former Mormon, and I cried watching this. I felt this so goddamned hard; I left the church because of something similar, when I was younger. was serially sexually abused by two men in the church, and was torn apart by the fact that I had prayed and prayed for “God” to save me and He didn’t. fell into truest darkness when I was called into the Bishop’s office a week after the first incident… to be lectured about how using your body to gain things and tempting men is the work of the devil, and being complicit in it made you one of the devil’s servants. he told me righteous dead men were worth more standing as corpses than a woman with honey on her tongue. he told me I was sick, and degenerative, and that I needed help only God could provide; I was going down a dark path of evil and manipulation, and only He could save me. I was 9.
I'm sure you already know this, but I want to make this crystal clear just incase. What happened to you was NOT your fault. Never was. Not in a million years. You did absolutely NOTHING to cause that to happen. It was the sick people that did this. I want you to know that you are loved, you are strong and you are amazing for still being here after all you've been through. That shows just how strong you are. Take care my friend 💚
I was a pastor's wife. Started going to church in my mid teens and married by my early 20's. I was married to an America family that was apart of the bible belt belief. I left in my mid 20's and everything you say is absolutely truth, every word.
Moved to the Bible belt from heavily Catholic San Antonio when I was in middle school our family was Presbyterian. I spent most of middle school being told I was going to hell and I seriously was like wtf. The Bible Belt is toxic, also prosperity Gospel which has co-opted it makes it even worse these are the people who voted against our social safety net as a nation
@Elizabeth Staples Was it mainline Presbyterianism? I grew up mainline Presbyterian and I’m not sure we even believe in hell nor do we teach the prosperity gospel- however, there are Presbyterian offshoots that are not recognized as part of the official PCUSA and those churches are more like southern baptist.
Rep, I’ve been watching you for years, since 2008. I grew up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and in my teenage years discovered I’m bisexual. I struggled so hard, much like you did when you questioned your faith. My parents caught me watching you once and put parent locks on my channel, told me not to fill my head with false ideology and that the church protects me from all the harmful things in the world. I made a new account and spent the rest of my time (before I was also kicked out for my “opposing life views”) watching you in secret when I needed comfort. I’ve been out on my own for almost 5 years now but I still tune in every upload, thank you for giving me hope all these years and making me feel like I could have the life I deserved even when everyone around me said differently.
Have you heard of the channel telltale? He's a former Jehovah witness and it's a great channel. Really good guy and he covers a wide variety of topics.
Christ is our protector not a church. So often the church usurps Jesus Christ and leaves Him sitting outside in the cold and rain. How it must break his heart seeing those inside being hurt by those who should know better (like the Pharisees of old).
Just hearing Rep's pain in his voice and his words get wobbly really hurts. Daniel, as you probably already know; you are an amazing person. Outside of RU-vid or anything, we love you(even if thats hard to believe in the nebulous of the internet).
Wow...this is EXACTLY how I felt. I was gonna reply after reading a few replies, but this is pretty much what I was gonna say. As soon as I saw the title of Rep's video, I just kept saying to myself, " please don't let it be because of some kind of sexual abuse he experienced." Watching the video I was almost relieved that he had all those other reasons, and then that moment came. What I feared was revealed. It hurt hearing Daniel admit that; I've been a watcher of his videos for soooo many years. And, while I haven't seen EVERY one of his videos, his attitude and outlook on life and the world have always been so open, positive and uplifting while informative. I can only image the amount of strength and courage it took to live with all of that at such a young age, but I'm sure I speak for all of us when I say that we're VERY happy that you're still with us today, Daniel!
It's how you know it's personal, as it's very hard to fake convincingly. The person has to either be severely deluded or genuine in order to convincingly hit that type of reaction.
Wow is he a member of that baptist cult called the independent Baptist? That guy Bill Gothard is crazy and never has been married and had to step down from being head of the cult he started. Which are called independent baptist, and everything he is describing is true on what they preach and tell any females on the church! These people are monsters! They spank infants if they cry! To train them! Not to cry! As a baby! He molested some of the kids in his church. And he would tell the females what side to part their hair and to forgive their rapist or child molester and even forgive incest! And they blame them even as kids for tempting the man and like he said causing them to stumble! So it’s your fault! It’s a hideous horrendous cult.
You are such a fine young man. If I were your mother, I would be so proud of you. As a 58-year-old woman who survived the same cult, I understand what you are saying. I get it. I get it. You are not alone. My parents were from Oklahoma. It took me until my 40's before I could truly get out of the guilt BS. My son (age 37) was the one who got me started coming "out of the matrix". Organized religion is nothing more than a bunch of people who are so lost, they need to have others tell them where to go, what to do, and how to do it. It's sad really. But I don't feel sad. I feel angry. Very angry over how my life was affected by such sick BS. My parents and the church tried to control me by the threat of burning in hell. Like you, I was rebellious but it took a toll on my mental health. I was very suicidal in my teen years and even after because of my parents' teachings. Like you, I still struggle with trust issues and feelings of being "bad" even when I know I'm not. That garbage about being born into sin is a real doozy to get over. Bottom line: we were brainwashed and didn't deserve it. My best to you, my dear. I see such strength and wisdom in you.
Parents are next to God in Christian churches. Honor means worship. If your parents are cannibals and pedophiles you better be worshiping them. Churches are being infiltrated by luciferians.. Let them have them buildings. Awana is Hitler's youth. UN. Youth.
I’m really proud of you, Daniel. Especially with this newer content. I feel so much closer to you, but not only that: I’m so happy to experience this more authentic, unapologetic, and freer version of you. Your personality shines through in a way that makes me really, sincerely happy. And that’s a reflection of your genuine happiness and newfound freedom (which totally reads on camera). Happy to see you looking so healthy and mentally well. ❤️
I've been following him for a few years, and I love how he's grown. I began watching another youtuber around the same time, and they've been letting me down hard. I'm so glad Daniel seems to be doing so well. I'm so proud of him
Im indigenous and Mexican and grew up catholic. I went through similar experiences and ultimately finding out how Catholicism was forced onto my ancestors and how we lost our original spiritual philosophy through colonialism and violence “in the name of Jesus” is something I CANNOT support at all. I understand religious people aren’t monoliths. Good and bad people exist regardless of religion or not, but quite honestly many religions (esp christianity) is rooted in evil and bigoted ideologies and quite literally has its foundation based on cultural/racial genocide and sexual violence.
