I was raised Catholic by a Catholic father and Methodist mother. Neither one put much stock in religion though I was put through the paces of a Catholic upbringing to include Catechism classes on Saturday mornings till I ended up in Catholic schools in the 6th grade and on through high school.
There was never a time that I really believed any of it. I just went along with the rituals because that's what we did. I saw the Bible as not really different from any other fairy tale and was actually surprised to find out that some people believe it's an historical account.
Various things happened along the way and I prayed fervently for god to help. He didn't. I keep trying to believe but it just didn't take with me. In my early 20s I finally realized that I really didn't believe I had just been told that I believe. Some time spent searching for a new faith practice led me to figure out that I didn't have to pretend to believe. Not really any anger or hatred, just nothing. Whatever it is that others claim to feel didn't happen to me. And that's okay.
There was never a time that I really believed any of it. I just went along with the rituals because that's what we did. I saw the Bible as not really different from any other fairy tale and was actually surprised to find out that some people believe it's an historical account.
Various things happened along the way and I prayed fervently for god to help. He didn't. I keep trying to believe but it just didn't take with me. In my early 20s I finally realized that I really didn't believe I had just been told that I believe. Some time spent searching for a new faith practice led me to figure out that I didn't have to pretend to believe. Not really any anger or hatred, just nothing. Whatever it is that others claim to feel didn't happen to me. And that's okay.
I'm your huckleberry.