Were you religious before you were atheist?

lazygal

Can't think of a better way to phrase it! Reading a thread in AH about things you've changed your mind on and becoming atheist is popping up a good bit. Some people said they were very religious, never missed mass, that kind of thing.
In school I was in the church choir and was an alter server. My family weren't particularly religious but did attend mass every week. We never said prayers, rosaries or anything at home, but we all did communions and confirmations. My parents would be pretty a la carte now, never attend mass outside weddings, funerals and sometimes for family commemorations, Christmas and if they are visiting relatives who are attending.
I know they'd have liked to have had a christening and possibly a church wedding, but beyond an initial comment, they respect our decisions as a family. Our children won't be getting even a tenth of the religion we did.

Sycopat

In the sense of having once been a member of a church? Sure.

I was never a very good catholic (excepting that I learned how to pretend I was a good catholic. How to manipulate people into thinking I fit their definition of a nice person is not really a skill I'm proud of though.), and i remember even at a young age liking the philosophy more than the plot, and lacking the linguistic ability to separate them.

It was in my teens I started seeing mass as a waste of time. I could never understand why my friends would happily go by themselves every sunday while I had to be dragged by my parents when the mood struck them. Still don't I guess.

Zen65

I was raised a catholic, but I rose above it.

In my parents' time the church was about "fitting in" as much as it was about any particular belief. In my pre-teen years I began having doubts, and through my teens and early twenties I became agnostic in the sense that I chose not to try and decide what I believed, but I doubted that any of it was true. As I reached the end of my twenties I figured it was all nonsense and every experience and every bit of learning since then adds to this belief, so I have moved deeper and deeper into an atheist mindset.

I do consider myself spiritual, but in my interpretation of this term there is no higher being at work, only ways by which all forms of life and art can reach a state of harmony with each other.

Z

kylith

I was. Church choir and everything. I even took the 'we are all brothers and sisters' bit literally. I started doubting in my mid teens when I noticed the amount of bullplop the priest was spouting about things he had no experience in and began to wonder what else he was bs-ing about.

doctoremma

I'd say that my previous religious habits bore no relation to my position on the existence of god; thus, I'm not sure I'd say I went from being religious to being atheist, if you see what I mean?

I was brought up in the UK version of a religious family. I was baptised, then never saw the inside of a church again, except for weddings and funerals. I knew my parents were (nominally) religious but it meant very little.

As a family, we became religious when my parents realised they wanted me and my brother to go to a decent school. The local one was dreadful and the only possible alternative was the town Catholic school. My Dad converted from Anglicanism, my brother and I were hurried through communion (aged 11 and 9 years), everyone dutifully attended mass and the priests were our buddies. For you atheists in Ireland, I can appreciate that there is certain irony to this...

But at no point in this process did I believe in god. I was mildly surprised in my first years at said Catholic school that some (many) people did. I thought we were all scamming together

magicbastarder

one thing i never 'got' as a kid was prayer. always seems like a charade to me. if god had spoken to me, it'd have freaked me out, and probably caused a psychosis. or an aneurysm.

Sarky

Yes. Embarrassingly so. Very hung up on sin and guilt, which stopped me from doing a lot of fun things. Like standing up for myself, or appreciating any talents I possessed.

Glad I got better.

tallaghtmick

Raised Catholic all the usual bells and whistles along with that never attended mass except for Christmas and copped on about 21 or 22.

vitani

Yes. Altar server, member of the choir, genuinely believed in God, even prayed independently and regularly up until around the time of my Confirmation.

By the time I was 15, my faith had gone and it hasn't come back so far. I don't know what happened to change my beliefs. Perhaps it was moving on to secondary school where religion was confined to religion class.

Obliq

Nope. Raised atheist, which interestingly didn't sit at all well with me as a youngster. I always felt I was missing out on some secret Sunday rituals that my friends had an automatic pass to and I didn't. I remember (age 8) asking my folks if I could go to church with my friend's families.

