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What was your religious upbringing?


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Both parents were Mexican Catholic as fuck. Sunday school, catechism, alter boys, choir singing, church ushers, etc - that was my family. I followed the rites up to confirmation. On the walk back to our car after I was confirmed I told my mom I was done. She cried. Then my older brother came out as gay. She cried again. Then she got over it. 
 

Raising my kids in a purely agnostic household. Though I won’t lie, the new Temple of Satan is really tantalizing giving that all they do is pot stir religious people. That’s my love language. 

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My family wasn't religious in any way growing up. My environment and hometown was however until I came to the States and I grew up with a lot of superstition which, for some reason, seems really ingrained in me despite my actual family placing no weight nor value in those things. I was one of those kids with an incredibly overactive imagination and was afraid of everything but also attracted to all things spooky and creepy. My grandmother, who is thankfully still alive, told me in a conversation some years ago that growing up during war times made her firmly disinterested in religion. 

 

I'd consider myself agnostic I suppose. My mother having adopted a bizarre ultra-American Trump persona has of course suddenly led her to drop the G-bomb regularly in Facebook rants my sister screenshots. I have no idea what anyone else in my family is up to spiritually/religiously.  

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Almost zero.

 

My father is from a very Jewish family, my mother from a very conservative protestant (later evangelical) family. Almost my entire extended family is very religious and very conservative... my immediate family is the exact opposite. Their interfaith marriage alone was super scandalous for both families.

 

Every time we would spend time with my moms parents they would try to convert us to Christianity and save our souls. They did this all of my life and eventually when I grew into being a contrarian punk rock teenager with a massive chip on my shoulder about religion it started to go pretty poorly for them.

 

My Jewish family converted/married into Orthodox Judaism and that went about as well on that side. Those fuckers are fucking nuts. Fuck Orthodox Judaism. I consider it a cult that has ruined the lives of multiple loved ones. I no longer associate with that a large chunk of that side of the family. My aunt decided that my brothers child wasn't welcome in their home because he was born out of wedlock, so they can eat all the shit.

 

I barely see any of my extended family anymore. They have all moved away and/or died.  I always got along well with most of them, even though they are all nuts. We've got libertarian off-grid survivalists, gun freaks, religious whack jobs, openly racist provocateurs...

 

Lots of fun Thanksgivings for our family.

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Grew up in a Methodist household.....parents went to Church pretty much every Sunday..never recall them having to force me or my brother..it was just an enjoyable thing to do..and growing up in a small town without the entertainment options we have today it was something interesting to do...looked forward to seeing my friends and our pastor was pretty much a TED Talks kind of guy...I never really found it boring and our Church Services were ..i think short at around 45 minutes.   After church we'd usually make plans with out friends or family for the afternoon and head out to eat somewhere (usually local bar) for lunch....or to Watch the Vikings play   (noon kicks offs in Minnesota)

 

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Growing up my parents always they were Christian, but we watched football on Sunday and dad did yard work or little projects around the house. Only time we went to a church was for a funeral or a wedding.

 

Rest of the family were either hardcore southern Baptist and Catholics or only went to church on Easter and Christmas.

 

I identified as a Christian most of my life, but never followed the rules. I didn’t really start calling myself atheist until my late 20s, but kept it secret as my dad got religious as he got older .

 

Mom is not really religious now after having to go through my dad’s cancer and him waisting away and passing away in 2 months. 

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Catholic. I gave up Catholicism for Lent around the time of my confirmation and never looked back.

 

Despite identifying as agnostic for a few years after that and as atheist since then, I cannot get off my high horse or help laughing when I see Protestants thinking they can trick god with being born again, having all the sex except vaginal, etc. It's not like I believe in confession or that there's a god to fool, even... I don't like that instinct but I haven't been able to purge it completely. "I have a personal relationship with Jesus." OH DO YOU? LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL

 

Sigh.

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59 minutes ago, Kal-El814 said:

Catholic. I gave up Catholicism for Lent around the time of my confirmation and never looked back.

 

Despite identifying as agnostic for a few years after that and as atheist since then, I cannot get off my high horse or help laughing when I see Protestants thinking they can trick god with being born again, having all the sex except vaginal, etc. It's not like I believe in confession or that there's a god to fool, even... I don't like that instinct but I haven't been able to purge it completely. "I have a personal relationship with Jesus." OH DO YOU? LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUL

 

Sigh.

 

All credit to Catholicism for rolling its collective eyes at that nonsense, especially the "all you need is faith" hogwash.

 

"Sola sciptura", my ass.

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1 hour ago, thewhyteboar said:

Adventists were founded by a lady who as a child got hit in the head with a rock and then started to have visions. And no one found that odd??

