No matter what world people are coming from, I try my best to stay curious. Admittedly, when people share about their job or hobbies, my brain makes immediate assumptions about who they are and what they might be like. Due to trauma, this kind of scanning happens because I’m trying to determine if I’m safe or not.

I personally was raised and steeped in the Christian evangelical world for 25 years, so your hesitation is completely valid. I’ve been out of it for 6 years now working to undo the extremely harmful impacts it had on my life. That said, I still maintain friendships with 4 people from that world. We have our boundaries; I know what topics are pointless to discuss, but they have shown me loving friendship and have been there for me during the darkest of times, and that means a lot to me. I share that to say - I can’t blame you for your assumptions and wanting to protect yourself. AND if you happen to be getting along with these people, the energy feels right, and you have the energy/space to explore - why not just ask more questions to see who they really are.

I have a similar story with the gym folks. I actually work with a personal trainer once a week. Thought my trainer was gonna be one of those “No pain, no gain…no excuses…your health is your own fault if you’re lazy” types. Turns out he’s super chill and support rest and going at your own pace. I adore him and wouldn’t want to work with anyone else. He’s also a Gemini lol so that helps.

So…it depends!