Miley Cyrus left the church over treatment of gay people which saw friends sent to conversion therapies

Miley Cyrus has divulged that she stopped going to the church she was brought up in due to issues she had with the way gay people were treated.

She discussed growing up in the Christian church during an episode of her Bright Minded Instagram Live on Friday alongside Hailey Bieber.

The Hannah Montana star, who identifies as pansexual, revealed that she had a "hard time" navigating her religion in a way that worked for her as an adult as she was also learning about her own sexuality.

Read more: Miley Cyrus responds to LGBTQ backlash after comments spark controversy

The 27-year-old shared: "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.

"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."

Cyrus continued: “So I think now you telling me that I’m allowed to redesign my relationship with God as an adult and make it how it feels most accepting to me would make me feel so less turned off by spirituality.”

Meanwhile, Bieber, who is a devout christian along with husband Justin, added that her relationship with religion shifted from childhood into adulthood but that she had now found a church community that "worked for [her]".

Cyrus split with ex Liam Hemsworth after eight months of marriage last year, before moving on to date Kaitlynn Carter.

She is currently dating Australian singer-songwriter Cody Simpson.