Silly things you misunderstood about religion as a child

[Chad32]

That's a lot of legs. I don't even know what that is. Like a cross between a cricket and a centipede.

[Athene]

When I was very young, I thought the scariest-looking insects came up through the earth from Hell, particularly preying mantids....along with fire ants, spiders and ugly moths.

You mean they actually DON'T??

I see these things in my basement, occasionally, and I'm pretty fucking sure they came from Hell:


WARNING, gross as hell and nightmare-inducing:

PS I'm not fucking kidding, these things are revolting.

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Arghhhh..... shit!Yep.That's one of those little earth demons!

[MTL]

That's a lot of legs. I don't even know what that is. Like a cross between a cricket and a centipede.

It's nothing like a cricket.  Crickets are charming and are considered good luck when they get into your house.

But THAT THING that I posted is a variety of centipede.

They're colloquially known as "house centipedes" and they move at like Mach 9.

My sister could always tell whenever I saw a centipede in the basement,
(as opposed to a mere spider)
because the centipede always elicited MULTIPLE screams from me,
instead of just one.

Usually because they run straight at you.

Fucking Hellspawn.

[Chad32]

I don't find crickets or centipedes all that freakish, but that thing is weird. I hate roaches, personally. That's what likes to get into the house and populate where I live.

[The Valkyrie]

[MentalGiant]

I always felt uncomfortable changing, bathing and going to the bathroom because "god" was ALWAYS watching (and nudity was 'sinful')!

[Drich]

Things I thought about Christianity that the bible does not support:
God is omnibenevolent.
The bible says the oppsite, there are those in whom God hates.

God's love is unconditional.
In fact John 3:16 shows us the conditions/limitations God puts on love: God so loved the world that He gave his only son that who so ever believes... (that is the condition) Shall not perish but have ever lasting life.

We burn forever in Hell.
The bible never says we (souls) burn forever. It says Hell was Satan's prision where He will burn forever, and the lost souls who are cast into it are eventually consumed by it's fire. Which brings the Hell Jesus describes in line with the Jewish version of it. (The grave) "Fear not the one who can harm the body. But, Fear the one who can destroy the body and soul in Hell."

That Jesus was non-confrontational and loved everyone.
To the pharrisees He was a nightmare. He made them look foolish at every turn and called them out on their foolishness. To his deciples He called them idiots on a regular basis. To Peter "Petros"/loose gravel (unstable one) he give a humbling nickname.

That Christians are supposed to treat everyone according to how they would like to be treated.
We are to treat others as we would like to be treated. Not all of us wish to celibrate our ignorance, if we are march around with no cloths, some of us would like to know.

That we get to heaven by being 'moral' and doing 'good deeds' by obeying the 10 commandments.
We get to heaven despite our 'good deeds' and our inability to keep any of the commandments. We get to heaven only through atonement offered by Christ. Which as nothing to do with our 'morality.'

That prayer is a formal wishing ceremony (where 'good Christians' get to ask God for stuff they want.)
Prayer is not a way for us to change God's mind, it is an opportunity for us to ask God to change our mind and hearts to align with what He wants for us.

That we trade good deeds for granted wishes.
This is just all the way wrong. God knows what we want, and if we can put Him first we do not even have to ask. That said God will never give us something that would keep us from Him.

That all 'gods' offer a personal relationship with their people.
All other non Christian versions of God only speak to prophets. Regular people rarely if ever see or hear from their God.
Ive got a few more if you like, but these are some of the more elementary sunday school level misunderstandings of Christianity that fuel most of the debates here.

[MTL]

I always felt uncomfortable changing, bathing and going to the bathroom because "god" was ALWAYS watching (and nudity was 'sinful')!

Yet, He designed the body.

[downbeatplumb]

I have heard of a little girl who tugged at her dads sleaves and said "I know gods name"
"what is it?"asked dad expecting Jehovah or yaweh.
"Harold" she said.
"It's in the prayer"
"Is it? " said dad.
"Our father who art in heaven, Harold be thy name....."

[vorlon13]

I don't know where I got this, but for quite a while I thought the guardian angels were like super duper involved in watching us all the time and super busy in averting all manner of calamity.