I realize When My Father Probably lost his religion

[rareboy]

It was after WWII and the release of the details of the Holocaust.

He kept up a relatively polite engagement with the Anglican and Presbyterian Church but from the time I was child, I could tell his heart and soul were not in it.

I lost my faith imaginary gods decades ago but kept my faith in religion as an historical and current organizing influence on the social order.

And even over the years as war and famine and pestilence take over the world and religion has been the worst to collude and offend, I am always hopeful that the 'Church', of whatever 'faith' can move humans to altruism.

But every day I doubt this less and less.

And keep thinking of the wonderful idea that real freedom will only be one when the last King is strangled by the last priest.

 

[fabulouslyghetto]

This theme appeared on my fb timeline today but I scrolled past it, it was a collection of testimonies from people who "abandoned" their faith.

It never clicked with me in the first place. I was dragged to church and bible camps and I participated but i was phoning it in to get my parents to stfu.

 

[Ludlow]

Rabbi Hugo Gryn on "where was God at Auschwitz?"

 

[Peloso]

And even over the years as war and famine and pestilence take over the world and religion has been the worst to collude and offend, I am always hopeful that the 'Church', of whatever 'faith' can move humans to altruism.

But every day I doubt this less and less.

You can free yourself of that burden of hope any time now. I think it's clear that things are moving the other way.

If you liked how many people behaved during the worst of the pandemic, you'll love how they'll behave when climate change becomes less of a threat and more of a reality.

Decent people act from their hearts, not from fantastical threats.

 

[ChristianGianni]

My father lost his religion (or faith in it) when I was 16 and my best friend at the time was being molested by a Catholic Priest. My friend hung himself and I found him. After that my father has never set foot inside a church again, not even for my brothers funeral, he insisted on an outdoors service.

 

[cityboy-stl]

My father lost his religion (or faith in it) when I was 16 and my best friend at the time was being molested by a Catholic Priest. My friend hung himself and I found him. After that my father has never set foot inside a church again, not even for my brothers funeral, he insisted on an outdoors service.

Ohhh, this just brings tears to my eyes. I'm so sorry you experienced that; for your friend, for you, for your brother, your dad. That is horrible for people to go through. I cannot imagine, but just thinking about it is gut wrenching. I am so sorry for your loss and pain.

If God cares so much, where was he when this was happening? I've pretty much come to the conclusion that if God does exist, he doesn't care at all. If he does, he seems more interested in preserving, protecting, and defending the free-will of molesters, criminals, murders, dictators, and evil-people to inflict harm, suffering, and death; than he cares about the lives they destroy, the damage they cause, and the lives they end.

Out of all the centuries, the world and the human race that "God so loved", has now arrived at the verge of literally wiping itself out and turning the entire planet into an uninhabitable wasteland. It all could be changed but as a species here, we need some guidance and change of hearts at a global scale, that God, only you can do. Because you know, 2,000-plus year-old books that not two people can understand in the same way...just do not work. Maybe it's too much for me to expect that God might actually care and say something real for once. Honestly, I hate feeling like this. I'm just so cynical, pessimistic, and hopeless these days because as a whole, we're all powerless to change anything at the level it needs to be changed. The only one with the power is God, but he is totally, absolutely, completely, constantly, utterly stonewall silent.

 

[cabinfever]

I think of my mom and how she was molested as a child and what religion did to her - fucked her up real bad because she thought she was dirty and unworthy and thought it was her fault and decided to keep it quiet and instead take control of everyone and everything around her 24/7 as an adult as she lost any sense of power and control of her own body when that happened - and she became a mentally ill monster in the process. She felt "ruined" and resentful for not being the virgin the church and "God" expected her to be - not to mention the sexual promiscuity as an adult that often comes with that mess. I DESPISE organized religion for that as me and my brothers all had to pay for it and so many other reasons though I am OK with God but I do not let organized religion where I think God is absent from anyway or the people who bow to it define God or anything else for me.

 

[Alistair]

I started to question religion when no one could tell me where dinosaurs came from.

 

[unloadonme]

I think I must come from a long line of atheists. Neither of my parents ever had any interest in religion. I was never baptised and religion played no part in our home life. I received (compulsory) religious education at school, but as far back as I can remember I never even remotely considered that it was anything other than a complete fantasy.

 

[belamyi]

 

[voltronforce]

People don't lose their faith in God, they lose their faith in humanity.

 

[Araucaria]

Ohhh, this just brings tears to my eyes. I'm so sorry you experienced that; for your friend, for you, for your brother, your dad. That is horrible for people to go through. I cannot imagine, but just thinking about it is gut wrenching. I am so sorry for your loss and pain.

If God cares so much, where was he when this was happening? I've pretty much come to the conclusion that if God does exist, he doesn't care at all. If he does, he seems more interested in preserving, protecting, and defending the free-will of molesters, criminals, murders, dictators, and evil-people to inflict harm, suffering, and death; than he cares about the lives they destroy, the damage they cause, and the lives they end.

Out of all the centuries, the world and the human race that "God so loved", has now arrived at the verge of literally wiping itself out and turning the entire planet into an uninhabitable wasteland. It all could be changed but as a species here, we need some guidance and change of hearts at a global scale, that God, only you can do. Because you know, 2,000-plus year-old books that not two people can understand in the same way...just do not work. Maybe it's too much for me to expect that God might actually care and say something real for once. Honestly, I hate feeling like this. I'm just so cynical, pessimistic, and hopeless these days because as a whole, we're all powerless to change anything at the level it needs to be changed. The only one with the power is God, but he is totally, absolutely, completely, constantly, utterly stonewall silent.

You have laid out the question of, if God so loves and cares for us, why isn't he doing anything? Is God getting off so much on sitting on his throne, being worshipped by saints and angels, cherubim and seraphim, and all the company of heaven, forever and ever, Amen-- that he doesn't give a damn about what happens here on earth? Or does that show there is no such thing as a "God" at all?

There is one passage that you never hear quoted, where Jesus says "You are gods." Whether you believe there is a God somehow directing human events from afar, or that there is no such thing as a God, the message seems to be the same: Us humans must act as gods, nothing will be done for us. If we want an end to poverty, or war, or to forestall the impending extinction of the human race due to climate change and the destruction of the earth, we must act as gods and do the things necessary to bring about what we want to see. We cannot count on a "deus ex machina" to save us, if we are not willing to do the difficult physical, mental, social, psychological, moral, and spiritual work to do what is necessary to save ourselves and advance the human race beyond the current mess we are in.

 

[belamyi]

People don't lose their faith in God, they lose their faith in humanity.

Like there is a diference: people get their idea of God through their idea of "humanity", from the idea they have of themselves, which is the core of their notion of God's mind, down to the way they can paint him with long, white beard and wearing a pink nightgown.

 

[ShadowCat]

I think I lost my faith in Religion when I realized I am gay and saw in the lessons laid out in school that I was going to burn in the fires of hell for all eternity! But yet then in the same sentence they say we are ALL created in God's Own image, but now wait a minute you just contradicted yourself there! And also yes I had been questioning it before that as well again if bad stuff happens and someone IS watching over us why is there seldom if ever any intervention?! How can so much bad stuff happen to innocent people?! Why would he allow babies to die of cancer! Anyone die from anything?! Why not bring about complete peace and love and just bring us all to heaven? You know It really is school yard crap well my god is better than your god, well my god does this my god does that and in reality it is all centrally distilled from one thing! I subscribe to a basic philosophy of not being a dick to others unless they are a dick to you first!