Did your former religion ever make you feel broken?

[drfuzzy]

drfuzzy - I am so sorry to hear that.  That's awful.   Parents aren't supposed to make their kids feel broken.  They're supposed to make their kids feel safe and loved.  Unfortunately another thing that religion does is justify treating your children -- particularly kids who are gay -- so terribly.  Religion justifies so much.  As long as it is in the name of god, or according to the 'good book', no matter how terrible others think it might be, they're willing to do it.   It can take a long time to realize there's nothing wrong with you, and it's everyone else who think there is that has something wrong with them.

You're right that theists love to say "Atheists are angry at god."  Personally I like to say "If he exists, damn right I am."  Yes, if the Christian God exists, then I hate him.   Or rather, I hate his ways.  Because if he exists he is worthy of hate.  If he exists and does nothing to stop suffering, and then demands everyone to worship at his feet, then he can go to hell himself.  Because the worst sinner of all would be Yahweh himself.   If he can allow children to suffer just because they're gay, or because they want to go to school and learn, if he expects everyone to worship him when he does absolutely nothing and doesn't show himself to anyone, then he can go fuck himself.  On second thought, not such a good idea, it might start another religion based on hate masquerading as forgiveness and mercy.

Cecelia - thanks.  And it was a long time ago.  And there are a lot of parents out there (sigh) who do a lot of things parents aren't supposed to do.  We fight to heal ourselves, but we carry a big chunk of that little child around inside us for the rest of our lives.  

"If he exists, damn right I am."   --  ?!!  You know what, you're right.  I hadn't thought of it that way.  But yeah - - if the Christian god exists, and is watching all of the horrors being committed IN HIS NAME, EVERY FREAKING HOUR OF EVERY DAY (oops, sorry, but that just had to yell -) and is doing absolutely nothing to prevent them, he is a monster.  And if he sees what his church is doing to innocents and doesn't even inspire the preachers to speak out against it -    (What the hell am I saying?  Most of the preachers I knew growing up got "sent away" when they were caught raping the 14-year-old girls.  I don't think I have ever met a preacher who actually was a good human being.)

But when I stop ranting and raving, what I know is: the evil is religion.  The evil is the power-grasping humans behind religion, whose only real desire is to have control over others.  As you said, they have to convince you that you're broken, and that they have the answer.  It's the oldest con game in human history.