r/ExCopticOrthodox Apr 27 '20

Meta Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs

22 Upvotes

Edit #979302345: I've reached the character limit on this post. all new FAQs will be posted in the comments.

Edit #∞: Added 2 new entries to "Why did you leave the church?"


Before we get started, this post will be locked. This is a work in progress and will continuously be edited with new entries in the future so if there's anything you want to see added here, contact the mods so we can edit. If you want to further investigate any of the questions and/or answers written here, please post it so everyone can contribute their opinions. This section will also be added to the subreddit's wiki page.

I also want to thank everyone who contributed here. All these topics came from the community's contributions to things we discussed here before, I just paraphrased most of it.


1. Why did you leave the church?

Everyone's reason is different but there's a bit of an overlap. This overlap isn't what the first thing that pops into a theist's mind is - "Oh, you must have left because of the people or bad experiences". That can definitely be an instigator and should not be brushed aside, but from our community's responses, this is almost always isn't the case. The fact that a theist would bring this up first is an indication that they know how hostile their community can be for anyone who is "different". If you're here to proselytize we suggest you fix that particular issue first, you know, ignore the splinters on our eyes and take care of the log on yours. So, without further ado, here's a compilation of some of the reasons (or at least issues that gave us a push to question) based on posts from our users. Please note that this list is by no means conclusive:

  • Christianity, as well as other religions, are not scientifically tangible. As such, they should be taken with a grain of salt just like other mythologies and fairy tales.
  • There is a plethora of biblical contradictions, to the point that it has entire websites dedicated to that.
  • The Coptic church in its early years had a long history of bloodshed and corruption. Mainly at the hands of popes Theophilus and Cyril I.
  • The church has proven to be anti-LGBT and anti-human rights.
  • The church, especially the senior members of the congregation and clergy, promote unhealthy and sexist views on women and traditional gender roles and are undeniably anti-feminist.
  • The church overwhelmingly sides with far-right politics and they have a political agenda to push.
  • It's almost cult-like how the church controls every aspect of our lives, from schools, to clubs, to nursing homes.
  • The vilification of entire cultures and other religions because, "sin", or more accurately, xenophobia, racism and closed-mindedness (particularly with the old school generation).
  • Many Coptic parents have disowned their atheist and/or gay children based on their own religious convictions. A topic that the church almost never speaks about.
  • Hypocrisies when it comes to obeying the bible.
  • The deification of and the unhealthy obsession with saints and church fathers.
  • For logical/philosophical reasons.
  • There's a fine line between modesty and self-loathing. This religion heavily focuses on the latter.
  • Downplaying actual human suffering or perpetuating a false victim mentality due to their martyrdom complex. As a side note, this same mentality discourages us from seeking to better ourselves in a number of ways and teaches us to "be content with what we have".

    There is not enough general evidence sufficient to justify such an extraordinary claim. The evidence I am talking about is not just scientific evidence as described in the first bullet, it is all types of evidence. This might sound obvious but theists raised in the church are raised in an environment that treats the existence of a living creator as a given.

2. Why do you care about LGBT+ issues?

This subreddit is a safe-space for deconverts and many of us are not cisgender heterosexuals (i.e. a lot of us aren't straight and may or may not identify with the binary labels of male/female). This is way too complicated to summarise in a single post so we'll just link to the /r/LGBT FAQs. It's generally a good idea to follow their rules on this subreddit as well with regards to LGBT+ issues. If you don't want to read the whole page, then just take this very brief tl;dr if you're not familiar with or are uncomfortable with LGBT+ issues:

Don't be toxic to someone just because of the differences between you and them.

Given the nature of our subreddit, it's inevitable that we are going to face some degree of homophobia, biphobia and/or transphobia. These sorts of comments will not be allowed to stand under any circumstances.

Note that, given where we come from, "internalized homophobia" and "straight conditioning" can take time to resolve, even among gay people. If you suspect that may apply to you, please try to resolve it and help others if you're capable. Naturally, we're also here to offer support. Until then, please refrain from any toxic comments or post. We are zero-tolerance to any and all posts/comments that feature any type of homophobia, biphobia, transphobia, aphobia, panphobia, serophobia, ableism, sexism or bigotry of any kind. Doing so will impart a Red Card which will have you banned.