I went to both the Catholic and the Protestant churches locally, and proclaimed the Protestant one boring with rubbish songs, so that ruled that out. Belief in a god didn't really come across as a requirement though, so that was a plus. Sunday school though.....I went home saying "Imagine that, I was jealous!". I pitied my poor protestant friend from then on.

I was deeply offended by the Catholic church when they clearly did not welcome me with open arms and denied me a wafer and wine, but there was more cool bling and a bigger choir. However, they seemed to require a lot of responses that would have to be learned, and seemingly everyone believed something I didn't. Sigh. Plus, you had to dress more smartly and I didn't have a notion of that.

I don't think either of my young friends mentioned having to actually believe anything........

Beruthiel

Sarky wrote: »

Yes. Embarrassingly so. Very hung up on sin and guilt, which stopped me from doing a lot of fun things. Like standing up for myself

Yup.
Prayed every night. Thought I was watched in everything I did. Suffered from terrible guilt.
Now it's sinful hedonism all the way baby!

LadyMayBelle

Embarrasingly so also.

Was raised in an evangelical/born again household. Church and Sunday school, youth club, helped teas and coffees, taught Sunday School, stewarded at funerals etc. Was the Head person of our Christian Union in the uni also, attended conferences, camps and summer camps abroad/evangelical dance troupes even!! Considered Bible college. Yikes. Just seeing that written down I realise more and more how all consuming it was.

Glad Im out, well out. Parents still in altho me and my siblings are out.

OiOshawott

I was raised Catholic, but I've been an atheist since around January last year (Still pretending I'm religious when around family) once I copped on it was a load of bullcrap and I participated at a relative's funeral back among other stuff (Can't remember offhand though)

Gbear

Atheist parents.

I almost wish I had been brought up religious. I'd imagine the moment of epiphany when you realise it's a load of **** is quite exhilarating. I suppose the flipside is that you would then realise the amount of time wasted, guilt experienced and fun avoided because fun is bad.

I did get to see other people shedding religion around me though and that was nice. In the space of a year (15-16) I went from one of very few in a sea of catholics to most of my friends being deists at most.

It's easy being an atheist in Europe.
My uncle, on the other hand, is an atheist, as is his wife. They live in Memphis, TN. They've just had a child. They're not relishing him growing up with the tidal wave of bollocks you have to contend with in that part of the world.

He's lucky though.

You'd see on Reddit and that, stories from kids that came out to their parents about being gay or not believing in god and being completely cut off in that neck of the woods. List the little fella won't have to contend with that.


For those of you growing up before the 80's, what did your family make of no longer being religious?
I know that neither of my grandparents even replied to the invitation when my parents were getting married in a filthy godless registry office, of all places.

endacl

Not in the least bit. Went to mass on a Sunday till I was about 11 or 12, but the sense was iirc that it was habit. No great fuss when I announced that I wasn't going any more. Interestingly, I had a good friend at the time who's mother redefined über catholic. Once or twice she brought me along to various prayer meetings (Think Marian fetish nights). I found them utterly ridiculous, even at that young age, but remember being shocked at how angry my folks were when the heard I'd been brought.

PopePalpatine

I was briefly religious in the couple of months leading to my Confirmation, I even sworn against using profanity on the day I was doing it.

A few months later I couldn't care less, I would have been the average nominal Catholic.

Mr. CooL ICE

Yep. Prayed every night, all that sh1te.

Looking back, the funniest thing for me was being part of the choir. Not that it was religious, but I haven't a bloody note in my head. In among all the noise I was grand. Just made up numbers.

Cabaal

Was I christened? Yes but I had no choice in it
Can I honestly say I did the Communion and even more so the confirmation purely for the money, Yes

But at the same time I can say that even at the age of 5 I saw religion as nonsense and fairy tales, my mother still remembers me saying back then "I hate reggion"

I was like many Irish, forced to go to mass by my parents but that was maybe only 20 times (both my parents worked so in reality they didn't want to go either and even now they only go for births, deaths and marriages),

In secondary school as the years went on I also refused to even go to the school masses, this of course didn't go down well with the teachers.

