I went to a conservative Christian university (partly because I was an Evangelical-raised teenager who wanted to learn more about the Bible, and partly because I was trying to make everyone around me happy) and about halfway through, I was thoroughly disenchanted, no longer believed in Christianity, etc. I also had sunk too many non-transferrable credits in this stupid college, so I stayed and faked it (because you literally had to sign a thing that you believed in Jesus or you might get your ass kicked out) for a few more years.
Chapel was required every weekday, with something like 14 skips allowed per semester (and I think more if you were a commuter student). It mostly consisted of speakers trying to enforce a "Christian worldview," i.e. "make sure you vote Republican like Jesus wants!" occasionally interrupted by worship music. In the last couple years I just sat in the back of the auditorium and read whatever books I felt like; I started actually finding it kind of relaxing. Anyway, one time chapel was more full than usual, so though I sat in the back, there was some dude sitting nearby.
I happened to be reading American Gods.
Specifically, I happened to be reading the weirdest sex scene ever put to paper.
To this day, I don't know if the guy was looking over my shoulder and reading about Bilquis literally eating a dude with her vagina, or if he just objected to the title implying that there were other gods and also that I was reading in chapel, but this guy (my age) actually stopped me on my way out and said, in a very serious, paternalistic way, "Do you really think that what you're reading is edifying to God? Are you reading things that bring your heart closer to Jesus?"
I'm a shy person by nature, and extremely non-confrontational, and back in my early twenties I was far worse. But at this point I was depressed, burnt out, hated where I was, and hated everything about this guy who I'd never met but felt I needed his spiritual guidance, so I looked him dead in the eye and said, "I don't see any problem with it" and left. For all I know he is still standing here, 12 years later.
Anyway yeah so I read American Gods in my super conservative chapel sessions and I am grateful for every mention of breasts, labia, "fuck," and everything else that got me away from that shit.
Also I'm a queer polyamorous pagan liberal who writes about sex for a living so I mean maybe he was right but I'm still grateful.
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