Day 7: Allie

Jimmy has lost in faith in God because of the situation he's in.  Like he says to Francisco, he's not saying that God doesn't exist, he just can't believe in him anymore.  He has been put in situations that are testing his faith and making him question what he truly believes in.  I think his belief in God has went from negative to positive because he says that when he was younger he was a "firm believer in the Almighty" (page 82) but now he questions whether God really exists or not.  He has a lot of reasons for the way he thinks the way he does now.  He is constantly being influenced by the people around him daily, and because he is in a bad position, his view on God and religion in general is becoming negative.  Jimmy thinks he has been pushed to his limit and is now questioning God's existance period.  He is facing issues with himself and because he doesn't think he has anyone to turn to, including God, he is no longer a believer.  I think Jimmy has gotten to the point where if there's no way to prove that God is real, then he simply can't believe God is really out there watching over him and his family.

I think religion and society are constantly having affect on my life and everyone elses, sometimes without us even knowing.  You can simply be watching a tv show and a commercial will come on having to do with God or church or Christian music.  It can indirectly get to you without you knowing and it can take a negative or positive affect on you.  Some people find their calling and discover things about themselves they never knew before by watching a Christian channel, listening to preachers talk about Jesus.  Other people are more hindered when they see tv shows about people magically being healed.  I think society has put a lot of misconceptions about religion out to the public, which has harmed more than helped.  Often in tv shows Christians are shown as do gooders, homophobes, and people who all around live a pretty great life.  The Muslim people are always like the anti-christ; they are always shunned in school and all pictured to look and sound the same way.  I think society can often give younger kids the wrong view on religion; often times little kids only follow exactly what they're being told, which is not always the truth.  I think it's most important to teach young kids that they should learn things for themselves, and not just take exactly what's being fed to them.  I try not to let society tell me what religion is and I try not to let religion take over my life.  I can relate to Jimmy in the sense that when things get really hard it's sometimes difficult to tell if you're faith is being tested, or if this is all just some kind of joke.  I think it's always important to keep a good head on your shoulders, and not let anyone or anything hinder you from believing what you know is real in your mind and in your heart.