How long have you been what you are?

Grew up half Mormon half Christian (mom's side was christian, dad's side was Mormon) I always remembered questioning the teachers about what they were saying and it never made logical sense to me. Their answers never actually answered my questions, it was always "because God/Jesus/the Bible says so" and it was a back and forth battle of that answer followed by "but why".

My dad raised us on the belief of being ourselves and finding our own identity and never pushed any of his personal beliefs on us, so I always felt like I had an open mind to everything. I continued going to church and every time I went I swear it was the same couple stories every Sunday and Saturday! I started wondering what the point was and was thinking things like "why do i have to listen to the same three stories over and over again just to let god know I love him, if he is all knowing won't he know I love him when I am at home"

I also remembered plenty of times where new members joined the church and they were never accepted, everyone always judged them and made snide remarks to other families, I thought it was wrong, They also made racist remarks to any blacks or Mexicans that wanted to join. I think they noticed it to (or weren't allowed in or something) because it was literally only white people at both churches (the Christian one was worse). I remember thinking about how rude and unwelcoming these people were especially when they were teaching us that god says to love all of his creatures. They wouldn't accept gays either, I remember a gay couple stopping by for a church Sunday brunch and they were accepted until it was found out they were gay and were literally ran out of the church! I was crying I thought it was terrible! It wasn't until I was 14 that I finally decided I should just read the bible for myself. I read the whole thing in about three days and had nightmares every night for weeks. I couldn't believe what I was reading. Genocide, rape, murder, torture, incest, and other terrible terrible things. When I got my own computer I started doing research on religion in general and came to the belief that God is not a good being, but instead he is a tool used to instill fear and control in weak minded people. I stopped going to church and never felt more free in my life, I was raised on fear and was finally relieved the misery! My parents had no problem with it either.

I don't say I am an atheist and I don't give myself a title at all, I just simply don't support religion or any of the beliefs associated with them. I wouldn't say age had any direct effect on my decision, because I was questioning since the age of 5. Of course everyone is different and I am not saying I am right or wrong, these are just individual situations I witnessed and grew up with.

I am a cradle Catholic, baptized as a child of God, I inspected other faiths and sects

in the world but find none with the light of Truth as the Catholic Church. I say this because the Romans should have been able to destroy the tiny group of early Christians easily if it was not from God. That the heresy like what Mohamed taught, schisms from east and west, reformations, enlightenment's, Communism all were very efficient ways of getting rid of groups of dissenters.

Yet the Church remains because the Holy Spirit watches over and guides it. Jesus said He would be with His Church until the end of the world.

Atheist at birth , the default setting.

this is religion for you........

* The Dark Ages

* The inquisitions

* The crusades

* The genocides

* The Holocaust

* The countless pogroms against the Jewish populations of Europe

* The book burnings

* The heretic and witch burnings

* The heretic stonings

* The honor killings

* The killing of gays

* The killing of apostates

* The killing and hindering of our greatest minds

* The amputation of limbs

* Genital mutilation

* Human sacrifice (including that of the mythical Jesus)

* Countless wars in the name of religion

* The subjugation & destruction of native peoples during colonization

* Hindering of science and scientists

* Hindering of medicine (including access to birth control & abortion)

* Hindering of social advancement

* Hindering of education

* Backing of slavery (even by the mythical Jesus)

* Subjugation of women

* Child rapes by religious leaders, and the cover-ups

* 9/11

* Suicide bombings