Atheists & Agnostics

Books, movies, plays....the documentation is overwhelming on the psychic harm done by religion. Sure, some people "thrive" in it, despite the handcuffs that are a part of the package. Forcing people to behave by archaic "rules" is so unjust and cruel. As if this is the only way to raise children! The peer pressure from "church folk" can be intense and oppressive, but they are foisting unproven bullshit on others. All based on an imaginary god that everyone and his brother interprets in their own fucking way anyway. What a mess.

I read recently that the "full Bible" has been translated into over 700 languages. The New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,500 languages! I didn't know there were that many languages! Isn't this awesome? Spreading bullshit far and wide, to every corner of the world! Lay on the guilt, baby.

It makes me sad to hear stories like yours. So much suppression of children, so much squandered potential at the hands of so many religious parents, not to mention sexual assault rather rampant in more than one "branch" of this poisoned tree. I hope this didn't happen to you. After all, there is quite a lot of sex in the Bible. And again, sure, not every religious person is going to sexually assault someone, but I'll bet enlightened parents do it far less frequently than brainwashed believers.

I was pretty fortunate. My parents made me go to Sunday School only until I was 7. I hated it and it didn't make any sense. The only pressure I felt to attend Sunday morning services was that a quick drive to Dallas to watch the Cowboys play football in the Cotton Bowl was the lure to get me to go.

"Tell you what, son, we go to Sunday church services Sunday morning and we'll drive to Dallas to watch the Cowboys play afterward!"
"Ok, Daddy, let's go!" My big brother would tag along, but my 2 older sisters were not interested in football. Or religion.

That, and the annual gathering around the piano to sing some Christmas Carols (mostly religious garbage) was about as far as my parents pushed us 4 kids towards religion. I am forever grateful to them for their parenting.

Congratulations to you for shedding that stifling cocoon. So many are still lost in the haze.