I know not everyone does this. I am simply pointing out something that people actually do. Dont assume I'm blaming you specifically.

Part 1

The girl is 5 years old, and today is her first time going to church. Her mommy just married new daddy, and he's Christian, so mommy wanted to share this with him.

When they enter the church, the little girl is admired by the old church ladies, and is called cute and adorable over and over again. They go up to the front, and she sees the bread on the offering stand. Not realizing that this bread is for Jesus only-after all, food is food-she reaches up and takes a big chunk. Before anyone can react, she has stuffed it into her mouth.

Suddenly, the elderly women grow cold and unresponsive. 'Impudent child!' They think. 'How could she be so greedy as to steal God's bread? And that mother, so negligent as to ignore the child in a conversation with the preacher! These two do not belong here.'

They go to the woman and rant about her need to control her child better- and the little girl, still confused as to exactly what she did wrong- holds her mother's hand as she bursts into tears.

Part 2

The man is 29 years of age. He's an avid Christian, and a kind man. He has only just joined his new job, and as far as he can tell, he is the only Christian there. To make things worse, he is technically the 'new guy' and has yet to prove that he belongs.

He can feel their eyes. Every where he goes, he feels them watching him, judging him silently. They look at him as a direct portrayal of Jesus. They wait silently. He is inadvertently excluded from things such as office parties and coffee breaks to the nearest cafe. What hurts him most though, is when he slips up and makes a mistake. Because then they click their tongues and shake their heads, saying to themselves, 'So this is what God does in your life.' They cannot see the difference God has made on the man, because they only pay attention to his mistakes.

Part 3

She is a 6th grader, only 11 years old. She has already began contemplating suicide. In the beginning, she was a faithful Christian. She remembers going to church every Sunday with her mom, and reading her bible with her dad. She remembers the prayers they'd say to her, with her.

Now, things are different. Her parents are dead, killed in a drive-by shooting they never should have been caught in. Her uncle has taking custody of her, and he's a terrible man. He constantly harms her in he most awful ways.

The children at her school bully her. They say mean things and hurt her and endlessly make fun of basically every little detail about her.

Always, in the name calling and shrieking insults, there is another, often unspoken barb. She hears it while her drunk uncle barges into her room in the middle of the night. She hears it when the bigger kids have cornered her at school and are hitting, punching, kicking her. She hears it when the giggling girls spread rumors about her. She constantly hears the question, 'Where is your God now?'

Part 4

He is in 10th grade, and he knew even when he was younger that he was different from other guys. It's not like he likes it, but he's simply been attracted to people of the same sex.

He has walked the church and school halls for years in silence, but now he's finally decided to come clean. But when rumor gets to the church, he suddenly finds the people who once graciously accepted him and his faults, turning cold. They silently push him out of his church in the process of cold shoulders and icy glares, whispers and pointed sermons about the evils of homosexuality.

At this time, when bullies are popping up, and he needs the church most, even they refuse to accept him. For the life of him, he does not know why they must change. He's still the same person.

... Wow. Part 3 was morbid. Well. I want to thank everyone for the support on my last spiritual story! You guys are great!