Lately
I've been drawn to memoirs written by people who made significant
changes in their belief system, whether that meant joining a religion
or leaving one. I think that's because I understand where people on
both sides are coming from. Joining or leaving a religion is a big
decision, and if you're going about it wisely, it's not something
that happens overnight.
I
don't have an opinion on the genre as a whole, for the record. I
can't say I like or hate all “I left my religion” memoirs any
more than I could say I love or hate all fiction books. I've read
some memoirs that are very gracious and well-written, and others
where the author clearly meant it as an attack on their previous
religion and the people who still believe in it.
There
are two important things we have to understand about “I Left My
Religion” memoirs:
1.)
Those of us who joined a religion later on in life are in the same
boat, in a way, because we traded in one belief system for another. Even
if you did not “grow up religious”, you grew up with a set of
beliefs about the world. If you joined a different religion, you
probably rejected at least some of the beliefs you grew up with. If
you are spiritually healthy, your beliefs will evolve over time, even
if they don't drastically change. So I would caution anyone who has
issues with “I left my religion” memoirs in general not to turn
it into an “us versus them” thing.
2.)
Whether or not an “I left my religion” memoir is positive or not
depends on who the author claims is responsible for their wounds.
The more negative authors tend to blame their ex-religion as a
whole, as opposed to naming abusive behaviors and situations such as
mind control, abuse, and cults. These are situations that can happen
in any belief system, and it's possible to call them for what they
are without attacking a specific religion or particular people.
Feel
free to share your experience with “I left my religion” memoirs
or “I joined a different religion” memoirs! I've love to hear
what you all have to say!
