What religion/sect has most heavily influenced you to currently not attend Church?

Question

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Answer 1

I was on the Vestry of a small Episcopal Church for three years - my term ended last January. A Vestry is a board of directors. I was disappointed by the pettiness that arose, which seemed to hinder what we were able to accomplish. Specifically, when someone had a disagreement with a decision we were working on they would say "Well, I have prayed about it and......" My impression is that people praying meant having God confirm whatever personal opinion they may have. It seemed like BS to me. Took away any ability to compromise. I think I've been to church maybe 5 times this year.

Answer 2

I have never had the expectation that people be perfect, heck as soon as I enter a church I know for certain there is one imperfect person there. If I am going to sit there and say I am not coming here anymore because these people are flawed then what does it say about what I think of myself?

I can understand that people do hurt one another and that it might make one not want to attend that specific church or parish or mosque, or synagogue but to say I am not going to believe in God because of you means I have a pretty shallow faith to begin with. Religion generally isn't like the Elks Club. I think a lot of people go looking for a sense of community and often they are not made to feel like part of that community.

Answer 3

Catholic:
I was fortunate to go to a Catholic school where they were very charitable for my family ~ not charging school fees. I was a 5 year old with a lot of adult questions ... so from that age until the time I left that school at age 11, I got a walloping pretty much every day... and that reinforced to me more about religion that anybody need ever know :)

I stopped going to church when I left that school... I was told.. "if you leave and go to that public school the devil will get you" ... and by that age I was an adult trapped in a child's body... so I recognised the irony in how it couldn't be much worse for me, and I told that particular nun that she was "a silly black crow" and I attended the public school the next day.

I left many good friends that day.

Answer 4

I relatively have self belief that God led me to the congregation I now fellowship with... it became into on the day after my Salvation and God knew what i could wish and led me there... that became into 8 yrs in the past... I do have some transformations now concerning subject concerns that haven't any bearing on the Salvation Message... i could substitute the "version" of The Bible that became into purely voted with the aid of fact the recent pew Bible and which the Pastor now makes use of...i could have greater making a music of the tried and actual Hymns... yet I additionally could have some greater lively compliment track besides... i could have The Salvation Message given greater time from the pulpit incredibly than the minutia of Scripture... Will I stay with this congregation... probable no longer... there are economic subject concerns and doctrinal subject concerns that are going to end the enterprise and close the doors in the event that they do no longer seem to be resolved... that's inflicting a decline in club... i'm no longer at present "looking" for yet another... i understand there is, right now, no different congregation interior the instant section i'd desire to relatively seek for club with... even with the undeniable fact that I even have attended some others for various events and mixed centers... I purely have too many transformations with them to be a member...

Answer 5

None.

I was raised Catholic, and never had any bad experience with that. Quite the contrary, honestly, I have many good memories.

But, at some point, I felt I didn't fit there, or anywhere to do with religion. I respect all people and faiths, but I don't feel the need of religion, there's no place in my life for it.

I've been thinking a lot about this, later, which I avoided, for a long time, and have been changing my mind about some things. Maybe I should talk more about this. Maybe I will.

Answer 6

I just want to say that I am very sorry for all people who have been hurt by a church ( I have also been!).

But I want you to know that in lots of churches today, churches are becoming aware of how they have harmed people spiritually and emotionally, and haven't been welcoming, and I am starting to see a change starting to begin -- to begin with, many church people are now seeing that the church is "outside the walls" of their particular building, so they are doing more work for social justice and healing.

But again -- I am sorry you have been hurt. The Jesus we worship, and whose LOVE we are supposed to be bringing to you, would not have wanted that to happen.

I bid you peace.

Answer 7

Pick a winner:

I grew up Methodist, attended Metropolitan Community Church, Roman Catholic, Baptist, Episcopal, Unitarian Universalist, Buddhist meditation group, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and a Synagogue or two. The first 5 of these were ongoing attendance for more than a year. I still meditate with a group once monthly.

However, the epistemology of spirituality is simply too woo-woo (i.e., absurd) for application in the modern world. Adhering to it tethers us to the Middle Ages, and personally, I think we have enough modern problems to solve. I don't want to blame God's punishment for Global Warming, he Depression & Anxiety Epidemic, or the War in Iraq. We have to solve these problems without trying to convince people they don't results from cursed lives.

^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^

Answer 8

I certainly believe in God, just not the God that sends people to hell for all eternity because they don't believe.

I'm pretty sure an all wise, all powerful being would understand why some people are Atheist, considering we live in a physical Universe that depends on science for answers.

Too many religions depict God as some earthly emperor who demands subjugation from his subjects on the threat of eternal torment.

Answer 9

Evangelical Presbyterian

I showed up mainly to support my high school girlfriend, and was constantly hounded about being "saved." To get them off my back, I began to act the part, and people started coming up to me and saying how great it's been "to see the Lord work through me." It was a sad and empty feeling, and I felt really deceitful, but I had no other choice. It was miserable. I was just way too inquisitive to unquestioningly believe a contradictory book that proclaimed itself the Word of God.

Answer 10

Roman Catholicism! To be fair I picked up my sense of social justice from this tradition, but as a hormonally Intersexed Drag-Queen, I have no use for most of their teachings on sex and gender, which frankly lack the sense of social justice that I admire. This attribute has always made me wonder and has led me to Freethought.
But please don't misunderstand me, I know I come off as a brass monkey in R/S, however I have met many terrific people of all faiths whom I love and support, through our mutual social & political activism, and a large number were active in R.C. peace & justice groups, but that territory seems "forbidden" due to all of my issues, eventhough I grew up in that space, (& I know better than to think it's just me).
There are plenty of people who are with me on this side of the gap, and while we are apart, the gap becomes an ever widening chasm.