I could not swim away, but only try to stay afloat, tethered to one spot... and it was only a matter of time before I drowned.
Category: pentecostalism
I was born and raised in the inner circle of a cultic Pentecostal church, and exploited for money for 13 years of that time. I secretly adopted new beliefs at age 16, and physically left the church as soon as I turned 18.
My Pentecostal Pastor: The First God I Ever Worshiped
My therapist nodded with a knowing smile. We had uncovered something crucial, obvious, and yet terribly easy to overlook...
Bleeding White Boxes: A Meditation on the Psychological Impact of Religious Upbringing
You can take the person out of the religion, but you can't take the religion out of the person.
I was the cult’s 5 year old cash cow.
They needed a way to raise money, I guess. And my vocal talent was easy to exploit....
Growing up in a Pentecostal “church” (Part 1)
Plenty of people were raised in some sort of church, typically a Christian one (in this country, at least). It's something I've bonded with many people over. The conversations tend to go like this: "Hey, remember growing up in church? Ugh, weren't the sermons so boring? Weren't the dress codes annoying? I hiked up my skirt every chance I … Continue reading Growing up in a Pentecostal “church” (Part 1)