Atheists & Agnostics

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)

24. Raised Catholic.

Mon Sep 11, 2017, 03:35 PM

Sep 2017

My grandparents and most of my extended family were fairly devout. I went to Catholic school, volunteered as an altar boy, got my Parvuli Dei with the scouts, was confirmed, and all that jazz. No, I was not sexually abused nor did I know of anyone who was.

I didn't have a particularly painful break with the Church, either. I never really believed with much intensity and when at last I started going to public school in the 9th grade, I just stopped going to church. College was pretty much the nail in the coffin for belief; once I'd taken a few philosophy, psychology, and anatomy courses, it became pretty clear to me that God was little more than an imaginary friend for adults afraid of their own mortality. Largely out of fear of ostracism, I didn't make public my atheism until I was in my late 20's.

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Just curious [View all] Beearewhyain Sep 2017 OP

I survived Catholic school, realized it was twaddle Warpy Sep 2017 #1

A buddy of mine is catholic Beearewhyain Sep 2017 #6

I live in a heavily Catholic area in a heavily Catholic state Warpy Sep 2017 #9

"Flying without a net isn't for everyone" Beearewhyain Sep 2017 #12

For me it's easy, I just don't have faith. RGinNJ Sep 2017 #2

Never made sense to me. Solly Mack Sep 2017 #3

I had a "demon cast out" Beearewhyain Sep 2017 #7

No one ever wanted to cast anything out of me, so I was lucky I guess. Solly Mack Sep 2017 #8

meh, it happens Beearewhyain Sep 2017 #11

Just curious. That's it. That's how I got here. mjvpi Sep 2017 #4

There is nothing to arrive to Beearewhyain Sep 2017 #10

I had to get up early on Sat for CCD. That sucked. BigmanPigman Sep 2017 #5

Religion? safeinOhio Sep 2017 #13

My family's been atheist for generations . . . n/t MrModerate Sep 2017 #14

My situation too. Raised without religion. Voltaire2 Sep 2017 #20

Although I continued going to Catholic school Mr.Bill Sep 2017 #15

I had a very ordinary upbringing in the Lutheran Church (ELCA). trotsky Sep 2017 #16

I had a Jewish mother and Catholic father mountain grammy Sep 2017 #17

I had to spend summers at a different Bible school LakeArenal Sep 2017 #18

Parents were religious, but also thinkers FiveGoodMen Sep 2017 #19

Raised Catholic - 12 years of parochial school pretty much stopped believing as a 10th grader rurallib Sep 2017 #21

I Was Raised Catholic But I Was a Doubter at a Young Age Leith Sep 2017 #22

Speaking as one atheist adjacent agnostic... Freelancer Sep 2017 #23

Raised Catholic. Act_of_Reparation Sep 2017 #24

Like everyone else I was born atheist, it's the default position. beam me up scottie Sep 2017 #25

For me it was when I realized Eko Sep 2017 #26

I grew up brainwashed in a family of Southern Baptist Croney Sep 2017 #27

Of all the things people say when a child dies, the god's will... 3catwoman3 Sep 2017 #29

Thank you. That was 47 years ago, but of course Croney Sep 2017 #30

The agonizing raw edges soften with the passing of decades, but... 3catwoman3 Sep 2017 #34

Evangelical atheism, the bane of contemporary discourse. Sneederbunk Sep 2017 #28

How is something that doesn't exist Lordquinton Sep 2017 #31

Oh, that's a really good choice! But I'm going to have to go with Beearewhyain Sep 2017 #32

I'll keep an eye out Lordquinton Sep 2017 #35

... beam me up scottie Sep 2017 #33

So atheists should keep quiet about their lack of belief? trotsky Sep 2017 #36