/rant
If you read this you tell me whether you think I was raised in a cult:
I was raised a Young Earth Creationist by Charismatic Evangelical Fundamentalists who not only think the world is less than a million years old, they think that you can talk to God in your head, and that the Protestant (no darn Apocrypha for us!) canon is so authoritative that if you don't do exactly what it says to the letter, your afterlife might be a bit toasty...
I believe my mother had the biggest part in my indoctrination,as my Dad merely failed to contradict her. I'm also vagely mad at the pastors and teachers I had, but nothing in comparison to my parents. I say mad because it's their fault I'm here, of course, and I guess I'm still kinda in the "I hate having to handle this" phase of it, but who knows-- they say time heals and I'm not positive that I don't have a chance at happiness _somewhere_ out there... Guess I'm reaching for the day when my first response is pity rather than anger... I suppose it'd be a bit easier if someday I can surpass them financially too. I mean, the reason I haven't pitied them so far is that despite Mom's delusions they both seem fairly content with life. Dad though unambitious has throughout the years done things to help people (sure, some may have been church politics, but if he himself is gaining by what he's doing now for Morningstar Development, I sure don't see it.) Actually, now that I think about it, I do kinda pity Mom. Too bad for her beliefs =/.
The tough part now is dealing with dreams of what might have come about had Mom injected more Common Sense into me than mumbo jumbo.
Well I'll try to rethink my childhood and what parts were useful and not:
Useful things done/learned: . Boy scouts? the few neighborhood friends I had? Times at the beach?
Mixed: Hosting Bible studies (socializing at least). Leading worship (I found my limitations on the guitar)
Questionable: My education (cons: Mandatory Bible class every semester and chapel every week. Took a class on Genesis ("Creation, Fall, Flood, Nations") and as in Biology we skipped the Evolution chapters,
Also my social interactions were severely limited, especially once High School ended though on the flip side I got a lot of time for introspection?
Utterly Pointless things learned/done: Writing worship songs. All the hours and hours I spent "talking to God", out loud or in my head*.
Well, it's been fun. This was me trying to find who is responsible for me wasting much of my early (Childhood through post-college) years on a myth. I guess if I sort it out maybe I can help others not to join the Model U.N. instead of the Moonies =/
If you read this you tell me whether you think I was raised in a cult:
I was raised a Young Earth Creationist by Charismatic Evangelical Fundamentalists who not only think the world is less than a million years old, they think that you can talk to God in your head, and that the Protestant (no darn Apocrypha for us!) canon is so authoritative that if you don't do exactly what it says to the letter, your afterlife might be a bit toasty...
I believe my mother had the biggest part in my indoctrination,as my Dad merely failed to contradict her. I'm also vagely mad at the pastors and teachers I had, but nothing in comparison to my parents. I say mad because it's their fault I'm here, of course, and I guess I'm still kinda in the "I hate having to handle this" phase of it, but who knows-- they say time heals and I'm not positive that I don't have a chance at happiness _somewhere_ out there... Guess I'm reaching for the day when my first response is pity rather than anger... I suppose it'd be a bit easier if someday I can surpass them financially too. I mean, the reason I haven't pitied them so far is that despite Mom's delusions they both seem fairly content with life. Dad though unambitious has throughout the years done things to help people (sure, some may have been church politics, but if he himself is gaining by what he's doing now for Morningstar Development, I sure don't see it.) Actually, now that I think about it, I do kinda pity Mom. Too bad for her beliefs =/.
The tough part now is dealing with dreams of what might have come about had Mom injected more Common Sense into me than mumbo jumbo.
Well I'll try to rethink my childhood and what parts were useful and not:
Useful things done/learned: . Boy scouts? the few neighborhood friends I had? Times at the beach?
Mixed: Hosting Bible studies (socializing at least). Leading worship (I found my limitations on the guitar)
Questionable: My education (cons: Mandatory Bible class every semester and chapel every week. Took a class on Genesis ("Creation, Fall, Flood, Nations") and as in Biology we skipped the Evolution chapters,
Also my social interactions were severely limited, especially once High School ended though on the flip side I got a lot of time for introspection?
Utterly Pointless things learned/done: Writing worship songs. All the hours and hours I spent "talking to God", out loud or in my head*.
Well, it's been fun. This was me trying to find who is responsible for me wasting much of my early (Childhood through post-college) years on a myth. I guess if I sort it out maybe I can help others not to join the Model U.N. instead of the Moonies =/