[9dstpm]

I was raised Church of Christ. In short, COC believes that they are the true church and that those who are not COC are going to hell. COC believes only the New Testament of the Bible. COC uses no instruments in worship services. They also do not believe in Christmas or Easter and instructs its members to not celebrate it in any fashion. (No lights, gift giving, no tree, no Easter baskets, Easter dresses, etc) COC members are also encouraged not to date unless they are thinking about marriage and are not allowed to dance or attend movies with any rating above G. COC members are not allowed to have non-COC friends unless they are trying to convert them. Oh, and of course, a woman's place in this religion is to just get married and have lots of kids and if possible, home school them. (That lady who drowned her kids a couple of years ago in TX is COC)

So basically, my childhood and adolesence sucked big time. I missed prom, wasn't allowed to try out for band or cheerleading or any other extracurricular activity that interfered with church. I always questioned worshipping a God who did not allow you to enjoy life and required that you attend church or Bible study 6 out of 7 days a week. But seeing as that I was living in my parents' house, I could not just up and change religions.

The straw that broke the camel's back occured when I became pregnant with my son. I was ostracized by my church, the very people who preached all my life that we are supposed to love everyone and help the weak and fallen turned their backs on me. I felt like everyone in that church (family included) were just all a big bunch of hypocrites. When they came to the hospital after I gave birth, in my mind it was more of being nosy than out of genuine Christian concern and any feeling I had about changing religions when I moved out of my parents' home was pretty much confirmed for me.

Once I left MS and came to MI, I stopped going to church for a couple of years. I figured that 22 years of constant church, church, church was enough for me. I married my first husband who attended an apostolic church that was run by his uncle. Biggest sham if I ever saw one. I knew the church wasn't right and quickly stopped going and I think he knew it too, but he was too caught up in the pomp and prestige and getting his cut from his uncle to realize anything. So I divorced him and left Detroit and moved a little further north to Saginaw. In college there, I had a roommate who was COC and convinced me to go to service with her. Figuring that a Midwest COC would be different from a down South COC, I went. I got the cold shoulder once again when my roommate told the congregation that I was a divorced single mother whose son lived with his grandparents. (COC doesn't believe in divorce, either) So that was the official end of my affiliation with COC.

About a few months later, I met the man who would become my current husband. He went to a Baptist church, but didn't pressure me about going, mainly because he worked on Sunday. When I met his mom, she asked if I would go to church with her one Sunday. The church seemed friendly enough, but I just knew that once they found out I was a divorcee and a mom, they would turn against me too. They didn't. Instead, they made me feel at home. Like I was a part of something. So I started going on a regular basis and ended up joining.

When I told my parents, they were pretty upset and didn't talk to me for a while, telling me that I was going to hell and all of that. When they did talk to me, it was just basically to try to get me to come back to COC. I would get tracts in the mail from them all the time, and I would just as quickly throw them out. When I got married, my parents pretty much accepted the fact that I was a Baptist and I was happy and thriving.

My hubby and I are very active in our church; however I still need to get back to reading my Bible on a regular basis. (having been conditioned as a child to reading the Bible as a form of punishment has stuck with me.)

Sorry this was so long.