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Any former/current Baptists?

Discussion in 'Family, Friends, and Relationships' started by Saintly89, Feb 3, 2014.

  1. Saintly89

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    I'm not a religious person by any means, thank God. But I was wondering if there are any Baptists, current or former, on this forum. I live in a conservative rural area centered on the Bible Belt and from what I've seen they are usually very critical of homosexuality, ranging from simple disapproval to downright antagonism. I was particularly wondering what some people's experiences may have been growing up in Baptist families. It seems to me like this could potentially be a perfect storm of denial, shame and guilt.
     
    #1 Saintly89, Feb 3, 2014
    Last edited: Feb 3, 2014
  2. justjade

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    I went to a Baptist school up through 9th grade. They antagonized the shit out of the LGBT community. I was raised in a Nazarene church, but really, from what I remember, they really weren't that different. The only distinct differences I remember were that Nazarenes were fine with Christian rock music, and they read from the NIV instead of the King James version of the Bible.

    Really, though, being raised Christian really confused me. It put me through a lot of unhealthy denial. I didn't want to go to Hell, so I just denied that I was different. I started having feelings for girls and freaked out about that. Then I began thinking I might be trans. That didn't make things any better.

    I am trans and not into girls anymore, and I'm a lot healthier now than I was then. I got away from religion and became spiritual, and now I'm much better even though I'm still pretty depressed.
     
  3. Saintly89

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    Thank you for your perspective. I'm glad you were able to come out of that and hope you continue to. I feel similarly about religion.
     
  4. warholwendy

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    I am an Atheist but I was raised as a Babtist. All of my friends know but I haven't told my parents.
     
  5. BryanM

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    I was a Southern Baptist growing up until I was about ten, then I switched to mainstream liberal Christianity for four or five years, then went to agnosticism. I used to be very religious, but I hated the fire and brimstone type preaching that happened at my Baptist Church, saying gays will go to hell and you will too if you support them, or abortion is just plain wrong and you should be sentenced to death for having one. I don't think scare tactics are what religion should be about. I thought when I was Baptist that gays and lesbians were awesome and were born that way, and I stood up against the bigotry that they were preaching, even when that wasn't very popular. I then switched to Liberal Christianity after that rift between church leaders increased, and thought that God loved everybody. After four or five years, I began to doubt the existence of an all-knowing power, so I went to agnosticism, which is what I consider myself today. I still believe the morals that God loves everyone and you should love everyone are good things that religions teach. My grandparents still go to that conservative baptist church, but they are in full support of me and who I am, along with my uncle's part of the family, who is also baptist, although they are also more liberal.

    EDIT: Thinking back, some of my internalized homophobia was probably caused by my former religious affiliations denouncing it, but I was also able to overcome it because of some of the things being religious taught me (That you can do anything you set your mind to, love thy brother, etc.)
     
    #5 BryanM, Feb 3, 2014
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  6. Saintly89

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    You set a good example Paradox15.