>grew up in a Baptist church full of people who claimed to follow the teachings of Christ while being small-minded and mean to people who look different than them.

I was around 4 or 5 years old when we started attending a Southern Baptist church in our area (down in MD). We went for a few months then left to attend a Methodist church. Years later I found out we didn't stay because the sermons started going on about how Jews are bad. My grandmother was Jewish

I remember being scared of the preacher because he shouted a lot during sermons, plus, he was already mic'd up so it was worse to my little ears

I've had pleasant experiences with Christians but when you grow up knowing for a fact that your neighbors are hiding their hate behind a smile that will disappear the second they find out you're different it leaves a bit of a lasting impression, you might say.