 

Bruh, our guy Joseph Smith said Native Americans were actually Jews and that one of them appeared to him in several visions and guided him to a book written on gold plates buried in upstate New York.

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39 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

 

Bruh, our guy Joseph Smith said Native Americans were actually Jews and that one of them appeared to him in several visions and guided him to a book written on gold plates buried in upstate New York.

The Catholic church is the Beast and when Napoleon captured the Pope it marked the fall of the beast and now Jesus is in the temple in heaven administering on our behalf!

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27 minutes ago, thewhyteboar said:

The Catholic church is the Beast and when Napoleon captured the Pope it marked the fall of the beast and now Jesus is in the temple in heaven administering on our behalf!

 

Here's what Mormon scripture has to say about the Catholic Church:

 

Quote

10 And he said unto me: Behold there are save two churches only; the one is the church of the Lamb of God, and the other is the church of the devil; wherefore, whoso belongeth not to the church of the Lamb of God belongeth to that great church, which is the mother of abominations; and she is the whore of all the earth.

 

11 And it came to pass that I looked and beheld the whore of all the earth, and she sat upon many waters; and she had dominion over all the earth, among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people.

 

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/14?lang=eng

 

And Jesus in some heaven temple? Pfft. Mormons built a temple in Ohio and Jesus himself came to the opening ceremonies.

 

Quote

The Prophet Joseph dedicated the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836, repeating the ceremony several days later. Beginning in January and continuing past the dedication, many Church members witnessed heavenly manifestations during this glorious season, culminating in Jesus Christ's appearance to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery to accept the temple. Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared to Joseph and Oliver to restore priesthood keys for the salvation of all mankind.

 

These things aren't taught as allegories. They are taught as things that actually physically, literally happened and are recorded as historical events in the Mormon church. Get on our level!

 

(And I just want to make it clear in case it wasn't, I don't subscribe to this belief system anymore.)

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I was raised Jewish but not too long after my bar mitzvah I went full atheist. I'm pretty sure the reason I got put through Hebrew school was more cultural than anything else. My dad is on the record as organized religion is a scam and it was mostly my mom who was upset when I went atheist and she's like 50% gotten over it but 50% still guilt trips me a bit for working on holidays like Yom Kippur. But even she's the kind of person who doesn't really go to synagogue, eats ham and shellfish and whatnot and only goes full kosher during Passover. My other family ranges from basically like my family to at most being slightly more hardcore in the sense of "won't eat blatantly unkosher foods at home but doesn't buy strictly kosher" but I think still won't, like, order lobster at a restaurant? And growing up one of my cousins would do stuff like not play videogames or watch TV on high holidays, not sure if he still keeps that up.

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28 minutes ago, GeneticBlueprint said:

 

Here's what Mormon scripture has to say about the Catholic Church:

 

 

And Jesus in some heaven temple? Pfft. Mormons built a temple in Ohio and Jesus himself came to the opening ceremonies.

 

 

These things aren't taught as allegories. They are taught as things that actually physically, literally happened and are recorded as historical events in the Mormon church. Get on our level!

 

(And I just want to make it clear in case it wasn't, I don't subscribe to this belief system anymore.)

Adventists don't have special underwear, so Mormons will always win. :(

 

But I've met some Adventists who don't eat black pepper because it is too "exciting" for the senses, and justify it scientifically by saying if you look at pepper under a microscope it's really spiky and that can harm your throat.

 

Some also follow really weird rules of what you can and can't do during the Sabbath. Playing catch? Allowed. Playing baseball? That's a no-no. Wading? Cool. Swimming? Not cool.

 

And some don't wear any jewelry so they exchange wedding watches, not rings.

 

And finally, how come Adventists don't have sex standing up? Because they don't want anyone to think that they were dancing.

 

America really is a lovely melting pot of weird Christians.

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1 hour ago, thewhyteboar said:

Adventists don't have special underwear, so Mormons will always win. :(

 

But I've met some Adventists who don't eat black pepper because it is too "exciting" for the senses, and justify it scientifically by saying if you look at pepper under a microscope it's really spiky and that can harm your throat.

 

Some also follow really weird rules of what you can and can't do during the Sabbath. Playing catch? Allowed. Playing baseball? That's a no-no. Wading? Cool. Swimming? Not cool.

 

And some don't wear any jewelry so they exchange wedding watches, not rings.

 

And finally, how come Adventists don't have sex standing up? Because they don't want anyone to think that they were dancing.

 

America really is a lovely melting pot of weird Christians.

 

I resonate so much with this. "Keeping the Sabbath holy" is so different depending on the family and who is trying to be the most righteous or whatever. I know some families that only allow their kids to read or listen to things produced by the church on Sundays, never change out of their church clothes, and prepare every meal the day before and then don't do any cleaning on Sundays. Then there were the families like mine that pretty much considered the sabbath finished once we walked out the church doors. And everything in between.

