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I was raised as a Christian in the Church of Christ. i am now an atheist. I do not believe in God, I do not believe in a "personal savior". I do believe that religion was established many many years ago as a means to control the masses.
It blows my mind that people in this day and age can still listen to, and believe the "Leaders" of the church nowadays....
Post by inertiaticc on Apr 3, 2008 10:13:40 GMT -5
dmbfanintn said:
I was raised as a Christian in the Church of Christ. i am now an atheist. I do not believe in God, I do not believe in a "personal savior". I do believe that religion was established many many years ago as a means to control the masses.
It blows my mind that people in this day and age can still listen to, and believe the "Leaders" of the church nowadays....
The Church of Christ is where I used to go too =/ The amount of gossip that occurred about me when I moved to campus and stopped going to my hometown Church was ridiculous.
What turned me away even more is the fact that my mother is one of those "SHOVE IT DOWN YOUR THROAT" Christians, she still nags me about going.
John: We don't even understand our own music Spider: It doesn't, does it matter whether we understand it? At least it'll give us . . . strength John: I know but maybe we could get into it more if we understood it
I was raised American Baptist. There was a huge falling out with my family and others in the church. When I saw that these people I had grown up believing were Christians, could actually backstab and HATE others, I decided organized religion was not for me. There have been other churches I have tried, but am always let down. I guess I'm really let down by humanity, not religion itself. I actually started questioning Christianity when I attended a Lutheran College. Sort of funny. I was taking Ancient History, and noticed how so many creation myths are similar. I began to think "maybe it is all just stories". I'd say now I try to have a personal relationship with God, or the creator, whatever. I'm not willing to say there is nothing after this life, but I don't quite know what. I try to take the good from all beliefs, learn what I can, and be the best brother I can be to all my sibs that are mankind.
I wasn't really raised anything. I was baptized, but that is the extent. My family is not religious in the least. Neither am I. As a person rooted and driven by facts, I have a hard time following any revealed religion. Although I attended a Catholic college, and was required to take two religion courses. I find theology interesting but discussing it with others never ends well.
I find theology interesting but discussing it with others never ends well.
yeah - my professor did not think much of me when I asked him "What is Jesus was just some deranged psychopath that still has people under his spell to this very day?"
As I get older religion has become more of a curiosity to me rather than something to really believe in.
My dad was Catholic, my mom was Methodist and we were raised as Episcopalians (Catholic-Lite). I went to church camp, earned the God & Country award in scouts, was an altar boy and read the bible cover to cover all by the time I was twelve. That was about the peak for me having any faith in religion as a means to an end: you believe in OUR God and you get to go to heaven, you believe in THEIR God and you'll burn in hell.
To me, religion is purely an invention of man, born of the necessity to keep mankind in line. The Bible, the Koran, etc. are wonderful books, full of important lessons and guidelines for behavior. Should I take them literally, no.
If I had to declare something to believe in, I'd have to go with science and the endless accumulation of knowledge. What science offers me, that religion does not, is the ability to admit it might be wrong about something in light of new information. Science is to be questioned, religion is to be obeyed.
I think that mankind, as a whole, wants to do the right and moral thing and would do so even in religion's absence. The measure of a person is how they choose to live their life and how they treat their fellow humans. Faith does not require rules...
Imagine there's no heaven It's easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky Imagine all the people Living for today...
I was raised in the Church of Christ but it never "took". I was always questioning and never felt like the answers I was given were good enough. About 10 years ago I discovered Paganism and I have been happily exploring my spirituality ever since! I am a pretty eclectic with a strong dose of Taoism thrown into the pot. I am very involved in the Pagan community and I am proud to be raising my kids to explore their spirituality with freedom.
Is it just more or does christianity drive more to atheism than any other religion? hahahahahh...
I think the political and judgemental Christianity that arose in the 80's has done more harm to faith than anything. It has alienated at a whole generation of people who look at their example and see every reason turn away.
Most Christians I know, including myself, find this "Old Testament" Christianity disgusting and no different than radical Islam. Both have hijacked religion for political purposes and have nothing to do with the true teachings of their founders. They are just classic examples of how people can screw up anything.
I always wanted to get a copy of the Satanic Bible for my coffee table when I bought my first house. Its a kind of eclectic conversation-starter that I always thought would be funny. Since I am in the process of buying my first home, I figured its time to buy the book. I find it funny that my "religious" views are more in-line with the Satanic Bible than the Christian Bible.
