Losing My Religion For the Second Time

In my mid-twenties, I parted ways with my Christian upbringing. There was just too much I disagreed with: the church’s stance on homosexuality, its adherence to patriarchy, the seeming rampant sexism (along with many other -isms and -phobias), to warrant staying in the church. And if I’m being honest, I had become so disappointed and disillusioned with the people in the church that I became disappointed and disillusioned with Christ, too.

It didn’t take long for me to renounce my faith in Him entirely.

By the time I reached my late twenties, a few life experiences had begun to nudge me closer to Christ again. I have a YouTube video that shares that story if you’re interested. Long story short, I slowly and somewhat begrudgingly (okay, maybe I was kicking and screaming) found my way back to my faith in Jesus.

That said, I was so angry. Angry at the church. Angry at its people. Angry at the way white Christian nationalism was spewing hate and intolerance all over the country. I vowed that I would practice my faith at home, never again stepping foot inside a church.

But time can heal even the hardest of hearts, and eventually, I found myself back in a church home that I truly loved. It was Christ-centered, multi-ethnic, and inclusive. It finally felt like I had found a church that was truly living the…