Going Back & Finding Nothing There

[Minimalist]

When I was VP of my union I had to attend funerals....being a VP is the same anywhere. Going back and sitting through those dreadful, bullshit, rituals and mind-numbing stupidity was awful. However on one occasion when the deceased was a former steward of ours the president joined me even though he was a jew...more or less.

So we're sitting there while Father Shitty McFuckstruck is droning on about jesus or some such shit and one of the altar boys reaches down and rings the bell. The pres leans over and says "what's the bell for?" I answered "Good Humor Man" (which were ice cream trucks that used to drive through neighborhoods ringing this fucking bell, for our foreign friends who won't get the reference. He couldn't stop laughing and had to go outside. When I caught up to him later all he could say is "You fuck."

Good times.

[Nope]

[It is not easy and I have to ask for forgiveness almost on a daily basis - Again because we are weak. O

What ever could you be doing so wrong that you have to ask forgiveness almost daily?

Sorry for the thread derail.

[robvalue]

Thought crime I guess. Xianity is a harsh master.

[Nope]

Thought crime I guess. Xianity is a harsh master.

Bible god's relationship to humans gets compared often to a father and child. Only an abusive human father would want his child to apologize every single day.

[DeistPaladin]

Thought crime I guess. Xianity is a harsh master.

Bible god relationship to humans gets compared often to a father and child. Only an abusive human father would want his child to apologize every single day.

...or torture some of the children and say "see what you made me do?"

[Tonus]

Has anyone who has lost their belief gone back to church, temple, whatever and found that not only is there nothing there anymore but it's as if your eyes have been opened wide and you see everything as it is rather than through the religion-tinted specs you wore when you regularly attended.

My loss of faith was gradual, it took several years before I finally admitted to myself that I was an atheist. So for me there wasn't the sudden epiphany and the attempt to recover something lost, only to find that it couldn't be recovered. By the time I finally accepted that there were no gods, the old rationalizations and presuppositions had long ago fallen away. The best part is that I never had to go through that experience of teasing myself to see if there was anything left; I had no reason to try.

Occasionally I will read or hear someone talking about the stuff I believed in, and it certainly sounds different now that I am hearing it without the 'Jesus filter.' But that's to be expected. When the veil drops, nothing can possibly seem the same.

[KevinM1]

The last time I was in church was a couple years ago for my nephew's baptism. I've never been a regular church goer. Like I've said before in other threads, my family was largely non-practicing Catholics, so the few times I've been in church was always years apart, in different buildings with different people preaching.

Anyway, it was a hot August or September day, and of course, they had no air conditioning, so that sucked. And like most pulpit jockeys, the idiot that day liked to hear himself talk, so the whole thing dragged on forever. There was also something new - instead of a classic Catholic choir, they had a more contemporary 'band' of a handful of kids playing what I can only guess are more modern religious songs. The lead singer kid really should've prayed more, since Jesus didn't gift him with the ability to find the proper key. At all. It seemed like a weak way for them to entice kids. "We'll let them perform stuff from contemporary Christian artists! That'll show everyone we're cool!"

So, the mass + baptisms (there were several kids getting dribbled on that day) took forever. And they passed around the collection plate twice in a row. There were a few decently sized guys who were "church staff" that seemed disappointed that the money wasn't flowing in. I guess no one really wanted to pay up on a day that was over 90F and when gas prices were outrageous. My Aunt, who's another one of my family's non-practicing Catholics, wasn't impressed. For me, it was exactly as every other religious ceremony has been - comical, overly long, and a way to exploit the gullible.

[Norman Humann]

The last time I was in church was November last year. Never setting foot in there again.

[Fidel_Castronaut]

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Hey,

Has anyone who has lost their belief gone back to church, temple, whatever and found that not only is there nothing there anymore but it's as if your eyes have been opened wide and you see everything as it is rather than through the religion-tinted specs you wore when you regularly attended.

I looked around me at all these horrible people. I chatted with those I always used to seek out when I attended and they were cold, critical and above all, totally without humor. I couldn't stand to be with them and couldn't wait to leave.

I lost my belief overnight. The scales on my eyes simply fell away. I'm lucky I guess because for many it's a long drawn out process though in hindsight I can see the beginnings of doubt from as much as 15 years ago however the actual realization was immediate.

When I left the church no one contacted me at all. They had my contact details, email address, postal address and phone number. I attended religiously (pun intended), several times a week and as much as 20 times a month what with all the different services, prayer sessions, healing groups. Not one person inquired as to how I was and yet when I wandered back in they walked over as if we were old friends. I just saw them as they are, nasty people in a big social club for those who hear voices.

I'm glad I went back as I needed to know if there were any vestiges of my old faith. There wasn't anything at all.

WL.

Hi WL

It is quite clear from your post that you went back to a church of Sunday actors....Yep we know them....They dress up for church but in reality their hearts are as cold as stone. As you are well aware you don't need a building to have a relationship with God. I am proud to be a Christian and it makes no difference to me what people in churches think of me or how they treat me - All I try to do is walk according to what Jesus expects from me....It is not easy and I have to ask for forgiveness almost on a daily basis - Again because we are weak. One thing is for sure when you are filled with the spirit you become a new creation and WL you would have no doubt have experienced this before when you were part of the cell groups etc. So if you need the peace back in your being just turn to God and ask him....It is that simple. No church, building, Sunday actor can do this for you...Turn to Jesus and restart your walk....I will pray for God to assist you in this difficult time - God bless you

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"Created sick and commanded to be well"

The ironic thing is, churches (In the UK at least, especially those of a certain age) are valued more for their intricate stonework than they are for the mumbo jumbo most of them used to facilitate.

[robvalue]

My wife is teaching self defense in a church. It's more like a village hall really. We all give thanks to god at the end for giving us rapists and muggers to worry about.