One hears on this website about those on the ‘side A’ category with the insipid #FaithfullyLGBT logo, talk about constant traumatic experience. Whilst I certainly empathise with all victims of abuse having been good friends with such a person for a long time it doesn’t make me...

Sympathetic to their denial of church teaching. Certainly I’m not an abuse victim, but I do know all about being bad childhood and adolescent experiences. I have aspergers, it wasn’t diagnosed until a few years ago, so as a child I was weird, and made to feel as such.

I didn’t experience things the same way as others. I also have dyspraxia and discalcullia making school a real pain. I was bullied and even as I got older and better liked by my mates, I still was very detached from them and their experiences. Over time this detachment lead to...

Me developing an attitude of self hatred from age 7 on. I had to undergo group therapy (alongside 3 years of physical therapy for my dyspraxia). I was already very traditional in my faith and more so at secondary school, and whilst in secondary school everyone

Got to appreciate the quirks of my religiosity and I grew quite popular. However my detachment and self hatred turned into depression. I had a pleasant secondary school career. However at sixth form I had few friends and my depression turned severe. Since age 16 I have..

Attempted suicide 5 times, and nearly became an alcoholic. I nearly failed my A-levels because of it, and had I failed I would not be here, because my pride and thought process would have led me to drown in a river.

I’m not trying to gain sympathy from strangers, I have never needed it. I’m trying to get a point across that no matter how shite ones experiences may have been, no matter the awful things people may be put through, no one and I mean no one has a right to deny church teaching.

Sorry for the long thread, I could have said more but nah. I’m just trying to say that even the worst experiences ever which some people can have don’t give you carte blanche where you like. Idk if anyone will read this thread but if you do, take away that the church is right

And the greatest instrument of hope one ever can have. She gave me hope in the darkest of times and the best throughout my whole life, and is I have said I would have been dead were it not for her teachings. Long thread use how you like.