Literature that Broke Me Out of Organized Religion
I grew up in Fundamentalist, Evangelical Christianity. I was homeschooled by my parents, I went to church every Sunday, youth group two times a week, and attended Christian college. I didn't have any friends who weren't the same religion as me and I lived my life in constant fear that I wasn't living up to the expectations my parents, the church, and even God had for me. When I questioned things I'd been taught or failed to read my Bible regularly, the guilt ate at me and I was convinced I was going to hell and had never truly been a Christian. I used to pray every night on a loop for God to save me from hell and keep my family safe. When I went to college, even though it was a Christian one, it was the first time I lived away from my parents. Even though I was still being taught the same damaging things I always had been, it was coming from different sources and I was able to parse through everything myself without the influence of parents, older siblings, and youth p...