Why were there even denominations, and shouldn’t there just be ONE church? I tried going to mega churches that were non-denominational, but it felt like the messaging was lost in the glam and theatrics of the concerts. By the time I was a teenager, I considered myself a Christian but didn’t know what denomination I belonged in. "I didn’t grow up in a religious household, but I remember always being curious about God, Jesus, and the stories that I came across in the books at my friends’ houses. We both had to redefine what being a nondenominational practitioner is to us, as we heavily disagree with the politically fueled hateful modern-day church culture, but we’re happy!"ġ2. Now years into being married, they identify as being a nondenominational Christian. They denounced their membership to their church and took a hiatus from any church as they did their own research. Unfortunately, this uncovered deep trauma inflicted on them by both the church and their family. "They began critically reflecting on their beliefs and church, finding it to be more hate-fueled and rule-based than biblical. After we had been dating for a while, conversations came up as to how we could marry with our deferring beliefs because I absolutely could not get on board with theirs." They had never heard of that! They believed their denomination - the only 'right' one - against all others. When we first met, I told him I was a nondenominational Christian. They were only taught of the wrath of God and fear of being damned if they didn’t follow specific rules. They attended private religious schools and overall lived a very sheltered life within his church. "My spouse was raised deeply ingrained in one of the more cult-like denominations of Christianity. Both my grandparents passed away before I met them, but their story is pretty tragic."ġ1. This all happened before I was born, but my uncles are still suffering because of this incident. My mom was smart and independent and left the family as soon as she could, but her siblings suffered after my grandfather left. She became more depressed over time and took that out and vented to her kids. "She was pretty depressed about that, and to make it worse my grandfather ended up cheating on her and married another woman, leaving her to care for six children alone. She used to sing for the radio, but my grandfather prohibited music, as it was considered a sin in Islam but was highly revered in Hindu culture."
She was well educated and was also a talented musician. She changed her name from Laxmi to Ayesha, and her entire family was outcasted as a result. To marry my grandfather, she had to convert to Islam. His family was normal middle class, but he was the only one who graduated from university and became a successful engineer. My grandmother being the oldest caught the eye of my grandfather. She had four other sisters, and they were pretty popular in the village for their beauty. She was Hindu of the Brahmin caste, and back in the '30s and '40s that meant a big deal and her family was well respected. "This has happened to my maternal grandmother.