I'm trying to collect some informal data on religions goings on in the world. I'm doing this simply for education of self, and hope, if anyone responds, they will be educated as well.
Below is an example of the format i'm looking for. I will use my personal experience first
1. Country: USA
2. Time span: 1988 - present
3. Experiences:
a. my parents are a superstitious bunch. they pray for no reason i can discern. they say they are buddhist, but i doubt that what they do has much to do with buddhism.
b. i rejected this as soon as i had the thought to analyze it. they still do it - which, orignally i met with anger, I now meet with annoyance. I even attempted to brainwash myself into believing saying things to incorporeal spirits along a voicemail app of the earth will result in some god or such changing its whims at your command. i found it silly and demeaning to human dignity
c. I grew up in a Christian town. Very vocal baptist community. I live there now, and the depression seems to have toned everyone down, but I get the impression that these people are so desperate to believe in something, they will believe in anything. But I also get the impression they don't really believe in it and have to brainwash themselves with tropisms and rituals to give themselves the illusion of belief (self denial at its highest form)
d. religious folk seem friendly. I used to think they were decent folk, but most of the ones I know are horrific monstorcities who hide under the veneer of kindness.
e. i went to a college where 98 percent of my peers were adamant atheists. They mocked religion when it came up, but otherwised focused on a form of hedonism characteristic of only college age men and women, in otherwords - half assed. When I connected with them again after college, they seem to have legitimately grown into better people
f. I am currently studying the dao. Mainly I am doing this cuz I hope i can get some asian super powers. the philosophy is calming though, so I may gel in it until something more suitable is found.
g. scientism, from the youtube videos I see, is just annoying.
4. Conclusions:
a. People choose the faith that fits their desires. Christians admit to being horrible people - some aim to fix it, but most accept their faith as a license to "sin" - something these sermon ready hear they should not do in church. Buddhists seem to be poor yokels that are desperate for a hand out from the universe. Atheists vary, at least on this forum.
b. people seldom chain their faith. I do not know why this is.
hopes:
1. that we will one day live in a sane and decent world
2. I do not have my hopes up
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1: Born 1959 . Baptized Catholic without my permission, doesn't count.
2: Argued with nun in 6th grade regarding timeline in Genesis. A priest thumped me on sternum with two sausage fingers saying "Oh , a smart ass, huh? You just sit down and keep your mouth shut!" My first red badge of courage.
3:At 13 my parents converted to Pentecostalism. Did not join them in their journey. Thus my teenage rebellion manifested as apathetic apostasy. Had my first atheist experience listening to and imagining "Imagine" by John Lennon.
4: Wasted many good youthful years exploring Eastern religions - Yogic meditation , "Be Here Now" Sikhism , Sufism , etc. Closest I came to Samadhi was a complete dissolution of the ego and a merging into the divine oneness brought on by consumption of blotter acid{that was some good shit}.
5: Did not think about religion much for twenty years. Apatheism.
6: Now at 56 am outright atheist living in Baptist/Pentecostal rural county in Kentucky. Surrounded by friends and family who are all Christian. Don't argue much about it. Just follow the rules about politics and religion at the dinner table.
Hope to sharpen my writing skills and put some arguments for atheism and morality without god into blog or essay format.
Goal / Purpose in life is to create a better world for my kids and grandkids to grow old in. Less religion and more reason is always a good plan.
I am newly turned 50 year old/young woman
My parents allowed me to exlore religion growing up. I was a military brat, raised mainly in Arkansas and Texas. Got my fair share of the full spectrum of protestant christianity. I readily admit that, for a kid, going to churches that had people who would jump up during church service and have fits, while speaking in toungues was exhilarating. Catholics got nuthin' on that. When I became a teenager, it stopped being fun.
I persuaded my parents to send me to a christian private school for high school. BIG MISTAKE! I was immediately faced with opposition to science, which I was not especially fond of, until then. I just couldn't wrap my poor little brain around creationism. It was, and is, laughable. The "teachers" and the head pastor would make the kids who were being rebellious stand up in front of their peers and berate them for their faults. If you've ever seen the documentary 'The Christ Who Wasn't There,' (1) watch it, its really good; and, (2) That was similar to my experience. Hellfire, damnation, personal relationship with christ (who never existed, btw) and the lot.
