Atheists, was there a religion in your past? Which one?

[Reason Personified]

Holy rolling, speaking in tongues, dancing under the power, long skirts, no make up, no TV, no movies, no outside friends, dipped in the blood of Jesus(who wadn't no damned Jew), Deep southern Evangelical Pentecostal.

I have been baptized, exorcized and condemned by those who tried to force me to be like them, my own family. I spent a what felt like a lifetime knowing they were wrong, but unable to protect myself or my siblings, from the spare the rod, spoil the child doctrine, where every day began with pain.

That our religitard posters attempt to hurt me with words and insult, is amusing and not at all up to snuff. And, from what I have already lived, this is pie.

[Very Cynical Person]

OH hell yes there was Religion in my past.

My grandfather was a Nazarene minister an uncle Baptist minister. Spent 43 years in the faith both as a Nazarene and in the end a church of Christ member.

I believed all that was in the bible and what others of my congregation proclaimed. Forty-three years of organized, controlled and fundamental ideology turned me away as well as I have never see any proof even in the belief and faith.

I live my life the way I want to be treated and not the way that others tell me or mandate so that I will be in some heavenly place. That is extortion and terrorism in my view. Reading the whole bible “word of god” has shown me that there cannot be a god, but I do not disallow others beliefs unless that belief becomes overbearing, pushy, and harmful to others and at times all religious beliefs become just that.

Too much harm, unjust, crime, murders, bigotry have been in the name of religion. Too many words in the “good Book” justify the above. Too many follow the words. Too many do not understand where the book came from. Too many believe it came from a god and not men that wrote it. The book took hundreds of years to be written, transcribed and interpreted. That is why the bible cannot be trusted as a source.

[English Dave]

I was dragged along to the Catholic church & Education system as a kid, I remember as a kid going to Sunday School and even at that young age, I knew there was an elephant in the room, by 12 I was asking the teacher priests at school questions that annoyed them,& they couldn't answer, and although I got one of the best Educations in my area, it was that education that made me realize that their religion was a fairytail, designed to keep the poor from asking for a better life here on earth with the you'll get it in heaven b****hit . I'm now a total atheist and love poking holes in the god myth

[Amused]

I was raised catholic. I was even an altar boy for about 5 years. 4 years of an all boys catholic high school was the best vaccination against religion they could have come up with. By 14, I had doubts about how any of the things we were being taught could be true. By 16, I had found the whole story just too absurd to even pretend it was true. I remember sitting through the compulsory masses, looking around at classmates, and at some of the lay teachers I thought were halfway sane, and barely being able to suppress the urge to yell out, "how can you possibly believe such obvious bullsh*t?".

That was about 40 years ago, and I've never looked back. I have friends who are religious, including a presbyterian minister and a buddhist monk, but we just are able to agree to disagree, and discuss more pressing topics. It did strain things with my parents, particularly my mother, who was so ultra catholic I sometimes suspected the Pope called her for advice, but things basically worked out over time.

[Nontheist]

This is just an overview, minus the major crazy stuff I saw along the way.

http://www.topix.com/forum/religion/atheism/T...

[Reason Personified]

Nontheist wrote:

This is just an overview, minus the major crazy stuff I saw along the way.
http://www.topix.com/forum/religion/atheism/T...

That was profound, and all too real. You should bring it here.
What this thread should be is a true look at who we are. Not that it will, in any way convince the opposition that we are at a minimum, human. Most of them can only see two choices, and both choices are either side, of their coin. Instead it shows us, that we all have come through many different paths, to this one conclusion.

[Confession]

Southern Baptist. Everything anyone did, we were going to hell, so I figured "What the heck! If I'm gonna go to hell, why waste time praising a God that only condemns what he creates?"

Seriously, I've studied the bible and human history for about 28 years and the more you compare the bible outside of itself, you'll see it for what it is and won't waste time taking it as a literal work, unless you're an archaeologist working for a religious organization.

[Hedonist]

My dad was Southern Baptist and my mom was Church of God. Went to Bible School every summer. I could name the books of the Bible (both Testaments) in order when I was about 8 years old.

Studies theology in college with the intent to be a minister. My primary text was a Hebrew / Greek / English interlinear with a KJV sidebar.

After a few years of analyzing the Bible and dissecting Anselm, Aquinas, Pascal, et.al., it became obvious that it was all man made.(Everybody in the major knew that.)

It's an industry designed to control the masses and keep them content with their "station" in life.

[Nontheist]

I was born in 1962 Appalachia.

I was "born" Primitive Baptist, men folk in the right pews and women folk in the left pews. Families with kids in the middle pews.

Sermonsdelivered inanonstoplittanyonly broken byanothergasp ofairbefore continuing,hah,If youhah, get whAT ,hah, I meeean,hah,all sspOken in the prESEnce of tha ALLLLMIIIGHTY LOOORRRDJESUSCHRIIIST whoDIIIED on that crRAWSSS,hah.*pulpit slap!* Deacons - "AMEN!", as Preacher Lee paused and mopped his brow. Trembling.

Every service dedicated a portion to sweaty, bent knee confessions of the unworthy lives they were leading. Some stood, stomping the pews, arms held high as they prayed...LOUD? My Granny would reach over and close my eyes, whispering...

