OT What was your moment...

[julius]

For those of you who are either no longer religious or never really where, what was the moment that started you down the path of leaving?

For me the moment where I started to question my childhood upbringing, was when I saw members of my church leave the congregation because the church had hired an openly gay lay assistant (or whatever her title was, it was like 35 years ago). Our pastor was very progressive for the time (which even though I've become an atheist, his version of how we should treat others formed how I feel we should treat others. Yes I see the irony in it).

Anyway, one person in particular was a long time member of our church who was a very important person in my upbringing at the time. He had a really hate filled rant during a non-church service get together (camping actually) that really confused and upset me at the time (I was probably in middle school at the time).

I remember even way back then not giving two shits about someones sexuality, mostly based on the teachings of the church/pastor at the time. And this led me to be confused as to why anyone would say such hateful things about someone who was a member of our church and did nothing wrong. And it even confused me more when many of the same people who were welcoming to her when she was around, were agreeing with this guy, and started to justify their disapproval of her based on the teachings of the bible (she was not present at the campground, which seemed weird that they'd be that hypocritical).

It really got me thinking, as a young person, how someone who went to the same church I did, and grew up in the same religion, came to completely different conclusions than I did (hell, I experience that within my own siblings). This was also around the time of the measure 8 horseshit thing too (and later followed up by measure 9, by the same bigoted group).

And it also made me start to think about some of the other weird stuff that people in the church were arguing about (and as a result, left the church), such as why we cared what people from almost 2000 years ago thought about us today, especially considering how they were not terribly smart people, or why it is that girls had "roles" in the church, and acting outside of said role was frowned upon (etc).

I'm only posting this because I found out that a youtube personality I like (Rhett, from Rhett and Link/Good Mythical Morning fame), released an album last year about his "deconstruction" from being religious, and one of the songs in particular stuck out to me.

Btw, the song does contain the phrase "all these fucks I'm giving".

 

[Phatguysrule]

I just never bought it. I guess I believed in God until 6 or 7, but never bought into the stories in the bible.

Went to church, youth group, etc... It just never made sense to me that any being with that much power would care about anything we do.

I guess we could be in a simulation of some kind. But again, if so... Worshipping or fearing a random God doesn't make sense.

 

[julius]

I just never bought it. I guess I believed in God until 6 or 7, but never bought into the stories in the bible.

Went to church, youth group, etc... It just never made sense to me that any being with that much power would care about anything we do.

I guess we could be in a simulation of some kind. But again, if so... Worshipping or fearing a random God doesn't make sense.

I enjoyed the stories, but always thought they were a little too convenient. But yeah, the "drink the blood" of god, worship me or go to hell (exaggeration on my part), or how it is that you can be a complete ass hat all your life and then magically at the end repent and ask for forgiveness and you're in like flynn...but be gay, or have tattoos, or get divorced, or live in sin, and tough shit.

 

[Everything Beagle]

My relationship with capital g god ended on March 5, 1995 when my best friend died of a heart attack at 18, a couple of hours after helping to paint his church.

 

[julius]

My relationship with capital g god ended on March 5, 1995 when my best friend died of a heart attack at 18, a couple of hours after helping to paint his church.

I am in no way belittling your experience, but there is a song for that too.

 

[Everything Beagle]

I am in no way belittling your experience, but there is a song for that too.

Rhett has a great voice and the lyrics are heartfelt but I can’t get over the fact he’s a food-based comedian by trade. Like I wish him luck on his musical journey of disintegrating faith but I saw him eat a Baja Blast pop-tart on TV.

 

[julius]

Rhett has a great voice and the lyrics are heartfelt but I can’t get over the fact he’s a food-based comedian by trade

yeah, it's definitely a little strange. But I knew of them from before they did the GMM, and were about taste testing shit. I like their songs from the old days more.

*had to edit this. Unintentionally made it sound like I knew them personally*

 

[Natebishop3]

College.

Hard to learn about the history of other religions without seeing all religion for what it is. A way to control the masses, gain power and gain wealth.

 

[crandc]

I guess I was already skeptical. So much about religion didn't make scientific sense. Then I read Darwin. I was 13, declared myself an atheist and never looked back.

 

[yankeesince59]

I was raised Episcopal, but when I was about 16 I read "Walden" and started to view things differently and began questioning some things I had been previously programed to believe. By the time John Lennon came out with his "Imagine" album I was locked in and I started thinking more in terms of common sense and science and realized that I didn't need someone's else's "road map for life" (the Bible) and could no longer justify believing in an invisible entity (god).

The 60's were a very scary and volatile time to be alive and I saw too many horrible things going on and thought "if there really is a god he must either be asleep at the wheel or he's a sadistic SOB".

So nowadays, whenever some religious fanatic tries to "rape" my ear with unsolicited ramblings about their "god", I ask them "Do you believe that god is "the creator of all things?" And of course the always reply "Of course". I then always reply, "OK, in that case, who created "god"? Did he have a Mom and Dad who spawned him or did he just pop up out of nowhere?"

