Samantha

I was not baptized as a child. My parents gave all of my siblings and I the opportunity to chose what faith, if any, we wanted to follow. My second eldest sister has been pagan since I was born. When I was around eight- or nine-years-old, I chose to follow her path. I followed Wicca, a nature-based religion centered around equality of Spirit and harmony of Earth, until I was about 15. However, there was always something off. I didn't like seeing deity as two separate halves, male and female. The spellwork I did do was more like jazzed-up prayer than the rituals you'd think of witches doing. 

I lost faith by following that faith. I identified publicly as an atheist from then until this year. Mostly because of who I surrounded myself with. The man I dated for two years was outwardly against religion and faith. He told me several times that I shouldn't go to church, or he'd be angry with me. It was hurtful. I wasn't an atheist, but I thought I was too far gone for God. I thought, mistakenly, that He would not forgive me and would not accept me. 

Earlier this year, I went through a lot of inner turmoil and had to make big decisions in my life, such as leaving the man I was planning on marrying. I was depressed and scared. I found myself praying. I talked to a friend of mine, he told that it might be a good idea to seek a church, if that is how I truly felt. I found Veritas and it all slipped into place. Coming to Veritas made me know it was okay for me to be Christian, finally. Like I had always truly wanted. I chose to get baptized so I could honestly and happily say, 'I'm Christian and I love Jesus.'