017 Steve - Part 2: Re-Thinking the Bible, My Denial Ends & Crisis Begins. I Tell My Devout Christian Mother I'm An Atheist

I grew up in a conservative Christian home. We went to church every Sunday. God was a very important part of my life.

As I realized my childhood dreams weren't panning out, my trust and commitment to God grew stronger in high school. I began studying the Bible and loved it! I enjoyed occasionally preaching at youth group and attended 3 churches a week for a time. I wanted to live out my faith, so I stopped swearing, listening to secular music and watched mainly family friendly movies. In high school, this also meant avoiding any partying.

After my freshman year at Washington State University, I came home and Krissy and I began dating. We got married a few years later. We wanted to trust God in everything, so that included family planning!

I transferred to Trinity Lutheran College and began working toward my Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies. I loved studying and preaching the Bible, so becoming a pastor was a solid decision, or so we thought.

As life became increasingly difficult to manage (full time work and school, two kids under age 2, depression), our plan for life and understanding of God began to be challenged.