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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group

We wanted to start this post by mentioning the old hit Losing My Religion, but the famous R.E.M. song is not about faith at all, but about unrequited love. Although, on the other hand, when a person turns away from religion, turns away from God in one sense or another, this can also be called unrequited love. Or a love that no longer exists.

Such love always leaves scars on the heart, and for many people who once believed in the one or many above, they obviously needed a very good reason to turn their backs on religion. And this now-viral thread has just those people as well as their reasons.

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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group The hypocritical behavior of deeply religious people.

Taskerst , Feli Art Report

Final score:

207points

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Libstak 1 year ago

Can't argue with that. I do believe in a God or divine intelligence but all these rules about sin and who is good and who is evil just comes off as bickering kids or school yard bullies having to be better and right.

65points

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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Lack of evidence supporting the existence of god.

glisteningdinkus , Pixabay Report

Final score:

194points

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Hugh Cookson 1 year ago

Upvote this every time. Show me your god and I might believe it, if you don't I won't.

60points

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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group When my religion had 120 billion dollars in a slush fund, owned 2% of the land in the United States, and made no effort to help the world with those funds.

exmo_fo_sho , Jonathan Borba Report

Final score:

187points

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WonderWoman 1 year ago

And with that money supported politicians to take away the rights and privileges of marginalized people. They aren't about love, peace and spreading the 'word of the lord' they are about control, division and hatred.

20points

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The very concept of "religion" is of Latin origin and can be literally translated as "bound by an oath" or "bound by faith." In other words, not just faith, but a conscious limitation of oneself in following this faith: following a certain set of moral norms and types of behavior, ritual actions, external signs and attitudes towards the world.

According to the World Population Review, in 2020 about 85% of the world's people identified themselves with a religion. This is in fact incredibly much, although, probably, out of the remaining fifteen percent, some have at least several times in their lives visited places of worship or taken part in some religious rituals. In other words, religion surrounds us like air, and it can be very painful to abandon it even for a modern person.

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group It turned its back on me first. I’m gay.

JMCrown , Alexander Grey Report

Final score:

179points

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TailsFangirl03 1 year ago

God loves gay people. It's the people who claim to love God but actually don't who are jerks.

73points

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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Too many unanswered questions and double standards.

anon , David Besh Report

Final score:

149points

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no Adhesivness2020 1 year ago

I lose a lot of "Christians" when I say, the Bible is a book written by men who wrote what they thought. Just like today. Many books provide insight into different subjects, but none are flawless. The insistence that the Bible is flawless is shutting out growth and understanding. What if a medical book written 2000 years ago was the only text we were allowed to use?

3points

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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Had an abusive father growing up , and no matter how much I prayed god did nothing.

Professional-Unit814 , Monstera Report

Final score:

145points

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madbakes 1 year ago

Yes. If God allows those who cannot defend themselves to be abused, it's no god I want to know.

77points

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By the way, these are not isolated cases, but a real trend. According to statistics given by the British sociologist Stephen Bullivant in his book Nonverts: The Making of Ex-Christian America, if in 1972 the number of Americans with no religious affiliation was 5% (and if we take into account people under 30 years, then 10%), then in 2018 the same indicators were 23% and 34%, respectively.

Bullivant says the majority of this shift is caused by people actively leaving the religion of their childhood (the “nonverts” of the title), not because they were born into nonreligious families (though that trend is coming). In other words, there are many reasons for people to turn away from religion, but this is rather an objective historical process.

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group I grew up as a Christian and even spent a little time working in ministry. For years there were some nagging things that just didn’t add up for me. I worked for Child Protection Services for years and decided any God that has the power to prevent heinous abuse against his supposed innocent, but doesn’t, is either a sadist I don’t want to worship, or simply non existent. If this all started between God and Satan they can leave me the f**k out of it. It’s the b******t manufactured responses from Christians that were the nail on the coffin.

