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I've been atheist for decades, but become more and more anti-religion as I see what it does and the people in it do.
My cousin was raped by a priest as a child. The whole Boston priest conspiracy. And he got AIDS from that priest and both died of it.
I was stranded in a town once when my wallet was lost and was advised to go to the local church for help. They refused because, as they said, they didn't know me.
How religion treats women. What they haven't done.
The new prosperity christians, like Joel Osteen and his shuttered doors in Texas, and their belief that wealth is god's way of saying you're a good person. I think we all know that's not true, nor it's corresponding opposite.
When someone starts talking religion to me (it's only christians who bring it up - very rude where I come from, as is talking about politics), I just try to avoid the topic. But they inevitable box me into a corner and ask what church I go to (really? It's so galling to assume everyone is christian), so I tell the truth in a matter-of-fact way: that I'm an atheist. The response is immediate. They either walk away, or become visibly angry or uncomfortable. They simply can't treat someone fairly unless they believe like them. And I've made sure my response is as matter-of-fact as them saying their christian.
Well. I avoid religion IRL. But if they were ever to sit down and think about why they don't believe in the 33 million gods of Hinduism, they'll understand why I don't believe in their one god. Really, I just believe in one less god then them.
So it's not possible for me to be less religious as I age. And I've know elderly atheists who didn't change their minds on their deathbeds. Neither will I.
Well, you have convinced me that there is some very serious evil in the world, though, I needed no convincing.
Repent yea evil mofo!!!!
Just a little off-topic but after this "Nashville statement" today along with the churches telling people who to vote for (lately), it's hard to believe we Americans (the 65% who don't attend) put up with all of these places being tax-deductible.
I am all for their being bigots, racists, money-hungry and fake....but when it comes to ME paying for it, I do have a bit of a problem.
Maybe someday our society will become more enlightened and realize that funding hate and superstition is not going to advance the society. People can think and pray as they want - but as it stand, we (the American Public) are paying the hotel and food bills for those giant conventions which draw up the documents.
As a kid I attended church with Mom. Dad was a Methodist and she was Presbyterian, a huge chasm apparently. It seemed like the difference between Mayo and Miracle Whip to me. They did not go to church together.
I would go to church with friends on sleep-overs as I grew older: Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Mennonite and Lutheran. Dark churches lit with candles or ones with white-washed severity and sunlight pouring in, with everything in between. Even at age 10 I couldn't believe people thought their religion was the only way. I liked the hymns and the serenity in the churches, the fire and brimstone sermons were not so peaceful. I was too young to pick up on nuances, but old enough to spot inconsistencies.
My step grandmother was upset a cousin was going to Spain for six weeks where there were no churches. I was probably 14 ar the time and told her there were churches all over Spain. Her answer: they were only Catholic churches that were pagan, not real churches. At 10, I was a skeptic and questioning, at 14 I decided something was really wrong with organized religions that believed their way was the only path to God.
What I believe is not attached to any organized religion. I would classify me as an agnostic, which fits my personality of preferring to sit on a fence and hedge my bets. My in-law belonged to a Unity church and my late FIL's memorial was held there. It seemed liked a mash-up of all beliefs and no belief, being all inclusive.. It was the most comfortable I felt in any church, but not enough to inspire me to attend and place my skepticism and innate distrust aside.
I didn't really realize I was atheist until last week. I didn't put much thought into it. My nephew called and wanted to speak about his father's, my brother's, death.
I jettisoned religion in my early teens. I didn't like it up to that point.
Just a little off-topic but after this "Nashville statement" today along with the churches telling people who to vote for (lately), it's hard to believe we Americans (the 65% who don't attend) put up with all of these places being tax-deductible.
I am all for their being bigots, racists, money-hungry and fake....but when it comes to ME paying for it, I do have a bit of a problem.
Maybe someday our society will become more enlightened and realize that funding hate and superstition is not going to advance the society. People can think and pray as they want - but as it stand, we (the American Public) are paying the hotel and food bills for those giant conventions which draw up the documents.
Well, I'm not "for" there being bigots/racists/etc. But I sure am against the tax free status, most prominently with the Catholic church and it's billions. It's ludicrous in this day and age that so many billions of dollars are lost because religious businesses get away without paying taxes. I wonder how large a tax cut we all could have if they paid their share.
I was a Deacon once upon a time (not in the RC church, of course, because at the time, they banned women from such roles...perhaps they still do...besides the priesthood). The org was debating the issues of gays as ministers, and their final conclusion (which also required a cone of silence afterwards), was that no one could be a minister if they had sex outside of marriage, which at that time, was restricted to heteros only. That was how the cowards kept homosexuals out of the ministry.
And that's when I quit helping (via being a Deacon) and giving them money. But I suppose I should have done so earlier, when another Deacon who wanted to remain anonymous (clearly a sign he knew what he was proposing was disgusting), asked one of the ministers to bring to a vote two things: 1. That women should not be Deacons - in being asked why by the minister, his reply was that their butts wiggled and he didn't want to see that in church. Thankfully, the minister, during the meeting in which he brought the question to the board, asked why he was looking....because whether or not it was true, one would have to look at a butt to see such a thing.
Then, 2. when his proposal took a nose dive someone else (or perhaps him again....since it was another cowardly anonymous proposal), wanted the official language to be "Deaconess" for females. Now I ask you, what is the point of genderizing anything, much less Deacon.
Yep. No money nor help from me to further hate, division, etc.
It seems that if your parents were believers then chances are you will be too. My parents were and I was a backslider for most of my life and I became a Christian again a few years ago. I am well into retirement. So yes I have become more religious in my old age.
I was raised in an exceptionally religious home. Pretty much everything we did revolved around church and religious functions. We were forced to go to church at minimum of 3 times a week: Sunday morning, Sunday evening, and Wednesday prayer meeting. I grew to hate going to church.
Once I went out on my own, I never went to church again, other than a couple of funerals along the way. My family stayed with the church. It didn't take long for me to see what hypocrites they were, especially my brother.
I think I believe in a higher power, or at least I want to. I'd like to believe in Heaven, or some kind of afterlife. Reincarnation sounds like fun. But if I (or my ashes) lie in the gutter for eternity, oh, well! Fifty years from now, nobody will remember me or know I existed.
I have been an atheist my entire adult life. I do not wear it on my sleeve nor do I criticize what others believe in but the older I get and the more I see, the more anti-religious I become.
I came out of the womb with existential angst, so was always curious and concerned on why are we here, and what's this life and universe all about.
There's no way I can ponder the amazing AMAZING intelligence and creativity behind this universe and believe it's all just chance and a roll of the dice. So I deeply sense there is a creating intelligence behind all this. I am fine with calling it God, but have no beliefs on any of the details.
I am satisfied in just surrendering and trusting in the mystery of it all.
Yeah, the rise of "prosperity gospel" megachurches has got to be one of the more offensive examples of "church-as-profit-center."
I have family members who attend one of these megachurches. I went one Sunday and there were a few snippets from the Bible, but most of it was the preacher telling us how we should live our lives, then a band played for much of the time. I went upstairs and there were cubicles. This church also has billboards all over town. It felt very corporate to me. In fact, the pastor used to work for a big corporation, then "found God" one day.
He may be sincere, but part of me doubts it. I just don't trust large churches.
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