From Fundamentalism and Beyond

My brother, oddly enough, was instrumental in my earliest religious experiences! He is younger than me, but brought me to a church rally at the local church. I experienced salvation, not because of a grown-up desire to experience who Jesus Christ really was, but as a youngster driven by a certain amount of co-dependent behavior.

The years went by, and I married a man who also had experienced fundamental Christianity, but as an adult. He was “on fire”, as they say. Because of his being an adult child of an alcoholic and the pervasive drug usage in his family, I suspect he also became a Christian through some sense of co-dependency.

Somewhere along the way, I tired of the ongoing attitude surrounding fundamentalism; you aren’t in control of your own life (Jesus is), but if you “sin”, you are treated as dirt within that church community!! I divorced, as usual not because of one issue only (but the fundamentalism definitely played a part), in an effort to regain my independent, thinking self.

So, my experience is not an actual “conversion” per se. I still very much believe in God, but I attend a church that is tolerant of other beliefs, even while preaching the abundant love of Christ towards man. There is no “stone-casting”; you are on a life’s journey like everyone else. No one has the right to judge whether you are going to heaven or not.

I feel that I am on the second phase of my journey now, and I am enjoying every step!


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