Miley Cyrus Left Church, Religion Because of Her Sexuality and LGBTQ Friends
Miley Cyrus as an extremely accomplished entertainer. She went from being a child star on Hannah Montana to now being an internationally-recognized singer with many hit singles under her belt.
Those who knew Cyrus when she was a young actress on Disney Channel might recognize that she has changed a lot during the course of her career. However, it was not just her image that saw a transformation. Cyrus revealed that she also went through experiences that left her questioning the religion she grew up with.
Miley Cyrus grew up in a Christian family
Cyrus was born and raised outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Her family was rather religious, and she was baptized in the Southern Baptist church before moving to Los Angeles at the age of 12.
As a teenager, Cyrus even wore a purity ring as a testament to her faith. In a 2008 interview, she said: “Even at my age, a lot of girls are starting to fall, and I think if [abstaining] is a commitment girls make, that’s great.”
Cyrus used to attend church a lot, but in 2010, she shared that, while her faith is still important to her, she does not express it “by going to church every Sunday.”
“I am very spiritual in my own way,” Cyrus said. “Let me make it clear, though—I am a Christian. Jesus is who saved me. He’s what keeps me full and whole. But everyone is entitled to what they believe and what keeps them full.”
Miley Cyrus left the church because of her gay friends and her own sexuality
Although Cyrus was very open about being a devoted Christian, she revealed recently that, at some point, she no longer had a relationship with the faith that she grew up with.
In a recent talk with Hailey Bieber, Cyrus shared that a defining moment for her came when she saw that the church she knew was not accepting of different sexual orientations.
“I was also brought up in the church in Tennessee at a time in the ’90s, so it was a less accepting time with all that,” Cyrus said. “I had some gay friends in school. That is the reason why I left my church is that they weren’t being accepted. They were being sent to conversion therapies. And I had a really hard time with that and I had a hard time with me finding my sexuality too.”
Hailey Bieber inspired Miley Cyrus to redefine her relationship with God
In the same conversation, Bieber also shared with Cyrus how she came to redefine her relationship with God as an adult.
Bieber said: “I think there’s a difference between being raised in church and then being an adult and having your own relationship with God …. I feel like I’ve found my footing with spirituality and faith and church. I’ve found a church community that works for me where I feel supported and loved and accepted.”
Bieber is currently a member of the evangelical Hillsong Church along with her husband, Justin Bieber. Hailey Bieber has been open about her faith and the fact that it is one of the pillars of her marriage.
“Being able to share that with each other—to have that bond of faith and spirituality—is so [critical] for us,” she once said in another interview. “It’s the most important part of our relationship, following Jesus together, being a part of the church community together. It’s everything.”
After speaking with Bieber, Cyrus shared she understands better how to continue following a faith now that she is older and realizes that the way she was brought up does not align with her current views.