What number am I on, now? 3? When George Bush took office and let loose his faith based crap, abstinence only sex education and whatnot, I got a bit pissed that religion was being interjected so openly into my politics. Fucker had no right. Although, others can disagree, there is no state sponsored religion in the US. We are NOT based on christianity, we aren't supposed to be based on any religion. Yet, we give churches and religions tax-exempt status, openly pray in our opening of Congress, are forced to swear to god in court and pledge so help us god to our pratiotism (flag). I hadn't questioned my belief in god, yet. Just upset that it was being used to make policy. My questions started when I saw the pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope.
I was literally gobsmacked. How, in the vastness of space, amongst all those billions of galaxies, would one tiny little planet, in only one of those galaxies, amount to a hill of beans. Especially, an animal who liked to think itself the apex of species. The only comparison we have are ourselves. We are the ones making the parameters of intelligence. More importantly, we are the ones who are making up all that extra shit about god and such. Supernatural events, like miracles, prophecy, unicorns, fairies, santa claus. They are all the same. Makes for mind bending shit, when you reall think about it. (Space, that is.) There is no god, christ never existed, the bible is just a jumbled collection of stories and borrowed myths from Babylonia, Egypt and other ancient societies.
Quite frankly, it was all very liberating.
Ok, I've divulged enough.
Good luck with your data collection.
One more thing, though. I don't find that atheists are as angry as you may think. Frustrated, passionate, definitely. I am quite sick and tired of having god and christ shoved down my throat. Just keep that shit to yourself. Especially after I've told you I don't buy that. Stop trying to save me. I am already pretty good knowing my time is limited to my own lifetime.
I am newly turned 50 year old/young woman
My parents allowed me to exlore religion growing up. I was a military brat, raised mainly in Arkansas and Texas. Got my fair share of the full spectrum of protestant christianity. I readily admit that, for a kid, going to churches that had people who would jump up during church service and have fits, while speaking in toungues was exhilarating. Catholics got nuthin' on that. When I became a teenager, it stopped being fun.
I persuaded my parents to send me to a christian private school for high school. BIG MISTAKE! I was immediately faced with opposition to science, which I was not especially fond of, until then. I just couldn't wrap my poor little brain around creationism. It was, and is, laughable. The "teachers" and the head pastor would make the kids who were being rebellious stand up in front of their peers and berate them for their faults. If you've ever seen the documentary 'The Christ Who Wasn't There,' (1) watch it, its really good; and, (2) That was similar to my experience. Hellfire, damnation, personal relationship with christ (who never existed, btw) and the lot.
What number am I on, now? 3? When George Bush took office and let loose his faith based crap, abstinence only sex education and whatnot, I got a bit pissed that religion was being interjected so openly into my politics. Fucker had no right. Although, others can disagree, there is no state sponsored religion in the US. We are NOT based on christianity, we aren't supposed to be based on any religion. Yet, we give churches and religions tax-exempt status, openly pray in our opening of Congress, are forced to swear to god in court and pledge so help us god to our pratiotism (flag). I hadn't questioned my belief in god, yet. Just upset that it was being used to make policy. My questions started when I saw the pictures from the Hubble Space Telescope.
I was literally gobsmacked. How, in the vastness of space, amongst all those billions of galaxies, would one tiny little planet, in only one of those galaxies, amount to a hill of beans. Especially, an animal who liked to think itself the apex of species. The only comparison we have are ourselves. We are the ones making the parameters of intelligence. More importantly, we are the ones who are making up all that extra shit about god and such. Supernatural events, like miracles, prophecy, unicorns, fairies, santa claus. They are all the same. Makes for mind bending shit, when you reall think about it. (Space, that is.) There is no god, christ never existed, the bible is just a jumbled collection of stories and borrowed myths from Babylonia, Egypt and other ancient societies.
Quite frankly, it was all very liberating.
Ok, I've divulged enough.
Good luck with your data collection.
One more thing, though. I don't find that atheists are as angry as you may think. Frustrated, passionate, definitely. I am quite sick and tired of having god and christ shoved down my throat. Just keep that shit to yourself. Especially after I've told you I don't buy that. Stop trying to save me. I am already pretty good knowing my time is limited to my own lifetime.
Thanks to everyone who shares their stories. I've already learned a lot. From Emyra I have learned that 'liberal' (small l) is a relative term. I can see nothing very liberal about her parents, except by comparison with fanatical religious fundamentalists. In my country (the UK), insisting someone believe in a god would be called neither liberal nor even conservative. Extreme or oppressive sound more apropos from here.