Atlas_IRL

Even when i was a kid, really really young i always hated it. Going to church to tell priests what i have sined about, going to get communion i hated all of it. I was at a wedding the other day and it was very religious. I just cringed through the whole thing.

old hippy

Briefly but I didn't know any better. That's no excuse, I know and I don't condone that kind of behaviour but I've redeemed myself, honest.

sbsquarepants

I was never religious, but i was a believer at a young age (around communion age) Parents weren't mass goers so i didn't go either except for in school, christmass and funerals! I do remember saying the odd prayer at bed time though, i'd say i was more or less an atheist by the time i hit secondary school.

Sarky

Beruthiel wrote: »

Yup.
Prayed every night. Thought I was watched in everything I did. Suffered from terrible guilt.
Now it's sinful hedonism all the way baby!

Ever tried to imagine what life would be like if you were still religious?

When I think of all the amazing whiskies and beers I wouldn't have tried, or the crazy things I'd never have gotten up to with pretty ladies, or the amount of knowledge I'd never have learned because I'd have been too scared of going back to college or have gotten some sh*tty non-science job for fear of having my views challenged...

<shudder>

iDave

I wasn't particularly religious but I remember being afraid to fap when my grandparents died because I was worried they were looking down on heaven at me doing it.

Insect Overlord

I used to read at mass once a week when I was 11/12. Prayed most nights too. I was already having doubts at that age though.

jimmytwotimes 2013

like most people i was raised catholic, not so much a conscious decision as being brainwashed from the cradle. school would have given me my religious education and associated guilt for a few years.

i woke up at about the age of 14/15, when i started to think god was not as impressive a superhero as superman. later, however, i discovered batman and i think he's probably the best of them. a person intent on eradicating his screwed-up hometown of evil, while battling his own demons. i think superman and god's powers are harder for joe soap to relate to, whereas any rich fella could be batman.

just my opinion, don't crucify me.

Obliq

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

just my opinion, don't crucify me.

Don't worry, you're in the wrong forum for crucifiction

Sarky

You prefer Batman, you're among friends here.

jimmytwotimes 2013

Obliq wrote: »

Don't worry, you're in the wrong forum for crucifiction

thank god....................

jill_valentine

Choir and the whole shebang, yes. Only until I was ten or eleven though.

Obliq

Sarky wrote: »

Ever tried to imagine what life would be like if you were still religious?

When I think of all the amazing whiskies and beers I wouldn't have tried, or the crazy things I'd never have gotten up to with pretty ladies, or the amount of knowledge I'd never have learned because I'd have been too scared of going back to college or have gotten some sh*tty non-science job for fear of having my views challenged...

<shudder>

I'm wondering if emancipation from Catholicism is more of an epiphany than it is from Protestantism. I ask, because my father (who threw off C. and all it's trappings at an early age, much to the disgust of his entire family) is much less uptight than my mother (who's transition from P. seemed much more a case of never going to church again with no disapproval from her family, but retaining EVERY notion of guilt and abstinence that her religion drummed into her).

In other words, throwing off the obviously deluded shackles of no sex before marriage/no contraception/no divorce of Catholicism may lead to a less guilt free existence than the Protestant who perhaps moves more seamlessly to atheism but wouldn't necessarily examine all the ways that they have had the guilt hammered into them?

Think, the part in "The meaning of life" where the Protestant man across the road from the Catholic family is explaining to his wife that they could use condoms, and she only then realises she could have had sex more than twice.......

Obliq

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

thank god....................

*cough*, you're welcome

Ice Storm

My parents weren't really religious so most of what I learned about religion was through school and my parents went along with it.

I remember going to mass when I was very young but then my parents stopped going and the only time I saw the inside of a church was either through school or when I stayed the night at a friend's house.

There was a period of guilt when I was in primary school because I didn't go to mass. We used to have confession in school a few times a year and I honestly thought that my sin was too bad to tell the priest. I thought he would be shocked and he would tell me I was going straight to hell!

Looking back, I wish my parents had been a bit more open about their beliefs as I was getting mixed messages from school and home.

