Finding My Voice

I pulled out of the Independent Fundamental Baptist movement (and Christianity as a whole) in the fall of 2011 - that's roughly thirty one months ago. My beliefs have changed so much during that time frame. Who I am has changed, and I'm very thankful for that fact. I'm happier. I'm healthier. I'm more confident. My spirituality is more fulfilling. I've found my voice and am no longer afraid to use it. Life is better.

Christian fundamentalism greatly stunted my personal growth. I've only recently realized how greatly it stunted my ability to use my voice. For starters, fundamentalism did its best to prevent me from developing my individuality. Self-aware individuals don't conform to rigid rules and certainly don't do well with one-size-fits-all doctrine. Individuals realize the world doesn't fit into a box. Individuals use their voice to ask questions. Questions are dangerous if they remain unchecked. A child may except pat answers, but when that child grows up, his questions will not so easily be set aside. Fundamentalism prides itself in having the answer to everything, even if that answer is "God's ways are not man's ways" or "God knows best." Receiving an answer like that was very unsatisfying, but it usually was enough to shut me up because I didn't want to appear to be questioning God or the authority of the person whom I'd asked. Asking too many questions got you in trouble or, at the least, caused people to find you annoying and troublesome. I asked too many questions anyway, though, and didn't get enough answers.

I can recall puzzling through matters of theology as a college student. Homework assignments designed to help me better understand my faith only made it more puzzling. One particular event stands out in my mind. I had been studying the arguments for and against predestination and free will and thought I'd had a breakthrough moment of understanding. I wanted to share my discovery with other people so I did my best to put it into words (which was long and complicated to do) and then put in Facebook. Immediately I got backlash from fundamentalist friends who disagreed; ultimately I chose to take down what I'd written. I satw then and there that a hole-proof, Biblical argument that reconciled predestination and free will didn't exist. That was one of many things that I realized were not as hole-proof as fundamentalism declared/needed them to be. My faith was crumbling,
not being strengthened, and I began to realize why hyper-conservative fundamentalists declared higher education to be a "tool of Satan" used to pull young people away from their faith. I was not involved with Satan, though, and had only studied at conservative Christian educational institutions. My fundamentalist faith was not holding up to the thoughts inside my own head, and there was nothing I could do about it.

Eventually I had to start telling the people around me that I was no longer a believer. My voice was a squeaky whisper as I fearfully undertook the task of breaking people's hearts. I put on a brave face, tried to protect myself by putting up a wall of defense, but nothing helped. I could no longer believe, could not live a lie to please people, but couldn't bear to cause the people I loved so much pain and confusion. The year during/after my exit was messy and painful for all involved. I felt desperate for independence and a chance to discover the rest of the world, and in my desperation I made some bad decisions (my first marriage being one of them). Mistakes added to the pain and confusion, but through it all I began to find my footing and realized how strong I was - not how strong a deity or religion could make me. I found a place where I could blossom, a partner who supported me, and a faith community that was safe and nourishing (Unitarian Universalism). Finding love and support has given me the confidence I need to start using my voice.

I recall one conversation with my mother sometime after I had left fundamentalism: she asked me not to become an activist. Turns out the term activist made her think of 70's era feminists like Jane Fonda. I know very little about Jane Fonda, but I'm aware that some of the activism of days gone by left a bad taste in many people's mouths. Feminism and environmentalism both got a bad rap in IFB circles, and since those are two of the most well known areas of activism, I guess many fundamentalists assume activism is crazy, despite their very active attempts at proselytization and protecting themselves from what they considered to be infringements on their religious rights. IFB told me to speak out about salvation so the world would not all die and go to hell, but it cared very little about the worldly state of humanity and the Earth. Humanitarian efforts were seen as secondary (at best) to missionary work that resulted in conversions. I was always troubled by this, and wanted to involve myself in something that sought to help others at whatever level they needed help - not just their souls. 

I guess I've always been an activist at heart. I don't like sitting idly by when I see something that is needed, but years of doing just that must be overcome. I'm finding my voice and have lots I want to say. I don't have the courage to speak very loudly, and the thought of public speaking still terrifies me, but I'm finding ways to use my voice. This blog is really what got me started; I needed to tell my story, and in the absence of an existing audience I made the web my audience. There are other things I'm passionate about, and I've been able to use the web to help me speak out about those things as well. Now that I'm a member at my local UU church, I think I will quickly find new ways to speak about what is important to me. I don't have a special story, but I do have my story. I don't have great ideas or even unique ideas, but if I don't speak my thoughts I remain part of the silent majority. I want to bring about change, not remain silent while the world dies around me.