I was brainwashed from birth and so believed very much everything the Catholic church taught. At around age 29 or 30 I started listening to the serious doubts I was having and finally realized I didn't believe any more.

(May 10, 2011 at 8:39 am)Doubting Thomas Wrote: I was brainwashed from birth and so believed very much everything the Catholic church taught. At around age 29 or 30 I started listening to the serious doubts I was having and finally realized I didn't believe any more.

It's really ever only about one's ability to squash those doubts, isn't it? If you can't do it, or fail to keep doing it, you end up getting free of that shit.

Yes, as I recently stated in another thread, I hated having to come up with ad hoc explanations all the time to convince myself that everything in the bible is true. Once I realized I didn't believe any more, it felt like such a relief to not have to lie to myself any more. And the sad part was that I didn't realize I was constantly rationalizing until I stopped believing.

I did not actively start going to church until I was about 11. My family, though we were Catholic, were not very dogmatic, and never forced their beliefs on anyone, including other family members. I never had a bad experience, but I could never accept what was being taught as historical or factual. I guess in a nutshell, I tried (I really did), but never "got" whatever it is religious folks "get" out of going.

That's the Catholic church for you. The services are always so incredibly boring.

I prayed for things as a kid. I knew nothing about God and wasn't a Christian as kids can be. None of my selfish prayers were answered.

Yeah I believed, just like I believed in Santa and the Tooth Fairy and little trolls that live under a bridge.

Being the age I am ( 61 ) as a child at school I was caught in the trap of being compelled to believe in religion and the monarchy. On the very first day in school you had to shut your eyes and say a prayer. You also were expected to stand for national anthem and say " god save the queen ".
Thus the indoctrination of respecting the twin ogres of religion and royalty commenced.
I found the bible stories just plain wierd and nowhere near as interesting and entertaining as Greek mythology for example. I really couldn't see the point of talking to something that wasn't either visible or keen on talking back. In secondary school I persistently did not attend morning service and luckily for me, the school I attended was both progressive and liberal and so my non-attendance was tolerated ( I like to think that some of the teachers thought it was all rubbish too, although I never had the opportunity of discussing that ).
I think that it's very much the Father Xmas thing.....you reject the myth when you can think for yourself.
I went through the charade of getting married in church.....it meant nothing at all to me, just that it was expected. My family is not at all religious, which was a help.
Thus, ever since I could think for myself, I have rejected the notion of gods and despise organised religion which I consider a curse on humankind.

As for monarchy....I just despise the very notion of hereditary privilege and admire the French for their 1789 revolution!

I can't remember ever believing. I mostly enjoyed Religious Education in school. What child doesn't enjoy fairy tales? But it had no emotional impact on me at all. When an RE period ended I quickly moved on. Most of the other kids were equally unimpressed. Those Christians across the Atlantic who want RE taught in their schools should be careful what they wish for.

Ooh I hated RE. Our teacher was an effeminate weakling who'd play for the staff vs kids at football so that even fellow staff laughed at him. We used to sing the alternate version of Jesus Christ Superstar to him which would always wind him up. Some girls did good in the class. I was totally bored. Time dragged