My names Samantha, im 16 years old & here is my story to recovery. I'm writing this in hopes that it will help someone going thru the same situations. .

I just never bought some of it. I hope my story can help someone.

Don't throw out the baby with the bathwater. Just change the dirty water.

From a follower to a more enlightened semi-leader.

My journey from adventism to freedom

I was immersed in church life from 6 weeks of age until shortly after my 40th birthday. I was born-again at age 7. I spent my last five years in church leading praise and worship. My father just retired after 50 years in the pulpit.

Since I was a child I always had a love for God. When I was 9 years old I started a ' church ' and invited all my friends to teach the bible. In my teenage years, I left God, angry over the circumstances in my life. A step father addicted to drugs , who abused my mother physically and while on drugs attempted to murder her.

Hi. My name is Fernando and not only was I a Fundamentalist; I am also an ex-gay survivor. The reasons why I was involved in those groups was because of the pressures from family that they want to see me get married and have kids. I also wanted to be straight and given misinformation about LGBTQI people; and finally met one of those "reformed ex-homosexual" campus preachers at Stanislaus State, which convinced me easily because I was naive and vulnerable back in 2006.

My heart is pounding and my pulse is beating hard as I write this story. You see, one year ago today I was spending my birthday with the love of my life and planning to get married. Today on my 33rd birthday I am reading other peoples testimonies about leaving Fundamentalist Christianity. I am questioning everything that my heart, mind, and soul believed passionately for twelve years. I was going to be a Pastor.

I hold no hatred in my heart for her or her family, my hatred has turned into empathetic sorrow for them. I am sick inside from all the hatred and confusion that has come from my heart, and I blame Christianity.

To see if any aspects of my own experiences and struggles strike a chord with anyone....I think because of the space available, and rather than merely give a superficial “just stick to the bare facts”-version,….i’ll write as much as I can that’s relevant to both the intellectual and psycho-emotional turmoil that our journeys out of fundamentalism can involve.

From Pastor to Bastard....

My coming out of religion story, and my coming out of the closet story, are inextricably linked. But it is the process of coming to understand the role of fear in my life and its relationship to love, that made me understand that I was already on the right path, but the path is much clearer now.

And the 'tower came tumbling down.

My husband, Kurt, and I recently wrote "The Collapse of Belief" about our religious and life journeys. We posted the entire book online. You can read it by clicking the link inside.

The testimony of my deconversion is tied to my conversion story. Both events were planted in the same revelation – a conversation my mother had with me as a young boy. That conversation is etched deep, painfully deep, in my consciousness.

For the record, I was not raised in a fundamentalist household, nor in a fundamentalist church. I brought the fundamentalist beliefs on myself, which ended up straining the relationships among my family and friends....until I attended a Christian college...go figure.

This is the context of my state of sincerity during my struggle with faith and eventual “falling away”.

I was spiritually abused by Jerry Falwell. I attended Liberty University, his Nazi-like concentration camp college in which rock music, attending movie theatres, single dating and long hair was banished. I'm proud of the fact I survived.

I author two blogs, Hot-For-Jesus Former Fundie and teandoranges. I hope that by telling my story others will be encouraged to tell theirs.

Hi my name is Rachel. I live in the Midlands in England. I was brought up in the Bretheren church originally. My dad was (and still is to this day) a pastor of an evangelical church.

As a younger man, I wanted to be a pastor. Not to have a position of power, but just to help other people and make a difference. As an older man, I've called bullshit on religion and felt enormous freedom in letting go of old ways and religious beliefs, while still keeping my morals and values. It feels great.

Fear was a central emotion growing up in a large devout Catholic family in the upper Midwest. I learned to be afraid of the devil, hell, sins, priests, and even my thoughts. All of these fears originated in church, in catechism and at home.

I got down on my knees confessed my sins, repented as much as I knew how, and accepted Christ into my heart. It was a mind-altering experience for me. In my mind’s eye I visualized the Creator of all physically with me in the room. I felt overwhelmed with what I believed was a personal and direct manifestation of the LORD. I cried and cried. The emotional cleansing and reality of that moment has never left me, and as I write about it now, it comes alive once again.

How can we argue convincingly about who or what god is (or even if there is a separate being who answers to that name), when we can't even agree on what an elephant is?

This is my ’spiritual’ or more accurately, ‘psycho-spiritual-reflective’, autobiography I wrote for my senior seminar in theology class in college. I’ve since revised it and will continue to as my life unfolds. Hopefully some people can find it helpful and/or relate partially to it. I encourage everyone do this reflection ‘exercise’, as I found it incredibly helpful and life-giving. The art of knowing thyself (for theological/psychological purposes or just in general) is so important and yet very undervalued in our busy-busy culture.

Visit my blog at jasherwilliamson.wordpress.com for more reflections on issues of recovering from fundamentalism, religious addiction, healing, grace, etc.

Despite the fact that neither of my parents really were too religious, my life began with the chanting of the adhaan (Muslim call to prayer) into my ear. Every Muslim child has this done, and it is supposed to start off his or her life with Islam.

I am at peace with myself and my 'version' of God! bless you all in your journey!

I was a devout Christian until I was 19. A Christian University gone wrong woke me up to the hypocrisy and manipulation that goes on behind the scenes of church leadership. I started questioning my beliefs and eventually lost my faith in God. It was really hard to adjust to being an atheist because it was such a huge change for me.

I have come to accept the changes in my life and have made peace with the possibility that I may never be sure if there's a god or not. I have a good life now and I am a happy non-Christian.

Walking away is a scary process, but honesty with yourself is necessary for life, growth and (if you choose to persue it) genuine spirituality.

I was involved with The Way International, a biblical fundamentalist group (considered by most as a cult), from 1977 through 2005, ages 18 to 46. I was involved with the leadership training program, The Way Corps, and lived for two years on three of the (then) four 'root' locations. I served as a Word Over the World Ambassador, which was The Way's outreach program. During my fourth year of involvement with The Way, I developed asthma and an over-responsive immune system. I believe much of the health issues I experienced for decades were a result of shame and suppressed emotion. Most of my 28 years of involvement I served in some sort of lay leadership capacity.

Prior to The Way I was involved with the Charismatic movement (5 months), a fundamentalist Baptist Church (1 year), Transcendental Meditation (1-1/2 years), psychedelic and other drugs (15 months), and attended a Methodist church some in my childhood.