"don't stare at em!"

But I saw her stare too. Just like me. Sometimes.

I really enjoyed the hymns. The men&women singing from opposite sides with alternating choruses and harmonies. Beautiful. Electric. Tribal.

Never did my innocence perceive this god thing. I was 5?

I did notice the Easter Bunny got my baskets at Eckerds Drugstore. I couldn't figure out how the clerk and the busy guy behind the tall counter remained so calm with this knowledge...mmm cherry cokes.

My parents migrated to Southern Baptist, which, friend, has a much more subdued, friendly god. He'll still burn your worthless, full of sin, god giveth and(trust in this) god taketh away, BEhind.

Pass the plate...friend.

Then just Baptist. You decide, but you must GO UNDER WATER. And you're safe. Occasionally walk up the center aisle and re-up on safety. A collection plate was at the pulpit for the re-up. And passed around every service.

The Easter Bunny has been proven fake. I was 7?

Santa ruled. It was so obvious.

I noticed Santa ordered his toys from many places. Mainly Sears, or Western Auto? Maybe Santa supplied them? The North Pole was the official version.

I wasn't sure.

My parents tried Methodist. Then Episcopalian and Lutheran faiths...Please follow the arrows in an orderly fashion, don't worry!, you WILL reach your destination. Where's your Jesus ticket? Gooood. They were more or less the same. Different robes and similar terms etc...Catholibaptist.

Falwell would roll if he saw Catholibaptist.

Around 12?, "!SANTA?", needed my help assembling my siblings toys. There were 4 boys now. Dad wasn't too mechanically inclined. I was. All toys worked that year. Flawlessly. My next brother even commented. I couldn't say a word.

Only one mysterious thing left to believe in...

We were Seventh Day Adventist now. They try to embrace {all} of the gods word.*Sorta*

They even have a prophet(they don't call her that). She endorsed the legitimacy of dogmatism and faith. Plus some additional hoops, because, the bible just isn't enough.

I went to Adventist schools, too.

In my religion courses, the beginning of each textbook stated there were no right or wrong answers. That sounded fair. So I asked questions, and gave my thoughts. Many times I was informed my answer or question was due to my misinterpretation? This became problematic in high school, when a more complex god was revealed, and my emerging mind was too.

I was expelled from the boarding school for "sin"(ironic comes to mind). I went back to public school.

A good education otherwise. I was behind in science, temporarily, but caught up.

Huh...

After all of the different (gods/faiths), each supported by the bible. I really looked into god. Who is god? Where is god? What does god want?. This god?. I looked at other gods. Religions. I really put time into it.

I pondered this throughout my time in the Army. Becoming agnostic.

I finished my service, at around 24-25. An adult now. I understood I was atheist. It took about ten years to say that to anyone.

I've not read many atheist writings. I've glossed over some, finding it's what I'd already concluded. Just another minds expression.

I've read some Stenger. I like Stenger.

[Wat the Tyler]

Born 1992 and raised in southeastern Pennsylvania. I was raised in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Despite the word "evangelical" in the name the ELCA is not any way fundies. My former pastor was supporter of Obama and the church also had a lesbian couple in the congregation. My parents are liberal when it comes to many things. So I was really open minded and tolerant because of my upbringing. Eventually I just got tired of going to church. I didn't really see what was the point of wasting my time in the pews every Sunday listing to whatever. At the age of 19 I became a militant atheist.

[EdSed]

RC. Now I tend to favor rationalist and humanist philosophies.

I wouldn't define myself as an atheist as it is negative and a description I hope one day will be as meaningless as A-pixie-ist. I call myself agnostic,(if someone insists I take a label). It avoids the 'atheist means I positively assert there is no god' rigmarole.

[Hedonist]

It is interesting to note that when I was born in 1953, "god" was NOT in our Pledge and was NOT a part of our National motto.

June 14, 1954 - "god" was added to the Pledge, changing us from “one nation indivisible” into one nation divided by god.

July 30, 1956 - "god" was added as our National motto and officially put on our money. I guess "e Pluribus Unum" (out of many we become one) was too inclusive.

[Mikko]

I've never been religious

[Very Cynical Person]

Hedonist wrote:

It is interesting to note that when I was born in 1953, "god" was NOT in our Pledge and was NOT a part of our National motto.
June 14, 1954 - "god" was added to the Pledge, changing us from “one nation indivisible” into one nation divided by god.
July 30, 1956 - "god" was added as our National motto and officially put on our money. I guess "e Pluribus Unum" (out of many we become one) was too inclusive.

It is a shame they they had to F-up a good nation.

[Givemeliberty]

Baptist but often visited other family or friends churches. My parents actually wanted us to see all the religions. I have been to every church in the phone book and a few not in it. I was at age 10 already asking the wrong questions. At 14 I knew it was all bullsht. At 18 you would have called me a hopeful agnostic that really wished God existed. At 20 two years into my masters program at UCLA I was an Atheist.

It wasn't easy I personally had family who before loved me dearly and couldn't wait to see me eat dinner laugh ect completely refuse to see me until I returned to the church saying praise jesus.