I was a teen in the 70’s, the days of bi-annual Bishop interviews. I was asked about masturbation every time. I hated those interviews, it was crushingly shaming. I’m furious now that I was guilted for completely normal and healthy teen behavior. The thing that makes me the most angry is that those interviews taught me to lie. I felt so bad that I could absolutely not bear to confess every time. I remember thinking that if I look him straight in the eye, maybe I can get past his “spirit of discernment.” Oh how I hated those interviews with a creepy old man alone in his office. I was a good kid, overly responsible in fact. Those interviews were cruel and counterproductive.
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