Post by alwayslearning on Sept 23, 2009 20:27:43 GMT -5
I'm just popping in to say a quick hi, and to thank you for putting forth the effort required to keep this up and running.
I'm totally new here, and while comfortable with all the posts and opinions, I'm not yet at ease posting. A typical lurker, I'm just beginning to venture out of my shell a little, and hopefully will warm up to the idea of sharing my thoughts before such a large audience. So, this is a baby step.
The bones of my story are that I was raised catholic, was "saved" while catholic, married catholic (by 3 priests!), left catholicism to be a "real" christian (became very anti-catholic), bore 5 children (3 of those were high risk, requiring surgery, meds and bedrest) and homeschooled while becoming involved in, let's see....assemblies of god, baptist, advent christian, pca churches....and as we delved deeper and deeper into the quiverful philosophy....home fellowship. That's when things got really weird. (Stampinmama was in our fellowship as a teenager, and helped me during one of my bedrest pregnancies.
Needless to say, I'm not there anymore. We eventually left home fellowship, continued our fruitless (and exhausting) journey and ended up right where we started, back in the catholic church (with me digging my heels in, but feeling the Lord's leading nonetheless)! My marriage was terribly unhealthy (from the start), and husband thought going back to the church was the answer to all of our problems. Not quite. Ironically, I felt respected as a woman for the first time (spiritually), and after two separations got up the nerve to tell my husband I wanted a divorce.
I remained a faithful catholic until after going through the annulment process, which had provoked a deep inner examination. I finally asked myself questions I'd never given myself permission to ask, which led to thinking things I'd never given myself permission to think, which led to coming face to face with my very worst fear ever...questioning my faith. All of it. I assure you, this was a SCARY process.
To wrap this up, I eventually left the church. After leaving the church, I eventually left God. It was like going through a divorce all over again...very emotionally and psychologically intense. I now see all religion as being about control, not just the Quiverful movement (although it is by far extreme). Now that I'm able to look at Christianity objectively, it's laughable in its ridiculosity.
I'll stop now (though I have a LOT of thoughts on all of this), as I've certainly posted waaayyyy more than I thought I would (gulp).
Thank you to those who've read this far........
Amy
I'm totally new here, and while comfortable with all the posts and opinions, I'm not yet at ease posting. A typical lurker, I'm just beginning to venture out of my shell a little, and hopefully will warm up to the idea of sharing my thoughts before such a large audience. So, this is a baby step.
The bones of my story are that I was raised catholic, was "saved" while catholic, married catholic (by 3 priests!), left catholicism to be a "real" christian (became very anti-catholic), bore 5 children (3 of those were high risk, requiring surgery, meds and bedrest) and homeschooled while becoming involved in, let's see....assemblies of god, baptist, advent christian, pca churches....and as we delved deeper and deeper into the quiverful philosophy....home fellowship. That's when things got really weird. (Stampinmama was in our fellowship as a teenager, and helped me during one of my bedrest pregnancies.
Needless to say, I'm not there anymore. We eventually left home fellowship, continued our fruitless (and exhausting) journey and ended up right where we started, back in the catholic church (with me digging my heels in, but feeling the Lord's leading nonetheless)! My marriage was terribly unhealthy (from the start), and husband thought going back to the church was the answer to all of our problems. Not quite. Ironically, I felt respected as a woman for the first time (spiritually), and after two separations got up the nerve to tell my husband I wanted a divorce.
I remained a faithful catholic until after going through the annulment process, which had provoked a deep inner examination. I finally asked myself questions I'd never given myself permission to ask, which led to thinking things I'd never given myself permission to think, which led to coming face to face with my very worst fear ever...questioning my faith. All of it. I assure you, this was a SCARY process.
To wrap this up, I eventually left the church. After leaving the church, I eventually left God. It was like going through a divorce all over again...very emotionally and psychologically intense. I now see all religion as being about control, not just the Quiverful movement (although it is by far extreme). Now that I'm able to look at Christianity objectively, it's laughable in its ridiculosity.
I'll stop now (though I have a LOT of thoughts on all of this), as I've certainly posted waaayyyy more than I thought I would (gulp).
Thank you to those who've read this far........
Amy