Post by hollyanne0724 on Apr 8, 2008 18:18:42 GMT -5
I was raised going to church on some holidays... that's about it... then i became friends with a one of those extreme religious people. You know you go to the conferences and they are being saved, speaking in tongues and shaking on the floor. It scared the crap outta me!!! I am so confused about the whole religion thing..it basically makes no sense to me whatsoever and I don't really understand how people can follow it so whole heartedly. Sometimes I wish I had faith like that but really I just don't get it...
Oh and a ? i have always had and has never been answered is... in the "creation" view where are the dinosaurs... i know they have been there but they aren't in the bible... and they were Not on the Ark!!! Lol
wow.. there's a lot of Church of Christ people... that's the church I was raised in too.
now I'm agnostic. I believe in something larger than myself but I'm not cocky enough to say I understand "God". I live a good life, I do right by others, and that's all I can do.
Most Christians I know, including myself, find this "Old Testament" Christianity disgusting and no different than radical Islam. Both have hijacked religion for political purposes and have nothing to do with the true teachings of their founders. They are just classic examples of how people can screw up anything.
I don't think fundamentalists hijacked religion for political purposes. I think politicians do that. Fundamentalism is a self-righteous response to problems in a culture.
That is to say, the idea that fundamentalist religion occurs only for political purposes is to negate what creates the fervor in the first place: a thirst for justice in a unjust world.
my background is Mennonite (no I have never lived on a colony), but I haven't gone to church or anything since I was 12. I do not believe that there is a god.
Most religions have some good stuff to say, but overall I feel that organized religion creates the single greatest divide in society. There are too many people that take stuff like the Bible far too literally (anyone ever think that thing may be a little out of date?) and just as many who believe that their religion and only their religion is right. We'd be better off if people simply learned about what these religions teach, such as equality, caring and so forth, and applied it to their everyday lives. If more people took the time to learn about different religions, they'd realize that a majority of them are simply a different person's interpretation of the same story . It's like remaking a movie. You can change some names, cut some stuff and add a few things, but in the end, it's the same basic message
Most Christians I know, including myself, find this "Old Testament" Christianity disgusting and no different than radical Islam. Both have hijacked religion for political purposes and have nothing to do with the true teachings of their founders. They are just classic examples of how people can screw up anything.
I don't think fundamentalists hijacked religion for political purposes. I think politicians do that. Fundamentalism is a self-righteous response to problems in a culture.
That is to say, the idea that fundamentalist religion occurs only for political purposes is to negate what creates the fervor in the first place: a thirst for justice in a unjust world.
More than a thirst for justice, I believe fundamentalism is a fearful reaction to something different and gives it adherents an avenue to feel superior to someone else. JMO
There have always been fundamentalists; good and bad. My point was that in the 1980's a purely political brand of judgemental fundamentalism arose (Moral Majority, Christian Coalition) which has been hugely divisive and harmful to Christianity (and America.)
All in all I agree that a thirst for justice and fear of anything different are common themes of many fundamentalists. I was just referring to a smaller subset.
Wow. I just saw this thread for the first time, and just have to comment on it.
I was raised Catholic. Pretty much had it forced on me. I could not standthe Church. I felt like I was in a cult. Everyone stands and sits and says what they are supposed to say. And I always wondered how many of those people knew what it was that they were saying. I started paying closer attention to the prayers and stopped spouting the parts that I didn't believe. Eventually, I stopped participating at all. As soon as I moved out of my parents house, I ditched all of that, and wanted absolutely nothing to do with organized religion. But I've stayed somewhat spiritual.
About a year and half ago I moved to a new city and started meeting a lot of new people. I was having dinner with one of my new friends and she asked me what my religious beliefs were. I had to think about it for awhile before I finally realized that I didn't really know what I believed because I actually believed it, and what I only believed because it's what you are "supposed" to believe. She suggested that I start studying the Bible to sift out God's true intentions from the junk I've learned over the years.
I was interested, but I fought it like hell. I really thought (because of all the crap I had learned) that if I became a Christian, that meant that I would have to change all these "things" about my life, and I really didn't want to do that. I felt like I wasn't a "good enough" person.
