Anyone suffering from things they learned in the church?

[Welsh cake]

I'm still suffering in the sense that, I know an organisation as heartless and corrupt as the Catholic Church exists. And people sincerely believe they are a force for good and are actively supporting them.

They've been abusing and neglecting children for thousands of years before I was born.

And they'll be abusing and neglecting children for thousands of years after I die.

Its a burden that only brain damage and/or death will lift.

[Vox]

I'm still suffering in the sense that, I know an organization as heartless and corrupt as the Catholic Church exists. And people sincerely believe they are a force for good and are actively supporting them.

They've been abusing and neglecting children for thousands of years before I was born.

And they'll be abusing and neglecting children for thousands of years after I die.

Its a burden that only brain damage and/or death will lift.

You may not have to wait long Welshcake. I actually don't want to see the Catholic Church die, for all it's negatives it has a number of positive attributes as well but a Schism is very much on the horizon.

There's a synod of Bishops meeting later this year to discuss doctrines concerning priestly celibacy and remarried divorcees . A lot of Catholics are very displeased with the establishment, and if they don't leave with what they want some commentators are suggesting we may be looking at Reformation 2.0 (Hans Kung goes into it in some detail in his book "Can we save the Catholic Church").

I honestly struggle to believe it would be of that scale, people generally just ignore the church rather than fight it these days but it is indicative of how irritable even the faithful are getting over teaching and leadership. Latest pew reports said something like 53% of Catholics in the US are for gay marriage and 85% of them used condoms. Somethings gotta give

[archangle]

still suffering from being reminded that I should, at least, be respectful to people. I suffer from the notion that in this busy life, it might be good to sit down , rest, and think. Just because some people are assholes doesn't mean I have to fart the same tune.

[Losty]

still suffering from being reminded that I should, at least, be respectful to people. I suffer from the notion that in this busy life, it might be good to sit down , rest, and think. Just because some people are assholes doesn't mean I have to fart the same tune.

I, however, am no longer suffering from the delusion that I owe a person respect if they have not earned that respect. So I have no qualms about telling you to fuck off already.

[vorlon13]

I'm suffering as an adult from not being molested by that hot priest an old boyfriend of mine told me about.

[Oldm8]

I'm still suffering in the sense that, I know an organisation as heartless and corrupt as the Catholic Church exists. And people sincerely believe they are a force for good and are actively supporting them.

They've been abusing and neglecting children for thousands of years before I was born.

And they'll be abusing and neglecting children for thousands of years after I die.

Its a burden that only brain damage and/or death will lift.

I don't have any problems. I decided at age 7 that there was something seriously wrong with the crap the Catholic Church were teaching. I was physically abused by nuns, a leather strap across the hands for a minor misdemeanour followed by another belting for bad handwriting after being hit the first time. The nuns told not to play with protestants, as they were all going to go hell when they died. Strange my best friend Derek was a protestant and he was a good guy. We failed to go to Sunday school one day, we were found playing nearby and dragged into to church and ridiculed for having dirty hands on a Sunday and more violence followed. My mother conceived twins at a time she should not have, due to Church ban on contraception she lost them through miscarriage, it broke her heart. I have since those days had nothing to do with religion and came to the conclusion very early in life there is no god. As I am now old I can only say my non belief in a supernatural being is stronger than ever.

[Jenny A]

“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” That solves everything.

Why shouldn't I covet? I want many things I don't have. Tends to make me work and save to accomplish more. Obviously wasting time and emotional energy wishing wouldn't be good, and trying to take my neighbors things wouldn't be good either. But trying not to want is particularly useful.

What does not coveting solve?

---

Yep. Take notes.

Honestly, I just don't detect any happy atheists in this forum.

Honestly, people on forums never appear anywhere near as happy as people in real life. Forums get deadly serious and angry. You may be happy Lek (I'm quite willing to believe you are), but on this forum you don't come off that way.

I find life pretty good myself. I enjoy my husband and kids and look forward to spending time with them. I like parts of my job, i.e. the paintings part. I don't like doing the marketing quite so much. I like gardening, but not housecleaning. But I don't wander around with a black cloud over my head when doing any of it. I also like intellectual argument and I don't get to use my brains as much as I used to. This forum is an outlet for that.

However, I must admit my life got better when I ceased to try to believe in god.

[Mudhammam]

Around the age of 19-20, when I began seriously doubting that there was a God, I went through a severe depression. I couldn't fathom that life could have any meaning apart from my Christian faith, and although my depression subsided with the help of medication, a general sense of nihilism affected my peace of mind for a few years afterward. I do blame the Christian church for that.

Also, I blame the church that the first two decades of my life were largely squandered on memorizing scripture and worrying about stupid shit that has no application in the real world. I didn't discover the wealth of information that exists in the sciences and philosophy until I was free to conduct my own search for truth. So, I also blame the church for that, and I wonder, had I been free to discover secular writings at a younger age, perhaps I would have developed a passion for science in my younger years and who knows where I could've been now.

On the plus side, the church also partly gave me the perspective I have today, and since I'm very comfortable with myself these days, I am somewhat grateful for the wasted years of indoctrination, that is, the experiences which give me a keener sense of what we are up against.

[Tonus]

I'm a happy atheist.

[Dystopia]

Luckily I only attended (and still do) church for traditional ceremonies and rituals such as baptisms and funerals, I don't recall attending any other event b sides those two. My mother taught me the basic principles and ideas of Christianity, but I was never severely indoctrinated or sent to church for religious 'education', and as a result I became an atheist at the age of 14, and I suspect I was already a practical atheist since age 11 or 12. Because of this, I never really had any subsequent problems after quitting faith, contrary to many people who still struggle with some problems. I feel sorry for what happened to you, it must have been hard, and they still say church is a good place for kids

My mum never taught me that sex is abnormal, yes she told me it is naturally a sin but an inevitable one, and the most normal and natural act that happens between humans and animals.