Religion has been nothing but evil in my life.

[4DeepThought2]

I find the need to express how real a threat religion is, even moderate, and how it is mentally abusing good friends, family members, and others.

Religion has actually convinced some of my friends, literally, absolutely convinced them, that I and two other atheists in my class are going to suffer for eternity in hell. A few people constantly tell me "You are going to hell, you shouldn't question the story of Noah's Ark."

It is the most disgusting thing, and I live with this every day. Religion is undoubtedly the primal opposition to mental growth and intellectual freedom. (This may seem obvious, but it is so apparent on a  daily basis with me that I cannot keep quiet.) They are actually teaching that Evolution is not accepted and that we should adopt Creationsim before Evolution......not to mention that this is during our science class that we are being told this non-sense. My school, and certainly others alike, have ripped our intellectual integrity and thrown it out the window, they have deprived me of a proper grade school education and replaced it with infinite bull shit. I can barely comprehend the life I would have led had I not reached "the age of reason".

I had always doubted, even when I was an atheist, that religion is evil. Once I opened my eyes and actually paid attention in my religion and science class I was awestruck. It is the side effects of these doctrines that are destroying generations of future leaders and innovators who will be kept bound by the superstitions of religion. They are preaching myth and fable.

Whenever I ask a question let's say for example "Why cannot women be priests? Is this not clear evidence that religion is man made?"
I get the most unintelligable answer that makes me want to burn my school down: "Well, you see, um, well we just you know, God.....(trails off)....women were......(again) I'll get back to you on that."

I present my teachers with the fallacies of their religion and they cannot respond with reason. I recently had my science teacher come up to me and say "I agree with all the ideas you present. But for sake of my job I'd prefer to not openly endorse them."

The only thing religion has ever done for me is keep my friends ignorant, provide me with poor scientific education, made me lose the trust of friends, shoved bull shit doctrines down my young innocent throat, subjected me to images and ideas of hell at very young ages, separate me from friends of different religions and blind fold me for so many years to reason. I've lost about 3/4 years of my life due to religion in my school. I hate to be on the offensive towards religion, but recently it has affected my life negativley to such a degree that it feels like a disease. I cringe when my two best friends, who are intelligent and wise, are stripped of the ability to think for themselves because they are schackled by religion. They openly make fun of atheism and Evolution to the point where I am about to rip their heads off (metaphorically speaking). I have lost friends to religion. There is no better testament to religion's evil than escaping and reflecting upon your experience in it.

I just recently, have fully endorsed Christopher Hitchens when he says that religion is evil and cruel.


Bottom line: Religion is evil, cruel, destructive, close minded, and biggoted. And by the way I do not respect any belief that commits me to eternal torture, it is immoral and cruel to do so.


PS: I reject the holy spirit!!

[Sophus]

I understand your frustration completely. However, I don't make generalizations. Not all religious folks are bad. The ones you know certainly sound like obnoxious fundies but be open-minded toward the theists you meet in the future. One of my best friends is an extremely religious Christian.

[Recusant]

You have my sympathy and respect, 4DeepThought2.  I endured 9 years of religious "education" myself, and was inspired to hatred of the institution of Christianity by that experience.  It took many long years before that hatred cooled to disdain and indifference.  I don't know if there is any way to get that perspective when you're in the belly of the beast.  At least you have a way to communicate with like-minded individuals here, and even have others who think as you do in your own class.  Just remember that you will eventually escape this intellectual straight-jacket, and that things will improve once you have survived it and moved on.  I look back on my years in that school with a kind of strange pride and even gratitude: My eyes were opened to the inherent cruelty and hypocrisy of Christian institutions at a young age.  I didn't have to struggle to shed a pile of nonsense later in life.  I agree with Sophus, though. that what you feel toward the institution should not prejudice you against all who subscribe to it.  There are decent people who believe. Think of this as a sort of boot camp; you will no doubt have a level of mental toughness from this experience that few of your age in this country achieve.  There are good things to look forward to, so don't ever despair!
Find just about anything written by the man I quote below, H L Mencken.  He will cheer you up, and fortify your spirit!  I only wish I had found him when I was going through what I think was probably quite similar to what you are presently experiencing. In particular I would recommend Treatise on the Gods, but really anything by him is superb.

