So while we’re on the subject of my past trauma, let me recount a story for you. At the age of 14 I went to a concert. The adult relative who took me stayed in our assigned seats while I went down to the front to join the crush of […]
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14 This is the second article discussing how the United Pentecostal Church and it’s teachings caused trauma in my life. I’m laying bare these old injuries in an effort to understand, and hopefully, heal from them. You can read about what caused this need here. “Are you sick?” The question, […]
Being A Woman In The UPC (United Pentecostal Church)
3 The other night I had a dream. I was supposed to attend a service at my old church, but overslept and didn’t go. As people started returning from the service, one was the Pastor’s Wife from when I attended. Only it wasn’t her. It was a very old, very disfigured […]
United Pentecostal Church Inflicted Trauma
When I was a small child, growing up in the mid 70’s in rural Western North Carolina, segregation was still an unspoken rule. My elementary school was all white, and I rarely if ever encountered African Americans. My maternal grandmother took me shopping in Asheville once, and we passed a man […]
Bible-Based Bigotry Is Not New In North Carolina
I am so sick of hearing the stupid line, “men have no business in women’s bathrooms.” It’s a ridiculous mischaracterization of transgender WOMEN. But over and over, the roughly 35% of North Carolinians who still support House Bill 2 trot that line out to defend it. When you call them on the […]
Live From North Carolina: Showdown With The DOJ
The Truth Apostolic Church in Madisonville, KY is having a very bad week. Not only did their pastor, Michael Orten, hire a convicted child rapist and put him on the “outreach team” where he (among other things) runs the Bus Ministry (which gives children a ride to Sunday School) he doubled down […]
UPC Pastor Defends Child Rapist: “It Takes Two To Tango”
I was minding my own business this morning when this popped up in my Facebook feed: First off, I can’t believe anyone actually could believe that there is a “planned human sacrifice of our children” in this day and age. But not only does the original poster (a relative of […]
Christians Have Discovered Beltane
1 In the spring of 1970, a 17 year old girl in rural North Carolina discovered she was pregnant. She was terrified. The daughter of a church deacon, she knew there was no way her parents would allow her to keep the baby. And there was no way she could, even […]
Little Sisters of the Poor, Reproductive Rights and Donald Trump
One week ago, North Carolina convened a dramatic Special Session of the General Assembly for one specific purpose: to pass a statewide bill overturning an non-discrimination ordinance in Charlotte. The Charlotte ordinance had the audacity to add gay, lesbian, or transgender customers to the list of people businesses can’t discriminate against.. And […]
Please. Boycott My State
Just in case you thought we’d arrived in the 21st century, and that the subjugation of women in the name of religion only happened in the Middle East, I bring you Biblical Gender Roles. And while we are having this discussion, do not think that this website and “ministry” are […]
Christians Helping Women Learn Their Place
I miss my Grandma more than I could have imagined. Since her death in January I’ve been mostly in a dark, brooding mood. The moment of her passing was so beautiful and meaningful, and the pain of her absence so deep, I really didn’t feel like climbing out of the […]
An Amazing Message From Grandma
It’s been 3 weeks now since Beyonce broke the internet with her surprise video for and Super Bowl performance of Formation. And the shock waves continue to reverberate throughout our culture. An atomic bomb of Black, Female, Queer and Southern empowerment, after 3 weeks of discussion there’s one more layer I want […]