“I’m not basing my life’s ideology around something that’s impossible to know.”

As a full-time writer at BuzzFeed, I cover books, relationships, sitcoms, and all things pop culture.

Please note that these submissions don't reflect a universal experience of religion. Everyone's story is different.

"My mom stopped going because every sermon ended with the importance of giving."

"My mom’s former church had a spreadsheet of everyone’s tithes. My mom gave every Sunday, but didn’t use the envelopes. Someone leaked the spreadsheet, and its existence understandably pissed off a lot of people. My mom never attended after seeing $0 next to our names — all because she didn't put the money in an envelope and sign her name." 

"My parents were having financial hardships and using food banks to feed our family, and the church guilt-tripped them for not donating." 

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.