Your ancestors sliced out the hearts of victims and spilling their blood on the temple altar. And it's also believed that they also practiced a form of ritual cannibalism. The victim's bodies, after being relieved of their heads, were likely gifted to nobleman and other distinguished community members. Sooo....
I know man, I cannot support Christianity or like any other religion because if its history and the people who run it today. I hope you can find a good identity for yourself and live a life that you want without anyone forcing you what to do. I wish you the best of luck on that.
"Communism starts with Atheism." ~Karl Marx Communism is responsible for over 100 million deaths between the 1940's and 1970's. The death totals from this 30 year span of time will never be equaled by all of religion's atrocities throughout mankind's entire history...
@@bignig7223 So you’re saying they didn’t practice human sacrifice? They just added it to their art for shits and giggles? The hundreds of skeletons that have been found are not real?
Church: Men shouldn't show emotions. Bible: Jesus wept. Thank you for sharing this story, just found ya. I feel your pain and I see that how you were treated was despicable and unconscionable. Fellow church/cult survivor.
That's really the central issue; religion itself is largely good, it promotes harmony, cohesion and faith in a better way of living and treating each other. But organised religion is the real problem. Like when men, and it is usually men, start interpreting the Bible or Koran in a particular way to score political points or justify crappy behaviour like misogyny, war or discrimination. Then when you add making lots of money to this human interpretation of organised religion, the whole scene becomes even more corrupt and counterproductive. I believe in God, in a higher power, in a better way of living and treating each other. But it's unlikely I will ever be part of an organised religion, like so many Americans are. Broadly, I think Oliver Cromwell was right with his interpretation of Christianity, based on modesty and humility, prioritising the elements that really matter like friendship, families, kindness, generosity, equality and being willing to defend your beliefs against those who wish simple obedience and destruction.
I saw a video a few years back with Repzion saying he was an atheist. Apparently it wasn't far back enough. I had absolutely no idea he went through what I would call a "missionary" phase of his life several years earlier. I find that very interesting!
this is such a powerful video and you should be so proud for speaking so openly about this experience. oddly enough, this is so empowering to watch and honestly inspiring. you've come such a long way on your personal journey and i am glad you are still here!!
As someone who grew up in a non-religious household and from someone who’s not from the US. This is extremely insightful to how the southern Baptist church operates.
this is indeed horrible to witness from an outsiders perspective. people already have it difficult in life and seeing others having to face terrible issues like this (especially young impressionable children) just makes me even angrier
@@shro_okee as someone who grew up in a similar church environment, it's kinda weirdly refreshing to see someone angry about it. So thanks I guess haha
I remember being really young and my father telling me how he gets turned on by women's hair, my grandmother saying I couldn't wear short sleeves because men could stumble looking at my arms, and being called a slut for wearing dresses above my knees. I've heard things like this my entire childhood, and I took them to heart, being young and impressionable, and that made me very insecure in how people perceive me to this day. I started crying watching your video and listening to your story got me to think how messed up these teachings are. I don't believe religion is a bad thing in the slightest, but when it is taken to such extremes, taken out of context, and used as justification for disgusting and hateful acts, it really brings me down. Being shamed for questioning your faith and forced to blindly share these beliefs is what makes people stray away from church. Just the other day I heard my father say how it is written in men's genetic code to be attracted to women, to want and desire them carnally, and that it is our responsibility and duty as girls to keep them on the right path by dressing modestly. A church should be a place of acceptance, love and refuge, a safe space where everyone is welcomed regardless of their gender, race or sexuality, because in God's eyes, all humans are equal and loved the same.
i was with your dad on the "how it is written in men's genetic code to be attracted to women, to want and desire them carnally" part but he lost me after that, its not women's job to keep weak men from lusting or straying from the straight and narrow thats on men.
I disagree with your views about religion & god but I love and respect you as a fellow human being nonetheless. I was taught that the christian god created the universe, people, etc. Created literally every one and everything and did so bc he wanted to be loved by someone with free will. If that is true, then that means all the pain & suffering in the world is happening bc this god needs it's ego stroked. Every time a child is abused, baby raped, innocent people tortured and murdered - just bc he wants to know that other people weren't coerced into loving him? I say other people bc the murdered children will never have the option/choice. I want to know I'm loved but NOT at the expense of a stranger's well-being, let alone the well-being of the people I know & love. How can this god sit back, look at what it made & not intervene to put a stop to the harm? I've heard the excuses but in my opinion none of em hold water. You can claim it's the fault of free will but he created our will & knew what we'd do with it before we formed in the womb. He created the tempter. He created the perpetrator KNOWING what they'd do before they were created (according to the bible, psalm 139 I think). Blah blah blah. It was such a relief the moment I finally realized it was all BS & no amount of fervent, heartfelt prayer & faith would ever change the amount of pain & suffering predatory people cause in the world bc that meant it was no longer my responsibility to stop if I could just believe and pray hard enough. Instead it's just nature, how we evolved and the best way to make a difference is to physically try to make the world a better place, prayer aint gonna do it. Point being: I'm an atheist bc I've never seen any good evidence of a gods existence but if I'm wrong and an all powerful creator god does exist - I want *nothing* to do with that god! I apologise for this long comment, I really suck at being concise. ❤️
@@Lady8D I know where you’re coming from and hell bad people can get away with the shitty things they’ve done if they apologize and accept god bc accepting him will help you get away with it and if that is the case then he is not a loving god at all if he just forgives bad people if they turn to him according to some Christians and idk why people still worship and praise him if he’s gonna let bad things happen again and again, bc it’s ridiculous that things go on and 🙄
I see you and I hear you. I cried with you listening to your story and also revisited some of my most painful memories that I have stuffed away and refuse to acknowledge or think about. You have inspired me to face the shame I was made to feel, acknowledge these things, and actually speak up and share my own story/stories. You're an incredible person and I just wanted you to know that by sharing your experience you have given me the strength to face my demons. Thank you, Daniel.
