Article December 17, 2012 ISSUE

Healing after abuse and heartache

Name withheld

When I left home right out of high school, I was starting a new chapter in my life. It was scary and exciting all at the same time, but I needed to put some distance between myself and memories I wanted to forget.

As a child, I was mentally and sexually abused by one of my parents. I attended Sunday School for my entire childhood (one parent was a Christian Scientist), but I often wondered if this ever-present God of love whom I had learned about, and His protection, even existed. Having learned about the path one was expected to follow, in my young mind, I wasn’t “pure” enough to call myself a Christian Scientist. I felt I did not quite live up to the standards for inclusion in the church—standards that I thought were pretty much set in stone for this religion. I saw myself as a sinner, even though not by personal choice. So, with the feeling that I had no other option, I put my spiritual growth on hold and explored what else life had to offer.

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