Why did you leave church?

[BornReady]

Went to my friend's gossip/baked goods/general condemnation/money grubbing club on a few Sundays in my childhood, but it didn't impart much impression on me either way.

Sounds like it did.

 

[Panacea]

Sounds like it did.

I still have no real idea what church is like, is what I meant.

 

[KLD1019]

I was forced to go to church and listen to things I didn't care to hear or believe. So when I was old enough I decided I wasn't going.

thats pretty much me too. when born, i was baptized Catholic, but was never put into catechism or any of that. hell, i dont even think they brought me to church. when i was a teen, i would go to the baptist church with a friend every now and then. my grandparents started going to it. i didnt religiously go unless forced to.

before i was pregnant with Jace, i started going to a non denominational church with my brother and his wife. i loved it! it wasnt the boring same old stuff. the live band they had kept it upbeat and the entire service was very interactive with everyone.

The hubby was born and raised catholic and did all things catholic. like me, once old enough, he stopped going. neither of us are really religious people and couldnt care one way or another about church.

 

[NicAuf]

I was raised Methodist my entire life and attended church regularly until my second year of college. I had an anthropology class and we started talking about evolution, I did some googling, stumbled upon the name Richard Dawkins, went and bought The God Delusion, and stopped believing in God shortly thereafter. Been a relief ever since in my opinion.

 

[Minor Axis]

Sounds like my church, Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations or UU church for short. We have all sorts there, some Christians, a few pagans, a couple Buddhists, several atheists including myself and many who don't want a label. I don't know of any Muslims. But they would fit in well as long as they believe in love instead of oppression as I'm sure many Muslims do. Homosexuals are respected as human beings who are different than the rest of us but in no way inferior.

I'm not doubting you, but the one I was thinking of had another name Church of Humanity or something like that. I think it would be cool to sit with a group and discuss what-ifs with those who have not all ready figured everything out...

 

[porterjack]

I can honestly say i have never been to a regular church service, only a few weddings
Both my folks were card carrying commies and actively dissuaded us kids from any kind of religion

 

[Johnfromokc]

I was raised Methodist my entire life and attended church regularly until my second year of college. I had an anthropology class and we started talking about evolution, I did some googling, stumbled upon the name Richard Dawkins, went and bought The God Delusion, and stopped believing in God shortly thereafter. Been a relief ever since in my opinion.

Totally understand the "relief".

I was raised by the Southern Baptist Taliban. The day I rejected Abrahamic religion I literally felt a huge weight lift off me. For me, it was the discovery that Jesus likely never even existed and was nothing more than a rehash of dozens of other "born-of-a-virgin-killed-resurrected" et al saviors.

Here's my favorite religious humor:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeSSwKffj9o

 

[BornReady]

stumbled upon the name Richard Dawkins, went and bought The God Delusion, and stopped believing in God shortly thereafter.

I read that book and liked it. Although Richard Dawkins is too negative toward religion IMO. Religion can do a lot of harm if you don't think for yourself. But it also fulfills a need in many people's lives.

 

[Joe the meek]

Last church we left was due to a minister "change" as well as not particularly agreeing with what the church was doing with the new building we donated to and had promised to keep making donations.

Looking for a new church, one friendly to children and have children's programs is a must.

Finding a good church takes time and a lot of visits. You also need to get up Sunday morning in most cases LOL

I'd say I was away from church for about 15 years. That said, grew up Russian Orthodox, and you don't find those churches too easily LOL

 

[NicAuf]

I read that book and liked it. Although Richard Dawkins is too negative toward religion IMO. Religion can do a lot of harm if you don't think for yourself. But it also fulfills a need in many people's lives.

I agree that Dawkins can be quite vicious at times, actually slightly offputting even for me at times. I used to be the same way, but I have mellowed out in the last year or two.

 

[Staci]

i was born and raised baptist. i stopped going shortly after high school when i became pregnant. i did not like the stares and whispers that i got whenever i went. my mom was/still is a big part of the church and we do go every now and then. hubby was born and rasied catholic and refuses to step into a church. my MIL will take the girls to mass every now and then and we talk about praying. i do not want to force anything on them, or even try to tell them that one religion is better than another. i will expose them to different kinds and let them make the choice when they get older.

 

[Guyzerr]

Did you have any fun at church at all? Did they have a nice youth program? Did you feel welcome there?

I'll beat you to the punch and answer your question before you ask. I'm sure you won't have any problem with that.

