’s someone higher than me or anything else. I just believe we are all here.

How do you believe the world started?

Fabiola: I believe it started from a rock, an organism, that most everything just formed together. It was natural, like erosion. Dirt, soil became the world.

Where do you think that first rock or material came from?

Fabiola: I wouldn’t have an answer for that. I don’t really know because I haven’t really looked into it. I’m just here.

Do you have a moral code?

Fabiola: Just take care of myself. I am before everyone else. If I can take care of myself, I can take care of someone else. That’s my moral code. First learn how to take care of myself. Just getting yourself involved and making sure that you eat in the morning and have lunch, dinner. That’s what I call self-care. You’re taking care of everything. Take advantage of resources. There’s a lot of things that can help you. As long as you can help yourself, then you’re able to take care of someone else. If there’s no self-love, if there’s no self care, then there’s no way you can take care of someone else.

What do you think about abortion?

Fabiola: I believe it’s a woman’s choice. We should have our say in it. For example, if you are not ready financially or emotionally, you have a choice of what you would like to do with the embryo.

What would you say to someone who said that a human embryo should have the same rights as other members of the human species?

Fabiola: If it’s brought into this world and then you say you don’t want it anymore, there’s always adoption, foster care, but as long as it’s inside of you and you have no emotional attachment to it then I believe that it’s still their choice. As long as it’s not six months and above and already kicking and moving like, “I want to come out.” If it’s doing that, then I’m like, “okay, at least birth it and if you want to give it away then you can give it away.” You can place it for adoption. Maybe there’s a family that’s infertile. Let’s bring something good into this world. But I wouldn’t want her feeling pressured. If she’s not ready, she’s not ready.

Do you believe in an afterlife?

Fabiola: I honestly don’t think so. I don’t know what happens once you die. I’m scared of going down and just blank nothingness. Sometimes I do feel maybe there is an afterlife, maybe it’s another type of being, like a caterpillar or something nice, a spider maybe. I do feel like there’s an afterlife, I guess. Your body decomposes to soil and from soil there’s a grain of sand or something. Then there’s an earthworm, it devours the sand or or dirt and all those things take part of it. It just gives me hope that some part of me is going to go into a little worm. It’s part of the ecosystem.

Kiana

Califonia Catholic Daily/Mary Rose: Do you consider yourself religious?

Kiana: Yeah, to a degree. I guess when I really need it, I pray for something. Not for my benefit. When I’m feeling low I pray. I was raised Catholic.

Do you agree with the moral teachings of the Catholic Church?

Kiana: I did the whole confirmation and stuff and weirdly the teachers there all say different things. Some kid raised his hand and was like, “what’s your view on gays” and every teacher says a different thing. It’s whatever. I don’t actually like pay attention to that side of it. It’s more of a like spiritual other side of it.

Did you develop your own moral code?

Kiana: If you’re not strict on the whole Bible thing, you work yourself into what you see as what God wants I guess.

The Catholic Church forbids abortion. What do you think about that?

Kiana: We did a whole lesson on that. They see it as the child already has sin before it’s born, so it won’t go to heaven. It will be in limbo and that they just go to nothingness and that’s why they’re so against it. I wouldn’t want anyone to go to nothingness, so I guess I’m not for abortion, but I’m not against it. I wouldn’t use it as a form of birth control, but there are situations like what if the person was raped and she can’t handle having a baby? There’s things that you can’t handle.

If someone asked you who Jesus is what would you say?

Kiana: I think it’s different for everyone. For me, it’s really hope and redemption. Any time you were in need, that’s when it pops in your head. You always think that some higher power is going to help you, so why not God. Put a face to it.

Do you believe in an afterlife?

Kiana: Oh, I sure hope so!

California Catholic Daily exclusive by Mary Rose.

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