Punishment.

Last week, I had dinner with an old friend. I haven't seen him in about 7 years. I don't remember why/how we got into this, but he told me a story about his past, and it went something like this.

He grew up in a devout Christian environment. All his friends went to the same congregation. He was well-loved, and everything was dandy, until he turned 18. The year he turned 18, he fell in love. He fell in love with an older girl - a couple years difference - and everyone told him not to date this girl, but he did. And they had a relationship, and they had sex. And then because they had sex, he was punished. He was no longer allowed to lead any groups, and even at the meetings, he had to go late and leave early, as in, his punishment was that there would be no interaction between him and anyone. No fellowship, no hanging out. Harsh. Especially for an 18-year old. And so it threw him into a deep depression that lasted a couple of years... and because he was not allowed to hang out with his friends anymore, he had to make new friends, and new friends were not Christians, and didn't have these hangups, and so he's never been back.

Suffice to say, the congregation that he went-slash-belonged to was not the average, normal Christian group. But to be very honest, what kind of result is expected from this kind of punishment? To be cut off? So there is no one to guide you back or hold you accountable for the future? One mistake and you're gone??! Just because he didn't hide it - he could've lied, and stayed. But no. Sigh. Pisses me off.

Oh well. He's happily married now, but it's sad that he shuns the church, shuns the faith.

Sigh. Bah.