The #ExposeChristianSchools Hashtag Reveals a Slew of Horror Stories

A couple of years ago, when Karen Pence began working at an anti-LGBTQ Christian school, there was good reason to shine a spotlight on what students actually learned at those private schools.

Sure, many of them indoctrinate kids by treating science as a hoax and preaching abstinence-only sex education… but how bad could it really get? Well, we now know some of those schools are promoting pro-Trump talking points in history books.

So it seemed as good a time as ever for writer and “Exvangelical” Chrissy Stroop to re-introduce the hashtag #ExposeChristianSchools:

Are you also someone who attended Christian schools as a kid who wants the public to understand how extreme and authoritarian they are?

Please share your stories and memories using the hashtag #ExposeChristianSchools https://t.co/LwTR8fToKs

— Chrissy Stroop (@C_Stroop) September 28, 2021

The responses are worth a read. Here are just a few of them:

I did. I Wanted to be a nun too. Up until they told me my mom was going to hell because she was Jewish. I told them -“Jesus was Jewish too” and I changed schools.

— Patricia Arquette (@PattyArquette) September 28, 2021

a sample page! (https://t.co/AEv2Ef9hCc) pic.twitter.com/DxGOjO7rDB

— Tracy Moore (@iusedtobepoor) September 29, 2021

I have several, but here is the worst one. A girl in my class had sex with her boyfriend, who had already graduated, OFF of school grounds. That info got back to her cheerleading coach, who told the principal. #ExposeChristianSchools

— Mikey Roo (@RedFanNC) September 29, 2021

I attended a prominent Christian college. Had a professor ask if I had had sex with my boyfriend in front of the whole class (premarital sex would get you expelled). He also asked if my gay friends had ever sexually assaulted me. #ExposeChristianSchools

— M Madrigal Olivarez (@MalloryOlivarez) September 28, 2021

One of the religion classes at the Lutheran high school I attended literally did a weeklong unit on the evils of homosexuality. A whole week. With a significant focus on how icky anal sex is. Absolutely wild to think back on that.

— Sydney Riggs (@MrsRiggsy) September 28, 2021

I went to an ACE school.
wasn’t allowed to preform on stage at convention because I had dreadlocks.
They told my bother he had to cut his locs out to attend the school.
the first time I saw blackface irl was at “convention”.

— Amber (@amberjusthush) September 28, 2021

My Christian school told me that God made black people slaves so they can practice being humble and grateful for the better things in life. I wish I was joking.

— MuñecaMinhaj (@MinhajMuneca) September 29, 2021

One time in middle school we were given a project where each group was assigned a religion and we had to “disprove” it in a presentation to the class, it was ridiculous lol

— ~ ＭＡＣＩＮＴＯＳＨＭＩＮＵＳ ~ (@QuestForTori) September 28, 2021

Oh, I have stories. Our IFB church had a school where I attended for high school. Boys & girls weren't allowed to talk to each other in the halls. If you did, you got put on social restriction & couldn't talk to them at all for a period of time (2-4 weeks). 1/x

— Nana Is Vaxxed & Masked � � (@clearlylori) September 29, 2021

I did, for undergrad. Sexist. Racism at every level, among students, faculty, admin. An English professor admitted she taught down to me because of my race until she realized I was the managing editor of the student newspaper. #ExposeChristianSchools

— Shaun Chavis (@ShaunChavis) September 29, 2021

I was in a Baptist school for 2nd grade, along with the Pledge of Allegiance they also made us say the Pledge of the Bible every day as well

— KARLI FOR HIRE! (@KarliCartoons) September 29, 2021

There are so many more responses where those came from.

And obviously these don’t represent all Christian schools or even all kinds of conservative Christian thought, but the fact that these things are happening in plain view at all should be troubling. The fact that the Christians who work at those schools and the parents who pay for their kids to go there see nothing wrong with all this ought to be a giant stain on the entire religion.

The question should be what moderate or progressive Christians are doing to fight back against the extremists in their midst. Doing nothing isn’t an option.

(Featured image via Shutterstock)