From the time that I was two years old, I have been raised in a religious household. The religion that my family members adhere to, is not the most strict religion out there, but it certainly has it's guidelines, to say the very least.
    About eight months ago, I began to question my faith in this religion. I struggled with myself for a long time trying to decide what I believed. I debated with friends, teachers, my family, and myself trying to figure out what was right. Because this religion seems to pride itself in being the "only way," I began to feel an extreme sense of guilt for thinking that it may be wrong. Eventually, after a lot of debating and thinking, I realized I couldn't claim myself to be a member of this religion anymore. It was to far from what I believed to be true. I ended up leaving the relgion. I didn't want to tell my family that I had left, because I knew what they would think. Eventually though, I realized I would have to tell them. When I informed them, they scolded me. The way that they reacted proved to me, that I made the right decision in leaving. Unfortunately, it also proved to me that I could never ever let them see the real me, that I am forced to keep hidden around everyone but my closest friends.
    You see, the religion that I left is a religion that condems all sexual activity, all alcohol drinking, all homosexuality/bisexuality, and all beliefs that contradict anything biblical. This is a big problem for me, because for as long as I can remember, I have been an extremely sexual person. The sexuality alone, was enough to get me into trouble, but on top of that, a few months ago, I discovered that I am bisexual. These two things alone could make my family want to shun me, so I have to keep them hidden. On top of those two problems, is the fact that I don't see a problem with alcohol. Obviously, if you're drinking it in massive amounts it's not good for you, that's a fact. But there are plenty of safe, controlled environments that I think are safe to drink alcohol in. Also, my beliefs go against some of what the bible says in some parts, so I'm in the "wrong" there too. Knowing that it wouldn't be seen as a differing opinion, but as a delusion, I could never admit to that either. 
    Now I live at home, and I'm surrounded by a family that doesn't really know me at all. I feel like I'm trapped inside this tiny bubble, and every day it just gets smaller, because no one around me knows who I really am. This religion that prides itself on being accepting, made me realize that my parents would never accept parts of me. I feel guilty a lot of the time because I know the people around me would think my lifestyle was sinfull. I can never tell the ones that I love who I really am, because I know I'll only be rejected.
    It seems kind of hypocritical to me, to be honest. This religion. Priding itself on being accepting and loving. All I feel walking into the church, are realizations that no one in that building, would ever understand who I really was. Accepting? Yeah, they accept you, so long as you hide who you really are. Loving? That too! You'll feel their love in immense amounts when you admit that you believe differently. They love you so much that they'll try to bring you back into the "right" way, by shunning you.
    I'm sorry if my sarcasm is too much to handle, but i don't feel the need for niceities. When I am forced to hide the real me, for fear of losing my home, I think religion has gone too far. When the guidelines leave the realm of reason, and enter the realm of hypocracy, I lose faith.