Last Of The True Believers, Or, There But For The Grace Of God

Have found myself in the somewhat odd and very uncomfortable position of interactingw ith a person from my Deep Dark Christian Past. Yes, I have one, and No, I hadn't realised JUST how much I still resented being brought up in a patriarchal, misogynist, homophobic religion... as I ranted to her, and my poor old mother last night:

'I mean, I like all the 'do unto others' stuff, but it seems to be so long as the others aren't poor, black, children, women, heathens, queer... so much talk, so much damage done and so much bullshit. I refuse to engage with people who will not give me equal rights on the basis that I am nominally female and totally queer. Any religion, or God, who will deny me full participation on the grounds of gender or sexuality is not one I am interested in participating in. Oh, its all good because I get to emulate God's mother and breed? Umm, NO. Ordain me and then let me marry my girlfriend and maybe then we can talk.'

Heck, I'm a bit freaked out by remembering it (as much as I remember it at all- a lot is repressed so thoroughly that hopefully it will NEVER resurface) it could be worse. I could still be there.