Honestly using any cliche catch-all phrase for a big loss is always strange. Losing at a sport you can say "Better luck next time" but using that cliche for a miscarriage is awkward.
That's terrible. I'm sorry. That irks me so much, just like, Good won't give you more than you can handle. First off, he never said that ever. Secondly, he doesn't inflict bad stuff on you, saying that insinuates that God signs bad things to you because your meter is higher than another's. That's just stupid. Life just happens and sometimes it really really sucks. Some things are consequences of our choices, and some. Just. Happen.
He does have a plan, but you should not be bombarded with that while dealing with that loss and grief. You should be allowed to have your own thoughts as to what happened or why it happened.
I loved being told that when younger, “ don’t worry god has a plan”, yea sure that nigga was gonna fly down and suck the cancer out of my grandmas body lmao
In my church, a friend of mine was told that she lost her baby because she had sex before marriage and was too much of a sinner and didn’t deserve the baby/it would be better for the baby to have passed anyway….by her PARENTS
It's so fucking relieving and saddening at the same time this is all a shared experience. On the one hand I'm glad theres a community of ex-Christians who understand and empathize, on the other hand is heartbreaking theres so many of us. Thank you for the video my friend ❤
I remember being young and in a really hard (suicidal) place and your videos helped me get through those hard times, your support and genuine care for people seeps through the screen and its affected me a lot, years ago and again now. You are so valid. When you started crying, I did too. That cognitive dissonance to say that sexual abuse, or any abuse, is justified and that it would bring you closer to God...it is so upsetting. Just wanted to let you know you know the support is reciprocated. I've grown up and moved out of my abusive house and I really do credit you for helping to keep me going in my darkest hours. Appreciate you and the work you've been doing. Thank you.
I understand. I was an independent Baptist growing up and the experience i had as a child scarred me for life. Istill struggle with attending a church for that reason. What i have learned is that the human race is the fault. We are our own problem. The church should be where you find the most love and acceptance and protection and it's usually where you find the least. I do not attach any denomination to my name. I am a Christ follower. Period. I focus on my relationship with Christ and only him. My life has been so peaceful and non-traumatic since i made that change for myself. The man-made rules is not what God intended at ALL for his followers. "Christians" do more harm for the name of Christ than they do good. It's shameful.
Sadly Jesus Christ has been grossly misrepresented by the church in general. Jesus gets thrown out along with the churches he never authorised in the first place. Jesus wants to heal those who have been hurt by the church. It was Jesus himself who said His "burden is easy and his yoke is light" which is the complete opposite to what many churches place on people.
I'm also a Christ follower, saved by grace through faith. I think Mr Repzion always did a great job exposing false Christians, but sadly it seems Repzion just rejected Jesus Christ while there are tons of true Christians also refuting the evil lordshippers. For inspiration, find a channel called Gregg Jackson, he's doing a great job exposing lordshippers.
As a woman, growing up southern Baptist shaped the way I am today. I’m constantly fighting the toxic belief patterns instilled in us, even all these years later. Like being seen and not heard, looking to men for validation, and feeling shame for any type of sexual interest. Thank you for touching on such an important topic 🙏🏻
It's really easy to understand the occasional bad takes that Repzion has had in this context. No-one can just throw away all that rubbish at once, it takes years if not forever. Fantastic work on your part for getting out and trying to get better. Good luck.
16:35 legitimately made me cry, I've never heard something said that related to my trauma that has caused such a visceral reaction. I'm so sorry someone said that to you, it breaks my heart and it terrifies me for all the kids growing up like us. Everyone deserves for their trauma to be acknowledged and healed as much as possible no matter how small. I'm glad you're doing better now and I hope you never have to feel like that again 🖤
"A church should be a place of love and acceptance."--That is exactly what christianity should be about, and it breaks my heart that there are too many people today proclaiming to be "godly" and "christian" but they twist and abuse what christianity is really about: love and respect regardless of who you are or where you come from or what you've experienced. That is literally what the bible talks about! It breaks my heart that your story, Rep, is not the exception: it's the rule. It makes me sick. You're not at all wrong that it hides sexual abuse, it hides atrocities. I guess that's one of the reasons I've never technically considered myself religious by any means. Christian, sure. But I don't hold to any one denomination, because all of them have these man-made agendas that disguise what's really happening underneath: That people are fucked up, and they will use the power of what they think is "salvation" to manipulate and harm vulnerable and hurting people. I'm really sorry that all of you experienced this. I can't express that enough.
The problem is people and “the church”, not with God or the message. If you put your faith in man or anything created by man, you’ll fall every time because man will always let you down, even if it isn’t their fault
@@firefly44220 The Bible literally condemns normal people for being victims. The Bible said you should marry the person who r*ped you, that women cannot teach men, that you can stone your adult children for disobeying you. Religions that say you can kill children with being their own people is not loving or respectful. Grow up, read your book fully.
I grew up in the southern baptist church too. I’m only 5 mins into the video and already agree so much with you. You really hit the nail on the head with the guilt and shame aspect. I’m still struggling to get rid of that.
I was raised on a different brand of fundamentalist Baptist. My pastor definitely pushed the love aspect of God, but still slid in that frequent "but if you aren't saved when you die you'll spend all of eternity in torture and pain, and it'll be nobody's fault but your own."
@@mommakimmins5554 ugh the person that spawned me talks just like that. She’s a freaking psychopath. Not just cause of her being über religious, she was very physically abusive to me my whole life. When I got to big to beat she would emotionally abuse me.