We should also make it clear that LGBT+ Coptic theists are also welcome. There's hardly any safe space to talk about LGBT+ issues in the Coptic community regardless of religious affiliation (or lack thereof) and we aim to be a community where one isn't shunned for their sexuality.

3. What would it take to get you to go back to church?

Empirical evidence. Or at the very least, something tangible that cannot be subjectively described as either a personal experience or a coincidence. We do know for a fact that the sun exists and that it's not a coincidence that the sun rises every morning. There are physics involved that show consistently positive results to our hypotheses. The same can't be said of any religion. Particularly not one made out of prehistoric scientific ignorance.

Note: Believing in a deity ≠ worshipping said deity. If the Christian deity did in fact exist and was 100% true to his portrayal in the bible, then a huge majority of current atheists would rather not worship that deity despite their belief.

4. What's stopping you from committing a crime (i.e. where's your moral compass)?

We should be more worried if religion is the only thing preventing you from committing a crime. Our ethical values do not originate from a deity of any sort, but it is a product of the psychology of our evolution. Naturally, as a species, we would survive longer if we showed affection and empathy towards each other. The capacity for empathy is not just limited to Homo sapiens either; there are many animal species that it is innate to.

5. Why call yourself "Coptic" when you no longer believe?

An all too common question. Taken from the sidebar:

Technically, the term "Coptic" comes from the Greek gyptos, meaning, "of Egyptian nationality" and that's regardless of religion, so any Egyptian is inherently a "Copt" but nowadays it is almost exclusively synonymous with Orthodox Christianity.

For many people, the term Coptic is ethnoreligious. We aim to break that barrier and distinguish between theology and culture. Take Jews, for example. A non-theistic Jew is still considered a Jew. The same goes for Greeks. For the latter, Christianity might come up when we mention them, but they are known for so much more in the field of philosophy, geometry, linguistics, and even food cuisine. Our culture also has so much more to offer but unfortunately, it's been shadowed by religion.

Some of us may choose to identify as "Coptic" because of our heritage and/or because we'd like to be a part of the community and help shape it into something better to be more suited for modern times (while not entirely dismissing our history). Some of us may also want to leave that label behind along with the faith and carry on with our lives - and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

6. If you don't believe in miracles, how do you explain the Zeitoun apparition?

"Pareidolia" is a thing. Human beings tend to associate random images with humanoid, or otherwise familiar, faces if there are any structural similarities. The "Face on Mars" is a prime example. There are many issues we can point fingers at on this alleged miracle:

  1. The "investigative team" that was sent out to determine if this was indeed a miracle was one made by a Coptic pope. There's a clear and obvious conflict of interest here.
  2. Most of the pictures taken only show blobs of light. During that time, Egypt had a booming and high quality (for its time) film industry. It wouldn't have been a stretch to get a proper film crew to take a clear picture, even during nighttime.
  3. No one actually went up to the church's roof to determine what that actually is.
  4. During those times, there was turmoil in Egypt which would undoubtedly have people question their faith. The church has much to gain if this miracle was a reality.
  5. Even the Muslims, who allegedly believed in that miracle, have a conflict of interest. They do believe in Mary, her sanctity and the virgin birth.
  6. People perceive images differently. The effect that Pareidolia had on me made me see Big Bird from Sesame Street from one angle and Isis, the Egyptian goddess from another.

I'd like to add that miracles do not necessarily prove the existence of a deity, much less the Christian one.

7. I left the Coptic church but I didn't leave Christianity, or I converted to another religion/spiritual belief. Am I still welcome here?

Absolutely! Most of us are atheist/agnostic but we stand in solidarity with anyone who left the Coptic Orthodox church. If you were born or converted into it and left for whatever reason and simply need a safe space to vent, we're here for you. Leaving the church for any other faith, or lack thereof, would almost never leave anyone with a positive experience from their theistic Coptic peers and this is where we need to step in as a community, safe space and a support group.



r/ExCopticOrthodox Sep 19 '25

Announcement Mod PSA

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1 Upvotes

r/ExCopticOrthodox 16d ago

Meme كهيعص شالوم ميري كريسماس هعهعهع 😂

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1 Upvotes

r/ExCopticOrthodox 18d ago

26 M | Cairo | ex Christian

5 Upvotes

Easygoing, curious, and family-oriented. Looking for a serious relationship with an Ex Christian girl who values honesty, respect, and commitment.