__KWM__ , Simon Berger Report

Final score:

142points

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Nikki Sevven 1 year ago

God started out as the bad guy, imo. Eve couldn't possibly have known it was bad to eat from the Tree until AFTER she had already eaten. God set her up to fail, then held all humanity accountable for one transgression from one person who was utterly innocent of her wrongdoing. No court in the world would have convicted her, but God did, and the rest of us until the end of time? Screw anyone who behaves like this. It's narcissistic gaslighting and victim blaming at its finest.

65points

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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group People put religion first over being a good human being

wootmon12 , Arina Krasnikova Report

Final score:

135points

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Lauren Lewis 1 year ago

Religion is usually their first excuse to defend their crappy behavior.

66points

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31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group I come from a fairly religious family (some are very, others, not so much, some not at all).

I became an atheist at the age of six.

Why?

Simply put, I could see, even then, how badly religion is use to manipulate, control, bully, intimidate, and attack people. And I wanted NO part of that.

Dippycat149 , Oleksandr Pidvalnyi Report

Final score:

133points

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not your average weirdo 1 year ago

My dads side of the family is deeply catholic and my moms side is Protestant but my parents raised us to be skeptical of everything unless there’s proof

31points

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And if there is a historical process, that means that it is possible to model scenarios for its development. So, according to the Pew Research Center, which researched four such scenarios, in all four religiously unaffiliated Americans are projected to approach or exceed Christians in number by 2070. Yes, our society is really losing our religion, and the process looks unstoppable and impetuous - from a historical point of view, of course.

#10

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group What they taught didn’t make any sense

stupidfock , Ric Rodrigues Report

Final score:

130points

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Nancy T 1 year ago

Yes, again yes!

24points

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#11

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group when MFers got ten grand for a robe and a gold ring and a gold cup but gives out soup and bread like they doin a grand thing. Oh and [abusing] children that part pisses me off.

Churches should be charged 75% taxes

Outnabout3535325 , İrem Meriç Report

Final score:

125points

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OmBoyGanesh 1 year ago

And the hundreds of pedophile priests are all doing hard time. /s

40points

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#12

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group A very religious friend once told me "It's a shame you don't believe in god, you're a nice person and don't deserve to burn for eternity." I was like...if that actually happens, your god is an a*****e and I wouldn't worship them even if it was proven without a doubt that that god existed.

I'm open to the idea of a higher power. I don't think it's impossible that life was seeded on Earth by higher beings. But I'd want to see the evidence before I believed it and I certainly don't think that millionairs who demand money from the poor are the people spreading the word of any kind of saviour.

Raephstel , Dương Nhân Report

Final score:

111points

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K W 1 year ago

It's even better when someone tells your grade schooler they're going to hell if they don't believe in Jesus.

9points

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Be that as it may, we are now in 2023, not 2070, and each of the people who turn away from religion has their own motivation, their own story. So please feel free to scroll to the very end of this list, read these stories and maybe share your own in the comments. After all, as John Lennon used to sing, “imagine there's no countries - it isn't hard to do. Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too...”

#13

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Critical thinking.

Apoplexi1 , Pixabay Report

Final score:

95points

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VikingAbroad 1 year ago

In my country the education to become a priest is not a clerical education, but a university education. They teach critical thinking, social science and historical criticism. They want priests to think for them selves and be solid people. The priest wage is low and you have to live among your parishioners. Nor fancy robes, no grand buildings, no self interest, no hate (well, some really old time priests are not fans of female priests, but they are dying out). I love what the church in my country do for the poor, those in need and those who just need a free space. We're not Catholic, but we're Christians. Most of the time the problem is not religion, but white supremacist religion, any religion who thinks money and wealth should go to the top. And that is not Christianity, that is some brainwashed kind of sect. Instead of going after all religion, go after those specific sects that gives the rest a bad reputation. Any religion who hates a specific group can't be Christian.

23points

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#14

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Because it is nonsense.
A structure build by certain people to control and benefit from the not-so-sharp knives in the drawer.
If it makes these people have a reason to be "good" in the fear of an almigthy punishing them... Fine with me.
I prefer to be a good person just because, I'm fully responsible for my actions and have no need for imaginary friends to blame.

RenzoARG , Pixabay Report

Final score:

93points

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Nikki Sevven 1 year ago

Unfortunately, many modern religionists insist on bypassing the word of their god to decide for themselves what's 'good' and what's 'bad', and their decisions are ALWAYS based on their personal feelings about certain groups of people.