And I have never gotten a legitimate answer and they usually just stand there like a deaf mute with a "deer in the headlights" look.




..."Imagine no religion".

 

[crandc]

There are people who accept science but say religion provides moral answers. I grew up in an area with only a tiny number of Jews and the more Christian someone claimed to be, the nastier they were to me. And that was before I came out. People use their god as an excuse to justify their own views. If they are people like Martin Luther King or Desmond Tutu, they were already righteous. If they are Comstock or Falwell, they were already hateful.

 

[UncleCliffy'sDaddy]

As I have related in the past, I grew up in complete and utter Catholic immersion for the first 18 years of my life. It was a safe and comforting environment, with absolutely none of the horrors so many other Catholics went through (as far as the priests and nuns go). I had nothing to complain about and I went with it pretty much wholeheartedly. I feel I got a lot of good out of it.

But throughout the experience, I never wholly bought into some of the more head shaking concepts being sold, i.e.; papal infallibility (the guy is just a human!), transubstantiation (I never understood why they would take a wonderful symbol of community and try to make it into hard to swallow hocus pocus), unmarried priests (counseling the married!!), that missing a weekly mass could send you to hell, that I needed a middle man to forgive me for my sins, etc, etc, etc. In the end I got tired of other humans using religion to try and keep the rest of us living in a state of fear and under their control, tired of the rank hypocrisy of so many so called Christians, tired of being guilted for not living up to the standards set forth by people I didn't respect.....and I was young, immature and had a life outside the Catholic lines to discover.

I believe strongly in a higher power, along with life (or lives) after this one. I still attend the occasional mass for the inner peace it brings me. But I don't need to be in a brick and mortar structure to commune with "God", I don't need to be surrounded by (presumably) like minded individuals, I don't need routine and structure in order to be a "Christian". But I do believe that what happens in the next life is contingent on how we live this one. So I practice Pascal's Wager: I don't know for sure if there is a God or not, but I'm going to try and live my life as if there is one.......

 

[barfo]

I wasn't raised religious, although we occasionally pretended to be to avoid the torches and pitchforks of the townsfolk.

barfo

 

[SlyPokerDog]

 

[julius]

Can't tell, are they a comedy page?

 

[SlyPokerDog]

Can't tell, are they a comedy page?

At a Brazilian steak house, my guess is meat lovers.

 

[THE HCP]

I was baptized in a Mexican catholic church in 1972 in Riverside, CA.
Grew up going to an Episcopalian church from the time we moved in with my to be step dad when I was 4 until HS graduation. I was an acolyte lighting the candles and holding the wine and wafers during communion. Went to Sunday school and church camp up until 8th grade.
That was it….only times I’ve been in church’s since has been for weddings or funerals. Don’t feel like we are missing anything in our lives is why.
I’ve always said, I have no beef with people who want to go to church. If it helps you become a better person, more power to you….. don’t push that shit on others and DON’T USE YOUR GOD DAMN RELIGION AND BELIEFS AS A BASIS FOR HATE!


- @THE HCP 3:27

 

[yankeesince59]

As I have related in the past, I grew up in complete and utter Catholic immersion for the first 18 years of my life. It was a safe and comforting environment, with absolutely none of the horrors so many other Catholics went through (as far as the priests and nuns go). I had nothing to complain about and I went with it pretty much wholeheartedly. I feel I got a lot of good out of it.

But throughout the experience, I never wholly bought into some of the more head shaking concepts being sold, i.e.; papal infallibility (the guy is just a human!), transubstantiation (I never understood why they would take a wonderful symbol of community and try to make it into hard to swallow hocus pocus), unmarried priests (counseling the married!!), that missing a weekly mass could send you to hell, that I needed a middle man to forgive me for my sins, etc, etc, etc. In the end I got tired of other humans using religion to try and keep the rest of us living in a state of fear and under their control, tired of the rank hypocrisy of so many so called Christians, tired of being guilted for not living up to the standards set forth by people I didn't respect.....and I was young, immature and had a life outside the Catholic lines to discover.

I believe strongly in a higher power, along with life (or lives) after this one. I still attend the occasional mass for the inner peace it brings me. But I don't need to be in a brick and mortar structure to commune with "God", I don't need to be surrounded by (presumably) like minded individuals, I don't need routine and structure in order to be a "Christian". But I do believe that what happens in the next life is contingent on how we live this one. So I practice Pascal's Wager: I don't know for sure if there is a God or not, but I'm going to try and live my life as if there is one.......

"...I can swear there ain't no heaven, but I pray there ain't no hell".

 

[THE HCP]

Totally honest, I got more tail at church camp in Gearhart 6th/7th/8th grade summer than i knew what to do with. First a lot of things took place on those holy camp grounds.

 

[julius]

Totally honest, I got more tail at church camp in Gearhart 6th/7th/8th grade summer than i knew what to do with. First a lot of things took place on those holy camp grounds.