 

Also the weird rules some families have re: catch but no baseball. Board games are cool, but playing Mario Party would be breaking the Sabbath. Face cards are a sin but you can go ahead and play "21" with Phase 10 cards or whatever. Shopping is bad but go ahead and pump gas if you need to. So weird and Pharasaical. 

 

Our weddings are weird too. In the Mormon marriage ceremony there is no exchange of rings or affection. You take your spouse-to-be by the Patriarchal Grip (aka "the sure sign of the nail") and the woman "gives" herself to the man and the man "receives" her. These are done in the same building as the magic underwear. 

 

I forgot that about Adventists and the no dancing. Very odd. Mormons actually love to dance and make a big show of it. 

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Grew up Lutheran.  Used to take solace in the idea that my religion has an afterlife and would quell any sinking feeling in my stomach whenever thinking about our own mortality (thanks 90's acne meds).  Rarely missed church, only times were for family trips or sickness.  When I went away to college I never really went to church any more.  I would attend when I was home and not working, mostly to keep my parents happy.  Then came the slow slide into non-religiousness that my family went through.  My wife and I got married in my church (mostly due to her being a non-practicing catholic) and both of our daughters were baptized there as well.  But that is where our involvement ended.  We never even looked for a church  when we moved to NC.  My parents and sister relocated down here as well and after going to one place a few times, they gave up going as well.  My brother came out as gay while in college and my younger daughter had a terminal genetic illness.  I think those things soured my parents on organized religion.  My wife would classify herself as "spiritual" (whatever that means).  And I classify myself as apathetic, I don't care if there is or isn't deities.  I no longer feel sick to my stomach when thinking about what happens when we die, and I'm fine with there being only eternal oblivion meeting us in our last sleep.

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Furthermore, two of the most destructive aspects of American social mythology can be traced to Protestantism: the so-called "Gospel of Wealth" and the so-called "Protestant work ethic".

 

These two reprehensible beliefs have exacted irreparable damage to the social fabric of the country by legitimizing the inequities of the American form of capitalism through wrapping it in religious garb.  The United States would've been far better off socially and economically had it been founded by Catholics.

 

Luther should've been drawn, quartered, and his remains cast into a bonfire.

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4 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

Furthermore, two of the most destructive aspects of American social mythology can be traced to Protestantism: the so-called "Gospel of Wealth" and the so-called "Protestant work ethic".

 

These two reprehensible beliefs have exacted irreparable damage to the social fabric of the country by legitimizing the inequities of the American form of capitalism through wrapping it in religious garb.  The United States would've been far better off socially and economically had it been founded by Catholics.

 

Luther should've been drawn, quartered, and his remains cast into a bonfire.

It’s been a minute, but I’m pretty sure Protestants aligned states win the economic battle over Catholic aligned states

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Just now, sblfilms said:

It’s been a minute, but I’m pretty sure Protestants aligned states win the economic battle over Catholic aligned states

 

No, you're absolutely correct that the Protestant nations of Northern Europe are largely more economically prosperous than Catholic ones of Southern Europe.

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6 minutes ago, Commissar SFLUFAN said:

The United States would've been far better off socially and economically had it been founded by Catholics

Gonna disagree with ya

Protestant sexual repression is a small breeze compared the Category 5 hurricane winds of Catholic sexual guilt 

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3 minutes ago, SimpleG said:

Gonna disagree with ya

Protestant sexual repression is a small breeze compared the Category 5 hurricane winds of Catholic sexual guilt 

 

Let me put it in these terms: in a Catholic-dominated state, you probably won't be able to marry whoever you want, but at least you won't die simply because you didn't have health insurance.

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My family are catholic, with a few that also practice jehova's witnesses or however you say that or call them but still consider themselves catholic.

 

I was raised catholic as a kid, went to sunday school, church on occasion, baptized and confirmation but not the third step or something like that. I'm really NOT versed in what is involved... clearly I did not pay attention. Then in my early teens I drifted away from that. Considered myself agnostic for a while, sometimes kind of flip flopping atheist depending on my mood or who is pissing me off lol... My family hates me for that though. Anytime there's an event and we go to church for it, I go in respect to them but I sit as far back as possible because I don't know the customs or anything, plus I don't feel I need to do it but also don't want eyes on me and getting judged lol.

 

My wife is mostly the same situation but she's more spiritual than anything.

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1 minute ago, Uaarkson said:

All religion is a cult, and a grift 

 

Eh, kind of a meaningless statement because many organizations are going to have some characteristic of a cult. Your workplace is probably a cult to some degree. 

 

But when people think of cults and what makes a stereotypical "cult" a cult Mormonism is going to check off 90% of those boxes. 

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