I was raised Christian by my father who was a “devout Christian” man. And I believed in Christianity and God etc until I was 8 when my “devout Christian” father attempted to murder my mother in front of me and my siblings. That’s when my faith and everything I knew shattered and I left behind any sort of care for Christianity. I was told that “God gives us trials and tribulations to make us closer to him”, but at the expense of my mother almost losing her life? I couldn’t deal with that. I’m glad you and I (and my siblings) got out of there when we could.
@@KKMfan60 that's terrible for you and your family to experience that...but understand that your dad was obviously not a Christian.....as we know a Christian by their fruits....their actions. God isn't responsible for what you and your family experienced.....what was responsible is evil.......
This is why I am a Witch and have raised my children to have their own beliefs. They have all entered into the Craft, now, of their OWN free will. Never once being pressured by myself. My children are kind, gentle, loving and most importantly: SELF RESPECTING. All 3 daughters AND my adult son. His respect, especially for women, makes my heart swell with pride! I lost all faith in Christianity, as a child, when I was sexually abused, physically abused, mentally abused, emotionally abused.... I prayed for "God" to help and he never did. I converted to the Craft and have NEVER looked back! Blessed Be, Daniel. You are an inspiration and a wonderful man. A real gentleman! 💯
This is important Daniel. Your experience is valid. I grew up in SL, utah. Im a female and had my male teachers who were my wards bishops ask me about maturation and my unholy feelings about boys when I was 14-17 for a temple recommend. Thats not normal. Its disgusting. 100%. Its important these stories get out there. Any religion, any corruption. I couldnt attend my sisters temple wedding because I admitted to kissing my bf when I was 17. I waited outside the temple. Thats not right. I wish I knew better. Videos like this teach people, especially younger, the reality. Thanks.
Watching stuff like this makes me SO bloody grateful that my parents raised us in a world free of shame &, for the most part, free of guilt as well. I lived life liking myself & my body. I don't deal with sexual hangups of any kind. I grew up in a family that valued girls as much as boys to the point of me, being the oldest child by 3 years & older than the only boy by 5 years, was the one who followed my father around daily & went everywhere with him. The harm I see this stuff doing to everyone else saddens me so much.
As someone who wasn’t brought up religious, I have a catholic family on my Dad’s side and they are the most judgemental and unforgiving people I know. My grandmother in particular is extremely racist and prejudiced against women in education and uses the bible and the “lord’s word” to justify her views. It’s really sad because I know not all religious people are like this, but I think they focus a lot on ‘how can we fix, guide, improve or accept the non-religious and the external’ without first addressing the serious issues within the church.
All the weirdos from his church who still stalk him because they have nothing better to do than stew in their negativity and dislike videos as if it means something biblical.
I feel you but not all religions are this controlling and bad when you leave. I grew up with some simple ass christian church that didn't care about learning whatever you want and your sexuality and whatnot. It was also no issue when I completely left it behind.
I am so so sorry that you went through this. These stories disgusted me and im so glad you were able to share your story and get through this. Thank you for sharing.
Oh god as someone who grew up in the southern baptist church I AM HERE FOR THIS. My boyfriend grew up agnostic and just can’t wrap his head around it 😂😂😂
Haha oh god it’s so accurate. Me: I was assaulted Church: Did you ever consider it was because of the way you dressed. I handle it with humor, but it messed me up bad. Thank you for speaking out, I feel so bad you went through a lot of the same traumatic events but in a weird way it’s validating to know I’m not alone. I don’t really talk to anyone about it. Thank you for being open and vulnerable to the public as a whole ❤️
Southern Baptist is the worse. My Grandma was Southern Baptist and my mom was raised in the Southern Baptist church. She completely rejects Religion. My dad raised my siblings and I in the Catholic Church and I have my issues with the Catholic Church but I don't hate Religion because of it. I completely understand why people come out of the Southern Baptist Church and completely regret it though. I went to her church twice and I will never forget the Priest yelling on the top of his lungs that my Grandma needs to Submit to my Grandfather while they are getting their vows renewed. Wtf.
I went to an all girls catholic school (as a Jewish person lol) and I thought they were strict and weird but after watching this and Chris Stuckmans video about Jehovas Witness… I can not even REMOTELY imagine being raised in a faith like that. So glad you got out
I grew up evangelical. It was bad. Looking back now I can't believe people go along with this. I am native American. I believe there is a creator. I believe they see all things. I'm still searching and reaching. Thanks for sharing your story. ❤
Thank you for sharing your story. You're a beautiful soul, and what you're doing is going to help transform so many lives. Wishing you the best on your life's journey. I also wanted to mention that healing from trauma involves the resurfacing of those old (or new) wounds. Always embrace the emotions that come up. It's okay to be hurting. It's okay to not be okay.
Man... My family is pagan, and my experience of religion growing up is: "Oh, mum's around the campfire with her friends singing again". I couldn't even imagine how awful it must be to be in one of these oppressive places. I'm so sorry that your experience with religion as something used as a repressive regime.
Most organized religions are fucking horrific. I personally am anti religion, but I also believe that on an individual level for some people religion can be useful (for now)
Ironically that's exactly why I converted to paganism. Watching my "father" beat my stepmom, listening to him r*pe her, the rage that he had when drunk that I had to jump in front of or he would beat my young siblings. All in the name of the Christian "god". They kicked me out when they found out I had been r*ped by my boyfriend. They used a verse in the old testament to try to force me to marry the person who violated me because he "owned my womanhood in the eyes of god". The physical and emotional violence I survived will haunt me for the rest of my life, it left me a physically disabled and emotionally shattered person who thought letting anyone in again would lead to me getting r*ped or murdered and I would deserve it as "my punishment for my childhood sins". It's been years since I left that cult, but the wounds are still fresh in my mind. I was abused in silence, I choose to heal loudly, Thor give me strength.
