‘This is the fabric of our country’: As actor Vikrant Massey speaks about his interfaith roots, we sought stories of young adults navigating dual faiths

“My begetter has been to Vaishno Devi temple (located successful Katra, Jammu and Kashmir) six times. He is simply a Christian and goes to religion doubly a week adjacent now. But that’s what India has ever been like. We spell to gurudwaras and galore Hindus spell to Ajmer Sharif Dargah (located successful Rajasthan). This is our Hindustan. Why is it truthful surprising? There’s a temple successful my house. My son’s sanction is Vardaan. This is the cloth of our country.”

While astir children are raised with a singular spiritual perspective, kids of parents who signifier antithetic faiths summation a deeper knowing of 2 chiseled worldviews. Indianexpress.com spoke with respective individuals who grew up successful interfaith households to larn astir their experiences –– the benefits and challenges, the unsocial traditions, moments of interior struggle betwixt faiths, and however these dynamics shaped their relationships with household members and peers.

Growing up with parents of antithetic faiths

Pranjal Kumar, 21, recalled her puerility with traces of 2 chiseled spiritual traditions––her father’s Hindu customs and her mother’s Christian practices. “I was exposed to 2 chiseled spiritual traditions, which instilled open-mindedness and curiosity successful me,” she told indianexpress.com. This vulnerability gave her a balanced position connected life, and encouraged her to research and clasp diversity, fostering a lifelong travel of self-discovery.

Similarly, Sahil Khan, 25, described his location arsenic a “beautiful amalgamation of faiths.” He grew up celebrating Christmas with Christian friends and Eid with Muslim neighbours. “Religious hatred ne'er entered our location oregon mind. Living successful a dual-faith household ingrains tolerance successful you whereas successful households with a azygous religion, this often seems similar a substance of idiosyncratic choice,” helium said.

“I was exposed to 2 chiseled spiritual traditions, which instilled open-mindedness and curiosity successful me,” said 21-year-old Pranjal Kumar. (Source: Pranjal Kumar)

Sonia Rodrigues, 36, said that experiencing some Hinduism and Roman Catholic traditions taught her that, astatine the core, “all religions stock the aforesaid foundational principles: love, forgiveness, compassion, and the pursuit of truth.” “I fasted connected Ekadashi and during Lent, celebrated Diwali and Christmas alike. This equilibrium taught maine to clasp cosmopolitan quality values,” she said.

“My parent was Catholic and my dada a Hindu,” said Rhea Cheryl Shivan, 32. “While they had a Christian wedding, my dada wasn’t obliged to convert. I was raised Catholic, arsenic is communal successful galore households successful my household and person circles, but my begetter occasionally shared aspects of his religion with america (He’s a believer successful a higher powerfulness but not needfully a practicing Hindu),” she told indianexpress.com. Shivan’s parents raised her to beryllium precise mindful and respectful of each religions, and said that her location room was a awesome of inclusivity, with the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Quran broadside by side.

Feeling conflicted betwixt the 2 religions

“I don’t judge I ever felt conflicted betwixt 2 religions,” Shivan said, adding that culturally and socially, radical usually thin to follow the practices of the maternal side, and this was the lawsuit for her. “Hindu festivals oregon spiritual practices became moments of exploration and learning. This continues to beryllium existent today.”

Khan echoed this, “Never happened.” However, for Kumar it was the opposite. “There were surely moments erstwhile I felt conflicted oregon torn betwixt the 2 religions. During spiritual holidays oregon household gatherings, I often recovered myself navigating betwixt antithetic traditions and practices. However, my parents were ever supportive and understanding, allowing maine to research some faiths without feeling pressured to take 1 implicit the other.”

“My parents believed that religion should ne'er beryllium imposed,” said Rodrigues. “I was arsenic good fasting connected Ekadashi oregon Mahashivratri arsenic I was during Lent. Festivals similar Diwali and Christmas were celebrated with the aforesaid enthusiasm and joy.”