Sarky

Obliq wrote: »

I'm wondering if emancipation from Catholicism is more of an epiphany than it is from Protestantism. I ask, because my father (who threw off C. and all it's trappings at an early age, much to the disgust of his entire family) is much less uptight than my mother (who's transition from P. seemed much more a case of never going to church again with no disapproval from her family, but retaining EVERY notion of guilt and abstinence that her religion drummed into her).

In other words, throwing off the obviously deluded shackles of no sex before marriage/no contraception/no divorce of Catholicism may lead to a less guilt free existence than the Protestant who perhaps moves more seamlessly to atheism but wouldn't necessarily examine all the ways that they have had the guilt hammered into them?

Think, the part in "The meaning of life" where the Protestant man across the road from the Catholic family is explaining to his wife that they could use condoms, and she only then realises she could have had sex more than twice.......

It is less of a jump in a sense, I think. Protestantism was born out of a few Catholics turning around to the pope and saying "Whoa, hang on a minute now..." and dispensed with a lot of the silliness of Catholicism in favour of a more liberal "work it out yourself" sort of faith. They're already kind of half way there, so there'd be less pressure on them to jump, fewer awful things to abandon...

claypigeon777

I was a devout Catholic before I became an atheist.
I was deeply troubled from my early teens until my early twenties by the drip drip drip of revelations of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church and the exposure of a conspiracy to bury the problem.
I still tried to be a good Catholic.
At school I was a Holy Joe which stuck out like a sore thumb among my peers although I would have won gold medals for masturbation.
I went to college where I was away from home for the first time and I learned to drink and socialize.
I had the usual problems young men have, making new friends was hard, I was a sex mad young man who made the usual abysmal attempts to meet women and I found study and work difficult but I increasingly found when I prayed for my life to somehow magically change Jesus did not help me out and there were no Biblical passages to help me work things out.
I read books on theology especially the Catechism of the Catholic Church which I practically memorized and internalized and came across literature by skeptics and atheists which I read but rejected their arguments.
Then I was sharing a house one time when housemates got into a discussion about religion.
A girl was telling me about her belief in Quija boards which I dismissed as supernatural nonsense.
The others pointed out to me that if Quija boards were supernatural nonsense then surely belief in the bread and wine turning into the flesh and blood of Jesus was also supernatural nonsense.
I tried to angrily argue against it but I was forced to admit they were right.
Immediately I felt an amazing feeling of freedom like a weight that had been holding me down since childhood instantly vanish.
I admitted that I didn't believe in this TOTAL CRAP and never had to begin with.
Since then I live my life as I see fit, I take responsibility for my actions and I don't have my mind cluttered with fairy tale nonsense.

Pherekydes

I was.

Born to very religious catholic parents, my brainwashing started early, well before school. My parents prayed every night, rosaries every Friday and novenas on the first Friday. They both became Ministers of the Eucharist when it kicked off. We were sent to confession every Saturday. Sometimes I wonder how I became atheist at all.

At least my kids, while baptized catholic, are now, in their teens, atheist. To be fair, they were never really brainwashed to the extent we were as kids. It's much easier to throw off the religious shackles if you haven't been brainwashed.

Gbear wrote: »

I know that neither of my grandparents even replied to the invitation when my parents were getting married in a filthy godless registry office, of all places.

I was married in a RO and no one I know refused to go because it was non-religious. Nearly a full turn out (100 out of 104) and the absences were due to the foul weather.

Scarinae

Obliq wrote: »

I'm wondering if emancipation from Catholicism is more of an epiphany than it is from Protestantism. I ask, because my father (who threw off C. and all it's trappings at an early age, much to the disgust of his entire family) is much less uptight than my mother (who's transition from P. seemed much more a case of never going to church again with no disapproval from her family, but retaining EVERY notion of guilt and abstinence that her religion drummed into her).

In other words, throwing off the obviously deluded shackles of no sex before marriage/no contraception/no divorce of Catholicism may lead to a less guilt free existence than the Protestant who perhaps moves more seamlessly to atheism but wouldn't necessarily examine all the ways that they have had the guilt hammered into them?

