Elaine Taylor
Elaine Taylorfreshmanenvironmental studies
Utah Statesman: Were you raised believing in God or is your whole family atheist?
Elaine Taylor: I was raised Christian, but my parents wanted me to make the choice whether or not I would be baptized. So when I was 13, I decided that religion wasn’t really for me.
US: Are your parents still active in religion?
ET: My mom is active in the church that she goes to, and I was too.
US: What was it that made you realized that religion and believing in God was not for you?
ET: I can’t really conceptualize having a higher being. I think we’re here on this earth through evolution, through being here, and I can’t imagine a higher being there.
US: Where are you from?
ET: I’m from all over, but I’ve lived in Logan for eight years.
US: How have people reacted to you being atheist?
ET: They are really welcoming, even though I’ve had a lot of people try to convert me. But I’ve lived here so long that I don’t really deal with that anymore.
US: Do you have roommates right now that believe in God?
ET: I’m in the dorms, but I don’t have a roommate. Most people on my floor are Christian, but I don’t generally talk about it unless they ask. It’s not a defining quality for me.
US: What do you think about people who do believe in God?
ET: I respect their decision. I prefer people not force ideas on me, so I try to do the same. I don’t see having a child go to church is wrong, but if they want to, they should be able to question their religion and test other ideas.
US: What do you believe happens to humans when they die?
ET: That we go back to being soil. We become part of the earth in that way, the way we break down.US: When you were questioning religion, was it ever a struggle for you to find out what you believed in?
ET: It was only a struggle in the sense of family and friends, but not with myself. It seemed really natural to me.
US: Has being atheist ever come up or been an issue while you were dating someone?
ET: No, but that can happen even if you’re religious.
US: If you had any advice for people who were trying to decide whether or not there is a God, what would it be?
ET: Kind of go with your gut. Don’t try to force something that’s not there, whether you are religious or not religious.-manette.n@aggiemail.usu.edu