The churches I sat in for 30 years were led by men who told us weekly how gleefully god would send us to hell if we didn’t shape up. And the bar was set so high no one would make it. Unless of course we continually prostrated ourselves in humiliation and shame and begged Jesus to forgive our putrid, unworthy selves. I left the church reeling from the trauma of this psychological abuse and still have PTSD.

Now, as a Buddhist, I recognize the inherent worth and beauty of every human being, even those who are “bad.” It’s a much better way to navigate the world.