Serious question about thoughts on theists

[Belacqua]

I grew up with no religion at all. I remember in college thinking that believers just needed some kind of "crutch" to make the world more tolerable, but that stronger or wiser people can do without that support. 

This opinion didn't survive once I'd met some very brilliant religious people, and read books by others. 

Also once you notice that there are just as many silly and moronic atheists as theists, it sort of levels the playing field. Religious belief is no longer a way to separate the moronic from the non-moronic.

Knowing the part of the country that you grew up in I'm pretty sure that you were exposed thru the community at a mininum. The 'no religion at all' claim is a bit of a stretch.

There was a church on every corner, but we didn't go to any of them. I have still never attended a ceremony (even a wedding or a funeral) in a church. (Since I've lived in Japan most of my life this isn't surprising.) I've been in churches to see the architecture and art.

I'm 63 years old. When I was little it was still considered rude to talk about religion or politics in social settings. Religion hadn't been weaponized politically yet. I knew that religion was around, but I knew nothing of it, or who belonged to which church.

I remember that in about 4th grade some kind of researcher came to my class and asked us what religion we were. She named the different ones and we were supposed to raise our hands when we heard our group. I knew my best friend went to church so I just looked at him and raised my hand when he did. I don't know what I got counted as. 

When I got home and told my dad about this, he asked what religion I said I was, and when I said I thought Christian he gave a kind of cynical grunt and that was the end of it. 

There was one family who tried to proselytize me and my brothers. We quickly learned that they lied -- they'd invite you over to watch a film about football and then the film was really about saving your soul. So we learned to avoid them.

My first exposure to serious religion is when we read Paradise Lost in high school English class. That was a revelation, and in a way set the tone for my engagement with religion ever since. I admire the beauty.