I don’t want to get into too many details, but if you need more clarification to give a better answer, please let me know.

I was raised in a very small, protestant religion; I would say there can’t be more than 20 thousand of us in the world. It’s a super tight-knit group, and possible that I know or am within one degree of separation from every official member of the church. I’ve also been through the private school system for this religion, mostly dated guys that were of the same denomination (except for my husband). My marriage is probably the only thing that doesn’t connect me to it. But my job, the social groups I’m active with, and my whole family are all deeply rooted in it.

I’ve tried to get a new perspective of this religion in hopes that my opinion would change, but I’ve been struggling with this since I was a teenager. I’m ready to leave it, but if I do, I feel I’ll have zero understanding – in fact, I’m pretty sure most of the responses will be about helping me “turn my thought around” because that’s not the “voice of God” talking to me..

Have any of you been in a similar situation? Did you simply have to make the hard decision to let everything and everyone go?