What I have learned so far...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_Malaysia#English
I couldn’t find the Christ Who Wasn’t, but did Necoburo mean this?...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ik7GRQ9hoVY
Country: Scotland/UK
Time Span: 1956 - (Not dead yet :-)
Experiences (re:religion): Almost none.
I was raised as a Roman Catholic but only one member of my family took the idea of "The" god seriously. We all went to church to keep one religious parent happy. Even our RC priest didn't try to pretend there was an Abrahamic god. At least he didn't attempt to defend superstitions like 3 persons-in-one; Christ walked on water; Virgin birth; Holy Ghost, etc.. He was superstitious but not stupid. He apparently believed in some 'higher power' or 'ultimate intelligence' but he never was very specific. For mid-20th century England that was superstitious enough. Any more and very few would have taken him seriously.
My schools were nominally RC and we had "Religious Education" (40 mins per week) which amounted to indoctrination into Christianity as no other religions were mentioned (that I can recall) and no non-religious world view was mentioned. That's how all superstition works. Many people (even one or two government ministers) in Africa believe in witches and witchcraft. Superstitions are normalized while we are young. Few would listen to nonsense like the 'son of God' or 'the true prophet' if it were introduced when we were older and had been taught the principles of scientific method and critical thinking. Superstitions are seldom adopted in adulthood although sometimes people "convert" from one superstition to another (Muslim to Christian) or drop one superstition while keeping another, for instance: dropping belief in demons while keeping a belief in a "loving" god.
Language was used in the indoctrination process. I didn't have a first name, it was my "Christian name"
I wasn't chanting incantations I was "praying"
I wasn't a kind or caring person, I was "being Christian"
I wasn't indulging in a mythology, I was discussing "theology"
Hopes: That humanity will stop thinking about Armageddon and religion and start thinking about Space Ship Earth and where humanity is going. I hope humanity will reject all superstition and embrace critical thinking as well as democratic and inclusive principles.
(I have never shared so much on the Internet before. Well done Vincent :-)
Well as for myself, I guess that as soon as I was able to reason for myself, I began to question a god. I certainly questioned religion. In all my life,every single exposure to religion, I have not found one iota of reason or fact that supports anything factual about a god.
I grew up in and was born into an Anglican Erse Irish Episcopal culture. I went to catechism and attended church on a weekly basis.
As a child my family moved often and my requirements to attend church dropped off dramatically. I joined the military and found an institutionally forced belief in a god prevalent. You know, "god country, corps." When I retired, I moved to Texas and received a cultural shock. This state is bonkers with bible thumping nonthinking morons. By this time my questioning of religion and a god had manifested into full Atheism.
I am more than irked about how obtrusive religion has become in our various forms of government and society at large. It's on our currency, our pledge, our courts, everywhere. I became particularly alarmed when businesses started placing a fish symbol as part of their company trademark. This was to symbolize that they were a christian company. It smacked of fascist regime ostracizing of free thinkers. As if you had to be a christian to do business.
I have studied the American Revolution and the Constitution extensively. 'The Federalist Papers' in particular. I wanted to know how and why the revolution came about and the intent of the founders. It is an ongoing study. I know this. This is a SECULAR nation founded upon the principles of individual rights. We were one vote short of being an Atheist nation. The founders wanted very much to throw off the yoke of religiosity. Remember that the revolution were fighting the idea that laws came from a god. Kings are ordained(chosen) by god, therefor have supreme authority. The revolutionist wanted a nation of laws not a nation of men.
Through my research I found that in every instance that god or religion has been interjected into our government, it came far after the revolutionary era. Like the "under god" phrase that invades 'The Pledge of Allegiance" was added as late as 1954. "In god we trust" was never the intention of the founders. They didn't allow bibles in the courts and no one had to swear on them before testimony.
The founders saw fit to set this nation as a secular nation because because an atheist nation would alienate the general population. This is not a christian nation nor was it founded upon judeo-christian principles.
The founding philosophies of this nation are almost entirely based on the ideology of John Locke, Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Voltaire, Montesquieu, and Benjamin Rush. All declared atheist. James Madison's great legal mind was brilliant in creating the Constitution. He would write each passage take it to congress. They would debate and finalize each aspect of the document, but by and large it is the work of Madison. John Jay was also instrumental in it's formulation. Incidentally both Madison and Jay were atheist.
