Originally Posted by Cleric_of_Reason

In a world full of human beings who look outside themselves to something greater than the mortal flesh we dwell in, one group of people has affected me the most: Christians. I do not want to deliver this message in hate nor do I want anyone to condemn me for the following words. I am simply expressing my feelings from one human being to another.

"Thank you."

Thank you that ever since I was in my mother's womb, I was read the Bible.
Thank you that when I was born, I was born into a family that thought they were doing the best they could for me by bringing me up in a Christian home.
Thank you that throughout my entire childhood I was given the Bible to memorize and read and study.
Thank you for telling me I was talking to God when I prayed.
Thank you for teaching me how to lead some one else to God.
Thank you for the fear that was instilled in me that if I did anything wrong, it was enough to get into Hell.
Thank you for scaring me into salvation at the age of five.
Thank you for teaching me that the world was created in six days as fact.
Thank you for teaching me that whoever didn't believe in God was ignorant and deserved Hell.
Thank you for forbidding me to ever fall in love with someone who wasn't a Christian.
Thank you convincing me believe that it was the right thing to go to a Bible college to continue the legacy of ministry.
Thank you for telling me to reject my natural feelings and instincts as a teenager.
Thank you that even now sometimes I lose sleep at night thinking that God will strike me down for rejecting my upbringing.
Thank you that even though I know better now, I will always have that fear deep down that God will judge me.
Thank you for everything.

I'm not really sorry if I have offended anyone. This has been my life. A life of fear, discipline and sheltering. I have been wanting to get this off my chest for a loooong time. As I think back on everything that has happened to me under a Christian roof, it angers me. Not to hatred, but more out of hurt. I love mankind, and I love the good that we are capable of. But this has not been good to me.