My family left the southern Baptist church when I was really little but I've seen the affects it has on men that I care about deeply. Thank you for being brave enough to speak out against these harmful and disgusting beliefs that justify abuse and repression and many other things that i can't bring myself to write down. Stay strong and know that you are not defined by your past and what was done to you
I appreciate you speaking about this - you're so strong. I'm so sorry that you went through this. I'm so thankful that you're here, despite how painful it must have been to stay at one point ❤
I am 61 & my heart breaks when I hear experiences like this. I was so fortunate to have parents that allowed me to question anything & everything. I also have 2 children & could never imagine turning my back on them. Continue speaking out Daniel.
That's how my parents are too. They wanted me to question everything. I live in Southern Missouri and growing up with other kids making you feel like an outcast because you didn't get taught there religion makes it really hard growing up.
A dear friend of mine was in the SBC, and went through gay conversion therapy through the church from 13yo to 19yo, it included electrocution and forced masturbation to straight pornography. He's in his mid twenties now and struggles with PTSD and accompanying mental health struggles, desperate to love and be loved but still terrified of consequences that don't exist to the point of trying to take his own life. It's horrific and so terribly sad, so much damage from a church who cherry picks from the bible for the sole reason of repression, greed, and control.
I just rewatched Chris Stuckmans video on why he left Jehovas Witness like a few hours before this came out. Coming from a relatively lax religious background (I was raised Jewish and had my Bat Mitzvah but my parents never pushed it on me and were pretty casual about their faith as well, they even put my in catholic school because it’s the best school in my city and even there they were pretty liberal with students being other religions which is odd for the Catholic Church I know but I’m very grateful for it) I’m continuously stunned at how harmful these organizations are, and am always so interested and horrified by the things people who have broken away from these types of religious sects have gone through. Thank you for sharing your story and keeping people informed about how disgusting these institutions are Daniel, love your videos always.
@Kath Octogon I genuinely appreciate my old high school so much. The city where I live has awful public schools so all of the better schools were private and catholic. My school in particular was known for basically giving full scholarships to pretty much everyone who applied that couldn’t afford tuition so they fully knew we were all going to come from wildly different backgrounds. The only particularly catholic things we had to do were morning prayers (they just said it over the intercom we didn’t actually have to participate), bi-monthly mass (that the people who weren’t catholic didn’t have to attend, we all just chilled in the office with the super sweet old lady secretaries) and we had to take a theology class all four years but it was actual history of Christianity and world religions. Honestly I think it was thw best way a religious school could operate. My favorite teacher was a whole ass nun
@Kath Octogon I grew up Catholic, and I found that a lot of faiths hate Catholics, but it really wasn't our jam to talk smack about other religions. It's not in any of the official stuff and it's never talked about in church. We also weren't harassed about trying to go out and recruit other Christians to our brand of Christianity. We had the purity culture and the Catholic guilt down pat for ourselves, but we were really taught not to judge others. That was a big one.
@@juda5134 Ex-fucking-scuse me??? The church can do horrible things to people and churches can be harmful. Church should be a safe place, but not always. Churches use every manipulative tactic they can to hurt you and abuse you. No, you don't say something like that to @Jake Ashley at ALL and/or Repzion for that matter!!! How DARE you say that to someone!!!! The Church hurt me in ways I couldn't fathom back when I was a kid. The Church told me that i was a slut and a whore bc of what I was wearing. They told me I was going to Hell for not being pure until marriage (I had sex at a young age). I was told that if I commit suicide (3x suicide attempt survivor) I will go to Hell and NEVER see my family. So, yes, the Church CAN hurt you in ways that you couldn't imagine. So don't tell this person to not blame the Church for how they are. Bc, Church, again, can harm you and it's not good and helpful to your self-esteem. So, please speak with kindness and treat people with love and not condemnation.
@@juda5134 are you kidding me ? Do you know what the Church is ? It's intended purpose goes against your comment. One submits to the Church, learns from it, lives for it and within it. It codifies your interactions, social practices, identity, behavior, etc. It has such an imprint on who you are, what you do think, define yourself and the world. It's not as simple and superficial as you make it out to be.
I grew up in the Southern Baptist church, and every single word you say is true. In the church I grew up in, mental health was demonized, which really affected who I was as a person. I’m currently stuck in the church, and things are getting a little scarier. (Ie, men I don’t know coming up to me and touching me on my bare arms and back when I wear my favorite sundress) They completely disregard Christ saying “If you lust after a someone, carve out your eye” for their own desire. Repzion, you are so strong and brave. You are loved by a community that stands behind you. Thank you for giving us your story. Please, take care of yourself.💕
Sending my love to you Daniel. I've followed you for so long and appreciated your beautiful personality and commentary for so long. You're a strong, incredible, inspirational person and I'm so thankful I've had the privilege of seeing you grow ❤️
I'm from, and live still in SC. When I tell you it's churches on damn near every block, I mean it. And everyone uses religion as justification to be shitty where I am. It's horrible.
I absolutely hate that. Seeing how people pushed religion in the same breath as hypocrisy, it pushed me further and further from it. Being a child at that time, I got doubled down on for "being disobedient" by family for not wanting to go. My husband and I now have plans to move out of state away from this bs. I have 0 issue with religion or religious practices, except when it's used to be malicious towards others.
Don't even get me started on adding new businesses to an area and it's too close to a church 😂 had a tattoo parlor want to open up downtown and the city REALLY gave them a false distance between them and the church next door so they couldn't build it easily. I can't. 😂
Born and raised in a southern baptist church. Baptized at 7 years old. I came to all of these same realizations and have been able to reflect on how the church and this specific religious mentality was the reason for so much of my trauma. Our childhoods were stolen from us and replaced with years of trying to squeeze ourselves into a mold of someone else’s expectations and perception of who we should be and how to be successful. I believe it’s all about unconditional love and a persons intention behind the action, not the specific action (sin) they chose to take. I am so proud of you for sharing this publicly. I know the struggle of being silenced and constantly limited in thought and expression, it’s such difficult conditioning to break free from.
