As you consider your faith journey at the moment, where you’ve been and where you find yourself now, which of these apply to you?
Keep your score—how many did you get out of 20?
What would you add to this quiz?
What describes you right now?
- I used to love engaging with the Bible and now I have no idea quite what to do with it.
- I often have a strong allergic reaction to certain Christian words and phrases.
- I used to be able to gladly sign particular doctrinal statements and statements of faith and now reading certain ones make me break out in hives.
- Most Christian music makes my skin crawl.
- I recently cleaned out my bookshelves and felt bad about donating certain books to charity so I just threw them away.
- I’ve had moments where I sat in a church parking lot and never got out of my car because I just couldn’t go in.
- The church and ministry systems I participated in had even more dysfunction than my dysfunctional family.
- I’m worried about my kids; I don’t want all of my faith struggles to mess them up later.
- Some of my friends and family members are “praying for me” because they are worried I’m on a slippery slope.
- I feel worn out, used, abused, and exhausted by my former church experience.
- I’ve been finding life in certain books, articles, podcasts or groups, that before I would have considered heretical or dangerous.
- I’m often embarrassed to call myself a Christian anymore because I don’t want to be associated with how people perceive that word.
- My views on and personal experience with LGBQT+ equality are a big reason why I’ve found myself on the outside of systems I once lived and loved in.
- I’ve been fired from a church leadership position or asked to step out of a ministry position because of my changing beliefs.
- Some days I wake up and wonder if I’m an atheist, and then others I wake up and know I can’t shake Jesus.
- I am still going to church but not for myself; it’s so I can be with my spouse, my partner, my kids.
- I have felt unvalued in my gifts and passions in the church systems I’ve been part of and want to figure out how to serve somewhere that actually wants me.
- My spouse or partner is in a totally different place and it makes me feel extra lonely.
- The November 2016 election has rocked me more than I expected and caused me to spiral into an even deeper spiritual free-fall but gain an even deeper passion for social justice.
- I wish I would have held back some of my tithe over the years to pay for therapy now.
And bonus question:
- Even though so much of what I believed is coming or already came apart, I am finding new life in unexpected places and I’m grateful for that.