Anyone who was REALLY religious...?

Question

But left your church and religion? You kept a degree of faith, but just didn't agree with the Dogma completely. What made you leave? ***Believers, this question is NOT for you, so don't try to win souls and let the Agnostic ONLY answer. (if you're capable)

bravo Heather

I am not "starving" ivallrod...bravo

Too many good answers to pick. Myself I left organized religion because it felt more like a crutch than a blessing. I don't look down on the religious right (my girlfriend is VERY religious) and I respect people. I just have no patience for a boat with holes. I'd rather have my own personal life vest and hope it's enough to please "god".

Answer 1

I am a believing person, (fairly strongly) but I dislike organized religion for the hypocrisy that is too often found there. It is ironic: I don't participate in the organized stuff, but I find myself more in sympathy with the fundamentalists over those who attack them (often for the hypocrisy THEY find there). I guess it's that everyone should be able to believe (or not) without being condemned for those beliefs.

Answer 2

well I was really religous and I used to follow all the rules and regulations my religion set for me. But then someone told me once if you were in a different religion would you be still following the same religion or is it just we are born in a religion ? this made me start studying, researching and reading many books about the origin of religions and the more I studied the more I realised that all religions are man-made and no message has come from the heavens. However, I believe this made me into a better person. A person who cares about what really matters and not a person who does good things to go to heaven. I am a proud humanist now. A person who tries making a better world, helping the poor and being a good citizen and friend without looking for a reward. A person who does not wait for a savior or a God to solve all the problems and rather tries to make everything right by putting an effort on it. I dun noe if there is a God or not But I know even if there is I will not regret the life style I have chosen. Good Luck

Answer 3

For me is was seeing how moronic organized religion was with all of the rigid rules. Example: we belonged to a church at one point that said we couldn't join the girl scouts because in the girl scout oath it mentions God, but it was not a religious organization. I then began to search out other churches and found that Catholicism was a religion based on guilt, and it's main purpose was to make money - I mean why on earth should I pay the church hundreds of dollars to have it recognize a divorce if my husband and I can't stand each other? I found most churches were anti-women, even though they wouldn't come out and say it. Then, I did some research into why the majority of women in the bible are portrayed as evil whores. And the whole Jesus as a white guy thing started to bother me because if he was from where they say he's from, he most certainly wouldn't be a white guy! Then there was the whole "evolution is wrong thing" that was rejected by churches, then finally accepted and molded to fit their views. Of course, there's the whole problem with almost every major religion telling a story about Noah's ark, but the guys name isn't always Noah and it doesn't always occur in the same place. Throw on top of that the number of different translations of the bible, (they can't all be right) and the growing realization that all religions tolerate a great amount of hatred for others who don't subscribe to their views...well, I'm convinced it just can't be right.

Then I began to think "why do I believe"? Well, because it's what I was taught, not because of a personal experience. As a good little Christian, I lost people I loved, was diagnosed with an incurable condition that made my life much more difficult. As someone not buying into the whole religion scene, I've also lost people I've loved and was diagnosed with another condition there is no cure for. SO, I started to base my beliefs on personal experiences and tangible things. I do believe that there is some sort of "God", but I'm not buying into a church or organized religion. And I'm much happier knowing that I am using my brain and making up my own mind about things instead of following blindly, doing what a church tells me to do. After all, I'm a human, not a sheep. I don't feel the need to be saved, and I sleep fine at night. And I'm certain if there is a God, and he/she/it is truly just and fair that it won't matter if you belong to a church or not, as long as you did your best to be a good person and respected the sanctity that is life, not a church....

Answer 4

I was involved even to point where I went out with a group and the pastor visiting people and trying to convert or get them to come to church. After a time I realized that so many of the people of the church were judgemental and hyporcitical of others. I began to believe that many were doing it out of a social or political belief rather than faith. To make a long story short I found myself face to face with an addiction problem which I had denied for many years. I felt very judged by the church but found that at 12 step meetings I could feel accepted and spiritual and realized that was what it was supposed to be like, everyone trying to understand each other and the acceptance that we are all flawed and all human. Some of the people my church would have called sinners and such were the people who helped me when I was at the end of my rope, the "christians" were nowhere to be found. Agnostic is a good label for me because I really don't know if God exists or not. I still try to keep up some idea of spirituality in my life with a higher power that to me is best manifested in the power that humans call love. That my best desripition that my higher power is love for each other and self

Answer 5

I was attached to one christian denomination, following all the rules and regulations. After serious thinking, I decided it is basically a cult separated from normal christianity. I still believe that there is a God, the creator...that's it. Everything else was created by men in order to control and manipulate people. At this moment I am in between an agnostic and "God created the Universe but that's it" state of mind. I read something a few weeks ago that stuck in my head. I don't remember the exact words, but it is basically the idea that we have given a personality to all the mysteries we don't understand. We have no idea about the origin of the Universe, why are we here in this world, the meaning of life, etc. All those thoughts are disturbing and scary. The idea that we are going to die and that's the end of our existance is too scary, so, in order to make us feel better and more confident, we have created God, with all the personality traits of a nice old man that takes care of us. In other words, that men created God, not that God created men. I do believe that there is a God, the begining of everything, but the idea of that nice get together that we are going to have once we die and meet our deceased lovely ones is just pure wishful thinking. I wish I am wrong...

Answer 6

Maybe if you felt the need to leave the church, you should have found another one that shared your beliefs.
I went to a church that said my husband and I could only dance in the privacy of our own home, and that we could not go to restaurants that served alcohol because we may be tempted. They also preached ever sermon about being saved- If you can guess, it was Baptist. It doesn't mean they are wrong in their beliefs, I just don't agree with a lot of them.
I don't believe those things - (especially about preaching the same thing over and over. When the same people are there every service and you know they are saved, then pick something else to talk about. Teach, learn and grow.) so I switched churches and am happy with the one I am now a member of because they have the same beliefs and I learn from the sermons and grow with God. You have to get something out of the messages to Grow and learn new things.
So, maybe if you feel like you just can't go to church you should just try different ones until you find one you agree with.

Answer 7

I know a whole group of people who were cultish evangelical Christians. We meet every Sunday. It took them a long time to unbrainwash themselves.

We now talk about spirituality - without religion.

People in the church can be very nice, but once you realize the law no longer exists, sin no longer exists, God is and loves everyone, we are all equal - once you realize this is in the bible! Church teaches lies. It is not there fault. It has been going on since the apostles.

http://gospelrevolution.com

Answer 8

Yeah, when I was a kid, I was really religious - I mean I was VERY "Christian". ;) Later I got really disappointed by all those fears, prejudices, senseless rituals, and most of all I hate the idea that God punishes us for our sins. First - not sins, but mistakes; second - they're simply great possibilities to learn some new lessons in this life. I really love God/Goddess/Divine (name doesn't matter actually), so I can't accept all those narrow-minded ideas. (Believers, stay calm please! My soul isn't worse than yours. ;))
PS. Oops, forgot to mention fanaticism, which seems to be an integral part of every religion... Can't understand those people.

Answer 9

I was raised to be a Catholic but at the tender age of five could see through the hypocrisy and as an adult have come to completely reject religion and a God that rejects me, I am a freethinking ,sexual human being who loves herself in more ways than one, and this would make me an excommunicated whore in the catholic churchs eyes with their unforgiving hatemongering God

Answer 10

I used to be VERY religious, but graduated to just spiritual.

I left the church because I couldn't find one who's doctrine wasn't poorly formed from bits and pieces of the Bible, while ignoring other parts.

I decided Buffet style Christianity wasn't for me and started looking for other forms of Spirituality.