I don't know about that, I was technically raised a protestant but gradually realised I didn't believe any of it and that was fine. No soul searching or agonising, I just grew out of it. In contrast, I had some catholic friends who seemed to be shaken to their cores when they realised they didn't believe in a god. One of them actually said to me that he was a bit envious about how I didn't have any leftover guilt, but to be honest I never had religious guilt hammered into me in the first place (possibly because I'm from a fairly liberal family) so I thought it was a weird thing to say.

Kiwi in IE

My parents are both atheist. Three of my grandparents were atheist and the forth 'belongs' to a religion (in the cultural way, like the majority of Catholics here), but is undecided whether or not she believes in god, and definitely dosn't believe Jesus was anything other than a man, born in the same way as every other man. She is Greek Orthodox and having moved to New Zealand from Greece to marry my grandfather (a kiwi she met during WW2) at 19, she found belonging to the local Greek orthodox church made her feel culturally connected to home and allowed her to meet other Greek people. She is officially agnostic since she dosn't know whether or not she believes in god, but I'm not sure if she'd admit it. My other three grandparents were all from loosely Anglican, but not particularly observant or devout families and were all atheists by the time they were adults.

At no time did my parents ever say that we were atheist as a family, we were just not religious which was the most normal thing in the world. It is only since I have come here where most people still are religious, that I have wondered what my family's history of religion was. I always knew my grandma was Greek orthodox but didn't have a clue if my other three grandparents or great grandparents 'belonged' to any religion as children or not. It was not something that was ever discussed or important to my family.

I went to an Anglican primary school (because it was a good school, not for religious reasons), I remember being told about religion and thinking what a load of bollocks it was from a very young age. I think I might of still believed in Santa at the same time I knew I didn't believe in God/Jesus.

Delirium

Yes, but it was out of selfishness. My mother got cancer about a year after my youngest sibling was born. I would have been about 5/6. We were already going to Mass every Sunday but I started praying daily. A young kid that had been fed the idea of an all-powerful and loving deity out there wiling to help. All you had to do was pray to him. My kids brain thinks, family in trouble you get all the help you can. I even toyed with the idea of the priesthood at that age.

Then the cancer gets worse. I think best dial up the prayer. Of course it doesn't do much to the cancer. Naturally this then feeds into the whole "I must have done something wrong because prayer ain't working". Volunteered to do one of the readings for my Holy Communion in another vain attempt to improve matters.

Eventually the cancer won out and my mother died a month before the Holy Communion. It was either at the funeral or shortly after were it dawned on me that it was all a lie. None of the grown-ups were joyful that she had gone to be with God and spend the rest of eternity in a state of pure love/happiness. They were all crying/upset as if they would never see her again.

It's difficult to gauge if I believed in God because my earliest memories are all tied up with my mother being sick. He was more like a cosmic rabbits foot I think. Something to clutch in the desperate hope that the cancer would just vanish and all would be right the world again.

I do know that once I'd gotten through the grief of losing her that religion was very much just going through the motions. Mass and prayer were just empty rituals.

Sorry for the rambling but it's not easy to unravel religion from my mother being sick and give a more succint answer.

wp_rathead

nope, not sure if parents would have bothered if primary school was secular.. my dad is religious (catholic) and make friends with local priest and he would be over odd time for lunches, parish was lucky that we had 3 very nice priests. we weren't made go mass, my mother never went, I used to go odd time with my dad but only to see my friends afterwards or to hear the hymes- parents were very much make up your own mind..

I'm thankful for that as I have friends who's families are very religious.. I lumped "Jesus" in with the stories of Hercules and all those stores as we had an illustrated children's Bible in our house, which had good stories to read but was rather bemused that people could seperate the two and be like "Well that story about the Eagle eating the liver is just make believe - it is all about this story about a dude who rises from the dead, and about animals on boats".. can't remember when i realised i was an athiest as i didn't know that there was such a thing ha, prob after junior cert sometime

donspeekinglesh

I was raised Catholic, but I can't remember ever believing in any of it, although I do remember sitting in the church at my first communion, looking around and the realisation hit me that everyone else appeared to believe. These were grown-ups, believing something more ridiculous than the Easter bunny. (I think I still believed in Santa at this point.)

