Navigating religious affiliation at a secular law school

To help illustrate the concepts behind vicarious liability, my Business Associations professor offered two verses from the Bible: Exodus and Deuteronomy. As students filtered into the room, some gazed upon the verses with a puzzled curiosity. Class soon began and the professor explained that, while he was an atheist, the Bible contained some interesting and at times conflicting views on the imposition of vicarious liability. Perhaps it was my imagination, but the class seemed almost relieved to learn their professor was not a Christian, and grateful he was not evangelizing to them. While I can understand the latter sentiment, I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the former.

A week or so before today's class, I was in attendance at an annual Judge's Night Gala in Oakland. Two judges gave speeches upon receiving an award for excellence within their occupation. One of those speakers was Alameda County Superior Court Judge Julia Spain. A single mother at a young age, Judge Spain recounted the struggles she faced as she worked her way through undergrad, took on law school, and helped to revolutionize a pervasively sexist legal culture to eventually make her way to the bench through unexpected avenues. She credits Jesus Christ, and a single Bible passage in particular, as the inspiration for her unlikely success. As a first-generation college and law school student, the tale of her tenacity was very inspiring. And as a child raised in a Baptist household, I couldn't help but linger on her words. 

After the awards were distributed and the main event concluded, I made my way to Judge Spain and introduced myself. We talked and she asked me an unavoidable question: 

"Are you a Christian?"

"Yes." I replied.

"Which church do you attend in Davis?"

I'd all but sworn off organized religion during undergrad in favor of theoretically finding my beliefs on my own, untainted by the beliefs and biases of a congregation. But I couldn't say that.

"I don't have a church I go to in Davis."

Despite a possible flash of disappointment across her face, she gave me her contact information and well wishes. However, a seed of guilt had taken root within me. Could I still consider myself a Christian while 'hiding my light under a bushel?'

Although I take great pride in the friendly and open-minded environment cultivated by students at UC Davis, I don't feel that open religiosity would be very well received on our secular liberal leaning campus. With stresses mounting every day and our paths so obscured by unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances, I hope that I and my classmates someday learn to balance our legal careers with faith in something greater than ourselves, and even greater than the law.