Working through the fear instilled in you by a fundamentalist institution is often a lifelong struggle for those who decide to leave. The fear and self-doubt runs deep, and learning to embrace yourself and the world takes time, practice, and a lot of unlearning. But it also makes for some pretty excellent jokes.

Working through the fear instilled in you by a fundamentalist institution is often a lifelong struggle for those who decide to leave. The fear and self-doubt runs deep, and learning to embrace yourself and the world takes time, practice, and a lot of unlearning. But it also makes for some pretty excellent jokes.

Being the child of a Southern Baptist minister in a tiny Appalachian town doesn’t come without pressure, especially when it’s the church the previous generations of your family built from the ground up. It’s even more complicated if you’re gay and you’ve been taught that it’s a disease you need to hide.

In many fundamentalist churches, “spare the rod, spoil the child” is just part of everyday life. It’s preached from the pulpit, and fundamentalist child-rearing books are littered with it. But what about those in the church who experience abuse most of us couldn’t even imagine?

Growing up surrounded by the beauty of the natural world, singing songs with family, and not worrying about money might sound idyllic, but is it worth the freedom of choice?

“Maybe God is a little bit bigger than whatever institution is making you feel like shit.” -Amber

Introducing Now I See
Episode 1 Airs April 9