17points

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#15

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Was being lectured to "not want material things" by someone driving a Hummer

mjk3845 , Jacob Moore Report

Final score:

91points

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Hugh Cookson 1 year ago

Hypocrisy at it's best.

37points

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#16

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group I found my own path to spirituality.

Altruistic_Speed_819 , RF._.studio Report

Final score:

91points

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Hugh Cookson 1 year ago

As we should all do, well done.

36points

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#17

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group I'm autistic. So when I asked a clarifying question ( as I am want to do) at age 6 in sunday school i was told

"Dont ask questions"

And that was the end of that.

brumbles2814 , Ron Lach Report

Final score:

85points

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David H 1 year ago

I went to Jewish Religious schools and one of the things I learned in first grade was that one of the essential things in Judaism is a requirement to ask questions, it is even part of the Seder on passover. Asking questions in encouraged, or at least supposed to be, as long as it is done in a respectful way with intent to get an answer as opposed to being antagonistic

34points

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#18

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group The fact there are over 4,000 religions in existence today. Which one of them is right?!

South Park did a great episode on this btw, where everyone died and I think only the Mormans went to heaven, all other religions went to hell, because turns out they were incorrect in choosing their faith. Epitomised how ridiculous religion is.

That and everything else already said in this thread.

09stibmep , Wouter de Jong Report

Final score:

82points

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Mis Stake she/her 🇫🇮🇬🇧 1 year ago

Cult + time = religion

3points

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#19

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group I was forced to go to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, Wednesday night, for years. Even as a young person I started seeing the bias and hypocrisy in organized religion when a teacher was trying to tell me if you 'didn't know Jesus you were condemned to hell'. I asked 'what about the Indians'? And the teacher had no answer for me. Didn't make sense to me that a 'loving God' would send a whole group of people to hell because they hadn't been exposed to the bible.

Over time the fact that churches tend to be cliquish and are always begging for money that generally gets spent to big bigger and 'better' churches just left a bad taste in my mouth.

I also have a hard time believing that a book that a bunch of 'old' guys at the time wrote based on stories told by mouth over hundreds or thousands of years is really the 'word of God'.

I still believe in a higher power and intelligent design but I am not going to follow the teachings of organized religion. I do believe in basic ethics and standards of how to treat your fellow human beings but I don't need some fat dude in a cheap suit telling me how to behave every Sunday morning.

Thepatrone36 , Patricia McCarty Report

Final score:

70points

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SkyBlueandBlack 1 year ago

Well, yeah -- that's why Christian missionaries went all over the place, to "save" the savages. Even built entire plantation-style missions in California. And remember that guy a few years ago who went to that island in the Indian Ocean inhabited by a tribe of historically unfriendly cannibals? Yeah, he knew it was illegal, but he just HAD to try to convert them. As for the origin of the bible, that's a whole college class. OT is a record of Jewish oral history, NT is mostly Paul writing letters to various communities about how to be Christian (Jesus' followers were Jewish; it was Paul who took it from a form of Judaism to a different religion). Mark *might* have been written by the actual apostle Mark, but decades after the events described. The books of the NT were chosen at the Council of Nicea in the 300s, because there were a whole bunch of various gospels in use before then (now called the gnostic or apocryphal gospels). Christian history completely undermines Christianity.

24points

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#20

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group The OPs question is a fallacy, that people "become" atheists for a reason. The false assumption is that faith is the natural state for all people, so there must be a triggering event (e.g. loss of a loved one, an accident, etc) that caused the individual to leave the "correct" state and enter into an aberrant state of non-belief.

In reality, belief in a god or other mystical reality is the aberrant behavior, begun by early privative culture and perpetuated by training each new generation.

I "turned my back on religion" when I went away to college and realized there was no reason at all for me to go to church on Sunday. There was no meaning in it. I shrugged and moved on with my life.

Clapperoth , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

68points

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OmBoyGanesh 1 year ago

Second paragraph is spot on!!!

