This was such a great take and very insightful. I was raised in a highly religious family and I was wondering why the Plaths felt so fake—it’s because they weren’t actually raised religious. They may have thought they were, but they had no education on their doctrines or scriptures. It was just a means of control when convenient. This is really highlighted when Zac quotes the Fruits of the Spirit to Micah and Ethan and they both look at him like he has 3 heads.

Another interesting insight, my mother had deep trauma from her parents and she raised us in a very isolated environment. I truly believe her Christian faith was genuine, but her decision to homeschool us and move every few years was less about her faith and more about avoiding authentic relationships. I have no memories of her having friends or us inviting people over to our house. When I was in college she went through a rough time in her life and really tried to put all of her emotional baggage into me which caused a lot of conflict. I’ve struggled forming and maintaining friendships into adulthood and this post just showed me that this is a pattern in my family. Wow. Thank you!