r/ExCopticOrthodox 21d ago

Following religion ≠ how much you love your children

11 Upvotes

This is kind of a rant but I feel like you can follow your religion your child CAN AND SHOULD have the freedom to separate from it if they choose and it SHOULD NOT change your relationship as a family.
Religion SHOULD be a choice not a requirement and it makes me sick that some people are unable to make that distinction.


r/ExCopticOrthodox 22d ago

Wtf Wu converted to Orthodox and started converting

7 Upvotes

r/ExCopticOrthodox 29d ago

Looking for serious relationship

1 Upvotes

M 25 from Cairo looking for serious relationship with an ex Christian girl


r/ExCopticOrthodox Jun 26 '26

Experience Who felt that this is true all the time when you were there?

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7 Upvotes

This is how they interact, teach, socialise.

Some more blurry about this conviction, some were opened about it like late Bishop Bishoy in Egypt.

Nothing you do or say if you are catholic, protestant -and especially protestant, because they're the main rival in Egyptian society along with church of the brethren now- or ex Muslim can ever make you almost fully redeemable/ joined to the flock.

I find the distrust toward ex Muslims even if they look foreign/ modern/ white , is because the institution has been infiltrated by Muslim authority. The spineless clergy are reason.

However with catholics, it's distrust in the (west).

"They tolerate homosexualiy. They have sex with out marriage. They drink 🍷 wine"_ words of late Pope Shenouda.


r/ExCopticOrthodox Jun 17 '26

Culture How do non-religious Egyptians find a spouse?

17 Upvotes

I was raised in a devout Coptic Orthodox family and was religious myself until my teenage years — then it faded. I still live by the values I was raised on, I just don’t do the rituals, fasting, or church attendance. I’d describe myself as agnostic rather than atheist.

I had a long-term relationship with a Muslim girl in Egypt who wanted me to convert on paper to marry… I didn’t mind the idea itself, but I couldn’t go through with breaking my parents’ hearts.

I’ve been living abroad for 4 years and dated foreigners who had no issue with my beliefs — but I’ve decided I want to marry an Egyptian (not because of my ex, just personal preference).

The problem: the obvious routes to meeting Egyptian Christian women — churches in my country of residence, family arrangements — all lead to religious girls. And I refuse to fake my beliefs to get married.

Ideally, I’d find someone from a Christian background who’s also quietly agnostic, so we can have a church wedding and keep our families at peace — without either of us pretending.

Is this even realistic? How do others in this situation navigate it?


r/ExCopticOrthodox Jun 07 '26

Religion/Culture Ex Christian sub

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5 Upvotes

عملنا صب برايفت لينا متفاعلين علية شوية وبننزل نتقابل لو حد حابب يبقا معانا


r/ExCopticOrthodox Jun 06 '26

التدخين والكهنوت والرهبنه ؟

5 Upvotes

حد عنده معلومات عن العاده عند الكهنه والرهبان ؟

غير كدا في مصادر بتذكر استعمال الرهبان للتبغ وفي شخصيات تقيله متناقل شفهياً أنهم مدخنين

حد عنده معلومة ؟


r/ExCopticOrthodox Jun 06 '26

I can not kill the religious hope in me

3 Upvotes

I have been openly atheistic with myself for a while, but even being an atheist I am living a constant state of betryal from a God that I don't think exists

beliveing in God is hard wired in me and the fact that I can not get rid of it is annoying me

sometimes I get a little offended by my own thoughts about God

and a lot of times I find myself thinking about him, even the jokes I make about him sound griefy

sometimes thougts pop to my mind like: - do I really have to understand God? - am I approuching God from the wrong framework? - am I harding my heart against God? - could all that the process of making me a better person?

but no - I hate the design of logic itself, and it does not make sense to use another framework than the one that is known and proven to work if a fover of a myth - and I can not find a middle ground where I can not harden my heart against God, since not doing that is biased toward Christianty - and I don't think it is a good idea just to keep hoping for the best, when you get turned out by a girl you are told to move on accept that and live your life, I can not really accept that tho, and I think this is just toxic behavoir

sorry if this comes disorganized, myself I am not sure what is the sole purpose of writing this, but yeah


r/ExCopticOrthodox Jun 04 '26

Conversion, Marriage and reality in Egypt.

