Reflections is a weekly spotlight on faith within the campus community through intimate student interviews.
"Everyone looks to Christians to be perfect but we are not -- we are human too," said Julie Kemker a 21-year-old education major at The University of Memphis.
Julie considers it important to live her life according to the teachings of her religion, but she understands that sometimes even people with the best intentions can make mistakes.
But for Julie, the beauty of her religion is the inner faith that "God may be jealous, but yet he is always forgiving."
Julie is a part of the United Methodist Church, one of the largest Protestant denominations in America with 8.6 million members.
The Methodist Church was founded in 1738 by Rev. John Wesley, an Anglican priest. The current United Methodist Church in America is a product of a merger of the original Methodist church and The Evangelical United Brethren Church in 1968.
Methodists believe authority is derived from scripture by reason, tradition and experience. Worship style varies with geography and culture. The two main sacrements are the Baptism and the Lord's Supper (Eucharist) while lesser rites include mariage, ordination, and the solemnization of personal commitment.
In Julie's eyes, God is a father figure looking over humankind. However, Julie does not believe in accepting religious truths at face value.
"God has given humans the ability to reason," she said. "We should think freely and we should choose God on our own conscious accord."
Julie is proud of the Methodist church's inclusive attitude toward women.
"We have had women deacons for almost 150 years now," she noted. Today, the United Methodist church is widely regarded as a pioneer in sexual equality within the Protestant movement.
Some Methodist students at The U of M are a part of the River's Edge worship house along with Presbyterians. The group participates in a number of on campus activities, including the recently organized Mardi Gras celebration.
In the Protestant Christian world dominated by male clergy and patriarchical attitudes, Julie Kemker is setting an important example to her peers as a young female leader pursuing her religious convictions.
Julie said she believes "it is important to act like Christ in daily life and not to bash people for being different."
Indeeed, the Methodist Church has provided Julie a framework within which she can explore faith and find her own personal truth -- a unique blend of idealism and pragmatism.