I never got praying, and once my parents stopped doing night time prayers with me I only tried praying a few more times to see if I could figure out the point to it. I couldn't.

Going to mass every Sunday was the extent of religion at home. Was an altar server for a few years, which I didn't mind- if iI had to be at mass it was better to be doing something.
Once I got a bit older I didn't have to accompany my parents, but still had to go to mass I started listening to my walk man down the back. Gave that up after while and started going for a 40 minute walk - arriving home about the time I would have been home from mass.

Turtwig

Ridonculously religious.

shruikan2553

My mum was catholic, my dad was protestant so they decided to let me choose a religion. Went to a catholic school and never payed any attention to religion, I just saw it as another story and never learnt all that crap like the beattitudes. Parents decided I wouldnt do my communion or confirmation as I could decide to become catholic when I was older. I was looking at religion from a different perspective to many. Most people are brought up as 1 religion then decide to leave it while I was brought up very loosely catholic but nobody outside of school told me these things were real. The idea of believing in a magical being that creates everything being a completely stupid idea just happened over time. I did pray to my great grandfather when I was 5/6 so I was more spiritual than christian, honouring the ancestors kinda thing.

Beruthiel

Sarky wrote: »

Ever tried to imagine what life would be like if you were still religious?

The shedding of guilt over ridiculous things was a huge weight off my shoulders.
What an amazing relief to be rid of that.

sbsquarepants

Sarky wrote: »

Ever tried to imagine what life would be like if you were still religious?

I think my life would be pretty similar, but with a lot of added guilt and fear of eternal damnation. The sins of the flesh would have caught me out anyway - i think i would have went the sex, drugs and rock and roll route one way or the other, i just wouldn't have enjoyed it quite so much!:D

swampgas

Lots of personal anecdotes from over a year ago on this thread (in this forum), many of which describe people losing their religion:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=75283547

I sometimes wonder if that thread should be stickied ...

gaynorvader

I was raised a Protestant by my mother (my Dad was a lapsed Catholic, not sure where his beliefs are, think he just doesn't really think about it). I had pretty much found the holes in the religion by the time I was 7-8. I kept it up though until I was about 16 as it hurt my mum whenever I said I didn't believe/refused to go to church. I still go once a year at Christmas, just to keep her company.

Obliq wrote: »

Nope. Raised atheist, which interestingly didn't sit at all well with me as a youngster. I always felt I was missing out on some secret Sunday rituals that my friends had an automatic pass to and I didn't. I remember (age 8) asking my folks if I could go to church with my friend's families.

I went to both the Catholic and the Protestant churches locally, and proclaimed the Protestant one boring with rubbish songs, so that ruled that out. Belief in a god didn't really come across as a requirement though, so that was a plus. Sunday school though.....I went home saying "Imagine that, I was jealous!". I pitied my poor protestant friend from then on.

I was deeply offended by the Catholic church when they clearly did not welcome me with open arms and denied me a wafer and wine, but there was more cool bling and a bigger choir. However, they seemed to require a lot of responses that would have to be learned, and seemingly everyone believed something I didn't. Sigh. Plus, you had to dress more smartly and I didn't have a notion of that.

I don't think either of my young friends mentioned having to actually believe anything........

Very interesting story, I always wondered what it'd be like for a kid to be brought up atheist. I like that your parents let you go to the services to try them for yourself.

Obliq

gaynorvader wrote: »

Very interesting story, I always wondered what it'd be like for a kid to be brought up atheist. I like that your parents let you go to the services to try them for yourself.

It wasn't all fun trips to church though. I was also the only child to be thoroughly questioned by teachers in school as to why I didn't believe in God. No child was asked why they did? I was also put on the spot in front of 3 classes (age 10 approx) and asked "what do you think happens then, when we die?".

I was the one who mumbled through prayers in an attempt to look the same as everyone else.