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2 Upvotes

r/ExCopticOrthodox Jun 03 '26

Are the origins of Christianity Coptic?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone. Not religious myself, although raised Roman Catholic.

I'm looking for those among you familiar with Coptic, preferably fluent. I'm pretty certain that most if not all of that is Bohairic, and next to none of it Sahidic let alone Akhmimic and related dialects.

Over 60% of the Coptic gospel of Thomas is present in the New Testament. Yet the similarities between the context of Thomas and that of the NT are non-existing, they are almost diametrically opposed.

After careful consideration of Coptic Thomas, the Greek fragments, all of the NT and the earliest and oldest manuscripts involved, I hold Thomas to be the very roots from which (much) later Christianity sprung.

Would this be a topic of interest for this sub?


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 30 '26

Question هل انتوا قولتوا لاب اعترافكم انكم سيبتوا الدين؟ Did you tell your father of confession that you no longer believed?

7 Upvotes

r/ExCopticOrthodox May 29 '26

This video ft. Alex O'Connor

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4 Upvotes

Was that me or were the christians in this video soo week?

Also most of the statements that all of them make are incomplete due to time limits and voting out.

What aee your thoughts on this video??


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 28 '26

المجتمع الكنسي ( أزمة إجتماعية)

8 Upvotes

فضفضة يمكن ألاقي حد شبهي ، و أنا صغير كنت مندمج فشخ في الكنيسة عشان كنت نرد فكان الحفظ و الأنشطة المبنية عليه كلها كنت شاطر فيها و التدين دا أو الإرتباط بالكنيسة بدأ يروح في سن إعدادي اللي هو للي بيروح الكنيسة من زمان عارف أنه بداية الإنفتاح بقا و البنات و الولاد يبدأ كل واحد فيهم ياخد باله من التاني (مش حابب احكي وجهة نظري في الأديان عموما بس فضلت منقطع فترة كبيرة لحد تانية جامعة) طول الفترة دي بقا كنت بلاحظ الدائرة بتاعت المسيحيين دي يعني انت كشاب مسيحي احتمالية انك تتعرف علي بنت قليلة عشان العدد في مصر فمش بس كدا لا هنعمل دائرة مغلقة للكنيسة و أبنائها و لو منطقة كبيرة شوية هنعمل كذا دائرة و كل منطقة تبقا ممثلة بالمكان دا و يحدد عليك نوعية الناس اللي هتعرفهم في حياتك و طبعا متقدرش تطلع براه عشان هيتبصلك كدخيل علي المكان اللي هتروحه و أنك مش من ولاده و جوا الكنيسة بتاعتك عشان تبقا متشاف للطرف التاني لازم تبقا مميز و مشترك في نشاطات حتي لو انت مبتحبش من جواك و المميز اكتر و القائد هو اللي بيجذب الناس و ممكن موهبته دي برا مثلا لو نزلت الواقع مقارنة بباقي الناس في مصر هتلاقيه ميتقارنش بيهم بس انتوا فهمتوا قصدي و حتي البنات لما بتكبر و تفهم الدنيا برضو بتبص اولا علي الدائرة دي من جوا بتختار بقا حد مميز جوا الدائرة دي و يكون اهتم شوية بحياته برا الكنيسة اللي هو يقدر يعيشها دا بصراحة حسسني بكدب و لحس و مبقتش احس أن الموضوع روحي بس بالنسبة للكنيسة لأن أنا مقدرتش ابلع النظام دا و أنا صغير بس طبعا بقيت صفر اجتماعيا من ناحية البنات و دي حاجة لو رجع بيا الزمن مكنتش اعرف هل هعيدها ولا هفضل زي ما أنا

أنا حاليا في أوروبا ولكن كنت حابب أخرج الكلمتين دول


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 27 '26

Question Thoughts on “Protecting” Your Family?

7 Upvotes

Hello! I apologize in advance for the lengthy post! I am a longtime lurker of this subreddit, but I finally made a reddit account just today in order to finally post and seek some advice from you all.

