Ok, well, here goes. As I've explained in other posts, I grew up in a Christian home. I went to the same church most of my life. It was all I knew for the longest time. My parents were very, very strict. I was homeschooled too--I had an extremely sheltered existence growing up. But once I graduated from high school, got a job, and actually had some independence for the first time in my life, my eyes were opened, so to speak. My perspective totally changed. One thing that really took me by surprise was how many nice people there were in the world, who weren't necessarily Christians! Just goes to show how sheltered I was. I had experienced so many hurts from other Christians, and had never felt as if I really belonged at the church I went to--there were a lot of cliques, and I was always on the outside--so to be accepted by non-Christians when I had been rejected by so many Christians was extremely refreshing. Even today, I have far more non-Christian friends and acquaintances than Christian ones.
Anyway, so that really caught me by surprise. Fortunately, I am no longer going to the church I grew up in--our whole family left the church about 4 years ago. But, sadly enough, there have been similar patterns of experience with many in my family--most of my brothers and sisters have also been used and hurt by other Christians, and have either totally turned their back towards organized Christianity, or are still seeking for answers. I myself do not go to church much, and even went through a period when I wanted nothing to do with 'Christianity'. But, now, though I am still very disillusioned with the 'organization' known as Christianity, I have decided to really examine my own beliefs, and to concentrate on my own walk with God, instead of basing everything I believe on simply because 'so-and-so' said so. I am sick and tired of 'religion.' Do this, don't do this, yada, yada, yada. I think we Christians are mainly to blame for turning our own beliefs into a dull, stale, and often grumpy 'religion.' It was never meant to be that way.
So I can totally understand that if one has had bad experiences with organized religion, specifically Christianity, that it's very easy to turn away from it. Fortunately for me, even though on the whole I have not liked a lot of what I've seen in Christianity today, I know just enough Christians that have convinced me that genuine, Christ-like Christians do exist. They seem to be few and far between in my experience--but they are out there, and they are some amazing people. They are honest, transparent, humble, loving, authentic, and accepting. It's these people who have helped to inspire me to continue to walk in faith, despite all the ways I've been wronged and hurt by the majority of Christians.
So, anyway, that's about it I guess!
