Religion

LakeArenal

(29,949 posts)

13. I think most of us had church

Tue Aug 22, 2017, 04:40 PM

Aug 2017

I spent every summer going to some bible school. I've been lots of christian.
Methodist, Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Lutheran and Evangelical Lutheran. Missed Presbalutheran, with the Simpsons.

Everyone of them gave mixed messages and everyone of them had different rules. It was very confusing to me as a kid.

Then, I realized that despite all the warnings about hell and damnation, I didn't believe any of it. It seemed silly. But I stayed in the atheist closet for a long long time.

I tell folks I do believe Jesus was real. I just don't believe in divinity. No holy ghosts, resurrections or heavens.

Heaven is right here on earth. Just look around. If you don't see it, mores the pity.

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What percentage of atheists do you think were churchgoers until reaching some age? [View all] MineralMan Aug 2017 OP

Church attendance has been falling steadily from its peak in the 1950s Warpy Aug 2017 #1

I'd think a much higher percentage of the older generation as attendance has dropped off bettyellen Aug 2017 #2

I was an altar boy (unmolested!) SonofDonald Aug 2017 #3

Good question. Freelancer Aug 2017 #4

I guess your Sunday School teacher had no answer for that question. MineralMan Aug 2017 #7

You bet. Freelancer Aug 2017 #8

Either that or someone offers up some sort of apologetics MineralMan Aug 2017 #9

I've been very extremely stressed considering a dear heart and his family and associates sprinkleeninow Aug 2017 #37

Ex not even really a catholic. pamdb Aug 2017 #5

I like to tell people I was an altar boy...but only once! SwissTony Aug 2017 #6

Days of Holy Obligation Cartoonist Aug 2017 #17

Once I realized that the Catholic church I grew up in was nonsense... Binkie The Clown Aug 2017 #10

For me, death is just the end of my journey. MineralMan Aug 2017 #11

When you die your energy just changes into a different energy Angry Dragon Aug 2017 #20

Energy, as a general rule, changes to heat, and then dissipates. Binkie The Clown Aug 2017 #21

reincarnation does not guarantee you come back as a person Angry Dragon Aug 2017 #22

If this reality is a simulation... Binkie The Clown Aug 2017 #23

If we can choose the form of our reincarnation, The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2017 #30

If reincarnation is a real thing, it makes sense that people don't remember The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2017 #28

Agnostic nearing Atheisim Runningdawg Aug 2017 #12

I think most of us had church LakeArenal Aug 2017 #13

I never went to church. AtheistCrusader Aug 2017 #14

You wrote this: guillaumeb Aug 2017 #15

They are common human failings. MineralMan Aug 2017 #16

Go ahead. Everbody jump on me (my post). sprinkleeninow Aug 2017 #26

Because for some, any imperfections in believers are apparently seen as "proof" guillaumeb Aug 2017 #35

Is it, now? Act_of_Reparation Aug 2017 #39

You may have implied and it may have been inferred sprinkleeninow Aug 2017 #36

Don't know, but my gut says it's gotta be most of us. Iggo Aug 2017 #18

I'm the son of a rabbi DavidDvorkin Aug 2017 #19

I have been atheist since before I ever heard of atheism Orrex Aug 2017 #24

A sizable majority. Act_of_Reparation Aug 2017 #25

It might depend on whether the person was brought up in an oppressive The Velveteen Ocelot Aug 2017 #27

Personally, I don't really care what a person believes. MineralMan Aug 2017 #29

I became an atheist handmade34 Aug 2017 #31

Yes. I have met others who have the same thing to say. MineralMan Aug 2017 #32

most people handmade34 Aug 2017 #33

Yes, I'm sure of that, although most wouldn't make that public. MineralMan Aug 2017 #34

Oooh. no text. sprinkleeninow Aug 2017 #38

I think a pretty large portion of them DBPhenomenal Sep 2017 #40