Introducing myself

[jules96]

Hello everyone.  I am a 49-year-old female.  As a child, I was literally dropped off at the church door (by myself, while my grandparents went back home.)  I occassionally attended church as I got older because that was what I was "supposed" to do. The real awakening occured when I was a teenager attending a church where I liked the pastor.  One Sunday the white music minister and his wife invited their black friends ( a very nice couple ) to attend our church.  All hell ( ) broke loose and the rest of the white congregation got rid of the pastor and the music minister.  
This was a real eye-opener to what a loving, accepting institution religion is. As I got older, I finally decided to quit pretending to myself that I had some kind of interest or belief in religion.  It has not been an easy road, as I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt - first, Georgia and presently, South Carolina.  I live in an extremely small town where there is a church on every corner and the teachers (illegally) force their class to pray before lunch every day.  I have to keep my opinions to myself, but I am at peace with myself.  We still have the "Blue Law" in SC, you know, that law that says the stores can't open before church gets out on Sunday.  If they can't force you to go to church, they sure as hell can keep you from going shopping during church hours!  Anyway, I'm glad to be a member of this group where I can talk to like-minds about how silly and absurd religious beliefs are.

       Jules96

[Kyuuketsuki]

It has not been an easy road, as I live in the buckle of the Bible Belt - first, Georgia and presently, South Carolina.

I'm sure it hasn't growing up where you did ... but then I don't buy into this Christian crud that belief is the harder path anyway, I genuinely believe that myths are based on wishful thinking and seductive and as such it is far harder to remain disciplined, focussed and rational.

Welcome to the forum Jules.

Kyu

[rlrose328]

Welcome Jules!  (Wow, I've run into 3 people online in the past 2 weeks named Jules!)

I do not know how you survive in SC... I think I'd be pulling out my hair every day.  I'm in Oregon and even here, we've got a huge number of churches and church folk... and way too many McCain/Palin stickers for my taste.  You're among friends here.  

[curiosityandthecat]

Welcome, Jules! I think you'll enjoy it here... absurdities abound!

Oh, look. Here's something now.



 

(Doh. Screwed up the image link.)

[McQ]

Welcome to the forum, Jules. Hell of a childhood introduction to church you had, there!  

[Whitney]

Hi Jules, welcome to the forum.

[jules96]

Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes.  It's good to know there's a friendly place to go to discuss these issues.       Jules96