I’m proud of you for not only having the courage to share your story, but also for standing up for women ❤️ I’ve been through some extremely similar things especially with the self harm, and you absolutely give me hope. Sending you love and support! -Mousecaddet
Omg... your story has me tearing up.. I was raised in the Roman Catholic faith, from infant until i finally chose to stop going at 21. I can relate when you said you still feel the constant feelings of guilt, shame and sin, which unfortunately still bother me to this day like Furies. To make matters a bit worse, my family was heavily following the practice.. Rep, i see two doctors, one psychotherapist and one psychologist, and I always talk about things that have happened 20+ years ago; things I have no power to change or reverse, but it still hangs from my neck like a weighted stone. I have to have meds & medical cannabis in order to prevent the memories and awful feelings from leaking back into my psyche. Religion messed me up so bad, I honestly refuse to indoctrinate my future children with it
The whole sexism thing…absolutely. My own grandmother was so steeped in religion that she could never see when it was abuse and sexism. It’s also a part of why I chose such horrible males in my past. I was so steeped in religion that I thought the man was always right. They teach you to ignore boundaries all in the name of “faith” and that “god would lead you to the right person”. As I left the church (ironically because of a narcissist and being with him, he was an atheist), I did more research on my own as well and had my own issues with it because of watching a lot of my family members, I realized it was a mess and it was a huge reason for quite a few of the issues I have had and yes, as you said, still does influence some things even now despite me knowing better. I was in my later 20’s before I finally got rid of the bullshit. The damage has been done. I hear you 100% and think you worded this perfectly and summed up so many great points.
If you haven't, look into generational trauma in women. It's awful, but eye opening and really fascinating. I'm proud to be breaking cycles of internalized misogyny and shame, but it's work.
Narcissism and atheism go hand in hand based on my observations. I was raised by narcissist atheists, had it not been for a supernatural encounter, I would've stayed by nihilist path and been way more disruptive. Just like many children raised by theists end up choosing atheism; many kids raised by atheists gravitate towards nihilism...
Yep I'm 28, haven't spoken to my parent in over 3 years. I spent a lot of that time homeless, but ultimately the only thing I wish is that I got out earlier because as you say being raised that way sets you up for abuse and being retraumatised over and over and over again...
Deductive Reasoning I’m sorry for your personal experiences with your parents, that’s awful. Do you have a source for the connection between athiesm, narcissism and nihilism? How did they test that hypothesis? It just seems odd that a group who’s only connection is that they believe in evidence based claims could possess any sort of group trait like narcissism or nihilism? The reason it happens in religion is that the doctrine it upholds it’s actively harmful and frequently damages people by its oppressive, terrifying nature.
Listening to this broke my heart, I’m so sorry you were so let down by people who were supposed to protect you. I have never experienced religious trauma and hearing your story really allowed me to empathize even more to victims. I’m so happy you’ve found a space to feel accepted in, what you went through was horrific and sharing your story must’ve been so difficult. The pain in your voice is haunting. I hope you continue healing and allowing yourself forgiveness and to let go of all that shame that was placed on you. Children should never ever have to experience anything like that. You deserved so much better
Thank you for posting this. I was raised Catholic, but had a lot of similar experiences. In high school, girls and boys were separated for all but one class. In one "seminar" that we had, we (the girls) were told that you shouldn't wear tank tops or skirts above the knee because men are "visual creatures." We were told to not wear makeup unless it's natural and that if something happens to us (SA), it's probably because of how we were dressed. We were told the "lifestyle of homosexuals" was "disgusting" and "not what God intended." We were required to attend the March for Life, but I couldn't due to a medical condition I had, so they forced me to write a 10+ page paper on Roe vs. Wade over the period of one weekend. If I didn't comply, they were going to expel me. They also told my mom that I didn't have friends because I didn't hang out with any one group of people. I said that I just wanted to get to know everybody, and the school seemed to think that was weird. I felt like they lied to my parents so they could gain more control over my life.
Dinosaurs were my passion when I was little and growing up in a private Baptist school I vividly remember all the books about dinosaurs in our curated library had the dates of millions of years ago blacked out with sharpie because we believed in young earth or whatever. Been watching you for a while now dude I'm so happy you were able to get out and become the awesome person you are today.
Having grown up in Jehovah's Witness and Mormon cults, I feel all of this. It's screwed up mate. That kind of stuff still very much affects you later in life. 36 and I still sometimes have thoughts of hell persecution
I’m not sure how I missed this video a few weeks ago but…. Holy crap Daniel!!! I’ve been watching you for six years or so, I rarely comment but I’ve watched pretty much every single video on your channel. I knew that you’ve had past trauma(s) but I had no idea how deeply it went. Thank you for sharing this, I’m certain it will help someone out here who is dealing with some of the same issues. The courage this must have taken is so admirable. I’ve been watching your channel & following your social media’s for long enough to pick up on certain things about you/your mannerisms and I heard the shake, the emotion, anger & pain in your voice through most of this, more so at certain points. Literally made my stomach go into knots. I’m so effing grateful that you were a smart, questioning young man. So grateful that you are a strong person that made it through and have used your experiences & traumas to enlighten and help others with your platform. Just the courage it took to make this video & post it will help others gain the courage they need, will help them know they aren’t a bad person that is destined for hell because they have questions. I was also brought up in the Baptist church. Northern Baptist. Southern & Northern Baptist are pretty close in ideology I’d say. I broke away from it when I was about 12-13. I started arguing and putting up a fight with my incubator about having to go and listen to what I considered lies. In my experience Baptist churches are terribly cliquey. So much gossip and looking down on others, so much judging and so much self righteousness there. I hated it, I was miserable every single time I was forced to go so I started putting up a fight and when she finally realized I wasn’t going to relent she gave up. I have broken the cycle with my kids. I decided that I wouldn’t lie to them, I won’t shield them from knowing what church is, what religions are, who or what god is taught to be. If they decided they were interested & wanted to check it out for themself, I would allow it. I wouldn’t encourage nor discourage their interest and want to see what it is and decide for themselves. I also didn’t lie about any of it and when they had questions if I didn’t know the answer we would research and find the true answer. I stuck to exactly that. Each of them at different points have gone with friends, family members, grandparents… their ages (24,21,17,13) and each have decided it wasn’t for them. The cycle of religious trauma is forever broken in my family ♥️ You have done the same as far as breaking a cycle and you should be very proud of yourself! ♥️♥️
I feel truly privileged to be able to hear your story. Thank you so much for sharing. I cried with you and can relate to struggling with trauma when the people around you don’t do anything about it.
