Am I Bashing Churches?

While I was doing a book signing at Bayshore Books in Oconto, Wisconsin, the storeowner asked me if my book bashed religion.

“No, why would you think that?” I asked.

“Because of your book’s subtitle,” she replied.

I picked up my book and read the title, “Not of My Making: Bullying, Scapegoating and Misconduct in Churches.”

“It was only after I read your back cover that I felt reassured,” the storeowner said.

“What if the subtitle was, ‘Bullying, Scapegoating and Misconduct in Schools’? Would you think I was bashing schools?” I asked.

“No,” she replied. “I would think you wanted to end bullying in schools.”

“Well, that is what I want to do in churches. I want to make them safer places for everyone.”

As I wrote some time ago, I love church. My faith in Jesus is important to me. That was what made my dechurching so devastating. Church ceased to be a safe place. I learned that there is a difference between churchianity and Christianity. I wrote my book not to bash religion but to draw attention to the problem of bullying. I want churches to create an ethos where bullying would not be tolerated and we would help each other grow in faith. I don’t want other people to be hurt the way I was. I want to help those who have been hurt by church to reclaim their faith, return to their churches and work to make them safer places.

I want connection with others. I want to grow in my faith and become a better Christian. I don’t think you can do that alone. You need to go to church. So I go every Sunday to All Saints Anglican where “real” Christianity is preached and where the majority of the congregation tries to live their faith 365 days a year.