New here

[Quinn6765]

Hi All,

For the purposes of this forum I go by "A". I grew up in a CoC in Alabama. I think that I was pressured to "join" (or as most of you know, that means to be baptized) too early in my youth. I felt that guilt and fear played a huge part in why I joined when I did. When I left for college, I was free to explore on my own and bringing back questions to my home church always caused an issue. Overtime, I left but caught a lot of grief for it (including from my family). I think things really escalated when my paternal grandfather passed. He was a deacon in the Southern Baptist Church. I remember talking with my maternal grandmother about attending a local Baptist Church (At this time you were lucky if I attended at all). Her exact respones to me was "You might as well not even be going to church then." The constant toxic enviroment and the blatant hypocrisy finally led me to completely leave the church. I currently do not attend church and find myself defensive when Christianity or church is brought up in conversation. I still believe in God, but I feel revulsion to congregational worship. My husband is from a CoC as well. His congregation was more conservative than my own. They believed in no fellowship halls and women wearing head coverings. He has the same attitude as I do. His parents and sister still attend and pressue us into going all the time. (I don't get too pressured from my side since my dad is Baptist and understands my reasons for not wanting to attend). I joined this forum because even though I have been gone from the CoC for years, I still have unresolved issues from my time there. I hope to find support, understanding, and friendship within this group.

~A

[agricola]

Unresolved issues are the very beast, aren't they? And if they are unresolved, then they can show up DECADES later in life - you are definitely not the only person here with that kind of issue and concern!

Welcome to the ex board, and please do browse the various forums - pull up old pages, and find old threads if you like - all you need to do to 'resurrect' one is to post a comment - a common comment happens to be 'bump'!
That will 'bump' a discussion from languishing on a back page, back up to the top.

And we will be happy you did.

Welcome and come right in, and check out the place.

[Shane R]

Welcome! My kin finally stopped pressuring me to go about 3 years ago. Of course, I am ordained in another denomination and wear a collar to Sunday service regardless of the church I'm at. Can you imagine a person showing up to a CoC in a clergy collar?

[Ivy]

Welcome! My kin finally stopped pressuring me to go about 3 years ago. Of course, I am ordained in another denomination and wear a collar to Sunday service regardless of the church I'm at. Can you imagine a person showing up to a CoC in a clergy collar?

Would love to be a fly on the wall and see that....hahaha!!!

[Moogy]

Welcome, A!