Does your experience with religion as a child influence how you approach Atheism?

[Curmudgeoness]

12. I don't think my childhood experiences have any impact

on the way that I approach atheism. But then again, I was not raised in a religious home. I did go to Sunday school, and to church, and to Bible camp and weekend retreats. But I took those things as more of a social event than a worship session. (I was thrown out of Sunday school once because we were telling jokes and laughing and we were supposed to be praying, so I was obviously not serious.)

I also got involved in a "born again" group, and that is probably where my opinions of religion turned off. Those people were fucking nuts. They talked the Bible and God all the time----all the time. They would go into places and try to convert everyone. They studied the Bible in detail, but as usual, they picked and chose what they wanted to believe. I will give them this....they were pretty tame and "Jesus-like". At least they tried to be like Jesus---not the way this newer brand of Christian is acting. But I found it distasteful because they felt that they were better than the rest of the world.

So maybe this experience has shaped my approach. I am much less willing to tolerate those "saving" people or the ones who want to pray for me, as if I am the one who needs the prayers. I am not nasty about it, but I am firm that I don't want to have fantasy conversations. I might not be so adament if I had not experienced it from the other side----the converting side.

Most people who know me know that I have no beliefs in anything to do with religion or god or spirituality and I find that they just avoid conversations on it. I am more offended when I go to events that are not religious, but are secular or political, and I am forced to "be good" while they pray....maybe because I still don't know how to deal with this.