The Day I Saw the Light

By Lillian ~

I come from a Catholic family and I attended Catholic schools for 13 years. I studied my catechisms, attended Church daily and on Sunday. When I was 18, I found myself pregnant by a man that I knew would not take care of me or our baby. Knowing that abortion was wrong, I stayed pregnant. Both my mother and a good Catholic Aunt said "Why don't you have an abortion?" I was too far along by that time to do it.

My baby was handed over to strangers. I had put him into "God's hands". Over the years I prayed to God knowing that He would take care of my son because I had made the ultimate sacrifice. I received a call 17 years later telling me that my son had committed suicide. That was the day I saw the light.

When I realized that my entire upbringing was based on fairy tales, I took responsibility for every decision I made. I think that is one of the reasons that people go on believing after their prayers have not been answered. When you realize that you and you alone are in charge of your destiny, the world can seem like a frightening place.

I don't intend for this to be a sob story, but an example of how religion and the Church can damage us in ways we couldn't even imagine.

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