I did have fun at church until I started to question many things that I was taught over the years. I was a member of the youth group and choir which I enjoyed at the time. I was a member of the " Boys Club " which I thoroughly enjoyed but most important to me was that I was a member of the adult choir at a young age because of my ability to sing first tenor and my love for singing. ( That made my father proud because he was a first tenor in a southern gospel style quartet during his " dry spells " and attempts to stay clean. ) By the time I was 13 I had lost the " fun ". I realized that I was spoon fed a pile of goods to which I no longer couldn't question and the more I questioned it the more I disbelieved. Like others I was initially forced to go to church and as I grew older I used my own brain to make decisions on what I did or didn't believe. To that end I had no other choice but to stop going much to the dismay and horror of my parents. When they ( mainly mom as dad was in and out of my life ) decided to continue with the pressure I left home because it was the only way I could make it stop.

 

[Mystic]

I was forced to go to church and listen to things I didn't care to hear or believe. So when I was old enough I decided I wasn't going.

:homo: Religion got ruined for me the day i was told Santa was just a lie and tooth-fairies are really just mum's and dad's who stick money under your pillow. didn't take much for me to figure the rest out after that.

I hated having the Catholic religion forced down my throats in my highschool which was taught by nuns. I used to attempt to skip most assemblies which were religion based. It was just so hypocritical and then made ten times so once all the kiddy fiddling came to light.

So in a nut shell i want nothing to do with religion based shite, doesn't mean i don't believe in something just means i don't believe in the hypocritical man made religions of the world. They can all get fiddled.

 

[MoonOwl]

I've never left something I've never been to. :cool

I did spend half of 4th grade to the first half of 6th grade in a Baptist Christian school. But, that is the extent of my religious 'training'. I also spent a couple of summers back then at a 'Christian' summer camp.

I've been to Church a few times during the course of my life. Mostly for weddings.

I am a true Heathen as I have not been baptized either.

Considering my mom had a bad accident long before I was born and 'died' at least three times in the process of recovery, I think she knew there was more to 'it' than was found in 'Church'. Hence, why I was never dragged there as a child.

That being said, I think I am a spiritual person. Or at least I try to be. I do have my moments as I am human. I do believe in karma and try to treat others as I'd like to be treated.

I think Jesus had some excellent points and those points are still true today. But 'organized religion' isn't for me.

 

[BornReady]

When they ( mainly mom as dad was in and out of my life ) decided to continue with the pressure I left home because it was the only way I could make it stop.

That is probably my biggest complaint with religion. Some religious parents (not all) use fear, coercion, and/or withholding of love to force their beliefs on their children. I hope you were older than 13 before you had to set out on your own.

 

[itsmeJonB]

Because the mass had ended

 

[NoDak]

I learned, about 25 years ago, that spending time away from the city, out in nature, gives me time and the peace to contemplate the Christian God whom I worship. The scripted services, the too-often uttered phrases from the pulpit became more of a nuisance than a blessing. I have had many personal experiences where it was God whose hand I saw working in my life. I take time often to give Him the Praise and acknowledge His Almighty Power. Far as I can tell, that's about the best Church Service I can have.

 

[Minor Axis]

I learned, about 25 years ago, that spending time away from the city, out in nature, gives me time and the peace to contemplate the Christian God whom I worship. The scripted services, the too-often uttered phrases from the pulpit became more of a nuisance than a blessing. I have had many personal experiences where it was God whose hand I saw working in my life. I take time often to give Him the Praise and acknowledge His Almighty Power. Far as I can tell, that's about the best Church Service I can have.

My most spiritual moments are out in nature. I understand you see God's hand at work, but how did you decide it was God (the God as described in the Bible) who was looking out for you versus an uncountable number of other possibilities? Please note I'm not trying to start a conflict.

 

[StripedCat]

I left church, because

- I don't believe in (any) god (even though I like the idea of gods around us)
- if there was a god, I couldn't admire him due to what is going on on earth and he/she doing nothing about it
- I've attended a catholic girls school for some years and I experienced the nuns there as being false-faced and cold-hearted, and as being intolerant (not sure whether this is the correct word) to certain standpoints (such as being pro euthanasia, pro abortion, not seeing suicide as sin, and so on).
- I abhor church, the pope, and all those priests who abuse children

Last but not least:
I even had left church, if I believed in god. Because in my opinion, one doesn't need church to be religious and faithful.

 

[Guyzerr]

That is probably my biggest complaint with religion. Some religious parents (not all) use fear, coercion, and/or withholding of love to force their beliefs on their children.

It isn't just parents that use it as a tool. The bible itself is based on fear. In the end that's what religion is all about really. Fire and brimstone, everlasting damnation, demons etc. If it wasn't for that churches wouldn't exist.

I hope you were older than 13 before you had to set out on your own.

Between the ages of 13 - 15 I really didn't spend a lot of time at home. Officially I left just days after I turned 15.