Why I despise religion
Sent in by Ryan
My first memory in relation to god was at the age of 4 when my aunty (who in her youth had nearly become a nun) had told me “Now you must always be good because god is always watching you and knows everything you do.” As young child who despite going to church and even Sunday school really had no grasp of this whole god concept, yet had also been filled with the notion of “stranger danger,” I immediately slotted the two together and was thus terrified of being on my own outside the house. My head filled with images of a strange, scary bearded man with many eyes on stalks that could see everything in every which way.
Time passed as it does, I had my first communion and didn’t question it too much (other than why the catholic children got to do this thing and get out of class whist the other children stayed behind in class. To which I never got a satisfactory answer.) Yet over time I began to see less and less point in it (through a few minor incidents which need not be mentioned). When time came for my conformation, my father said something to me which I am still thankful for. He took me aside and asked me if it was what I really wanted, that if I went through with it, I was making a commitment, and had to be sure it was what I wanted. Realising even though at the time I believed in what was told to me, I really had no make this commitment to the church, so I said no, thinking that if I ever felt differently about it I could always do it at a later date. It was the first time I made a life choice, and though I still considered myself a catholic led me to question things more.
More time passed and it was really two incidents of learning history that actually made me hate religion. One church history, the other family. I saw the movie The Crucible and was quite taken aback. It led me to read the book, other things about the history of the church, and the bible itself which up until this time I had not read. I realised the evil and corrupt priest from Ivanhoe (a story I loved as a child) was not an exception but the historical norm. Needless to say I was disgusted; the audacity of Christians to constantly site the crimes and persecutions against them throughout history was nothing but a justification for some of the worst cases of persecution and genocide committed by themselves.
The piece of family history was discovering that my grandfather was not my genetic grandfather. My genetic grandfather (whom I do not consider to be my grandfather) had been a violent abusive drunk, my grandmother was a proper catholic woman, and played the organ for the local church for the last 10-20 years. Everyone in the parish knew my grandfather was abusive, but said nothing. One day my grandmother had enough and got a divorce. This was in the 60’s and she was asked to hand over her keys to the church and effectively shunned by the rest of the parish, including her daughters. Many years later she met Bert (my real grandfather) he loved her, and helped her buy the house she’d been renting, he was hated by my aunties despite all he did for my grandmother, and when she died they fought him for control of the house he was living in, and had been living in with my grandmother.
I so I started reading about religions, wondering which one was for me. I found a few bits and pieces here and there but over and over the picture was the same. One of the most stupid things that humans have tended to do through out history is the institutionalization of belief. Religion frees you from taking responsibility for your own actions, and in effect keeps you as a child with this looming Santa Claus/daddy figure hanging over you, promising to reward you if you’re good and go what your told, or spank you and send you to your room if you’re a naughty boy or girl. God may be out there and my love each and every one of us, but religion is of man not of some great and loving creator being.
This is the first time I've written this all down together, I found it quite liberating. Thank you.
Sydney
Australia
Joined: Born and baptized Catholic
Left: 13
Now: Cynical free-thinker
My first memory in relation to god was at the age of 4 when my aunty (who in her youth had nearly become a nun) had told me “Now you must always be good because god is always watching you and knows everything you do.” As young child who despite going to church and even Sunday school really had no grasp of this whole god concept, yet had also been filled with the notion of “stranger danger,” I immediately slotted the two together and was thus terrified of being on my own outside the house. My head filled with images of a strange, scary bearded man with many eyes on stalks that could see everything in every which way.
Time passed as it does, I had my first communion and didn’t question it too much (other than why the catholic children got to do this thing and get out of class whist the other children stayed behind in class. To which I never got a satisfactory answer.) Yet over time I began to see less and less point in it (through a few minor incidents which need not be mentioned). When time came for my conformation, my father said something to me which I am still thankful for. He took me aside and asked me if it was what I really wanted, that if I went through with it, I was making a commitment, and had to be sure it was what I wanted. Realising even though at the time I believed in what was told to me, I really had no make this commitment to the church, so I said no, thinking that if I ever felt differently about it I could always do it at a later date. It was the first time I made a life choice, and though I still considered myself a catholic led me to question things more.
More time passed and it was really two incidents of learning history that actually made me hate religion. One church history, the other family. I saw the movie The Crucible and was quite taken aback. It led me to read the book, other things about the history of the church, and the bible itself which up until this time I had not read. I realised the evil and corrupt priest from Ivanhoe (a story I loved as a child) was not an exception but the historical norm. Needless to say I was disgusted; the audacity of Christians to constantly site the crimes and persecutions against them throughout history was nothing but a justification for some of the worst cases of persecution and genocide committed by themselves.
