What religion were you originally steeped in?
I was raised Mormon.
American Baptist. Not as weird as GARB but weird enough. Gave it all up after a protracted internal struggle. I try not to believe in stupid shit, and in so doing found my faith.
I was raised to be Baptist, but I never did believe. In church as a kid, I was always bored and would draw. So they put me in this group for the little kids while the adults went to listen to the sermon. I was always bored then too, but I did enjoy the snacks!
I was raised in the Church of England. It's one of the few churches in which you can be a member and not really believe in God, I think. I'm pretty sure there are CofE bishops who don't really believe in God. So, steeped would be too strong a word. I was a choir boy and server (alter boy), so I still have a soft spot for the theatre, the costumes, the music, the majesty of a medieval cathedral, the sound of a pipe organ in an acoustic wonderland. The rhythms and repetitions of Cranmer's liturgy in the Book of Common Prayer. Who could not be moved by the Order for the Burial of the Dead: "Man, that is born of a woman, hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery. He cometh up, and is cut down, like a flower; he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. In the midst of life we are in death: of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, o Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?"
That's spiritual, that is. Beats the hell out of guitars and bad impersonations of modern popular songs going on about Jesus and such, and other modern drivel.
I believe, in the States, Unitarians are comparable to C of E, in the not big on dogma thing.
Episopal, but we traveled in military as a child, so there were many protestant ministers.
Baha'i. Ever heard of it? Comes from Persia 1850 -- sprung from Islam. My grandmother, a Hollywood mom found it in West Hollywood in the 1940's when it was all the rage---universal principals of equality attracted her -- quite progressive at the time. All the women in my family converted. None of the men. Since it was a small religion, our whole life revolved around it. Everything was for and about the religion. We believed it was the only answer to the problems of the world. And the whole world would convert after some big calamity (like there has ever been a time without calamities, right?) The religion made you very self-effacing. So you never did anything for yourself, just the religion. So I never went to a good college or had a good job or aspired to anything personally. It took me to age 47 and some terrible mental illness issues to get it out of my system. I did not shed the broad social principles my grandmother believed it -- no war, no poverty, one world government, equality of races...etc.....but I got rid of the narrowness of belonging to this small group...Also gays not allows, alcohol not allowed. Sex before marriage not allowed. NO women on the supreme body allowed. Rules about prayer and fasting. I just don't need all these rules. I can make my own. They work just fine.
Catholic. I renounced it 20 years ago. I am still feeling the effects of the brainwashing I received for all those years, especially in the very important area of sexuality. They just don't want you to enjoy it!
It is true. They mess you over on sex. I am out gay 15 years now. But still I feel guilty about sex. Please raise your children to know that sex is good...that alone will cure most mental illness and depression in America.
I was raised in the apostolic/ pentecostal “holy roller” church in rural Mississippi. Unless you spoke in tongues and received the “holy ghost”, you were going to hell with gasoline pants! How lucky of me to have been born into the “truth.” Riiiightttt....
I grew up in a time when kids on the playground still asked where your dad worked, not mom, and what church you went to and we'd answer, "Baptist", pause, "American Baptist" to separate us from our less evolved southern brethren. My minister cousin says he just says, "Baptist, the real ones."
Lutheran. Quite possibly the least exciting branch of Christianity, except for our Christmas dinners. It's hard to say "steeped" in Lutheranism, since we barely even get knee deep in religion. We play it safe and stick to the shallows, and never dare to rock the boat.
So fortunate to have been born free of it, and need to thank my parents… My siblings and self actually asked to attend church as kids. Mom signed us up at the closest ..I can’t even remember the denomination. Around 6 months later we four ‘compared notes,’ decided it was insanity, and never returned. I still remember how uncomfortable and irritated my dad was sitting through some C-mass event. Mom wouldn’t even attend … still recounts how some woman in her small town upbring would ‘shun her’ with a cross as she walked home from school. Nope, my parents did not inflict religion on their children - and I love them for it!
Southern Baptist. Errrrrrrrrrrrthang is a sin. Erthang.
Pentecost... biggest show you would ever want to run from.
Methodist I lived in a catholic neighborhood and all my friends were catholic and many alter boys . I remember wanting to be a alter boy because they got tips for weddings I just felt left out . I remember getting up early and leaving the house to cut conformation class I caught hell from my dad . My dad would drop me and my sister off at church and go home I thought was lame . I could handle Methodist services I couldn't deal with other religions , church was just a waste of time for me .