Hurt By The Church

[eve1974]

Seeing so many posts about religion gets me wondering:

For those agnostics / atheists ....

can I ask:

are your beliefs because you've been hurt by regions / followers of religion
or
Is it your conclusion based on the academics / science of it
or
is it a combination of both.

Not wanting to stir the pot - just interested.

[JimF]

It's hallucination:

[eve1974]

JimF - so by. delusion you think its the science and academics of it?

[Bobbisox1]

I’m so pleased I look at religion with an open mind and that it hasn’t taken over my brain

[JimF]

Yes.

[eve1974]

and also:

what age were you (approx obv) when you reached your decision on your beliefs? Or do you think you've had them ever since you can remember?

Were any of you bought up in religious (any faith) homes? Or were you allowed to explore your own beliefs?

Just curious. (PS I was bought up in aChristian home but was always allowed to explore and voice my own opinions about faith and religion)

[Bobbisox1]

I was brought up as a Methodist as many mining communities were I theNorth , I was never brainwashed ,my friends parents were brainwashed into being a JW , she missed out on Christmases and birthdays till she kicked it into touch

[gness]

Eve. I was brought up in a strict Irish Catholic home. I attended a school run by priests, nuns and pillars of the Catholic Church.
I grew up in fear of what was to become of me if I disobeyed any of their rules. That is no way to bring up a child.
Bear with me when I relate why I left this cruel, brainwashing cult.

In my twenties I had an ectopic pregnancy. It burst and by the time I got to hospital my life was at risk.
When my mother found out she was distraught. She went to her priest to say her daughter had had an abortion. What could she do to save me from hell.
The priest visited me to say that what I had done was against the rules of their church. I had let them remove a baby even though it was ectopic.
The church rules that the life of a baby must come before the life of a mother. If I was to be saved I must confess my sin. I refused to confess. In that case, the priest told me, I was to be forbidden from receiving any sacrament of the church. He then patted my three year old saying...what a shame you have to be brought up by such a mother.

I took part in none of my family's church going activities, bar one, from that day on.

Since moving to Ireland I have become involved in the Magdalene Laundries scandal. It confirms my belief that the Catholic Church is a blight on this world.

[Bobbisox1]

Gosh Gness that’s sooo bad I’m sorry reading this

[gness]

Thanks, Bobbi...but in a way it did me a favour.
I am so much happier and my life is now better for having left their clutches...x

[eve1974]

Im so so sorry to hear that gness. I can't fathom the attitude and the judgments It's cruel on so many levels.

Also (and you probably know this by now) the opposite to what the priest said is true. The bible actually allows abortion if the mothers life is at stake (I can't think of the verse now but its deffo in there!).

Then theres the Old Testament (and Tora too) belief that life does not necessarily begin at conception (but that opens up a whole other can of worms!)

[Bobbisox1]

I can see that with your life with Dave and may I add I’m so pleased for both of you

[237SJ]

When I was a kid, my mother was horrified by the scummy Catholic church. I can't say I disagree with her

[eve1974]

and btw ....//If I was to be saved I must confess my sin. I refused to confess. //. good for you!

(a) there was no "sin" to confess to
and
(b) there's no need to confess anything (ever) to another human (priest et al) only to God (and that doesn't even have to involve words / prayers)

[JimF]

"the Catholic Church is a blight on this world"

Couldn't agree more!

[Patsy33]

Evil, man-made rules.
I think many, many people are waking up to this BS!

[nailit]

//The bible actually allows abortion if the mothers life is at stake (I can't think of the verse now but its deffo in there!)//
Good luck in trying to find that passage eve.
Its deffo NOT in there.

These Jesus freaks who think that they know the Bible without having actually read it do my freaking head in!

[tonyav]

Wow, gness. Very very bad, maybe ( if it exists ) the Catholic church will be sent to hell.

[Atheist]

I was brought up thinking that I was C of E, but my mam didn't believe any of the religious stuff and I think I took after her. I became RC at the age of 11 and it was quite fun for two or three years, but the excitement of getting eternal bliss if you did six first Friadays or seven novenas soon wore off. I realised that I didn't believe any of the stuff that was peddled by the Christian Bros and the Jesuits; they were not intellectually capable of persuading me.
I was never hurt by religious people, in fact Mrs Riley who gave me instruction at the age of 11 was a lovely lady and I enjoyed pleasing her by memorising the catechism - "Who made you? - God made me - Why did God make you? - To know him, love him and serve him in this world and to be happy with him forever in the next........"
But I grew up.

[eve1974]

cool - so yours atheist is the academics / science of it?

thanks - it's good hearing folks reasons for their beliefs (or non beliefs it the case of agnostics)

[gness]

The Catholic Church doesn't though, Eve. They can perform procedures to help the mother live as long as the pregnancy isn't terminated.

Here in Ireland many of our hospitals are still under the influence of the Catholic Church (may that end soon) and there is a blanket ban on anything at all that may be considered an abortion.

You may read that the Catholic Church will sometimes say that mother and baby are to be considered equal. Well that depends on who is making the decision and I for one knows where that leads when Catholics have too much of a say in the running of a hospital.