Idk if you’ll read this but i used to watch you a ton back in the day when you had i think it was an mcr poster or something in the background and i just wanna say your videos helped me through a ton of very similar religious experiences i was dealing with at the time. Thank you so much for making the content that shared your experiences so i knew what i was going through wasn’t crazy, it helped me more than i can properly express
So, I’m a Christian. Straight Bible. I understand how the Baptist ideology is harmful because I went to baptist churches. I’m also bisexual. Religion is man made. God only told the 40 men to write his love letter which is the Bible. That is why I don’t go to church anymore. Daniel, you are bright, you are funny, you are worthy of love. As a victim of sexual assault, I am empathetic of you. You do not have to practice “religion” to love God. But, that is your decision on who you follow. I will not hate you for it as a fan of your work. Keep pushing on.
Every time I hear stories like yours and others about what any religion has done to them, I thank my parents for not being extremely religious people. They went to church and are good people and still “fear god” but I was able to “break free” from all religion due to this. When doing so, my parents didn’t freak out or isolated me, the only thing they told and keep telling me “respect others views, help others whenever possible and just be a good person” which to me, it’s everything. I’m happy that moving east from religion has been a good thing in your life! Keep rocking it!
I remember when I first found you and you were currently switching your beliefs. You really helped me find myself and really question these beliefs that were being pushed onto me.
I'm so proud of you. Coming from such thought-discouraging background you have grown into such an intelligent insightful man with virtue many can look up to and learn from. My hat off to you, brother 💙
Love you, man. "I'm sorry" isn't enough to capture how sorry I really am for what you went through back then. I truly thank you for sharing this and being willing to talk. You're amazing.
You have an amazing testimony! You are loved, brave and I am so thankful for you! As an ex Southern Baptist minister's daughter in law, I have witnessed or experienced all you shared! 😭
I went to a Catholic Elementary school, and I remember the abuse I suffered from Kindergarten - 3rd grade. I was abused by my grandma for questioning 'our savior' until 7th grade. I feel your sorrow, and I hope that your mind is clearer now. I feel sick knowing that people use their 'God' as ammo to hurt and abuse people. I was beaten and called slurs as a 6 year old, and the final straw was when a pedophile killed himself in the school, and the note he left blamed the victim and the religion for making him have these desires. I don't feel sympathy for people who do horrible things to children, but I feel bad for him because he was raised against having sex and raised to think that anything he did would be okay. I was taken out of that school, but my grandma still took me to church where I was also abused and neglected. I'm now a 16 year old, living far far away from that religion. I'm a transman, pan, and I have a boyfriend! I feel so much happier being free from the shackles of religion, and you seem to be happier too! I'm glad you freed yourself from a horrible situation, and I hope for anyone else reading this comment to free their own shackles as well. Remember, you are your own person. Your own mind. You deserve to live a life filled with happiness. Don't let the people around you tell you otherwise. If you find happiness in religion, good! Just don't use it against others. Use it to spread happiness and joy in your own way! Have a good day/night!
I'm the same about learning. I feel it's capricious not to, To the hope that you wanna learn constantly. I left southern Baptist too for various reasons some similar to you. Religion can be so good for people but like drugs people take things further and further till it becomes something far from the original goal. Also most of the people went there high from pills and stuff but would berate others for doing the same as a superiority thing. And the holding in emotions is what caused me to drink (sober now) but one of the worst things to me
You mean in Christianity, which- contrary to what culturally-Christian turned atheist edge lords love to think- is not the only fucking religion that exists.
@@anonomus8709 Well there's plenty of instances of sexual abuse/female oppression in Judaism, Islam, Scientology, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Confucianism, many traditional African religions, some traditional Japanese religions, etc. Its absolutely not limited to Christianity. It does seem that some folk religions are less likely to be breeding grounds for such abuse though that isnt true for all of them i.e. patriarchal ones tend to be more abusive whereas egalitarian ones are less abusive (go figure).
Exactly. Religions have leaders, almost always in a patriarchal structure, who teach that women must be submissive housewives and mothers, and women who break that mold are whores, only here to tempt good men. A woman in these communities us only seen in relation to men...not as their own person.
@@anonomus8709 I'm cringing for you. The fact you would deny the sexual abuse that goes on in other religions is not only astoundingly ignorant, it's disturbing.
Also rep you've made it easier from past videos to confront some issues you've experienced as well as me. And am forever grateful because like my other comment I drank bottling up things and its just the worst feeling. You're dope lol seriously though you're awesome
Never feel sorry for how you feel. Glad you escaped that psychological cesspool. I also grew up in a Southern Baptist Church, but I never experienced anything like that. I always had questions when I was a part of church that never really got answers. I'm no longer a religious person...I joined the military and experienced the world. I'm glad you were able to talk this out and maybe make others feel that they are not weird or alone for their similar experiences.
I've been watching you for about 9 years or so, and I'm so proud of how far you've come. You're such a strong, honest and brave person that has been through so much, and yet you never let it destroy you! You seem a lot more happier and comfortable in your own skin lately and it makes me so genuinely happy to see. I know I'm not the only one that has noticed, you are shining. 🥺💖
I remember watching your super old atheist vids, you genuinely got me through a lot man. And made me think about stuff in such different ways, cannot thank you enough Rep
Ex mormon here and all of this was spot on for my religious upbringing as well. Great video, thanks for sharing. When people speak up like you just did, I hope it helps others in similar circumstances feel like they're not so alone. Kudos mate.
