14.
“My parents raised us in a scary Southern Baptist church that scarred me for life. We were there three times every single week, and if there was anything special going on, best believe we were front and center. We were taught that everything was a sin and would send you straight to hell.”
“You got caught cheating on a test, hell. You had a beer at a party, hell. You were a member of or just an ally to the LGBTQ community, hell.
“It made us all scared to be our true selves. My siblings do not have kids yet, but I do, and I have the most open policy I can with them. If they want to go to church or learn about religion, we will absolutely do that. You wanna burn the black flame candle and practice witchcraft, for sure. You identify as ‘they/them,’ got it.
“The only goal I have for my kids is for them to be decent people, without the threat of burning in hell for eternity. Anyone will be good if they are scared of the consequence of their mistakes, but being good just for the sake of being good — that shit hits differently.”
—Victoria, South Carolina
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