Kiwi has a totally different experience of being brought up atheist, in that it didn't come up for her in the same way at all. In Ireland (land of saints and indoctrination), I stuck out like a sore thumb

saltyjack silverblade

My family were never huge believers I would call my mother spiritual more than anything. she insisted that we go to mass as children. She said that she thinks it would be easier to be in and then opt out rather than the other way around. Also she gave me the option of religion. By age 10 though that had largely been doe away with for me. The only think that she insisted on was that I make my confirmation with the rest of my class at 12. More so to fit in rather than anything else. Haven't been back to any churches since.
Religion on my dad's side is far more important, some family in the clergy. He was never really fussed I think. More lapsed than anything. My mother's side is different. Her grandfather was a protestant who married a catholic and the family quite literally threw him out of the house for it. My grandfather then married a protestant and my mother got a bad time from the nuns in school who constantly told her that protestants were going to hell.
I do admire that she brought our family up to go to church but never insisted that we were in it, especially given her own background. I genuinely cannot understand why someone believes in religion in this day and age. My dad's family are rather patronising about the atheism in our family, usually met with "you just haven't fully developed your faith yet" It will come I promise you". We don't keep in regular contact.

jimmytwotimes 2013

as regards your own children and religion, its maybe as easy to go along with the whole religion thing while they are in primary school so they wouldn't be isolated too much in the communion/confirmation years. a lot of people here seem to have had some type of religious input from school and maybe not so much from some parents. i know mine just went along with it and, then, after primary told us it was our decision what to do after that.

religious groups obviously still have far too much influence at primary level, leaving atheists with a dilemma. stand by your atheism and risk a place at the local school, or have your kid feeling unnecessarily different at a very young age, or just go along with jesus (like santa, only with tax-collecting and violence but without the presents!!) and inform them of your atheism when they are a bit more able.

no right or wrong choice, but you can only do whats best for your kids, who really shouldn't have to listen to nonsense about some fella getting lashed and crucified.

ShooterSF

jimmytwotimes 2013 wrote: »

as regards your own children and religion, its maybe as easy to go along with the whole religion thing while they are in primary school so they wouldn't be isolated too much in the communion/confirmation years. a lot of people here seem to have had some type of religious input from school and maybe not so much from some parents. i know mine just went along with it and, then, after primary told us it was our decision what to do after that.

religious groups obviously still have far too much influence at primary level, leaving atheists with a dilemma. stand by your atheism and risk a place at the local school, or have your kid feeling unnecessarily different at a very young age, or just go along with jesus (like santa, only with tax-collecting and violence but without the presents!!) and inform them of your atheism when they are a bit more able.

no right or wrong choice, but you can only do whats best for your kids, who really shouldn't have to listen to nonsense about some fella getting lashed and crucified.

For me I could never do that. I don't plan to ever have kids but if I did I would either be teaching them something is true that confused and upset me right into my teens and still occasionally messes me up today as I have to remind myself that guilt felt in some situations is the result of being brainwashed into a stupid moral code as a child OR I would have to explain to my kid(s) that I don't believe in any of this stuff but they should go along with it not to feel different or stand out and that is something I would hate to teach a child.

jimmytwotimes 2013

ShooterSF wrote: »

For me I could never do that. I don't plan to ever have kids but if I did I would either be teaching them something is true that confused and upset me right into my teens and still occasionally messes me up today as I have to remind myself that guilt felt in some situations is the result of being brainwashed into a stupid moral code as a child OR I would have to explain to my kid(s) that I don't believe in any of this stuff but they should go along with it not to feel different or stand out and that is something I would hate to teach a child.

agree its far from ideal, but i wouldn't consider going along with religion, for their sake, as massively upsetting as that would give religion way too much importance. same as going along with santa- still lying to your kids.

i think the guilt/ religious pressure that some of us may have experienced at school is not quite there these days, they wouldn't get away with the cr@p they once did years ago.

have a buddy who just says to his kids that some people would believe X when they come home with some religious nonsense. doesn't express his own opinion, just puts it out there.