Losing my religion, part 1
I was raised in California in a family that was very Christian. We went to a church that called itself non-denominational, but was really evangelical. The minister -- let's call him Dr. P -- was very educated (and was British besides, which made him sound even more learned). He had very intellectual approaches to everything. The church taught Biblical inerrancy. I went to this church from the time I was 4 until I graduated high school. My parents taught Sunday School there, I did summer camp through this church -- it was a big part of my life.
Or -- it should have been a big part of my life. I made very few friends there. Actually, I made *no* friends there. None of the kids wanted to hang out with me. I realized later that it was because I followed the stuff they taught in Sunday school. The boys at camp were sneaking over to the girls' camp and getting to third base.
In high school, I actually went to the adults' service instead of the high school service because I enjoyed it more. Dr. P analyzed and compared and worked the text over, which I really liked. The high school service was a bunch of "I love you Lord"s spoken by teenagers who didn't like turning their brains to the on position.
And then one Saturday during my senior year of high school, a really good friend of mine, let's call her A, came out to me. I freaked out when it happened and made up an excuse about having to leave--and left. (Part of it was that I had a thing for A.)
The following day, Dr. P's sermon was on a refocusing of the church to solve "the homosexual problem." He actually called all homosexuals "pederasts." I remember thinking, "I'm mad at A, but she's not a pederast." Right then I had a huge moral dilemma. I thought it was immoral to be disrespecting homosexuals like that--and it was sactioned in the Bible.
When I brought it up to an older Christian family friend (who had a Masters of Divinity), he basically said, "the Bible is right; if you reject that homosexuality is a sin, you're not a true Christian. Plus, God didn't make Adam and Bruce, he made Adam and Eve."
But I still thought it wasn't right to view homosexuality like that. So I just completely rejected Christianity, and slowly, slowly, slowly, rebuilt my friendship with A. (She ended being "Best Man" at my wedding.)
Next, how I came back to Christianity.
Or -- it should have been a big part of my life. I made very few friends there. Actually, I made *no* friends there. None of the kids wanted to hang out with me. I realized later that it was because I followed the stuff they taught in Sunday school. The boys at camp were sneaking over to the girls' camp and getting to third base.
In high school, I actually went to the adults' service instead of the high school service because I enjoyed it more. Dr. P analyzed and compared and worked the text over, which I really liked. The high school service was a bunch of "I love you Lord"s spoken by teenagers who didn't like turning their brains to the on position.
And then one Saturday during my senior year of high school, a really good friend of mine, let's call her A, came out to me. I freaked out when it happened and made up an excuse about having to leave--and left. (Part of it was that I had a thing for A.)
The following day, Dr. P's sermon was on a refocusing of the church to solve "the homosexual problem." He actually called all homosexuals "pederasts." I remember thinking, "I'm mad at A, but she's not a pederast." Right then I had a huge moral dilemma. I thought it was immoral to be disrespecting homosexuals like that--and it was sactioned in the Bible.
When I brought it up to an older Christian family friend (who had a Masters of Divinity), he basically said, "the Bible is right; if you reject that homosexuality is a sin, you're not a true Christian. Plus, God didn't make Adam and Bruce, he made Adam and Eve."
But I still thought it wasn't right to view homosexuality like that. So I just completely rejected Christianity, and slowly, slowly, slowly, rebuilt my friendship with A. (She ended being "Best Man" at my wedding.)
Next, how I came back to Christianity.
posted by SuperSkeptic at 11:30 AM
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