Fundamental Christianity is popular in the media these days, sometimes positive, often negative, and jokes about Southern Baptists are anticipated in any such discussion or article on the topic. I smile along with others at the jokes, yet I also know that my upbringing in the Southern Baptist religion was an experience unknown today. The phrase ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ was evident throughout my childhood years, an expectation I developed that empowered my early explorations in life. At all times as a child, I never felt alone in my actions.

To look at our church, you would see a group that held no allegiance to any other group, not another church, not another organization, not anyone. This attitude, which is pervasive throughout the Baptist world, eliminates dependence on others and reinforces the beliefs held within the church. For a child, that makes religious instruction simpler than needing to learn remote and abstract topics on a conceptual level. Religion was a simple-to-grasp concept. The church was part of one’s life. It really was, at least at our house and those of everyone I knew.

My Southern Baptist world began each week on Sunday, with church and Sunday school from 9 am to noon or later. Then lunch, often with other families from the church. Then an afternoon of light at-home activity. (That’s right; no movie attendance on Sunday if you wanted to save your soul.) Then, Sunday night from 6:15 to 9:00 pm or slightly later, sometimes followed by other families coming to our house for coffee and donuts. Prayer was a given at every meal plus at bedtime every day of the week. Wednesday night was always a gathering at church to pray for any the church felt were in need. That was usually 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. And Thursday was an evening to visit all those who had not attended recently or who were sick. Saturday evening was a time to study the lesson manual, which always had Bible references and review questions. And several times each year, there would be a revival, which mean a full church service every night of the week. In my world, it was also a social event, as seeing classmates each night caused the revival to be a special occasion to be enjoyed. It was part of the only world I knew.

This life wasn’t always spent in church; there were frequent dinners, pot-luck suppers, Sunday school outings and picnics, and always an annual church-wide picnic with a softball game with participation by all ages, and more food than could be devoured by a church three times our size. There was always one or more large tables with nothing but potato salad. It seemed that every woman in the church had her own recipe, and they brought them all to the picnic.

Folks had their beliefs, but they were also realistic. Smoking was ‘wrong,’ but we had our fair share of smokers in front of the church every Sunday, getting a few puffs in before the worship service. I know liquor wasn’t in favor, but you didn’t want to look in the cupboard when you went visiting. We always had a softball team, and the spitting of tobacco was no different in our league than in any other. Life happened. Gossip was against our beliefs, but if you stood around very long after the church service, you had a good idea of whatever was going on in people’s lives. We were religious, but not perfect. All in all, these people could be trusted to be there for you or to help you at any time. Having a request denied was unthinkable. Were there flaws: YES. Southern Baptists were, and still are, very close to what the world considers ‘traditional values,’ a euphemism for keeping women from active church involvement, resistance to same-sex marriage, and a belief held by many of the inerrancy of the Bible. That one belief, on the Bible’s inerrancy, is the heaviest stone that needs to be discarded if that church is to continue. But that is just my view.

Today, when asked, I would respond that I am not religious, that I am unsure of all that religions embrace. But the experiences of my youth, the people I knew, the education on life and people that I received from that church are forever part of me, and I am grateful for every minute of that period of my life. What we teach children remains with them. The message to us all is to teach them to respect and embrace our values. In that, my parents succeeded on every level. To judge me by my religious views would be to miss what religious instruction gave to me. Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.