Eleanor Skelton

Sorry Paul, My Body Belongs to No One

Photo: Image by Vlad Aivazovsky from Pixabay Content note: marital r*pe, coercion, assault By Amber Schultz “Ladies! Remember, when you get married — your body is now your husband’s to do with and honor as he will.” “I am so thankful that the pastor sheltered and protected his daughter’s mind and purity. When we married,ContinueContinue reading “Sorry Paul, My Body Belongs to No One”

Poem: Holy Hell

By Megan Benninger FreedFrom the creedI believed I’m relieved!Once devoutNow kicked outFull of doubtI’m calling outThe ploysOf your good old boysI’m making noiseWith my big fat voiceRejoiceWhen they hate youReject andBerate youIt’s shitI admitI won’t submitI’m “not a good fit”But I still won’t quitThis handmaidenNow forsakenHas awakenedAnd my classification’s Now “tool of Satan”Swell!Toll the knellI’ll cast aContinueContinue reading “Poem: Holy Hell”

You Can Move On

Photo: Image by Couleur from Pixabay. By Melissa Neeb In response to those who tell you that you should stay at your church even when church people hurt you because “You are there for God, not people,” or that “Every church is full of sinners,” you could respond by saying… Nothing. Noth-ing. You don’t oweContinueContinue reading “You Can Move On”

I found true peace walking away from the church

By Lydia Joy Launderville What is peace? If you asked me as a fundamentalist, I would have answered “a peace of that passeth all understanding,” which because it was far beyond understanding, I never truly did, well, actually, understand it. I never felt peace in abuse. I never had piece of mind either. I justContinueContinue reading “I found true peace walking away from the church”

Being female in the IFB: wife and mother

Photo: Image by eloigomez from Pixabay By Rebekah Palmer I remember when I was a little kid playing with my sibling and our friends, either our perspective of family life or using Barbies and dolls to act out family life by calling it “playing house,” I announced that I probably wouldn’t have sex until IContinueContinue reading “Being female in the IFB: wife and mother”

What Purity Culture Didn’t Teach Me

Photo: Image by Heiko Stein from Pixabay By Eric Skwarczynski I know what you’re thinking… “Oh great, another guy offering his unsolicited takes on purity culture. Just what the world needs.” You’re probably not off-base for feeling like that. The staggering amount of opinions swirling around the internet right now in the wake of theContinueContinue reading “What Purity Culture Didn’t Teach Me”

Too Many Tulips

Photo: Image by Pexels from Pixabay Editorial Note: The following is reprinted with permission from Ida’s blog. It was originally published on June 30, 2023. By Ida Growing up, I was introduced to Calvinism. A theological belief system within Christianity, Calvinism was founded by John Calvin, a Protestant Reformer. Calvin’s teachings can be summed up in theContinueContinue reading “Too Many Tulips”

They Told Me I Would Never Be Happy. They Lied.

Photo: Image by phfilipposarci from Pixabay Editorial Note: The following is reprinted with permission from Laura Launderville’s blog. It was originally published on July 31, 2023. By Laura Launderville I recently attended a workshop that the nonprofit that I volunteer with hosted. It was a writing workshop and I had never done one before. So I didn’tContinueContinue reading “They Told Me I Would Never Be Happy. They Lied.”

Racism: IFB Style

Photo: Image by LeoNeoBoy from Pixabay Content note: Descriptions of homophobic and racist situations the author was present for during their coming of age years in two Independent Fundamental Baptist churches and their associated schools. By Rebekah Palmer In my childhood church, we used to bring in an evangelist who would preach that anytime aContinueContinue reading “Racism: IFB Style”

It’s Not Fair: Living with Chronic Illness

Photo: Image by StockSnap from Pixabay Editorial Note: The following is reprinted with permission from Laura Launderville’s blog. It was originally published on June 25, 2023. By Laura Launderville One of the things I feel that has helped me with my own battle with facial pain is helping others. I volunteer with a nonprofit that supports patientsContinueContinue reading “It’s Not Fair: Living with Chronic Illness”