Hi There!

[Cranky]

New here.  I was brought up a cradle Catholic, left the Church at 17 for 22 years, came back to Catholicism for another 20 or so, and now left again.  I consider myself a "skeptical" agnostic, i.e. I'm not completely closed to the idea of the existence of a god, but think it's highly improbable.  Another way of putting it: a non-dogmatic atheist.  I've escaped from being enslaved by Catholic dogma and I'm not ready to be dogmatic about anything now.

When I returned to the Church it was in an emotionally vulnerable time in my life.  I got pretty seriously into it, sat on an organizing committee for a lay congress in Rome, became a lay member of a religious order, been to papal audiences, etc.  The pandemic gave me a lot of time to think... and now I think Catholicism (or any other religion) is largely BS.  Not that there aren't any good people in them, or good stuff that came out of them.  To this day I love Gregorian chant and still sing in a choir specializing in it.  But the dogma and doctrine? Not a jot of it.  How, for instance, do you create a man without a Y chromosome?  I also have an LGBQT child that I love to pieces.  I couldn't look her straight in the eye while still participating in a bigoted Church.

The username refers to my current passion, which is bicycling, and not to my general mood, though I can get cranky at times due to the aches and pains of being over the hill.

If anybody has serious questions about Catholicism, I know the doctrines and dogmas pretty well.  It's always best to refute them by knowing what in fact, they say and not what people think they say!  So feel free to ask.

Leaving the Church has been a huge liberation for me.  It's also left a bit of a hole as it occupied much (far too much) of my time.  I've filled it mostly with physical activity (biking, hiking and snowshoeing mostly).  I've had some pantheist leanings in my discernment process, I find much more to admire in nature than in any religious service.

For the record, I'm male, retired, married to an Anglican who also left her church due to a pastor who doesn't accept the LGBQT but continues to otherwise believe.  I have three kids, all adults.

[No one]

You were supposed to bring the tacos.

[billy rubin]

married an anglican?

that means you can do processions like nobodys business

welcome

[Recusant]

Hello and welcome to HAF, Cranky. Thank you for the comprehensive intro post! Another "cradle" Catholic here. Was convinced of atheism while attending Catholic primary school but didn't mention it at the time. 

This isn't a big site but it's been around for a while, in internet time. Good people here, and the rest of us too. 

I hope you enjoy your time reading and posting here.

[hermes2015]

Welcome Cranky. I think your insider knowledge will be of great use in our little family.

[Asmodean]

The Asmo. Pleasantries.

Among my hobbies is driving cars on public roads, which I suppose also may contribute to some crankiness while cranking, although that does go both ways.

[The Magic Pudding.]

Greetings.

[Tank]

You were supposed to bring the tacos.

He did but we ate them while you were asleep. Sorry... not sorry.

[Tank]

Welcome aboard Cranky. Thank you for the comprehensive introduction. I'm a never-theist atheist who was brought up by a devout C of E mum and atheist dad. I got taken to church until I called BS on it around 13 when I started thinking from myself.

Looking forward to reading any insights you choose to share. Enjoy.

Chris

[No one]

I never sleep. SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!!!

[Tank]

I never sleep. SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK!!!

You do sleep. I shave your eyebrows off when you do

[Anne D.]

Hello there, Cranky.

[Icarus]

Welcome to the forum Cranky.

At HAF you will find a friendly and fun group. We are all pretty much separated from any of the religions but we are OK with most of the folks who have not yet begun to examine their "faith".

Be very careful when you are on that bike. There are lunatic automobile drivers out there. I suspect that you are painfully aware of that already. Alright! We have a wheelman in our midst.

[Asmodean]

There are lunatic automobile drivers out there.

The Asmo refuses to confirm or deny wanting some of them huge spikes on the front of the car for no particular reason.

[Dark Lightning]

Welcome, Cranky!