I grew up extremely in the protestant church.

I personally have a lot of baggage from that experience, but I also knew a lot of genuinely wonderful people through my church community.

On the other hand, I knew a few people like the older sister in this story.

Check it out for yourself.

AITA for walking out in the middle of my sisters church service

I (21F) just moved in with my sister (27F) who was excited to take me to her church for the first time.

I have a lot of issues with the church, so it is always a big deal for me to go to a new church.

On the way there, I was being quiet so she said “why are you being so boring?” I told her I was tired.

I was actually tired but more so anxious to go to a new church because of the social and religious setting.

“Do to others as you would have them do to you.” – Luke 6:31

Once there, she introduced me to a few people who I had to make small talk with.

The service starts, and at this point I started to panic, so I went to the bathroom, where I eventually had a panic attack.

I was having trouble calming myself down, so I texted my sister that I didn’t feel good and was going to walk home.

I didn’t even have the keys to get back in the house, but I didn’t want to make a scene by interrupting the service to go get them.

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32

I end up getting home after her, and when I walk in, she kind of just side eyes me, so I go to my room because it felt tense.

She knocks on my door a few minutes later to talk about it.

She is absolutely livid and demands an explanation.

I smiled, not out of amusement, but out of shock, which made her angrier.

I start to explain myself but start crying in the process, which she laughs at, so I leave the room.

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:5 – 6

I later tell her I’m ready to talk, and she starts by saying I embarrassed and blindsided her in front of the whole church and that it was rude to leave like that.

I explain that I had a panic attack because of religious trauma and social anxiety to which she responds “what religious trauma?” I won’t go in to detail here, but she knows I have a lot of deeply hurtful and personal issues with the church.

“You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.” – Deuteronomy 23:19

She then brings up how I’m ungrateful about her letting me live with her and demands I pay the rest of my rent.

We had multiple conversations before I moved in where I explicitly told her I wouldn’t be able to pay my rent on time because I’m unemployed, and she was super understanding and totally fine with it.

AITA? I definitely could have communicated better, so I understand my sisters reaction to an extent.

Let’s open to the comments:

You’re more worried about what your church friends MIGHT think than that your sister had a full-on panic attack?

No means no.

Not a lot of compassion going on here.

Seems like you should probably start trying to find your own place.

Yikes.

If you liked that post, check out this story about a guy who was forced to sleep on the couch at his wife’s family’s house, so he went to a hotel instead.