Admin webmdave Posted March 21, 2008 Admin Share Posted March 21, 2008 Sent in by Melenie I realized at an early age that something was very wrong with the Baptist church I went to. It was pretty bad when a eight year old child can tell a place is corrupt. My first of many churches was in north Alabama, a very horrid and dim place where half the population cannot read or write. At the early age of four I was taught that homosexuality was wrong, and if you were you would go straight to hell. In fact, you would go straight to hell for lots of things it seemed. If you read anything by Darwin, you were doomed. If you talked back to your husband, then I hope you enjoy fire. If you think about sex you are a dirty whore and you will go to hell. The place was really more like a cult then anything. The people were brainwashed into believing that everything they did was evil. Luckily we moved from there, not long after we found out that a small religious faction that had developed in the town was over throwing the pastor because his daughter was a lesbian. We moved to Montgomery when I was ten, which was when the big topic of the 10 commandments being in the capitol building was being disputed, and I think that was the real start of my fall from faith. Not from the big deal that society was making out of religion, but from the new church that I had become a part of making such a huge deal.. I remember my preacher saying loudly at the top of his lungs one sunday morning as I sat in the pew hanging on his every word, that the only reason that the people were protesting was because they were dirty,filthy atheist homosexuals. I thought to myself "Why would they care though? It's not hurting anyone if it is or is not in there." As I grew older I began to learn new things about myself that worried me: I liked girls. I had always grown up learning that if I did like girls, I would go to hell and god wouldn't love me anymore because I was an abomination. I struggled with the issue for a year before coming out to my best friend. She said she did not agree, but swore to never tell anyone. I felt better finally letting someone know that I am a lesbian. That Wednesday I went to church like I always had since I was eleven, and I walked over to the preacher who was a friend of mine and said "Hello." and he would not speak to me. He looked through me like I was not even there. I walked over to my best friend and sat down beside her, still hurt. To my surprise she got up, and everyone in my youth group followed her. I left, and went home crying. The next sunday the preacher told us about the evils of homosexuality, and how no matter what you did you were no longer a child of god, but of Satan. My mother, being sympathetic looked over to me and offered to take me home. I shook my head refusing and stayed through the whole service. At the end I was close to tears, but I was filled with a new understanding. Something that I had never knew was in me before. Something that the people of the church could not see because they were blinded by their stupid convictions. God failed. Not God himself, because he does not exist; he was just an idea started by some people who needed hope for something. But the idea of God failed. In the start God was made to give people hope and a reason to live a good life of humility and purity. But soon, those same people changed it. They turned it into something ugly and hateful, damning whatever they did not like, or fixing the words to make whatever they wanted it to say. I went home and cried for three hours that day, and my mother thought I was sad because of what had happened at church. But I wasn't. I was crying tears of joy, For the first time in my life I felt free. I felt like I was my own person, I felt free of burden or depression. It has been for years since that day, and I can happily say that I have not stepped foot in a church since. This is my fall from god I suppose, there is nothing remarkable about it. And there is nothing heart breaking about it. But it feels good to get it out in the open. http://exchristian.net/testimonies/2008/03...-disbelief.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderer Posted March 21, 2008 Share Posted March 21, 2008 Melenie, It took courage for you to share your heart with your friend, and the image of that young girl sitting in a pew, surrounded by people who claim to be following in the footsteps of Jesus, while exhibiting pure hatred and mean-spiritedness, is one that should be made into a poster and sent to every church in the world. To tell you the truth, that ability of people who claim to be "filled with the Holy Spirit" to condemn others is what woke me up, and led me to religious freedom. I guess I should thank them for saving me from a life of self-delusion and self-loathing. You rock! Thanks for sharing that story with us. Peace. Rob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlr72 Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Hi Melenie, Not to sound like a parrot, but that took a lot of courage. I still don't have the guts yet to tell my family that I'm no longer a christian. I can't imagine the look of abject horror and confusion that is going to be on their faces when I do. You're very brave, and you're much better off without vitriol of the baptist church, which I left as well. Thank you for sharing your courage with us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eejay Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 I admire young folks who find a way of seeing religion for what it is, instead of accepting the brainwashing. Welcome to ex-c. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elana Posted March 31, 2008 Share Posted March 31, 2008 Hi Melanie. Welcome to the freeing of your mind. I too come from a Baptist background & understand all too well. You are a brave soul. Hang in there. elana Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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