If You Were Raised Religious Did You Stay Religious?

[emeraldsaphire]

I was raised in an extremely religious house hold. My Grandfather started the church that we went to, my father was an elder and my uncle was the Pastor. Now my older brother is the pastor of the church.

So yeah, I was in deep. I was home schooled for most of my educational years. And almost every element of my life was controlled, or was supposed to be. I became very good at breaking the rules.

I lost my faith when I went a way to Uni. I was having doubts before. Me and my boyfriend at the time talked about it a lot.

My best friends mother who I was really close to died in a carwreck when we were 17. I couldn't believe that a good God would let that happen. Their was some drama in the church going on around that time that I don't want to get into, but it was bad. I was questioning my sexuality. And just a lot of other smaller things.

What pulled the trigger was when my roomate invited me to one of her coven meetings. I dabble with the occult before. I was casting spells since i was 10 XD

Anyway everyone in her coven was so real and honest. It was nothing like going to church. They accepted me for who i was. So I left Christianity joined my first Wiccan coven and have never looked back

Funny thing is, my parents don't know I'm not christian. My fiancee is an atheist, but they think he's Luthern XD. I'm still really good at lying ^^

So what are your experiences?

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

I was raised protestant, in a non-denominational church. It was large, with several hundred congregants. My father has been a dedicated Christian as long as I’ve known him, he insisted we go to church every Sunday for years. He was even a member of the board. As I got older and encountered more things about religion, and got exposed to new ideas about people, I started asking questions like, “Is baptism the only way to guarantee my place in Heaven?” Or “Does God read my mind? If he does, does God think I’m a bad person for thinking all of this?” Or “If God is the only god, why are there so many other religions where everyone seems happier?” Or “They told me when I was 5 that if someone held a gun to my head and told me to renounce God, I was supposed to say I loved God and I would be okay. That just means I would die. Why would they tell a child to kill themselves in the name of God?” And so on. I realized when I was finally out of the house that a good portion of my relationship with the church and christianity as a whole was based in fear and not any genuine desire to worship God. I ended up leaving the church when I was 16, and Christianity itself when I was 19 and away from home for the first time. I still reject a lot of the Christian dogma to this day, I don’t want to participate in a religion with their rules that tell me I must be a certain way in order to be worthy of love and forgiveness. But I’m not without religion, I’m just finding a new way to connect with the Universe and God, a way to see God in everyone, everything, and myself without trying to worship some old white man sitting up in the sky, judging me.

[emeraldsaphire]

I'm glad you found your way. I hate how fear based Christianity is, i was constantly scared I was going to hell. I think it's a form of abuse tbh

[CupcakeTheDestroyer]

I wouldn’t call it “abuse” as much as brainwashing. In truth, any large organized group based around a specific philosophy is a cult so Christianity, Apple, Pokémon, etc. are all cults that encourage a little brainwashing.

[emeraldsaphire]

lol I'm a proud member of the Apple and Pokemon cult XD. In all do seriousness I get what you are saying.

[Agape93]

Yeah, just changed religions. Grew up Roman catholic (not by choice)

[goaded]

I was never religious, so my mother told me to list my religion as CofE. I guess she did, too. Scouts took me to church, my parents never did.

I like the idea that religion shouldn't be introduced to children until they are at least five years old.

[strateguy632]

Hmm, isn't wiccan also a faith? But i was raised religious but left it for a better faith new testament due to better supported ideas.

[ilistengood]

I didn't have it that bad , mom took us kids off to church every Sunday I asked why dad didn't go never got an answer, I didn't believe in " gods plan" or his " mysterious ways" I still dont, I also dont believe that a merciful God would impart sexual and or physical abuse on little kids, or a host of other things and " christ died for our sins" so what he was falsely accused? How does that work? ( put the pens down it was rhetorical) i will never , ever lash out at another person's faith, what ever gets the through the day. But by definition its your faith , please, keep it that way.

[michael3478]

I believe in God but i keep religion to myself and away from my family and usually try not to bring it up or talk about my near-death experience because people think im crazy or something.

[BCRanger10]

I was raised Catholic and continue to practice, though I've become much more traditional over the last ten years.

[HungTexan]

I was raised religious, and I still am but not as much into organized religion as my parents.

[nawtee_me]

Raise your children up in the ways of the Lord and when they are old it will not depart from them.

[emeraldsaphire]

Proverbs 22:6. I'm aware, I was raised to know the bible extremely well and I still lost my faith. Iv'e met a lot of people like that.

[nawtee_me]

I was a prodigal once. I think a lot of Christians stray at some point.

[emeraldsaphire]

Ecclesiastes 3:14 What ever God does will last forever. Maybe one day I will return too, but now I'm happy with my path

[Jennz6]

Yes, I do believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior ❤️

[BarryLiverstone]

Yes, I’m Christian