Ayeee I too am an ex mormon, and man it was detrimental being a trans guy in the church but thankfully my ward was pretty cool, and its just tough how the community isn't too bad but the church standards/teachings put too much pressure on us. A lot over politeness and guilt to break off
I was raised in a southern baptist church/environment. It was repressive, suffocating and was detrimental to my childhood. Thats all I’ll say. I’m glad I’m not alone. Thank you for speaking out.
The emotions you go through here are deep and I couldnt help but feel myself rocking along with you with the intensity of your memories. I paused the video several times to try and keep chill. I really appreciate you putting this out for us strangers to take in, I think your experience is really valuable to teach how these religions make their members feel to outsiders like me. I always knew it must be bad but to hear it in this way is really striking. Fly free Mr. Repzion bird, fly free!
I have followed you since like 2012 when you talked about all of this stuff often, and I still watch every video you put out. You have come such a long way, Daniel! I am, as a viewer, so incredibly proud of how far you have come and how much you have grown. I hope you know you made me and so many others comfortable with being confused about religion. It means so much that you spread this information, and I deeply thank you for being able to talk about this stuff openly. It has to be so hard for you, but you are helping so many. I hope you keep on growing and sharing your experiences.
i have to sit watching this one out due to also being traumatized by the southern baptist church but thank you for bringing any sort of awareness to what goes on. i’m a preachers grandchild and leaving was the hardest thing i’ve ever done. im queer and trans you could imagine the trauma with that. i’ve wanted to share my story for so long but it’s still unsafe for me to do and i would end up losing all the family i have left. thank you for saying something especially for those like myself that feel voiceless
Thank you for sharing this. I was moved by it honestly. I grew up Christian too. One thing I was always told was “parents are supposed to love their husbands / wife’s more than the kids.” All the ingredients for an abusive environment. So disturbing. Much love @repzion
I'm sorry for what you have been through, especially when you were so young. I'm so glad that you came through those experiences a stronger and better person. I come from a fairly religious family but i have never been able to believe as they did. Based on the overwhelming evidence, any religious belief (particularly fundamentalist beliefs) causes much more suffering throughout the world than good. I've said it before but I'll say it again - you show an immense amount of courage by sharing your story. Having gone through very difficult (but different) experiences in life myself, I know firsthand how difficult it can be to talk about what you've been through, and it shows that you have tremendous strength of character that you are willing to share these things so publicly in order to help people who may be going through the same or similar things. You are using your experiences and your influence to help others which is amazing. You are an extraordinary person Daniel! Don't you ever let anyone tell you different.
So much of your story is the same as mine. It hurts my heart how many of us went through this. I still am processing so much of religious trauma that still pops up in my life. Especially the hell fear, that I'm going to burn in hell for eternity because I sinned. I was seriously told the same thing when I went to my pastor about the sexual abuse I was suffering in church. My mom told me (and still stands by it) that is was my fault. She repeated the same thing later on when I spoke out about my abusive husband when I finally got the courage to leave him. It was *my* job to make this marriage work, to be the perfect housewife and make him happy. I am so glad you got out and are doing so well!
Hey everyone, I was raised Lutheran & converted to Catholicism when I got clean but that didn’t last long. I just didn’t agree with a lot of the shaming & making people feel guilty for doing normal stuff. There’s a church near where I live now & whenever I walk buy when they have a service going on I’m tempted to go in but I never do, they’re all singing loud & proud & it just sounds amazing. My 3 year old grandson was with me once & he danced for 2 blocks until we couldn’t hear anymore. One day I’ll go in. So I donated $1, I wish it could be more but like you said if we all just donated $1 you’d hit the goal in no time. So thank you Daniel for being one of the most sincere RU-vidrs I’m subscribed to. Have a great week to anyone who read my ranting. Lol 🥰😍😉
Daniel, I'm thankful that you survived the abuse. You're an amazing person and I'm so proud of you for still being with us. We love you and appreciate you.
I love how your so informative it really helps me myself wrap my head around this particular religion, seeing it from different perspectives :) sending love and kindness from New Zealand Repzeon keep expressing yourself
Thx for sharing. I usually don't comment on things. But I want to send positive energy ur way! You're a very strong individual. I'm glad ya got threw all of that.
As a current Christian - I’m so glad I didn’t grow up southern Baptist…God can handle my questions. I’m also very glad that I grew up with a dad who is a pastor and a feminist and a mom who is a medical physician and a devote Christian..I have big issue with the Baptist church. All denominations choose to focus on different stuff and Baptist choose to focus on female submission.
I think a lot of problems with many Christian denominations is that they promote the idea that the church itself is the authority, and not to be questioned. That the church is pure, and perfect, and above criticism. This is bullshit both in scripture and in life. There are whole books of the Bible devoted to criticising the early churches, telling them how they could improve themselves. You're supposed to question the way things are, and there are many examples of the Bible saying so.
Not all Bapist churches are the same .. been a bapist my whole life .. my mom .. my grandmother.. all raised me to be strong , independent and know that i could do anything i put my mind too.. never felt submissive to men .. never saw my mom or grandmother being submissive.. long story short im sorry he was raised in such a bad church but not all Bapist churches are bad
I was brought up going to a Baptist church but in the UK, not the US, it sounds like a radically different experience. Parents also smart medical professionals who don't mind things being questioned. Not sure what to believe now as an aging adult and have not been to a church in a long time, but I don't resent the church experience I had. If I had kids I'm not sure what I would do tbh.
I grew up baptist Lutheran, I just started this but I already know. Love to you so much. You're an amazing person and I'm so glad I came across your RU-vid. Thank you for being you repzion ❤️❤️❤️