Rhea Cheryl Shivan (second from right) spoke astir however her parents raised her to beryllium precise mindful and respectful of each religions (Source: Rhea Cheryl Shivan)

Relationships with extended household members oregon peers

“Coming from a household wherever galore of my parents’ procreation had interfaith marriages, relationships vary,” Shivan said. She acknowledged that not each household members and friends are arsenic unfastened and accepting of different religions arsenic they are. “There person been heated debates, but besides unifying moments––especially during weddings––when we negociate to blur the lines and observe emotion and togetherness, irrespective of religion.”

Rodrigues confessed that her parents had a emotion marriage, but not against the family’s will. “As a result, our relationships with extended household members person remained lukewarm and positive. In fact, being portion of an interfaith household often adds an absorbing dynamic to these relationships.”

Khan said, “My societal beingness has besides been enriched.” He believes his openness towards different religions draws him to radical from divers backgrounds, and his peers are often funny to larn astir antithetic religions from him.

Although a fewer relatives were initially funny oregon had questions astir his parents’ interfaith marriage, Kumar acknowledged that the bulk yet came to invited and clasp his family’s one-of-a-kind dynamic. “My friends were besides funny successful my inheritance and often inquired astir my spiritual beliefs. These discussions allowed maine to stock my experiences and beforehand knowing and tolerance,” she said.

Psychological benefits and challenges of being raised successful interfaith households

Neha Parashar, elder objective scientist astatine Cadabams Hospitals, said, “Growing up with vulnerability to 2 chiseled faiths fosters open-mindedness and tolerance.” She cited a survey successful the Journal of Intercultural Psychology (2018), which recovered that children from interfaith families thin to make a nuanced knowing of taste diversity.

“Adjustment, communal respect, and connection go foundational values successful specified households. Skills specified arsenic captious thinking, compassion, empathy, and the quality to clasp meaningful dialogues are cultivated, strengthening interpersonal relationships,” said intelligence wellness counsellor Anuckriti Garg.

Sahil Khan, 25, described his location arsenic a “beautiful amalgamation of faiths.” (Source: Sahil Khan)

In presumption of the challenges, Smitha Kashi, advisor creation psychotherapist astatine Spandana Health Care, stressed that children whitethorn acquisition interior conflicts if the beliefs of some parents are astatine likelihood oregon if extended families explicit disapproval. “Inconsistencies successful however the faiths are practiced tin pb to disorder oregon a feeling of not afloat belonging to either tradition. It is important for parents to supply clarity and stableness portion encouraging exploration and dialog astir faith,” she said.

In families wherever 1 religion dominates, Parashar noted that children whitethorn consciousness pressured to favour 1 content strategy implicit the other, “leading to guilt oregon anxiety.”

Development of empathy, adaptability, oregon captious reasoning skills

According to Garg, “In interfaith households, without a azygous theological framework, children are encouraged to research divers cultures, ideas, and perspectives. As a non-normative structure, interfaith families are much apt to foster an appreciation for diversity, inclusivity, and empathy. Learning to navigate the stigma associated with interfaith households equips children to accommodate and header with challenging situations.”

Parashar concurred, saying, “Children successful interfaith families often turn up adapting to 2 sets of norms, celebrations, and expectations. This adaptability makes them much comfy successful multicultural environments, a cardinal trait successful today’s globalised world.” She is besides of the sentiment that reconciling differing beliefs, values, oregon practices pushes children to deliberation critically astir their ain identities and motivation frameworks. “They larn to measure which aspects of each religion resonate with them personally, fostering autarkic thought and intelligence growth,” she said.

Sonia Rodrigues, 36, said that experiencing some Hinduism and Roman Catholic traditions taught her that, astatine the core, “all religions stock the aforesaid foundational principles (Source: Sonia Rodrigues)

Can navigating dual spiritual identities assistance physique resilience oregon unsocial coping mechanisms?

Yes, navigating dual spiritual identities tin foster resilience, according to Parashar. “Children larn to mediate betwixt differing viewpoints, a accomplishment transferable to societal and nonrecreational situations,” she said.

“When supported effectively, they often make a robust consciousness of identity, grounded successful the quality to synthesise and clasp divers aspects of their upbringing,” Kashi said.