For me this is painful.
I became a born again christian in my first year at University. I thought I’d found god…
Of course there was slight problem. I knew I was gay, and wondered what to do about it.
Nothing seemed to work, whatever I did, I was always gay.
Then it blew up in my face, and an incident occured at University. Shortly afterwards I walked away unable to reconcile what happened and being gay. I just wanted it all to go away and leave me alone.
Eight years later, I had the opportunity to sit down with a therapist and discuss what happened. She helped me through it, and I found an answer that made sense.
I stopped fighting being gay and came out.
My therapist was paid for by the company I worked for, who believed in gay rights. The company closed a long time ago, but they were called Digital Equipment Co. Ltd, a branch of Digital in the UK.
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Yup. If religion solely informed what people did themselves, I’d have way less of an issue with it. You can’t have bacon because your god says so? Carry on. I can’t have bacon because your god says so? Now we have a problem.
I would likely still take some amount of issue with the way it encourages anti-empiric thought as a defense mechanism, and think that it’s not good for people, bit I generally don’t go around complaining about people smoking at home or overeating.
I’m not particularly against the idea of there being some sorta like, deity or something out there in the infinite vastness of space n stuff! I just don’t really think we have any grasp on what they could potentially be so I don’t particularly follow any religion myself! To be honest though even if there was a god I’m not super sure I’d really be one of their followers haha
The world would be a lot better if there was a lot less of it. Simple as that.
I’m not particularly fond of it. I usually only speak on Christianity, I was raised catholic so that’s my area to dunk on and to be honest, I don’t think there’s nothing there to benefit us, those groups that show up in prides and whatnot, that’s all empty, because at it’s core, Christianity as an institution was built like that.
But I get it? I kinda get why some people stick with it, for hope or a need of a higher power, so I don’t hold it against them. I don’t understand how they do it, but I undestand why they do it, it’s their life, I won’t fold myself to appease their religiosity, but I’ll respect it as long as its reasonable.
Not sure if I’m supposed to be sticking my head around here. I do not identify as LGBT. But y’all seem pretty chill.
Personally I’m all against it. I took a while to consciously realize it, but the belief had been falling apart for years. Around that time I had a brother come out as trans/gay, and all of us (siblings, I mean. And there are a good many of us) just kinda collectively said, “cool, whatev” while my religious mother kinda just pretends it didn’t happen.
She just keeps praying “she’ll” (barf) stop “thinking she’s a boy”. And she has the nerve to actually act confused when he doesn’t wanna visit home. (most of us live in town)
It seems all but one sibling has also deconverted, but since none of us has any issue with him, she now thinks we’re all going to hell.
I thought this connection makes the comment relatable to the community at least.
So the short answer is it has driven a wedge into the family between the kids and mom. Dad is just kinda quiet about it, doesn’t like to stick his opinion into stuff or get confrontational. I get it, I actually get a lot of that from him, so I really get it. But I don’t think most of us hold his opinion against him as much, but at the end of it all, he does still agree with her. Mom is very vocal about it, constantly posting stuff on facebook like sad memes (well, not memes, but just images of text or quotes saying stuff like “it’s so hard being ignored by your kids”.
I’m stuck trying to play peacekeeper. Without getting too much into my story I had a medical issue and had to move back in with them, hopefully getting out in the next year or so when my issue is resolved and I can get back to work.
I don’t have to live here in the sexuality closet, but I’m hella closeted about my atheism. Around them at least, everyone else I interact with is under no illusion. At this point I honestly think she might hurt herself if I told her that, for several reasons I won’t get into.
So it’s very awkward when she mentions anything about her church friends, or I suddenly leave the room when Fox News comes on. She hasn’t gone to a service for a long time. But if she picks it back up, I’m gonna have to figure out an excuse.
Fuck, I can ramble sometimes. Somebody shut me up. 🤣
I grew up christian, became and atheist. It’s just didn’t make sense, and the excuses fell away one by one.
I have participated in earth based paganism. My wife grew up Pagan, and I like the kinship and community. She’s been an on-off member for a decade and a half with a group and they are good people.
I won’t condemn religion in general, even Christianity. But I will be skeptical of anyone that brings it up without being asked.