The piece of family history was discovering that my grandfather was not my genetic grandfather. My genetic grandfather (whom I do not consider to be my grandfather) had been a violent abusive drunk, my grandmother was a proper catholic woman, and played the organ for the local church for the last 10-20 years. Everyone in the parish knew my grandfather was abusive, but said nothing. One day my grandmother had enough and got a divorce. This was in the 60’s and she was asked to hand over her keys to the church and effectively shunned by the rest of the parish, including her daughters. Many years later she met Bert (my real grandfather) he loved her, and helped her buy the house she’d been renting, he was hated by my aunties despite all he did for my grandmother, and when she died they fought him for control of the house he was living in, and had been living in with my grandmother.
I so I started reading about religions, wondering which one was for me. I found a few bits and pieces here and there but over and over the picture was the same. One of the most stupid things that humans have tended to do through out history is the institutionalization of belief. Religion frees you from taking responsibility for your own actions, and in effect keeps you as a child with this looming Santa Claus/daddy figure hanging over you, promising to reward you if you’re good and go what your told, or spank you and send you to your room if you’re a naughty boy or girl. God may be out there and my love each and every one of us, but religion is of man not of some great and loving creator being.
This is the first time I've written this all down together, I found it quite liberating. Thank you.
Sydney
Australia
Joined: Born and baptized Catholic
Left: 13
Now: Cynical free-thinker
Comments
So I know your claims of liberation are lies.
I know all the claims of Christianity are lies.
BULLSHIT
Ryan,
Your experience sounds familiar.
Mine was the invisible bearded man with holes in his ands and feet, who was always staring at me.
welcome to internal freedom
"the audacity of Christians to constantly site the crimes and persecutions against them throughout history was nothing but a justification for some of the worst cases of persecution and genocide committed by themselves."
That was simply brilliant Ryan!
http://www.truthbeknown.com/victims.htm
You can't fool me with your vomitings.
Keep telling yourselves how great you are, but MANY of us know differently.
Did I ever tell anyone how "great" I am?, if so I dont remember it.
I leave delusions of grandeur to the religious fundamentalists like yourself.
Nobody here cares enough about your delusions to bother trying to fool you, you arent worth the effort, and why would anyone here want to fool you? You seem to be fooling yourself quite effectivly without our help.
So please keep your "vomitings" to yourself instead of trying to impose them on us.
and BTW, I doubt you have ever knowingly met an actual atheist,
But if you insist on claiming to have been raised by atheists ,, please provide a few anecdotes of your experience to support your claims.
But my point is this; everyone must make their own choices and follow their own path (another reason I do not like religion, for it is never your own path), for Emanuel Goldstein actively choosing to give up his free will and attempting shout down others who do not take his path may work for him, it doesn’t work for me. I posted on this website because I wanted to share something with some complete strangers who seem to have possibly taken a similar path to myself. I would never have posted this on a Christian or Muslim website, nor would I have attempted to shout them down on their websites no matter how wrong I felt their views were, it just seems rude to me.
I would however be interested to hear Mr Goldstein’s tale if he has one. Why he hates atheists so much, and if he has a rational reason for why he chose religion (and what religion) when he was raised by atheists.
Also I’d actually have to say whist I do not believe in a god per say, I do not discount the possibility that I am wrong and if one day god cracked the sky open and showed itself to me I’d believe and I’d respect but I wouldn’t worship. Subservience isn’t love in my book.
Great story, and glad things are working out for you. Welcome and thanks.
To emanual goldstein,
Several men with a large white jacket are looking for you. They want to help. :-)
Religion is repugnant! The very fact that religion is a set of organized beliefs is what's wrong with the whole establishment. How the fuck do you organize beliefs for the masses? How do the founders of religion expect millions of others to see things the same way? The problem is with the establishment of a religion at all. That's why Christianity boasts so many different denominations, because as it grows, it changes. That is a universal truth-the one constant is change. Now, the Judeo-Christian God claims to never change, but not only does he seem to change CONSTANTLY throughout the Bible, but he certainly has changed throught time. I mean, just think, He used to believe in polygamy, but now he doesn't. He used to believe in slavery, but now he doesn't. He used to believe that women should keep quiet in church, but now they're allowed to teach and preach. He used to believe in divorce in the old Testament, but now your husband must be dead before you remarry no matter how he beats you or cheats on you. He used to be disgusted by pagan rituals, but now he allows Christians to erect a Christmas tree, despite his warnings to refrain in Jeremiah Chapter 10. It's okay now though because we're pretending it's Jeebus' birthday. He used to be pretty fucking serious about the Sabbath day, but thank goodness Rome came around and corrected Him and officialized Sunday as the NEW Sabbath. His name was YAHWEH, or is it I AM, or is it JEHOVAH, or is it LORD, or is it G-d...Oh fuck it; I'm so confused!
Mr. Goldstein, I can attest to the slavery of one's mind and soul when one is a victim of organized religion. How about a good spirited, intelligent debate, huh? Is that possible? Will you ever stop spewing your venom or will you grow up and offer valid, sensible arguments in favor of your faith and your position? Probably not which is why we are EXCHRISTIANS, because none of your fellow fundies have been able to either.