What was the last straw

[BlackSwordsman]

Most of us were raised in a christian house hold.

What was it that broke the delusion of Christianity for you?

[FatAndFaithless]

I never really had one of those moments. I just kind of came to the realization that I didn't believe. I grew up in southern Africa and the middle east, where there were all sorts of religious bullshit going on, and eventually I just looked around and said "They're killing each other for that?"

[Jenny A]

I remember wondering how adults could believe the things in the Bible from a very young age. However, I did, for my parents sake to a serious crack at believing in my teens. The pastor suggested I read the Bible. It was a great suggestion. It just didn't have the effect he intended. Want to create a young atheist? Talk a teen into actually reading the Bible cover to cover (skipping the begats optional). But it does help to suggest they references to the Old Testament found in the New.

[BlackSwordsman]

When I met my fiancee her kids 7 being the oldest were running around saying shit like "god heals my owies", "god is my only father" she wasn't even that religious but her mom had been shoving religion down their throats for years.

When we married after a few years I told the kids there is no god, and the only difference between the bible and a cartoon is a cartoon is probably more fun to watch.

But actually having kids (i do) you start to realize how stupid Christianity sounds, and how easily kids believe shit. It really was an eye opener.

[vorlon13]

I was raised Methodist in the midwest with parents that took it pretty seriously.

Over the years there were the occasional somethings that helped. I recall a sermon on Sodom and Gomorrha and the pastor really wanted to emphasize the cities were destroyed for inhospitality, not homosexuality. As 15 year old gay teen, who has had strong gay urges since first grade, that really helped.

A Methodist friend of my folks always referred to Methodism as 'The One True Faith'. I never knew if he was that serious or if it was a joke, but it really got me thinking about all the religions and their differences.

I would come across a little nugget from time to time too. Isaac Asimov noted a CRUCIAL failing in Christian Science dogma in a science essay, and I noted therefore Christian Science was a demonstrably PROVEN false religion.

I remember Peoples Temple, that was another jolt about damaging false religion.

I noticed mainline Methodism changing to suit the times, and wondered how that could be if they were originally correct, and if they weren't, would the changes bring them closer to being 'The One True Faith' or would it move them further away ?

Seeing people persist in their faith in the Bakkers, or Jimmy Swaggart was another jolt. I recall being in an ACLU meeting in the mid 80s and Catholic priest pedophilia was brought up. The issue then was the church had essentially a completely separate criminal justice system operating as they handled the crisis 'in house'. The ACLU meeting topic was about how far does the First Amendment have to stretch to cover THAT ? Even then, I found the Catholics response to pedophilia totally at odds with 'Christian' tenets, and realized Catholicism was falsifying ITSELF.

And then there are the Mormons. Jesus fucking Christ, Joseph Smith's total fail in coughing up a plausible variant to Christianity was another eye opener. But Joseph Smith did one thing, he highlighted a logical inconsistency in Christianity as a whole, and that is how is salvation accomplished in areas with people from the time of Christ's resurrection until the arrival of the first Christian missionaries that represent the 'One True Christian Church' ???????????????????????????????????????????

Even to this day, it is quite likely that even on a place as large and as populated as Easter Island, it is possible that a missionary from the one correct Christian church/denomination/sect has yet to arrive and make it possible for the inhabitants that have never traveled away from the island to achieve salvation.


Seems like a 'real' God could do better.

[Chad32]

If there was one last straw, it was probably finding out that Jesus' story wasn't unique. Virgin births, and coming back from the dead three days after being killed have happened before with guys like Horus and Mithras. I don't feel like worshiping those guys too, especially since Jesus wouldn't like that, so what is my incentive to worship one guy over the other?

[Jenny A]

@BlackSwordsman

Kids simply believe in magic. "Mommy kiss it make it better," is good magic. As long as the child believes it, it works on the small stuff.

There are exceptions. I have a very skeptical daughter. At the ripe old age of 3 she began asking which of all those Santas she saw at the mall, in front of the grocery etc. were the real one. Having discovered the truth about Santa, she immediately went on question the Easter Bunny. It was very funny until she went and told her older sister the truth--OK that was funny too.

[vorlon13]

I was just old enough to see the US navy's Nautilus nuclear submarine surface at the north pole and understand the implication.

NO FUCKING SANTA !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[LostLocke]

No 'last straw' for me either.

I just took what I had learned as a catholic and as a JW, and starting thinking about it.
That started a slow drift that eventually led me to today.

[Crossless2.0]

In retrospect, the seeds of skepticism were there very early. However, it came to a head for me at about age 13 when I was at church with my mother and the Apostles' Creed was being recited. Rather than mindlessly mumble along as I was accustomed to doing, I listened and really heard what was being proclaimed. In a moment, I knew I didn't believe any of it, and I felt embarrassed for all of the adults around me who apparently did.