[SSY]

You have my sympathy. When faced with fundies who simply refuse to listen to reason, I normally just cut them out, I have no interest in interacting with people I consider to lack basic fundamental tenents of reason. I can however see this would make school life difficult for you.

Your science teacher sounds like they are ina similar place, or possibly worse, they not only have to entertain these farcical beliefs, but teach them also. Nothing like some good old fashioned religious oppression is there?

[Wechtlein Uns]

Yeah, religion bites. I have to listen to religious radio every morning as I wake up. Roomate...

[4DeepThought2]

I understand your frustration completely. However, I don't make generalizations. Not all religious folks are bad. The ones you know certainly sound like obnoxious fundies but be open-minded toward the theists you meet in the future. One of my best friends is an extremely religious Christian.

I will fight it and dispel it hopefully, but so far I do not need to fight that generalization because all of the religous folk I know are the ones who molded my generalization. Although, I will keep an open mind for many religous people have good intentions, but blind in seeing the negative symptoms that their beliefs entail.  Thank you for your advice

[SSY]

Yeah, religion bites. I have to listen to religious radio every morning as I wake up. Roomate...

That must really, really suck.

[Sophus]

Yeah, religion bites. I have to listen to religious radio every morning as I wake up. Roomate...

That must really, really suck.

That is brutal. If you've heard one song you've heard them all. Virtually the lyrics to every Christian song is the same and the talent as absent in one song as the next.

[Faithless]

I completely understand where you're coming from, Deep.  (Sorry, I'm bad with names with numbers in them and didn't want to call you DeepThought because it looks too much like DeepThroat!)  

I have a lot of family from the bible belt, and they've been trying to cram that shit down my throat for years.  Consequently, I have a deep and abiding hatred for all things religious and dogmatic.  While I have successfully fended off their attacks, and for now, at least, have beaten them into temporary acceptance of the fact that 1) what they are doing isn't working on me, and 2) it's not wise to try to debate someone who's smarter and better educated than they are, it has forever affected me, and I'm not happy about it.

However, I did have a question regarding your statement that:

They are actually teaching that Evolution is not accepted and that we should adopt Creationsim before Evolution......not to mention that this is during our science class that we are being told this non-sense.

Just out of curiosity, do you live in the U.S.?  If you do, and your school is actually doing that, I would think that something could definitely be done about that.

[thirteen31]

I have a lot of family from the bible belt, and they've been trying to cram that shit down my throat for years.  Consequently, I have a deep and abiding hatred for all things religious and dogmatic.  While I have successfully fended off their attacks, and for now, at least, have beaten them into temporary acceptance of the fact that 1) what they are doing isn't working on me, and 2) it's not wise to try to debate someone who's smarter and better educated than they are, it has forever affected me, and I'm not happy about it.

And don't forget: 3) It's YOUR choice not theirs.

However, I did have a question regarding your statement that:

They are actually teaching that Evolution is not accepted and that we should adopt Creationsim before Evolution......not to mention that this is during our science class that we are being told this non-sense.

Just out of curiosity, do you live in the U.S.?  If you do, and your school is actually doing that, I would think that something could definitely be done about that.

I'm not from the U.S. and it's foreign to me to hear others speak of the creationism/evolution debate and it's role in the classroom. In the public school system in my country, religious beliefs and teachings are not present at all.

[curiosityandthecat]

I'm not from the U.S. and it's foreign to me to hear others speak of the creationism/evolution debate and it's role in the classroom. In the public school system in my country, religious beliefs and teachings are not present at all.

I can't wait to live in a place like that. Bunch'a savages in this town...

[thirteen31]

I can't wait to live in a place like that. Bunch'a savages in this town...

I was even surprised to find the stigma of agnosticism/atheism on other forums and I am fortunate that religion whichever it may be is never looked down upon, it is accepted. In all fairness, it is not present in the public schools because it is recognized that it accepts students from all faiths and all faiths are accepted as equal. In essence, evolution is taught in our schools but it does not teach that it is the "truth" per se, but that there is evidence it does exist.