I researched the faith of all the founders. Most were undeclared atheist. their private diaries prove that fact. Many declared themselves as "deist" but that was a public cover for atheist, almost a code word. Very few were actually practicing christians. George Washington almost entered a church once but decided against it and returned home. BTW Washington was NOT sworn in on a bible, he never uttered the words "almighty god."
So as an atheist, I fight the good fight to keep this nation a secular nation, and true religious freedom.
I'm less of a catalyst for secular enlightenment. I understand all too well that the comfort of immortality is a key driving force for innumerable people to carry on with their lives. That alone keeps much of the peace in this world at the forefront of its collective humanity. Religions are no asset to man's conflicting behavior but that's his nature now. It's going to take man a very long time to shake off that mantle.
I was 8 when I began questioning, and 9 or 10 when I'd become atheist. Both parents were Roman Catholic through and through. In order to keep the peace I bowed to all the religious training and pageantry, though by the Confirmation event both knew I was an atheist. That did not matter to them, nor me, because they were happy I was cooperating and, for my part, it was my gift to them. They simply dismissed my atheism as an uneducated rebel response to religious regimentation and its teachings. That was quite correct, too.
Anyway, at 17 I went my way and have lived a secular life for the succeeding 44 years. My wife is religious. My two sons (17 & 22) are ardent atheists, tending towards anti-theism, so I have to keep those discussions off the dinner table.
I think the weight of religion is too much to bear parting with for those consumed by it. They have a right to their own "good fights" while the rest of us attempt to steer clear of them.
1. Country: Chile
2. Born in 1987, in Santiago, Chile.
3. Experiences: I was born in the middle of a very catholic family; my birth was also surrounded by a halo of mysticism and superstition. My parents were married and trying to have children for 10 years without success. However they attributed my conception and birth to a "miracle" given by the then, catholic Pope JP II. So, in order to be “thankful” I had to be raised in the, always perfect, catholic faith.
I went to a private Catholic school as a child, it was very expensive. I had my doubts, but many were drowned out by the doctrines taught in classes, and prayers recited every 45 minutes during the day.
One day, my father lost his job and couldn’t pay for the school anymore, so my brother and I went to another school, secular and free.
I became involved in youth ministry of a parish, but struggled throughout my adolescence with religion. Many things were extremely illogical and irrational, others made no sense.
I think one of the worst things that religion does with the mind of a young man or woman, is make you feel guilty for questioning and challenging the establishment.
Many times I wanted to reveal but I was afraid… afraid of losing my friends, of letting down my family, afraid of god and that stupid promise of eternal hell. Finally in last year of university, at the age of 22, I couldn't just “keep praying”. I began to allow these doubts, confronting and questioning myself and the faith that I was forced to live.
I have to admit I suffered a lot. My family and some friends got really angry with me, but also I stopped felling guilty for whatever thing I did. I realize that I’d never really believe anything that they said to me; I found that finally I was at peace with my mind.
All the atrocities committed by priests and covered by the church, where just a confirmation that there’s something really bad with this institution.
4. I’m 28 years now, I’m an atheist, and I feel free. And proud.
5. Goal / purpose: I want to help create a world that make decisions based on evidence and not ideology.
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Country: U.S.A, Northeast corner of Arkansas, Batesville.
Year : 1999
Experiances/ things learned.
(A) Living in an area known as the Bible belt will usually lead to discrimination on a level such to make those in more excepting contrys/areas queezy.
(B) Religious people seem to be completely unable to understand that they cannot know what they know.
(C) Most will bail out of an argument if the realize they cannot win, and will bail out even though they started it. Most put this off as "I could, but I don't want to" which translates to "I want to, but I can't, and yet I'm so scared of not having a god to take responsibility for my actions that I will just bail out"
(D) Most religious people think that the bible and things connected to it counts as proof.
(E) Most are bigots of the highest order (though a few exceptions exist)
(F) Most of them think that they are higher up and more important than the rest of us just because they think they have an all powerful sky daddy.
(G) (possible connected to (E)) If someone requires a religion and a god to scare them into being a good person, they are all ready a bad person. It's amazing what one can learn in their first 16 years of life, no?
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