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[AllRight]

Hi Everyone!

I am 43, live slightly north of the bible belt in the U.S., and a closet Atheist for several months now.  As a child my parents took my siblings and I to church on Sundays but were never super religious outside of believing jesus died for the sins of mankind.  It seemed to me like they took us to church as an obligation and I never felt comfortable going even after trying different churches as an adult. I attended a christian university, studied the bible on my own for many years, and studied many denominations of christianity while at the same time working alongside people of varying religious beliefs including hindus, muslims and  christian fundamentalists. 

Every church I ever went to had a pecking order, jealousy and hypocrisy and I always had a hard time reconciling that behavior with the teachings of christ. The judgment and hypocrisy I have experience over the years from many christians are behaviors I personally strive to refrain from. Where I live christians automatically assume their beliefs are shared by everyone, so they inject religion into conversations without a second thought.  This happens to me a lot and all I can do is smile and nod or have no reaction.

My beliefs unraveled over the course of many years but once I began to hold my religious beliefs to the same standard I judged others by, the process moved quickly.  Once I began to study the bible and notice all of violence, contradictions and sexism it made no sense to me that it would ever come from a supreme being, but I could see how man would be motivated to write it in order to exert control over others in a patriarchal society. It saddens and angers me greatly that in this modern age human rights are still being violated around the world in the name of religion.

I think my family suspects that I no longer believe because my parents bring up god and jesus when I am around and they never used to, but since they are getting older and probably afraid of their own eventual deaths I just go along with it to save their feelings. I’ve had religion crammed down my throat my whole life and am tired of it but don’t feel I can be honest with family, friends for fear of losing them. I am very glad to have found this forum so maybe I won’t feel as isolated, so thanks for being here and listening…

AllRight

[stromboli]

Welcome to the party. Many here with similar stories. It can get emotional or rude, but the discussion is generally insightful and you can learn a lot.

[Baruch]

Welcome.  Hope you find this forum a way out of isolation ;-)

[Sal1981]

Hi.

[Solomon Zorn]

Welcome, AllRight! I'm an ex-Christian as well. Just a little older than you. Hope you find some encouragement here.

Here's a link to some poems you might enjoy: http://www.solomonzorn.com/religious-poems.html

[Mike Cl]

AllRight--welcome!

[aitm]

Greetings, when we pronounce your name should we hear matthew Mcconaughey in our head?

[SGOS]

Another soul seduced by reason.  Lost to the dark side and isolated from the protection of the flock.  Is this how it ends?  We must stand together in Christian unity, and reaffirm our belief in Christ, now more than ever.  The Muslim Hordes are coming.

Welcome to the forum.  And please forgive me.  I have no idea where that rant came from.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

But, but, but..what if they're right and we're wrong?  We'll all burn in H E double dirty q-tips forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and....

Ok, you see where this is headed..
It's ok to be wrong once in awhile Allright.. in this case you probably aren't so pat yourself on the back and give them a nice big fuckoff under your breath and move along..  Welcome to the site.

[AllRight]

Greetings, when we pronounce your name should we hear matthew Mcconaughey in our head?

more like Linda Belcher from "Bob's Burgers" ;-)

[Mr.Obvious]

Welcome Allright, to our little band of heathens.
I got a feeling you'll fit right in.

[Knighthawk1001]

Hey everybody. Man it feels really good to know you're not the only who doesn't believe in God. Especially when you've been in a lds church your whole life and you finally snap out of stupidity mode

[stromboli]

Hey everybody. Man it feels really good to know you're not the only who doesn't believe in God. Especially when you've been in a lds church your whole life and you finally snap out of stupidity mode

Welcome. Former Mormon. The only other one, actually. Have you visited any ex-Mormon websites like R/exmormon on Reddit? 27,000 members, a very active forum. I left the church in 1992.

[Knighthawk1001]

Haha sadly no. Lately I have just been feeling like if God truly loves everyone of his children then explain the holocaust in any meaningful logical basis.

[AllPurposeAtheist]

Haha sadly no. Lately I have just been feeling like if God truly loves everyone of his children then explain the holocaust in any meaningful logical basis.

Forget the holocaust..I just want the fuck to explain toothaches ..