My family wasn’t particularly strict about religion – just your average “casually Christian” folks. We hit up church on Sundays but didn’t get into deep discussions about faith until I hit 12.
Looking back at my journey away from Christianity, I realize I don’t pledge allegiance to a single religion. I see the value in each belief system and view them all as equally valid.
A memory from Vacation Bible School still sticks with me. The teacher warned us that even innocent acts could damn us to hell. Uttering “Oh My God” as an expression of surprise, we were told, was no different than committing heinous crimes in God’s eyes.
For me, it was impossible to even think those three words as a child with unwavering trust in God. I became the unofficial “Oh My God” Police, policing anyone who dared to use that phrase.
When COVID shuttered churches, I was left alone with my thoughts, wrestling with doubts and questions that had always lingered at the back of my mind. I grappled with the conflicting need to blindly believe to escape hell and the growing questions that challenged my faith.
The doubts only multiplied. What about babies, people with disabilities, or those who never encountered Christianity? Did they all face damnation? This thinking made me see Christianity as favoring a “normal crowd” while leaving others in the lurch.
Slowly, I came to the realization that blindly following a faith wasn’t for me. I began to question the historical context of religion, understanding its influence and the division it caused within Christianity itself.
The more I delved into history, the more I saw religion being wielded for power instead of good. Past atrocities justified in the name of God made me question everything I had been taught.
Breaking away from my religious upbringing opened my mind to diverse perspectives. While I respect others’ faith, I’ve learned to question and think critically about beliefs that are presented as absolute truths.
Isabel Liu is a recent graduate from Dunbar High School in Florida. She is a writer intrigued by music, philosophy, and science. Enrolling in the United States Naval Academy to serve her nation is her next goal.
All opinions expressed are those of the author.