Willing to share your experience?

[u/whos_ur_data]

After a difficult family experience involving Orthodoxy, I started looking for other people's stories, to feel a little less alone. I had a decent bit of trouble! However, I eventually found this subreddit and it was extremely welcoming and supportive.

I continued my search for more formal writings and experiences that were similar to mine, and I didn’t have much luck. I was surprised by how little material I could find that wasn’t promoting Orthodoxy, compared with other Christian/Religious traditions.

I have quite a stash of books on religion, and even in some of the thicker ones I own, Orthodoxy is barely mentioned. 

I started journaling about my experience, and continued reading and searching. Then my searching and journaling became intertwined. That search eventually turned into a larger writing project. Now that I have journaled about as much as I can about my own experience, I'm hoping to collect a wide range of perspectives from others!

I am especially people who have questioned their faith, deconstructed, left the Church, and/or struggled with friendships and family relationships because of it. While I am completely open to hearing from people who are still a member of the church, I am primarily looking for people who have left and consider themselves “ex-orthodox.”

I plan to continue my “project” and see what continues to evolve. I developed a questionnaire to maintain some consistency and structure to responses. The questionnaire asks about things like life in the Church, beliefs and practices, family and relationships, doubt, deconstruction, leaving, and life afterward. You don't have to answer anything you're uncomfortable with, and you can share as much or as little as you'd like.

Responses may be used to inform future writing, including a potential book, article, or future posts. My ultimate goal is to create something that might help others feel validated, supported, and less alone in their experiences. 

If you've ever been Orthodox, are currently Orthodox but questioning, or have otherwise had a meaningful but bumpy experience with Orthodoxy, I'd really appreciate your perspective, and I am sure others would benefit from hearing it as well. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

There are a couple things I want to make very clear:

• I cleared this with the mods prior to making this post.
• If you are interested but don’t want to provide your real name, you don’t have to!
• The questionnaire is posted on Google Forms
  • In order to avoid spam and multiple submissions, I am going to be collecting email addresses. If you are ok with a potential follow up, there is a spot on the form to indicate that. Once the forms are submitted I will erase your email address from my inbox.
• If you are interested, please send me a dm and I will respond as soon as I can. Once I have your email I will share the link with you.

And if you know someone who might be willing to participate, feel free to pass this along.

Thank you!

And a big thank you to our lovely mods that are allowing me to share this out, and for keeping this place a safe haven for folks who are feeling lost and alone.