Christian child abuse in our homeschool family

Content warning: physical abuse

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When I was 7 years old, my family was gathered together for "Bible time," where my dad read aloud from the Bible to our family. I wiggled and played around while he was reading. Then my dad suddenly struck me hard with a wooden spoon. I screamed, but the scream sounded like it came from outside my body. Then he hit me again, and I screamed, and stumbled over to the corner of the room, but it felt like I was moving in slow motion. I curled up with my back to the wall and held a pillow in front of myself, screaming, "Don't hit me, don't hit me!" but the words sounded like they were coming from outside my body. I don't remember what happened after that.

A few days later, I happened to notice a black bruise when I was getting dressed. I complained to Mom that Dad had bruised me. Mom sneered but went off to find Dad. Dad told me that it was an accident and he was sorry. Mom told me, "You have to forgive him. Say, "I forgive you." The Bible says that if you don't forgive him, then God won't forgive you."