Navigating the Dating World

I know this topic comes up a lot in this channel, but I’m curious if there are any tips or things you’d wish you’d done/knew while your were dating and in the thick of deconstructing at the same time?

I 31F grew up as a pastor’s kid in the fundamentalist non denominational evangelic space. I really started deconstructing and distancing myself from the church since only the beginning of this year. As of right now, I don’t really know where I stand in my faith.

I am starting to expand my dating sphere, yet I’m having a hard time navigating the dating world without feeling the effects of purity culture, being “unequally yoked”, dating outside the religious sector. I’ve gone on dates with people who were agnostic/outside my religion, but it’s never gotten really far. I always joke that if God can maul children with bears, he can easily do the same for me if I don’t step in line which is fucked up to begin with. I sometimes fear that God could purposely use a man to seriously hurt me to teach me a lesson and get me back to church. I could never be with a fundamentalist especially with the whole wife submiting to thier husband thing. I do very much want to seek a life partner where have and equal partnership. I feel like I’m experiencing pubirty again with being super inexperienced in the normal dating scene. I know some men can prey upon women who are vulnerable or inexperienced which I fear.

I know it seems silly to worry about this stuff. However, the trauma is still in my body despite my disbelief in certain aspects of christianity. I have been seeing a therapist who specializes in religious trauma to help. But just curious if there was anything that helped you navigating the world while breaking from a fundamentalist background?