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My religious upbringing and a timeline

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Like all of you, I was born an atheist, with no belief or concept of any deities. At five, convinced by the most trusted voice in my life (my mother), I embraced the certainty of God’s existence. Delving into the Bible, early childood science, and observing the world, I evolved, and by eight, I was an agnostic Catholic—still within the church’s fold, yet questioning, and unaware that the term “agnostic Catholic” was an accurate description of my beliefs.

At thirteen, my mother, seeking a more vibrant faith, led us to a born-again Christian congregation. It was there I learned the secret salvation password—a prayer that promised heaven over hell, an irresistible offer for a young mind still steeped in maternal trust. So, I guess I became an agnostic Born-again Christian, whispering prayers to Jesus nightly and fervently wishing my father onto this ‘righteous’ path, the dread of his damnation a constant torment.

Science became my refuge, and over the years, it nudged me towards agnostic deism. Amidst this intellectual pilgrimage, I coexisted with my non-observant Jewish father, whose beliefs I now recognize as aligning with Spinoza’s or Einstein’s deistic interpretations.

Around twenty, curiosity led me to explore atheism online. It was Jake who help me untangle and escape from the lingering deism I didn’t realize I needed to shed. Within a week, I identified as an agnostic atheist—a label I once equated with evil, thanks to the indoctrination of my youth. That revelation, around 1998, set my resolve to challenge religious wrongs.

To my mother, should these words find you, reflect on this: The very faith you cherished played its part in our familial divide. Religion, in its zeal, and it’s zealots can sever family ties. My advocacy stems not only from my own experience of religious imposition but also from countless others who have similar stories of an upbringing resembling cultism. You’ve spent over two decades praying for my return to your world. Twenty years—what has that yielded?

1 thought on “My religious upbringing and a timeline”

  1. My thoughts,WOW!!!!If I was to word my thoughts to you and your clan from the ABC debate with Kirk Cameron till now,I’d have to say you are a complete and total IDIOT!!!May my God forgive me!!ROLLING YOUR EYES AND SHAKING YOUR HEAD!!!I didn’t see the Christians doing that!!!That’s all you all do is WHINE!!!WAH!!!!Do you see Christians do that,I don’t!!Ya’ll got the 10 commandments out of the courtroom and stopped prayer in school and you don’t see the obvious of what that has done to America.Our forefathers built this nation as a nation under God and you and your brethren are doing all you can do to wipe it out,but it never will happen!!Allot of the reason this country is in moral decay is due to the fact we have turned our backs away from God,but no you don’t see it that way!!It’s the Christians fault!!!So intelligent,but such an IDIOT!!Throughout recorded history Atheists have killed more innocent people than what God has done to unjust and while I watched that debate years ago,you said something about atheist around the world!!You need to get some facts straight about that and not some second hand poll that you and your comrades made up!!I try to maintain my composure and do the Christian thing,but in a world full of idiot’s and haters it’s sometimes hard to do.IT’S EASY TO BLAME THE OTHER PERSON AND I SEE YOU HAVE DONE THAT ALLOT ALL YOUR LIFE FROM JUST THE FEW HOURS I READ ABOUT YOU!!!MAYBE JUST MAYBE IT WASN’T YOUR MAMA’S FAULT FOR BREAKING THE FAMILY UP,MAYBE IT WAS BRIAN’S FAULT!!That just made you look more like a whine bag!!!!WAH!!!WAH!!!

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