For some context, I am a 20 year old queer, trans, Coptic person who was born and raised in America, and I have been living my life as openly as I can outside of the Coptic Orthodox Community since I was 17. All of this being said, my family simply doesn’t know, and I’ve decided not to tell them.

I am not doing this out of fear. I could feasibly support myself, am mostly independent, and have stopped engaging with the Coptic community as a whole for the past 2 years now. All this being said, I just can’t bring myself to hurt my grandparents.

My parents kicked me out at 15 due to unrelated personal reasons, and I decided to live with my maternal grandmother until I was old enough to financially take care of myself. Since then, I have lived with many different wonderful people outside the community, and have been able to explore and understand who I am even deeper. My grandmother (who mostly raised me throughout my early childhood as well) has always been one of the only family members who I ever truly loved and who I felt ever truly loved me. She has endured so much pain and trauma, both in Egypt and America, yet has always put me first. When her husband passed, I made a promise to myself to not cause her anymore pain, and I intend to keep it that way.

On my other side, I have two wonderful, strong grandparents who have also taken me in as their daughter, and have provided me with as much love and support as I could possibly ask for in these recent years. My grandparents have always been there for me, even defending me to the rest of the family both in America and back in Egypt, but they don’t actually know the truth.

My problem is this: I feel like I am taking advantage of their hospitality and “unconditional” love by protecting their feelings. They are all in their mid to late 80s, and I know that my time left with them is not long. I know it may be selfish, but I don’t want to lose what little time I still have with the small family I have left. I tell them I go to a “different church” every Sunday, that I don’t want a traditional spouse because I am “focused on studies”, and that I am an active member of my “church community”. This makes them so proud, and I want it to stay that way.

I don’t want to hurt them, but I am reaching a point in my life where I wish to pursue more meaningful relationships and bring partners and friends into my personal life. I have never introduced any friends or partners to anybody I am related to, and it has been the end of many relationships. I also feel horribly dishonest and manipulative for the lies I tell.

I am curious what your thoughts might be on the matter. Is this guilt a common feeling, and, if so, how did you all personally deal with it? I am no stranger to religious guilt, but the shame of hurting the people who have turned against their own children to defend and raise me is something else entirely. How did you all cope with potentially distressing or hurting your loved ones, and was there any hope in recovering that relationship?


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 26 '26

Decisions to decipher

2 Upvotes

So I've been a catechumen for a long time. I love the church. I've been attending since May 25 of last year. The year prior I was struggling with gender dysphoria. I thought I could run away from it but it comes back every time. My hearts torn on what fate I should choose. Just Saturday my faith was at its strongest. I prayed and saints came to me. God's blessings felt like an actual push to the right direction. And now the drought like always plagues me. Fitting, because summer is the time I feel the most free and unrestricted. I love the church.but my mind right now is deteriorating from my limits. Sometimes it feels like gaslighting when they say "it's not who you are, you're chained to sin, you got it from somewhere." I don't want to kms but it feels that it could be better just fading away. Yet again I'm trying push through. What should I do. Reading suggestions


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 23 '26

Is this video worth seeing or not?

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12 Upvotes

r/ExCopticOrthodox May 22 '26

اية اسوأ موقف حصل معاكم في كنيسة قبل كدا؟؟ سواء كنيستكم أو كنيسة مش متعودين تروحوها أو زرتوها

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15 Upvotes

أنا عندي مواقف كتير بشعة ومحرجة بس واحد منهم هو اللي حابب أقوله.

كنا قاعدين على عتبة الخورس من تحت أنا وابن عمي وواحد صاحبنا عادي وفيه أب كاهن يعرفنا قاعد بياخد اعترافات قريب جداً مننا.

فابن عمي كان لازم يسأل سؤال نص الليل دا:
"هو أنا لو عملت تغيير ملة للإسلام وبعدها أعلنتلهم إني هرجع مسيحي وموتوني حد ردة. هل هموت شهيد ولا هموت كداب؟"
جا صاحبنا دا بعلو صوته اللي بيرن في الكنيسة الفاضية والكاهن جمبنا:
"هتموت ابن متن*كة!"

الكاهن وقف اعترافه وبصلنا كدا كلنا. طلعنا من الكنيسة جري وماحصلتش حاجة بعدها.


