Olivia Plath Says She’s ‘Wrestled Hard’ With Her Beliefs: ‘I Don’t Want Religion’

Religion can be complicated for plenty of people, but for Welcome to Plathville star Olivia Plath, it’s a particularly fraught subject. In a Wednesday, January 8, Instagram Q&A, the reality personality opened up about her relationship with faith. Admitting that she’s struggled with it in the past, she admitted that religion isn’t something she wants — but she’s not ready to turn her back on her beliefs.

“Growing up in a conservative, legalistic church left a bad taste of Christianity in my mouth,” Olivia, 21, shared after fans asked. “As an adult, I’ve wrestled hard with what I believe and what religion I want in my life. And here’s what I decided … I don’t want religion. I want nothing to do with religion. I want a relationship. I identify as a Christian, and I love Jesus. Jesus without all the crap and rules and hate and judgment.”

Adding that she has friends “from all walks of life” and “loves people from all walks of life,” she continued, “They challenge my thinking, they introduce me to new concepts and they keep me from boxing myself in. I never want to be around or tolerate people who only think like me, because that’s the greatest self-harm one can do. Forget the rules, cut the crap … All these people out there passing hate and judgment are claiming to love Jesus, but they sure as heck aren’t acting like Him!!”

The star pointed the finger at Christians who earned their “bad” reputations. “They bring it on themselves,” she wrote. “I’ve decided in my heart that I love Jesus, and I love people,” she concluded, ending the sentence in all caps. “All people, no matter what. My home is open, and my heart is open.”

But while Olivia has turned her back on “religion” as an institution, it doesn’t mean she’s turned her back on the concept of going to church. Though she admitted in a separate answer shared to her Story that she was “scared to attend” or “get involved” because of “past associations,” she and her husband, Ethan Plath, joined a church in Cairo, Georgia. “It’s been the best thing in my life,” she told fans. “There are abusive [and] harmful churches, and I’ve seen my fair share, but once in a while you stumble upon a church that’s truly life-giving, where you can heal and learn to love again.”

Calling out their church by name, she added, “That’s what FWC has been to me and Ethan; we didn’t just find a church, we gained a family of people who love on us and adopted us into their families. Especially considering our family situation, we are just so, so, so grateful. Y’all know who you are.”