I have a professional degree in theology; if those three statements you were forced to affirm were all that was said in that so-called baptism, then it definitely wasn't a Christian baptism. I was dunked at age 14 in a regular American Baptist church and it was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit after speaking publicly that I believed in the Christian (Trinitarian) God, accepted Jesus as my savoir, and wanted to join the church. I'm none of that anymore, but yes, what you went through was a strange cult baptism. After mine I still had my own person even if I was being unhelpfully influenced by Evangelical nonsense through my teens. Then again, I was NEVER a conformist so simultaneous with my church life I was rebelling... like with my non-church high school friends. Liberation from mental colonization is the most important thing to get once you realize you've been duped, lie to, manipulated, terrified, shamed... all that stuff that that kind of religion does to people. And, I'm sorry to say but not sorry to say, but that photo of you as a little girl in that baptistry... it really bothered me, my heart was terrified for her. Yeah, go to a normal city more, like Paris, where there isn't this crazy North American Christian garbage. Just live. Free.
Fascinating. So no Holy Spirit...? Again I say, fascinating. It doesn't concern me anymore, but the Christian conception of God is far closer to, say, Hindu theology than either Judaism or Islam. And frankly, that's just fine with me. I suspect "the prophet" mentioned was that dude who started the cult? I like what you write, and after I return from a writer's retreat, I'll become a paid subscriber. Carry on.
I have a professional degree in theology; if those three statements you were forced to affirm were all that was said in that so-called baptism, then it definitely wasn't a Christian baptism. I was dunked at age 14 in a regular American Baptist church and it was Father, Son, and Holy Spirit after speaking publicly that I believed in the Christian (Trinitarian) God, accepted Jesus as my savoir, and wanted to join the church. I'm none of that anymore, but yes, what you went through was a strange cult baptism. After mine I still had my own person even if I was being unhelpfully influenced by Evangelical nonsense through my teens. Then again, I was NEVER a conformist so simultaneous with my church life I was rebelling... like with my non-church high school friends. Liberation from mental colonization is the most important thing to get once you realize you've been duped, lie to, manipulated, terrified, shamed... all that stuff that that kind of religion does to people. And, I'm sorry to say but not sorry to say, but that photo of you as a little girl in that baptistry... it really bothered me, my heart was terrified for her. Yeah, go to a normal city more, like Paris, where there isn't this crazy North American Christian garbage. Just live. Free.
We did not believe in the trinity, just God and his son. Go figure.
Fascinating. So no Holy Spirit...? Again I say, fascinating. It doesn't concern me anymore, but the Christian conception of God is far closer to, say, Hindu theology than either Judaism or Islam. And frankly, that's just fine with me. I suspect "the prophet" mentioned was that dude who started the cult? I like what you write, and after I return from a writer's retreat, I'll become a paid subscriber. Carry on.
No more will you be controlled by others.