Ex theists: what did you believe?

[Chad32]

As I recall back to my childhood years, I remember heaven being the place where good people go, and hell being the place where bad people go. Later I learned that we're all supposed to believe we're bad people, and all deserve to go to hell, and need to beg Jesus to let us into heaven. Also Jesus' dad created hell, and he's the one who decided we all deserve to go there if we don't worship him. Those things didn't come up in Sunday School. I believed that Jesus and God were separate people, because he was God's son and talked like they were different people. I believed that everyone knew who God was. You were either a christian, or you worshiped Satan. I believed the bible literally. Just like I believed there was a guy who lived at the north pole, who came down every year on a sled pulled by flying reindeer, to give everyone presents. Or coal.

I believe that homosexuality is bad. I didn't believe it was the same as discriminating against blacks, because sodomy is an action. If you're a gay guy, you just need to have sex with women like normal people. You don't need special rights. You can marry any woman who will have you, like normal people.

I believed abortion was wrong, unless the mother was going to die before the baby was at a viable stage. If she dies, the baby will die anyway, so you might as well save the mother. It bothered me that someone would complain about having to carry a baby to term. You're going to end a life that could last 80+ years because you don't want to be inconvenienced for about six months?

My views on homosexuality changed mostly because of discussions I had on a web forum I went to before coming here.