Jesus Christ Superzine #2 takes up where issue #1 left off & explores more of Ariel’s very personal journey away from her childhood religion of Christianity. Arial writes that even as a young teenager she chose Christianity. I take issue with this concept because when children are born into a belief system, whether it is Islam, Hindu, Buddhism, or any belief system, you can not choose what religion you are indoctrinated into any more than you can choose the educational system of your school or the type of clothes your parents buy for you – it is simply all you know therefore you accept it is normal. The same is true if you have alcoholic or abusive parents – this is simply “normal” until your mind and exposure to life experience develops to a point where you see other possibilities and start questioning your own experience. Arial’s story is however one of actively seeking to experience life and find her own path, and it is story I can thoroughly relate to. It’s confession time: in my own childhood, I was leading bible studies in small groups, immersed in weekly prayer groups, speaking in tongues, and going on religious retreats well before the age of twelve. It was expected of me that I would be a good Christian and probably become a pastor. Then the façade came crashing in quickly during adolescence. As I grew more aware of sexuality, and the dichotomy of feeling one way and being told those feelings are wrong, sinful, even evil, I thought I had become an evil person which lead to weirder thoughts of demon possession, darkness, and worse. I could write a whole book about my wrestling with the angels of Christianity until I emerged as a born again pagan in adulthood. You’re unlikely to find more authentic, soul searching writing in zines than Jesus Christ Superzine. Write to Ariel Birks c/o
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