MSI Press Blog

  This week editor's choice:   Blest Atheist by Elizabeth Mahlou Book Description: As a young child, outraged by the hypocrisy she finds in a church that does nothing to alleviate the physical and sexual abuse she experiences on a regular basis, Beth delivers an accusatory youth sermon and gets her family expelled from the church. Having locked the door on God, Beth goes on to raise a family of seven children, learn 17 languages, and enjoy a career that takes her to NASA, Washington, and 24 countries. All the time, however, God keeps knocking at the door, protecting and blessing her, which she realizes only decades later. Ultimately, Beth finds God in a very simple yet most unusual way. A very human story, Blest Atheist encompasses the greatest literary themes of all time – alienation, redemption, and even the miraculous. The author’s life experiences, both tragic and tremendous, result in a spiritual journey containing significant ups and downs that ultimately yield gr...

  Why Might Sexual Abuse in a Christian Home Push a Child Toward Atheism? Sexual abuse by a caregiver in a religious context introduces profound contradictions between proclaimed values and lived experience. The resulting trauma can fracture a child’s ability to trust, make meaning, and feel spiritually safe. 1. Violation of Sacred Trust Sexual abuse is a betrayal of the deepest kind. When the abuser is a parent who claims Christian values, the child may feel that everything sacred has been corrupted . The caregiver is supposed to reflect divine love and protection. When that figure becomes a source of harm, the child may reject the entire spiritual framework associated with them. This is especially potent when the abuse is hidden behind religious language or moral authority. 2. Shame and Silence in Religious Culture Many Christian communities emphasize purity, obedience, and forgiveness. These values can unintentionally: silence victims discourage disclosure spiritua...

  When a child grows up in a home that claims Christian identity but practices violence, several predictable psychological and meaning‑making dynamics can unfold. Research doesn’t say “abuse causes atheism,” but it does show patterns in how trauma disrupts trust, worldview, and spiritual frameworks. Below are the most commonly cited mechanisms. 1. Betrayal Trauma and Cognitive Dissonance Children rely on caregivers to model what “Christian love” looks like. When the same adults who preach love, forgiveness, or divine goodness also inflict harm, the contradiction can feel irreconcilable. Abuse is “outside of a person’s control” and often leaves victims feeling betrayed, angry, and confused . If the parent is the child’s primary representation of God, the betrayal can generalize: If the messenger is unsafe, maybe the message is too. This can lead to rejecting the entire religious framework as incoherent or morally invalid. 2. Loss of Religious Comfort Research shows that...