Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion

by Marlene Winell

consider the notion that your physical being is you as much as are your mental, emotional, and spiritual dimensions. With this awareness, you can let yourself come down out of your head and experience your body.

The premise of this chapter is that it is both your right and your responsibility to make your own life decisions. While you do not have absolute control over all the conditions of your life, you do have the creative power to design the life you want to a large extent.

You may remember hearing a negative opinion expressed about liberal Christians who said, “God helps those who help themselves.” I recall being taught that such an attitude was arrogant and unscriptural; helping yourself doubted God. Thus it is probably very different now to think about taking charge in your life.

Another common pattern for the fundamentalist is to become over responsible to work very hard and feel terrible for any imperfect behavior.

In general, you can enhance your control over your experience in two basic ways: By fully accepting and receiving the many good things in your life. By actively choosing and creating the events of your life.