My mother was a Sunday School and Junior Church teacher and my dad was really a rageaholic abuser.

Mom took us to church because dad wouldn't get up and go ever. We were American Independant Baptists and they taught that we were sinners and very evil. That even the best things we could do were as dirty rags. The intent was to get the children to know that they were sinners and get them to pray and ask Jesus into their hearts as quickly as possible. That was their goal.

But for me this was coupled with my dad forcing me to stand in the living room for hours while he told me how worthless I was and screamed obscenities at me and why I couldn't do anything right.

I was punished and shamed at church and threatened with spanking in public where every adult would know that I was bad. I was shamed for being hyper active because they believed that at 3 years old, you should be mature enough to leave the nursury and sit in the pews with the adults quietly, but I was hyper and couldn't sit still and quiet enough.

Mom is nice and sweet and she has gotten many children to ask Jesus into their hearts over the years, but I have no idea if those children really understand. Some of them probably did, but I'm not entirely sure. She's strange and I don't entirely trust her because she would allow dad to abuse us and she wouldn't get involved because she didn't want him to turn on her.

I heard about grace preaching from Les Feldick and I really like it. It is more about love