I remember one time, at a church camping trip (I was either 7th or 8th grade, don't remember) when one of the girls in my confirmation class was there with us. She was a year older than I was (and much more mature and developed than I was...both in the physical sense and in the sense I was a complete loser...shut up I said was).

Anyways, we decided to go swimming at the local creek swimmin' hole there, and since her parents knew it was me, they didn't worry about anything and it was just the two of us.

She only wore a white t-shirt top and when she got wet I was given a complete show. I don't really remember how I reacted, but I'm sure I probably missed seeing any of the signs that she was sending (tho in my defense, I knew who I was and why would someone like her be sending me signals??)

She knew what she was doing...and I was glad she knew what she was doing too.

 

[julius]

Totally honest, I got more tail at church camp in Gearhart 6th/7th/8th grade summer than i knew what to do with. First a lot of things took place on those holy camp grounds.

Your camps weren't co-ed, were they?

 

[HomerLovesKoolAid]

Totally honest, I got more tail at church camp in Gearhart 6th/7th/8th grade summer than i knew what to do with. First a lot of things took place on those holy camp grounds.

Your camps weren't co-ed, were they?

YOU NEED JESUS!

 

[riverman]

My parents were atheists and I discovered church in maybe 5th grade or so...it was the music and the girls in pretty dresses that hooked me. I had relatives that were Catholics and Protestants but I went to them all....more churches...more girls in pretty dresses more music. I left the faith when I went to Viet Nam and my faith seemed to contradict reality ...I don't miss religious congregations at all but I am glad I experienced them when I was young and naive. I don't believe in such things as heaven or hell but I am curious about reincarnation. I remember the moment I took to religion and the moment that I abandoned it. It's now just a chapter in my past. I'll still occassionally visit an Easter Mass or Gospel Revival when traveling and enjoy it. Religion brought some really beautiful art and music into the world. I'll give it credit for that.

 

[Chris Craig]

I am opened minded. I believe in the possibility of creation. I believe in science. I believe both can exist. I believe in spirituality.

I don't believe in religion. Religion is not spirituality. Religion is a set of practiced beliefs that are exclusive. It is close minded. It dismisses facts. It's harmful.

Spirituality on the other hand is all inclusive. It's a search for peace and purpose. It's an awareness of not just ones self but of those around them. It's being cognizant with the energy of everything, of the senses. It's really taking things in and not taking things for granted. It's the ebb and flow of putting good out into the world and feeling it be returned.

 

[Hoopguru]

Nearly 25 years I had a falling out with my ex wife's church over a youth pastor hitting on my then 14 year old daughter. I wasnt involved in the church but my ex was, as was my daughter. Yeah, I went for Xmas and Easter for them.
I confronted the YP head on and really didn't get any support from his father who happened to be the head pastor. Anyway that whole deal played a role in my ex and I divorcing as I found out later she wasn't against the relationship at all, but thought it cool that maybe we could have PK as a son in law eventually. My daughter would come home from a youth camp all spiritual and such, saying she wanted to be a pastors wife and stuff. The whole thing didn't end well because I threatened to kick his ass if he didn't leave my daughter alone, after several times confronting him. I confronted his parents the church pastors about their son, and made it clear if he tries to pursue her I would call the cops, after I gave him a beat down. He really did need it.
My daughter is now married to a great guy and hard worker, they have 3 super kids and they are not involved in that church or any other.

Anymore, I view religion the same as politics now days. Sure there are decent politicians and people who attend a church but at the same time there is a real slippery side to both.
I heard this morning that CA has a senator that is 91 years old and she been there for decades. What a fucking joke.

 

[barfo]

I heard this morning that CA has a senator that is 91 years old and she been there for decades. What a fucking joke.

That is a joke. She doesn't even turn 90 for another few weeks!

barfo

 

[santeesioux]

I was raised without a religion and always thought our cousins and grandma talking about it made it seem kinda weird and then later friends in school going to youth groups. I find it interesting learning about them now but have no interest in ever going to a church or becoming a believer, I haven't been inside a church since I was a baby for a cousin's wedding! At the end of the day I think they are all for controlling people and making money.

 

[RR7]

Totally honest, I got more tail at church camp in Gearhart 6th/7th/8th grade summer than i knew what to do with. First a lot of things took place on those holy camp grounds.

Enough about your family reunions already!

 

[THE HCP]

My daughter is headed off to attend college at a private Jesuit catholic school. There is a theology requirement. Curious how it will go.

 

[julius]

My daughter is headed off to attend college at a private Jesuit catholic school. There is a theology requirement. Curious how it will go.

Do they have a dress code?

My sisters kids all went to a private catholic high school. Dress code, hair length standards, etc...

It turned one of them into a non believer, the one who was a conformist to the nth degree pretty much stopped going to church and the other one ended up going to a Catholic university and is probably the only one that will remain interested in the church.