By Freedom ~
If you've ever sat with your child and held them while they cried and worried that they were not saved, then you might be a fundamentalist. I did just that two nights ago. For the second time in the last six months, my beautiful, good hearted girl has feared hell. I HATE THAT!
Image via WikipediaI might not go so far as to tell her that I no longer believe in her god (yet) but I'm damned sure not going to let her think she's going to hell. After a lengthy discussion on the doctrine of hell and why I no longer believe in it, she had an "aha moment". She should not be seeking any god out of fear of punishment. That's bullying and we won't have it.
It's hard to admit that I've contributed to my daughter's fear. Hell is the unspoken nightmare that we have lived with. I now know that as I venture further and further away from fundamentalist Christianity, I am shaking the foundations of belief in my children. I'd like it to be empowering and freeing for them and perhaps it will be one day. For now, though, they are just confused and befuddled. They've had childlike belief and even though it's not overt, I am, piece by piece, dismantling the world they've been so sure of.
I'm emerging out of years of depression, anxiety and fear at the hands of fundamentalist Christianity. Although it pains me to see my children hurting right now, it is my sincere hope that my happiness, my freedom and my earnest quest for truth will ultimately bring them peace. That is surely what it has brought me.
If you've ever sat with your child and held them while they cried and worried that they were not saved, then you might be a fundamentalist. I did just that two nights ago. For the second time in the last six months, my beautiful, good hearted girl has feared hell. I HATE THAT!
Image via WikipediaIt's hard to admit that I've contributed to my daughter's fear. Hell is the unspoken nightmare that we have lived with. I now know that as I venture further and further away from fundamentalist Christianity, I am shaking the foundations of belief in my children. I'd like it to be empowering and freeing for them and perhaps it will be one day. For now, though, they are just confused and befuddled. They've had childlike belief and even though it's not overt, I am, piece by piece, dismantling the world they've been so sure of.
I'm emerging out of years of depression, anxiety and fear at the hands of fundamentalist Christianity. Although it pains me to see my children hurting right now, it is my sincere hope that my happiness, my freedom and my earnest quest for truth will ultimately bring them peace. That is surely what it has brought me.
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