Last Tuesday I was driving home when in the corner of my eye, a familiar messenger appeared: a faded reader board in front of a local church that read, "All are welcome.” At first glance, I reflected on how comforting this message sounds, and I even repeated it a few times to myself as I waited for the light to change. Then, an all-too-familiar follow-up question settled into my passenger seat: "I wonder, would everyone who has visited this church agree?"

Recently, while traveling, I passed a billboard that said, “Pick Jesus or the Easter Bunny. Not both.” I felt my stomach tense for a moment. Not because the message surprised me, but because of what it represents. It reflects the pressure many people grew up with, the expectation to choose the right path, the belief that joy or playfulness somehow competes with spirituality. It reminded me how often people were taught that there is only one acceptable way to exist, celebrate, or belong.

In a world where faith and spirituality often serve as pillars of support and guidance, the experience of religious trauma can be deeply disorienting and painful.