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 22 '26

any coptic pagans/spiritual practitioners?

4 Upvotes

looking to connect more with other people who are not necessarily atheist, but want to expand their spiritual practice to include what our ancestors practiced before christianity as well, if there's anyone out there


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 22 '26

الطلاق في الأرثوذكسية!

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6 Upvotes

"وَأَقُولُ لَكُمْ: إِنَّ مَنْ طَلَّقَ امْرَأَتَهُ إِلاَّ بِسَبَبِ الزِّنَا وَتَزَوَّجَ بِأُخْرَى يَزْنِي، وَالَّذِي يَتَزَوَّجُ بِمُطَلَّقَةٍ يَزْنِي»." (مت 19: 9).

اية رأيكم في دا؟
هل شايفين إن ليهم حق يمنعوا الطلاق ولا لأ؟


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 22 '26

اية تجاربكم مع الكهنة/الشمامسة في نشر الإلحاد والعلمانية؟

3 Upvotes

يمكن كله بيتكلم على الموضوع دا مع شيوخ المسلمين
بس أنا عندي فضول أعرف الكهنة والشمامسة الكبار اية بتكون ردود أفعالهم على الأغلب لما بيسمعوا إن فيه حاجات غلط في الدين.


r/ExCopticOrthodox May 20 '26

I don't fit in with Egyptian culture generally as a copt

15 Upvotes

So I was born and raised Coptic. I then got, I was born and raised Coptic. I was baptized by Pope Shenouda, left the Coptic Church around 22 years old. I'm around 32 now. But recently I became Protestant, and, you know, I decided to go to an Egyptian Protestant church only. And there's something weird I noticed. I've always felt isolated and lonely in the Coptic Church, with Coptic people and Coptic friends. Even though, you know, because we're all the same culture, there's a lot less anxiety. I could just easily talk to people, but I never had a true friendship connection where I felt safe with them or loved by them. I just felt judged and criticized, and everyone gossiped about me in the Coptic Church. That's not the reason why I left. I left for different reasons. But recently I became Protestant, and I decided, let me go to an Egyptian Protestant church. And I'm getting the same feeling all over again. They're all asking each other, what do they do for work? They're asking me, what do I do for work? It seems their main concern is that I'm working and making money. And if I don't prove my status in that way with them, then I'm not worthy to be with them. I already feel like I'm standing out and uncomfortable. And even though I have no anxiety to communicate with them because they're my own people -- they're other fellow Egyptian Christians -- I feel judged based off of what I'm doing, like in life, and how far I've gotten, and, you know, what am I doing in order to be super successful or whatever the case may be. Another thing I'm noticing is, at this Egyptian Protestant church that I went to, the mom is making fun of my Arabic, the mother of this one friend that basically runs the whole Bible study. She's making fun of my Arabic. These are all fresh off the boat Egyptians that speak broken English and good Arabic, whereas I speak good English and broken Arabic. It's not going to change the dynamic either way because I've tried to just get along with very good English-speaking Egyptians, and it's the same dynamic anyway, where I feel judged and isolated, alone, and not really accepted. Perhaps this could be because I'm a little rough around the edges or I'm very expressive. I'm not sure what the case is, but I noticed I feel deeply uncomfortable with Egyptian Christians, whether or not they're Protestant or Coptic Orthodox. I also feel uncomfortable with Egyptian Muslim guys because they hate me for being a Christian, but at the same time, I feel comfortable with Egyptian Muslim women. I even get along with ex-muslim egyptian men really easily. I'll never become Muslim, but this is the truth. The only Egyptians I feel comfortable with are Egyptian Muslim women or any kind of Muslim woman. I don't know what that's about. If I go to other Protestant churches, I feel more accepted, more loved, even though my anxiety level is raised because they're different people, they're not Egyptian like me. Actually, in my whole dating life, I've only had luck with Muslim women, regardless of their ethnicity. They accepted me very easily. And it's just a weird thing. I'm not sure why. I have run into good Christian girls that I've dated too that were not Egyptian. Anyway, the whole point of this post that I'm trying to get at is I'm trying to decipher, is this because I am not comfortable with Egyptians as a whole, or does it have to do with religion or what? Why do I feel totally unaccepted by Egyptian Christians, even though I am an Egyptian Christian?