Have you personally had a bad experience with religion?

With the amount of anti-theists here (or anywhere on the internet), I am curious to konw what kind of experience you have personally had with religion. I know a lot of people are upset because of news stories involving religion (Wesboro Baptist Church, religious wars, ect.), but I am wondering what kind of experience you have personally had in your own life with religion? I grew up in a pretty open-minded church that accepted gays and evolution, as well as critical thinking, so I do not have as bad of a "rep" with religion as many people. What are your thoughts?

I personally have not. Also this thread will not end well.

no

Also this thread will not end well.

jim_shorts

a religion thread being derailed? do tell.

Not that I can think of.

People don't have bad experiences with religion, they have bad experiences with people who happen to be religious

not really.

though my moms side of the family doesnt particularly like me, due my grandmas misconstrued words.

was in her kitchen with my mom and aunt. religion came up. so i had reavealed that i was a Deist. little did i know, my grandma(she has a bad habit of exaggerating everything. has caused several fights within the family) was listening in. as we were leaving, she then pulled my parents and me aside, and said that i really need to read the bible, even sent me home with one. then she went around telling all her sisters and such that im an atheist. so now i get nothing but dirt looks and "ill pray for you" everytime we visit my moms side of the family. its gotten to the point where i dont even go visit with them anymore, and my parents dont force me.

i am an atheist, parents know, but for reasons already known, they keep it to themselves.

all religions are false expect Christianity AussieePet

I was taken to a cult by my father when i was little, and these freaks had their children brainwashed to think in a certain way. I remember when one of the kids went to another church we had a "crisis" as they were indoctrinated by the local community church. I started to ask questions, that rely on faith growing up too, they couldn't answer them and after I started to ask I told my dad that I didn't feel safe going there anymore. :P These were the kinda people who would go to the woods to sing, and to this day I haven't touched another religion because I ask questions that can not be answered by anyone :P That stupid who created god and who created god question. I also asked myself how one religion is sure to be right when there are so many out there. So now, I've been content with simply believing there is a deity who created the world, but there is no way to prove anything about him/her so until my death I simply want to be a good person, and wait and see :P

EDIT: I also had odd interested as a child that made me feel out of place there a bit after listening to their preaching :P

I didn't get candy from a guy one Halloween because he thought it was a Satanic holiday. I've been an atheist ever since.CRS98

living in iran is basically a bad experience with religion.

[QUOTE="CRS98"]I didn't get candy from a guy one Halloween because he thought it was a Satanic holiday. I've been an atheist ever since.Bucked20

If you consider me being annoyed by the people who try to convert me to be a bad experience, then yes.

I was an Episcopalian that went to a Church of Christ school for my middle and highschool years. I had far too many.

all religions are false expect Christianity AussieePet

Not really. The only people besides my family that are openly religious are close family friends and they are some of the nicest people I know. I have friends both religious and non-religious and we all get along.

nope, i actually enjoyed going to church, and never really had any bad expierinces.

that doesn't mean religion isn't harmful to society in general right now.

also, TC do you think that the reason for people being anti-theists is because they "personally had a bad experience with religion"?

nope, i actually enjoyed going to church, and never really had any bad expierinces.

that doesn't mean religion isn't harmful to society in general right now.

also, TC do you think that the reason for people being anti-theists is because they "personally had a bad experience with religion"?

Phaze-Two

no , not really,

[QUOTE="AussieePet"]all religions are false expect Christianity ZX81plus3

I am a religious person but I have had bad experiences with religion (and religious people).

When I was younger I was told that I was dumb by an Orthodox Rabbi because I was asking about the Dinosaurs, he told me "The dinosaur bones were put here to test our faith, only stupid people believe in them". Even as a kid I knew that was silly, I also have a work friend who is gay and he told me how bad a church treated him, they missed the message entirely.

It's about loving people and not condemning them, does Jesus hate gays? I don't think so, I never read anything about him suggesting it. He said to love people and tolerate them and that people's sins are forgiven, Christians that judge gays are hypocrites. Fortunately he found a church that accepts him and no one judges him there. I have also had some bad experience with some other Jews because I date non Jewish women, some Jews want me to date only Jews and give me crap for not doing it, but I don't care what they think. I will go out with any girl I want.

However despite the bad that some religious people do, I know that isn't what God wants. God is with me always, He is with all of us, and His love guides me to do what is right. People can get the religion wrong or miss the message, but with God I know the truth.

But OT will just attack me for saying this so I'm out. This isn't a very good community for religious people.

I am a religious person but I have had bad experiences with religion (and religious people).

When I was younger I was told that I was dumb by an Orthodox Rabbi because I was asking about the Dinosaurs, he told me "The dinosaur bones were put here to test our faith, only stupid people believe in them". Even as a kid I knew that was silly, I also have a work friend who is gay and he told me how bad a church treated him, they missed the message entirely.

It's about loving people and not condemning them, does Jesus hate gays? I don't think so, I never read anything about him suggesting it. He said to love people and tolerate them and that people's sins are forgiven, Christians that judge gays are hypocrites. Fortunately he found a church that accepts him and no one judges him there. I have also had some bad experience with some other Jews because I date non Jewish women, some Jews want me to date only Jews and give me crap for not doing it, but I don't care what they think. I will go out with any girl I want.

However despite the bad that some religious people do, I know that isn't what God wants. God is with me always, He is with all of us, and His love guides me to do what is right. People can get the religion wrong or miss the message, but with God I know the truth.

But OT will just attack me for saying this so I'm out. This isn't a very good community for religious people.

ShadowMoses900

With the amount of anti-theists here (or anywhere on the internet), I am curious to konw what kind of experience you have personally had with religion. I know a lot of people are upset because of news stories involving religion (Wesboro Baptist Church, religious wars, ect.), but I am wondering what kind of experience you have personally had in your own life with religion? I grew up in a pretty open-minded church that accepted gays and evolution, as well as critical thinking, so I do not have as bad of a "rep" with religion as many people. What are your thoughts?

the_plan_man

No. I like it in fact. I've always been interested in the mindset of others. From what they believe in down to what bizarre things they find attractive. I like the subject.

Not necessarily bad, but boy did it shave some years off my life.

My Mom was pretty catholic, and made me go through First communion, reconciliation, confirmation, confession and weekly bible study every Thurs and church every Sun until I was 13,

Ironically, my mom was very accomodating to me being an Atheist.

No. I like it in fact. I've always been interested in the mindset of others. From what they believe in down to what bizarre things they find attractive. I like the subject.

sune_Gem

some people born as an ugly duck and they blame religion got to do with it:lol:

No. I like it in fact. I've always been interested in the mindset of others. From what they believe in down to what bizarre things they find attractive. I like the subject.

sune_Gem

Greek and Norse mythology is pretty interesting. Some of the Judeo Christian stuff isn't as cool but I'd still like to see some of the more fantasicalrenditions of blibical stories. (I do remember liking Prince of Egypt, though I haven't seen it in a long time).

I believe in God, but I have some recent experience with a new pastor preaching against homosexuality which doesn't sit well with me.

Beyond that I grew up with a friend whose whole family (him included) became fairly religious when we were in highschool together with a nice side of judgemental a$$holishness to go with it. I honestly blamed the religion for a long time, but I realize now that the parents were always sort of judgemental a$$holes (just not to me because I was young and pure.....ish), and their kids probably never stood a chance.

[QUOTE="pie-junior"]No, actually. parents can be described best as closeted atheists (as in they'll admit they don't really believe in god if you question them long enough), and I never believed in god or took any religious activity seriously.GazaAli

I didn't.