California Catholic Daily reporter, Mary Rose, visits a California college each week and asks students about God, good, and evil. Interviews with Kasandra, who is studying criminology, and Anselmo, who is studying history and political science, outside the fine arts building at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.

Kasandra:

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

Kasandra: Kind of. I don’t really go to church, but my family is religious. They go to church every Sunday. It’s a Christian Church. I don’t know the name of it. I have work so I can’t go, but I would if I could. I believe in God.

How do you decide what’s right and what’s wrong?

Kasandra: I really don’t know. I just go with my gut, I guess, and see if it’s right or wrong.

Do you believe in an afterlife?

Kasandra: I feel like we go to either heaven – I don’t know about hell – but I feel like we go to heaven and watch over our relatives and stuff.

Some Christians say abortion is against Jesus’ teachings and some say it’s everyone’s choice. What do you think?

Kasandra: I don’t know. I’m not against abortion.

What would you say if someone asked you why you believe in God?

Kasandra: Because I feel like He created us, like He created this world. He was here. He died for us. Because of the whole Bible stuff and that’s what my parents would tell me.

The Bible says to do and not do certain things. Do you think those apply today?

Kasandra: Today, no. Maybe back then, but not today. Christians read the Bible to see how it was back then and how they are now, if that makes sense. I don’t really pay attention to that. I think that people back then really believed more and all that and today they don’t. Things changed with that.

Anselmo:

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

Anselmo: Yes I do. My religion is Christian and being religious is being connected with some spiritual knowledge. Maybe some people don’t see it that way.

Do you see evidence for the existence of God?

Anselmo: I do. I’m here. Nature is here. I know science goes against this, saying that something must prove that God exists, but at the moment we don’t see any evidence on the other side that the world was created by itself. It was created by Someone. It was God. That’s the way I see it.

Do you think that we are supposed to live by what the Bible teaches?

Anselmo: Of course I do.

Do you think the Bible addresses current topics like abortion?

Anselmo: I haven’t seen it. It could be in the place where it says don’t kill people, right? Don’t murder. Because it’s a life. I think that case depends, because you cannot force someone to have something. I think people have the right to address that and decide on their bodies. I think that would be committing murder if they wanted to have a baby, but in the case of rape and they don’t want it, maybe it’s not nice to have the baby of someone you can’t love. I think that would be addressing different points of view.

But the Bible says “don’t murder” and either way it’s a baby.

Anselmo: It is, yes. But I think the Bible says don’t murder like out of hate, maybe, like just because you hate someone. I think that’s what it says. But in that case it’s different. You don’t like it, you didn’t expect it, it’s not your will to have it. I don’t think God sent that guy to rape you and you got to have it. I don’t think so.

California Catholic Daily exclusive by Mary Rose.

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