How many people grew up in the church and left? What are you practicing now?

Question

I was raised by my folks to be a "christian"... I know the doctrine.... blah blah blah so please dont preach. I am just curious as to know those who were raised in the church and why they dont attend or what they decided to follow as their path? Do you think you will ever go back? Just curious.

Answer 1

I consider myself as real as they come,i pride myself on my honesty, I treat people the way they treat me.I believe that no man is better than any other,we all came from vagina's'.I believe that human beings are insignificant in the big scheme of things eternal,we are carbon,we will all return to the earth from which we sprang.I believe in the reality that if anyone who is reading this takes a look around their present location.....EVERY SINGLE THING YOU SEE,EVERYTHING, all of it,even this computer.....all came,in material form,from this floating rock we call Earth,because nothing leaves,or arrives,it all came from beneath your feet,to me that is incredible....before us there was nothing but trees and rocks...oh yeah there was peace too.I believe that humans are a virus on this planet,and the planet fights us with hurricanes,tsunamis,volcano's',etc... I don't believe there is an afterlife,but I do believe that when we die our "spirit" remains here.To me a spirit is carbon.I was raised Catholic,I've been a Muslim,I've been a Buddhist.And it all led me to believe that religion is a waste of time & energy.

Answer 2

So one gathers that you, too, are disenamoured of the specious claptrap which many churches dole out?

Yes, I was brought up as a Christian, though not as much 'in' the church as my mother would have liked, I think - my father was already a 'free thinker'.

However, I went to a Christian (Baptist) school and then, later, to a Quaker one. Of the two, I found the Quaker philosophy a breath of fresh air!

On leaving school, I attended Catholic instruction for a while, until the Priest and I found that we could not agree on certain points. Then I drifted around, sometimes as an atheist, sometimes as an agnostic but mostly investigating people's reasons for believing at all.

About 25 years ago I had a personal experience which has led me to accept that there is a 'god' - and only one - who is the progenitor of the universe (in fact, IS both the matter and the energy of it as well as the intelligence of it which some people deny.) It matters little, it seems, HOW one chooses to see this being because it is far too beyond our comprehension for us to understand its appearance. Nevertheless, we were 'formed in His image' in the sense that we are capable of knowing its existence and of communicating with it.

So that is what I 'practice' now. There might be advantages (for the social part of me) in attending a church - or synagogue or temple or mosque - but my experience has been that they are for those who are 'seeking' rather than for those who have 'found' ... or perhaps have 'been found'.

Answer 3

I did and am now a spiritualist, and NO ! I don't see me going back into a church, where they tell you how to think. When I can find my creator any where and everywhere. My creator does not teach hell and damnation, only love, respect and understands we do make mistakes in this life.
And sense leaving the so called God fearing people I have found many more wonders that are in the world that are not evil (if there is such a thing) only misunderstood by closed minded people.

Answer 4

That's a good question. I know from your other questions that you've chosen to take a path aside from Christianity.

I grew up in the church and stopped going because I felt like it was filled with ppl who didn't actually know what they were talking about. I felt like the whole atmosphere was filled with ppl of questionable integrity who were only there to hide from living a real life, filled with actual good deeds. It seemed like a place with hypocrites who judged others harshly while they committed even worse sins behind closed doors.

I left when I was 13; surprisingly without argument from my mother.

I returned when I was 18, renewed with dedication to service. I volunteered and became intimately connected with the church of my choosing, but years later became disillusioned by the corruption and materialism.

Now, it's been a couple of years since I've been to a service. It's important to note that I haven't abandoned my faith but rather expanded. I'm still Christian, but I don't believe in proving my Christianity by going to church every Sunday. I think your morality should be proven by the ppl you help, and by the kindness you give. Like the Dalai Lama said, my religion is simple-- my religion is kindness. I strive at it everyday.

Answer 5

I was brought up to be christian then left the church and became involved in occult/new age type things. I've always been interested in spiritual things and I have always felt that there is absolute truth to be found. After going on my own journey for years I came back to christianity but this time it was on my own terms and I owned my own faith because I had thoroughly studied the claims of christianity and other religions and had made a decision to follow Christ because I now had a faith that was intellectually satisfying and was my own - not my parents.

Answer 6

I was once Christian, but the religion never sat well with me. I gave it up, and every sunday in the time I once spent at church I read books on all of the other religions, metaphysics, and evolution. After two years I read the Dhammapadha, and it struck a chord within me, and I knew Buddhism was the religion for me. I will never go back, I am very happy, yet my intense religious study has given me a profound understanding of other peoples beliefs, and I use this knowledge to this day to try to help others understand that we aren't so different after all.

"If anything is worth doing, do it with all your heart"
- Buddha -

Answer 7

Grew up in a Christian family, became agnostic as an adult and raised our three sons without religion. Found Judaism after 30 years, have been studying for three years, and coverted about a year ago. There is so much MORE in Judaism!!!

.

Answer 8

I was raised catholic. Yes I know..ha ha. I don't follow the church anymore hell I don't even follow Jesus anymore. I am a Pagan, I worship the Goddess (mother earth) and the God (the Sun, and the Goddess' consort) What made me decided to follow my path? I always knew the church wasn't right for me. I respect the church still, but the method of birth control treating women like second class citizens, the rule about divorce...all of it seemed alien and wrong to me. I just couldn't care for a group of people that told me to believe rather then let me find what I believe myself and honoring that, the divine in me. That and the whole bible being so negative towards women, it rankled me so much I just couldn't live in a worship group that denied the fact I am part of God, not just his (or her!) child.
And no I dont ever plan on returning to the church.

Answer 9

I lef the Catholic church a long time ago with no intention of looking back. They frown on my gay friends, they frown on my un-wed friends, in short, they frown on virtually everything I embrace. I like the idea of organized religion, I've seen the good it has done for some people and I like for the spirituality that goes along with it; however, it's a fine line between religion and fanaticism.

Answer 10

I was raised Catholic, consider myself a Christian, I go to Church now and then when I can, I go to whatever Church I feel I am led to go. It doesn't matter to me about what religion a church is, I go to them all, especially if I feel I am led to it, God is in all of them. God is everywhere I go, so in a way religion don't matter, I go to all Churches, basically to meet new people, and gain others perspectives.

Answer 11

I've grown up with my mum being really involved in the church, I just recently left it because I felt the leadership was fake. I'm kinda confused now...but God didn't really do anything it was more the church...so I think I'll go back once I've figured out some stuff. >.<