Question to ex-theists

[purplepurpose]

I wasn't in religion for long, but it still causes me headaches from time to time after I realized how scummy preaching methods are.

Would like to hear from ex theist on how many years they spend in religion and how many years passed since. And are you still haunted by the regret and anger towards religions brainwashing methods.

[Bob Kelso]

Grew up in a southern baptist home, spent 16-17 years under the thumb of religion. I’m not particularly bothered by it now, it’s been over a decade.

That said, I am bothered by people trying to indoctrinate my kids. I’ve already spoken to my family about letting my kids learn how to think, and that I won’t be allowing them (my family) to tell them what to think. Ultimately their beliefs will be their own, and that’s the way it should be.

[Mystic]

I am a Theist, but I do agree that kids should left to be kids and not indoctrinated.

[no one]

Raised Roman Catholic, by the time I was 9, I knew it was complete horseshit. Several decades have come and gone. Haven't looked back, or reflected at all.

[J a c k]

I grew up in a Protestant home. I spent around 24 years being brainwashed and brainwashing others. I’ve been free for about 9 years.
Stuff about my personality is rooted in the way I was brought up. I’m not so much angry anymore, just woke. I see my traits and constantly pull myself back into normalcy. It took a while to stop being consistently angry, though. I mean, certain things still enrage me, but that doesn’t mean I’m a bitter person. Why stay stuck in the past?

[julep]

I'm a preacher-who-became-a-missionary's kid.  First 17 years of my life were in a highly religious environment.  I became an atheist in college, though I found Episcopalians were much nicer and easier to tolerate than fundamentalists.  So I spent about 20 years as a believer.  

It's been 30 years or so since I stopped believing.  I don't have residual fear of eternal damnation or of god punishing me, but I do feel angry at the Christians who are trying to assume political and legal and "moral" control of the USA.  Regarding brainwashing, I feel that my parents were trying to teach me what they believed themselves, and I don't resent them for that.  Both of my parents are severely fucked up people and couldn't, for emotional reasons, look critically at their religion.

[purplepurpose]

I grew up in a Protestant home. I spent around 24 years being brainwashed and brainwashing others. I’ve been free for about 9 years.
Stuff about my personality is rooted in the way I was brought up. I’m not so much angry anymore, just woke. I see my traits and constantly pull myself back into normalcy. It took a while to stop being consistently angry, though. I mean, certain things still enrage me, but that doesn’t mean I’m a bitter person. Why stay stuck in the past?

How many years you were angry and did you do something to speed up the recovery?

[Angrboda]

I don't regret my time as a theist, no.

[J a c k]

How many years you were angry and did you do something to speed up the recovery?

I’m not sure. Maybe 4 years? What I did was that I started to fix my life instead of just ranting about how horrible I had it because of the church. What was missing? I filled in those empty spaces. I don’t think anybody has an idea of how bad my siblings and I had it. When I tell stories, I can’t tell the whole thing because they might not believe it. So, I have quirks and phobias, traumas that still kind of haunt me, but there is so much more goodness in freedom that overpowers my past. I’ve learned to get out there and do what I want. Be happy. I am genuinely happy despite the annoying random appearances of my old self. Freedom from religion and from the things I kept from it fits better than hate and anger. I don’t want to waste my life dwelling.

[Maffis]

I was raised Baptist Christian, dad was a preacher of various kinds at various times, specialized in preaching to kids. Started doubting at 17 and calling myself an atheist at around 19, 7 years ago. I wouldn't say I'm haunted by anything, I do wish I hadn't grown up so close-minded and I wish I could have nurtured my interest in science more without believing in young earth creationism. And I feel angry sometimes on behalf of my younger siblings and nieces and nephews who are all being brought the same way I was. But nothing super intense. Aside from what I mentioned I had a pretty good childhood. Oh except the fear of hell. Finally got over that all but completely when I was around 21 or 22 and stopped waking up scared in the middle of the night.