Atheists and Agnostics! Can we tell the Christians what religion we were born into?

Question

I'll go first: Catholic, Went to Catholic school for 8 years, recieved my sacraments.
My last confession was.....????lol..

I had a very close FUndamentalist Christian friend, tried to convert me. Family members who are Evangelical nutters spreading their annoying word consistantly like I yet again don't know what the whole thing is about...

Why do they insult us like we don't know as much as if not more about it than they do?

Thanks all, I think I've made my point.

Answer 1

Roman Catholic here. Was dedicated to the study of the Bible in its full because I was determined to enter seminary to become a priest. I had read the entire Summa Theologicae by St. Thomas Aquinas and The Confessions by St. Augustine by the time I was 16. By the time I was 17, i'd read the Bible prayerfully and with my whole heart no fewer than 10 times, cover to cover.

Guess I read it too many times. Started to see right through it.

Answer 2

These days, I am a little agnostic. In lieu of my religious upbringing, I am still pretty well convinced that there is a supreme entity behind all that exists in our universe. Though, there are still some days when I look up at the sky and wonder if there really is anyone or anything up there looking down on us.

Anyway, my family started taking me to church when I was about 9. It was a Baptist church out in the country--on a gravel road, even. They were pretty fundamentalist, and they really got into all those little *cough* man-made *cough* rules that are supposed to make people more "holy" (for lack of a better term). For example, the preacher thought it was a sin to eat out, go grocery shopping, etc. on Sunday because "that was making someone work on the Sabbath," and that was a against the Bible. Of course, that raised the question: What if I fall down and break my arm on Sunday? Can I go to the doctor? *heh* He also barked about how interracial marriage was a sin, but was unable to document a Bible verse.

When we left that church, we went to another one that was also pretty fundamentalist. For example, they swore up and down that evolution was a load of bull (despite evidence to the contrary), the world was created in six days, premarital sex was an abomination unto the Lord (even though it hurts no one, providing the decision is made rationally); I guess you get the point from there.

I guess I'm probably not qualified to answer this question, because I am still pretty much a theist. I am pretty well convinced that a Supreme Being exists. But I am a little agnostic in that I sometimes wonder if this being actually DOES exist, and that I don't think that He can really be understood. I do, however, believe that God takes little interest in trivial things that a lot of fundies like to make big deals out of (e.g. gambling, having sex before marriage, having a beer while you watch TV). I also have a hard time believing that you can be an otherwise good person, but yet still have God cast you into everlasting retribution for not following the correct belief system. And I offer apologies to the ones who believe in Hell as only the grave, a state of everlasting nonexistence--for the churches I went to were convinced that Hell was a huge human inferno that roasts the souls of people who didn't follow the right beliefs.

Answer 3

My family is Catholic, I'm not. Faked doing community work to meet requirements to pass Catholic Sunday School. Most of my friends lied and forged signatures regarding there "community work." But they're still an active member of the church.

I'm glad I got out. People I know commit sins all the time, then they attend church every week as if showing up and believing means they're forgiven. LOL.

Answer 4

It's funny and ironic how people end up squabbling and bashing each other here when, IN FACT, the REAL ISSUES about Religion and matters of Faith SHOULD BE directed at the specific Church leaders only... rather than on its members.

When will people ever learn and stop all this mudslinging at each other??

I'm neither an Atheist nor an Agnostic... but I am an ex-Catholic, too. AND I DON'T HARBOR ANY ILL WILL AGAINST THE CATHOLICS AT ALL, except for the Church and its leaders!

And that's the God's HONEST TRUTH...

Peace be with you.

Answer 5

Its too undesirable that many human beings provide faith a undesirable call. i can make certain why, they'd be closed minded and that they'd be overbearing. I understand which may make you sense oppressed. i think of the comparable way often times approximately atheist liberals. Why are they so devoutely atheist, they have purely as plenty faith in disproving God than those religious wacko's who pour faith down your throat. Its wonderful which you're agnostic, or perhaps deist. A deist believes rationally that there ought to be a author yet believes its no longer related to this international or related to us spiritually. I purely cant logically theorize that we popped out of no the place. i've got self assurance in faith in spite of the undeniable fact that, I purely dont think of something could create us purely to have no longer something to do with us. it may be kinda like a mom giving delivery and abandening slightly one. I understand your confusion, you shouldn't be compelled by using something by using fact its human nature to reject. it form of feels as while you're an exceedingly purpose guy or woman. Dont make any rash judgements in accordance with what others think of...it could be as much as you to choose for no person else. And in case your spouse loves then you definately she too will understand which you will would desire to locate the solutions on your individual. And that would take time. shop an open techniques and dont enable others dictate your techniques on existence.

Answer 6

I was raised to a weak "social" Christianity, but encountered bible believing Christianity at university. That was my faith and my committment for fifteen years, but I am now an atheist. It was in the study and research that being a Christian involved (for me) that I found why I needed to leave the faith.

Have a look here: in the USA the version of belief is very much tied to geography. The majority get it from where they are, and from their family, clearly. (2nd URL is source page)

Answer 7

My parents are Catholic; I went to a Catholic high school - I didn't really believe at that point, and had already stopped going to church, but it was the best school around, so I just found ways to get out of mass every month and faked it to pass religion class (very easy to do, it turns out).

Answer 8

well my father and mother were catholics then my mom went to protestantism pentecostal and whatnot i'm agnostic but i've also studied with jehovah's witnesses and i've studied the book of momon the qu'ran and i've looked up and studied satanism and a whole bunch of scriptures i was atheist when i was younger i hated catholic school which is why i didn't last long in it i thought that the statues were stupid to look at and bow down to and pray to whatever anyway i have knowledge of different religions and i don't speak just to speak i speak because i know what i know

Answer 9

Most seem to come from the more Conservative, Fundamentalist or Orthodox religions.

Which is to be expected considering most Atheists and Agnostics tend to be moderates to liberals.

Be interesting to see what Atheists and Agnostics favor most in general. Like poltics, movies, music, TV shows, ice cream. I'll be most are more adventurous and not plain vanilla.

I also tend to bet most are libertarians, greens or democrats.

Answer 10

Well, if you're trying to make a point.....my husband left the Roman Catholic Church, but joined another Christian Church.
So, not all become atheists either. (sorry, R. Catholics are getting a rough ride here)