Hello everyone! My name is Shaunte, and I was raised as a non-denominational Protestant Christian. When I married, I converted to Coptic Orthodoxy, which is older than Catholicism. I was very unhappy in my marriage for many years, but was told by several priests that if I didn't stay with my husband, I would have to remain alone. If I remarried, God would consider me an adulteress, and "adulterers will not enter the kingdom of heaven." I believed this nonsense, even though most Christians conveniently ignore this part of the Bible. I remained in my own personal hell for years, and decided that all I could do was immerse myself in what I believed to be God's will for my life.
I went on to teach Orthodox Apologetics to the college students in our church because our priest wanted me to prepare them for the secular colleges that many of them were headed to. While preparing for my lessons, I came across some YouTube videos by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Richard Carrier. My mind was opened. Now I understand why doubt is the unforgivable sin. Once you doubt, you question, and once you question, you can never go back.
I left the church, divorced my husband, and began to make my own path. I'm free to love and accept whomever I choose. I'm "allowed" to think for myself, and most importantly, I'm teaching my son how to think, and not what to think.