Globally, statistics over the years have shown that more people are walking away from religion. As scandals erupt in churches and faith becomes interspersed with politics, people find that they have a general distrust for the beliefs they once held. In a recent viral video, a Texas girl decided to speak the truth when her church asked her to share what she’s thankful for. Apparently, they didn’t like what she had to say. The gross mishandling of the situation and what they say to the girl makes you lose hope in churches.
D (@uniquegoddessss) shared a TikTok video of a young girl in Dallas, Texas sharing her truth in front of her church. A woman stands at the pulpit during a church sermon. She tells a group of children that she wants them to speak up about what they’re “really” thankful for. She hands the microphone off to a young girl and asks her to say what she’s thankful for. The girl says she’s “thankful for her stepmom” because she listens to her, unlike her biological mother.
When the girl tells them her honest truth, the church doesn’t like what she has to say. The adults in the room immediately start to berate her for her reality. The children around her all look shocked. As the girl is being berated and yelled at by literal adults, she looks on like she just doesn’t care to hear it. I personally love that she spoke her truth even when she knew that the adults wouldn’t be happy to hear it.
In a disgusting display of authority and disrespect, the adults continue to make her feel bad about what she said. One woman says into a microphone, pointing at the girl, “The enemy that’s trying to live in you making you think that, we cast that out right now.” They instruct her to “bow down to the most high God.” While she’s being religiously berated, she’s surrounded by a bunch of adults. They put their hands on her and apparently try to “cast out” the evil from her. It’s so disturbing that religion makes people across the world act like this. It can be so toxic and make people feel guilty for how they actually feel.
As one commenter stated, “This is exactly why folks stop goin to church.” Another said, “She’s gonna remember this forever.” The literal gaslighting and hatred that goes on inside churches is definitely enough to change somebody’s views forever. It seems like the church ganging up on her for her valid feelings helped prove her point that her needs as a child aren’t being met. This is not a good show of peace, love, and community. But unfortunately, it’s how a lot of modern churches operate.