It took a long time, but I was eventually able to see that no one is ever good enough. Everyone makes mistakes. We are truely selfish by nature. And that that is why Christ sacrificed himself for us. Romans 9:10 says that if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. I believe that God made this sacrifice for us, and that all we need to do to have a relationship with Him is to accept that sacrifice. It's as simple as that, and all that other crap is just crap.
Wow. This is getting long. But to end it, I finally accepted God into my life about 6 months ago and I cannot believe the change it has made. It's so releaving to know that I am taken care of. My relationships have change tremendously. My whole outlook on life is different. I am just so much happier.
OK I'm done. You can call me a Bible thumper now.
ps the book of Romans is a great place to start if you want to know what the hell I'm talking about
^^^won't call you a bible thumper - you believe as I believe
Everyone makes mistakes. We are truely selfish by nature. And that that is why Christ sacrificed himself for us. Romans 9:10 says that if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. I believe that God made this sacrifice for us, and that all we need to do to have a relationship with Him is to accept that sacrifice. It's as simple as that, and all that other crap is just crap.
this is what I believe and I don't think you necessarily have to sit in a church and do the stand, sit, kneel crap to believe in God. You can believe without going to church on a constant and continual basis (although - I have found that church grounds me and recharges my batteries for the often hectic week ahead)
I was raised Catholic, went in search of what I believe in my 20's-30's and read everything fom the Baghavad Ghita, the Tao te Ching, writings of Confusious, Book of Mormon, etc.
I evetually realized that I'd never really read the Bible. I actually read it and studied associated secular, historical texts and found it made sense. And I can say that as a very rational person and a research scientist.
No preaching here, just saying that I found Christianity is much more rational and accepting of science and more inclusive than many think. And much more accepting of Bonnaroo type experiences also.
Totally. I was trying to explain the community vibe at Roo to one of my friends and we came to the conclusion that it is really similar to a Christian community except people are talking about music instead of God.
I was a little nervous posting my story here. Thank you guys for a being so supportive.
Totally. I was trying to explain the community vibe at Roo to one of my friends and we came to the conclusion that it is really similar to a Christian community except people are talking about music instead of God.
I was a little nervous posting my story here. Thank you guys for a being so supportive.
I think your story is awesome, and is pretty much how I believe as well. I think growing up in the South, you kind of have that "you have to be in the church whenever the doors are open" mentality pushed on you or "you're not a good Christian". It's never made sense to me really. 'By grace you are saved through faith' ...did they forget that part, the whole 'God's grace' thing? haha.
It's funny because my boyfriend is Muslim. He's not hardcore or anything, though. We sat down and talked about our religious beliefs one day, and it's surprising how similar they are.
I was raised as a Christian in the Church of Christ. i am now an atheist. I do not believe in God, I do not believe in a "personal savior". I do believe that religion was established many many years ago as a means to control the masses.
It blows my mind that people in this day and age can still listen to, and believe the "Leaders" of the church nowadays....
My feeling exactly. I think a lot of it has to do with what i call 'brainwashing' when you are a kid. You have no choice but to believe in this stuff, and when are old enough to question it, you feel bad for doing it. The feeling some of you had when finding God is the feeling i had when accepting my own beliefs and not being scared to admit that i do not believe in god, or heaven or hell. I cant tell you how many times when i was a kid going to sleep at night i would lay in bed a worry that every little thing i did all day would send me to hell. Heck, i was only raised Methodist! I wish i could re-grow up with the free will and logical thinking that i have today.
As for the dinosaurs (sp), when i was a summer camp when i was a kid, like 12 or so (a methodist summer camp in Maryland) i brought up the question of the dinosaurs, an where they fit in if God created man on the 6th day (?). (now that i think of it, a good question for a 12 year old). The answer i got made sense actually in the scheme of things. My counselor told me that the 'days' were actually a period of thousand or millions of years at a time. Not actual 24 hour days. So for my believer friends, maybe that answer works for you.
In conclusion . . . . lol. . . . . after i was able to let go of religion i felt a lot freeer. But in no way am i knocking religion or those that believe. Whatever keeps you going and helps you get through the day is fine by me. Its just not for me.
And to top it all off, im gay, so the religion thing has never been nice to me in that aspect as well.
what??? say it ain't so?? (sorry - i could not help it - just reliving that moment last year when both Tara and I found out you were gay - I still find it amusing) ;D
(sorry - i could not help it - just reliving that moment last year when both Tara and I found out you were gay - I still find it amusing) ;D