Confession: I've never actually met a Jew. Well, maybe I did. Growing up in the Bible Belt, the "Jesus" I practically had tattooed across my forehead may have scared them away. So I haven't knowingly met anyone Jewish, anyways. My experience with Judaism extends to the Bible, a Seder meal at church, and what I've seen on television. (Fiddler on the Roof used to be my favorite movie!) If I did, they probably wouldn't have liked me very much. While I didn't feel I was superior as a person, I did feel that my religion was superior.

See, we weren't anti-Semitic, per se. I did not hear many of the racial slurs and ridiculous rumors until I reached adulthood, or nearly so. On the contrary, growing up in a conservative branch of evangelical Christianity, we loved Judaism. I remember someone pointing out a Jewish woman at a church service I attended, and I was filled with awe: so that's what one of G-d's chosen people looked like! Though because I didn't actually meet her, I can still say I've never met anyone who is Jewish.

As respectful of Judaism as we were in some ways, we weren't quite in others. Instead of racist, we were more religionist, if you will. We were evangelical Christians. So while we backed, almost fanatically, Jewish causes in the Middle East and looked up to Jews, we still thought that Jews were going to hell. See, somehow, to us, Jews used to be G-d's chosen people, but when they rejected the Salvation He provided for them, Christians became G-d's chosen people. (See the parable of the banquet found in Luke 14.) As annoying it may be for non-Christians, it really is well-intentioned, if not sorely misguided.

Fortunately, I got out of that situation and am no longer an evangelical Christian, but an atheist. So how did that happen? How did I go from on fire for G-d, conservative Baptist minister's wife to active, passionate atheist? Not just an atheist, but one who has gone on a sort of crusade against the beliefs I once held very dear? I am not against religion in general, or even Christianity in general, but fundamentalism. Of course, there are people who are happy in their fundamentalist lifestyle, but it damages so many people, both in and out of conservative Christianity.

I would say I was the ideal Baptist girl, but I wasn't really. Not mainstream Baptist, anyway - the Good Christian Girl who never got into any trouble. I was caught somewhere between conservativism and ultra-conservatism, which meant I didn't really fit in anywhere. I bought everything handed to me hook, line, and sinker: Christianity, salvation, purity, and men's superiority. At the age of 18, I felt the "call" into the ministry.

I got into ministry because, at the time, I really just loved the Lord. I wanted to share that with people, Jews included. I thought Jesus made me happy. I didn't realize, like so many people don't, that allowing Jesus into your life seems to help solve all of your problems at first, but later creates them if you allow yourself to fall deeper into conservativism. It isolates you from friends, family, the outside world, creating more loneliness and more need for Him.

At the age of 19 - having never been kissed, having never had a boyfriend - I met my future former husband. A ministry student at my conservative Christian college, I thought he was The One. We were married eleven months later. After finishing my degree in 2006, I settled in to become a stay-at-home minister's wife, and, that July, a stay-at-home mother as well.

Things were not going as well as Jesus promised. My husband did not understand the word "no" or the concept of boundaries in the bedroom. Having the level of purity I walked in to marriage with didn't make me attractive once there, because I was so naïve. Many things he wanted made me feel dirty and used. I did them, as a submissive wife and because saying "no" didn't really matter: eventually, we did what he wanted. Usually, when he wanted, too.

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Another quick one, as requested by David Choe. The picture of the day. Anything I say will be extraneous. Except: this makes me feel warm inside.

A few weeks ago Jewcy broke the story that a viral e-mail, directed at Jewish voters, accused "bigot" Sen. Barack Obama of "hating" Jews and sympathizing with the Nation of Islam. Many prominent Jewish leaders condemned this slander, but some readers might remain convinced. Eli Valley takes their hysteria to the next level.

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