26points

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#21

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Mental gymnastics. Also the fear tactics got tiring

cherrymilka04 , Brett Sayles Report

Final score:

59points

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Hugh Cookson 1 year ago

Easy way round this, stop the gymnastics and stop being fearful of their b******t.

11points

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#22

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Aside from the sheer absurdity of the biblical timeline and the fantasy that magic man is watching what every person is doing at all times, I have a son with autism. The challenges he faces to do the most simple things are cruel and inhumane. There is no intelligent design behind any of this.

MeatWhorenado , RODNAE Productions Report

Final score:

49points

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KathleenJ 1 year ago

But THEY say we only get the burdens we can bear.....utter bs!

22points

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#23

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group Honestly the terrorism, the greed and religious hypocrisy that comes from people who follow it made me an atheist/agnostic for a long time add to the fact that when your God commands you to kill Jews and non believers it makes it more of a cult than a religion eventually I discovered Hinduism which worked for me personally. So technically I’m still not sure about God but I love the religion, the practices and the easy going nature of the religion, Buddhism is pretty nice too.

FABRICFOREVER , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

49points

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Strontium Dog 1 year ago

Hinduism is "easy going"?! I suspect that there are the families of thousands upon thousands of dead Seikhs and Muslims who would not agree.

14points

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#24

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group I went to a church of England school, which involves singing hymns, prayers etc. Pretty standard for primary school age kids. I was talking to another girl about religion and she said 'I'm an atheist'. I asked her what it was and she explained that she didn't believe in god. I was mindblown, I didn't even know that was an option, but it immediately made sense to me in a way Christianity never did.

My parents never spoke about religion much or went to church, but I went home to tell them my new discovery and they both just laughed and admitted they don't believe in god either. I have a few atheist family members too, I learnt my grandmother, now 93, doesn't believe in god, and my Grandad on the other side who passed a few years ago.

CherylTuntIRL , RODNAE Productions Report

Final score:

46points

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SkyBlueandBlack 1 year ago

Yeah, from an anthropology perspective, religion is a cultural/community thing. Like a book club, but it's the same book over and over. Historically, your religious community served as a social safety net, supporting each other when needed -- making sure a guy's wife and kids didn't starve if he died, taking in orphans, etc. -- because the notion that a government might do that is relatively new. At this point, though, religion -- especially as it's practiced in modern societies -- is totally obsolete. So church members now tend to either be the casual "social hour" attendees or the over-the-top "REPENT!/NO, YOU REPENT!" variety. Of course, now we're seeing a lot of "I love God and Guns" types, which I *think* is the middle part of a venn diagram of those. Or it might just be a form of mental illness. I dunno, I didn't take abby psych. XD

20points

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#25

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group MendelOfGrendel said:

Reading.

ctgreeves11 added:

Same here, I started reading the bible during lockdown and found a load of nasty s**t which basically convinced me that I didn't really like what christianity stood for so i decided to stop believing.

MendelOfGrendel , Pixabay Report

Final score:

43points

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Bonesko 1 year ago

Besides the torture porn, there are way too many contradictions. 'Love thy neighbor', 'don't murder'. Followed by 'stone them b***hes that don't believe!'

8points

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#26

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group How it handled the most basic questions (usually by avoiding them or calling people rude for asking). That and the double standards.

UsualMorning98 , ARGA Report

Final score:

42points

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OmBoyGanesh 1 year ago

Why an image of Ganesha for this one???

11points

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#27

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group My grandma died when I was 11. She was the most religious person I've known, she made us pray all the time and scolded us when we didn't go to church with her.
She got lung cancer and died after surgery. I prayed to god like she taught me when she was in the hospital, and when the news came out that she was dead, I felt a betrayal as never before.
I felt let down. I had prayed like I was supposed to, did everything she asked me to do for god. And he didn't save her.
Now that I'm older I know that my parents didn't communicate the severity with me as they should have. They knew it was a major surgery with a small percentage that she would survive. But I didn't. I thought she would get help there and be back in time for the next sunday service. This all lead to me loosing the simple faith a child has, and I'm an agnostic now.

No_Pomegranate1167 , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

38points

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Glengoolie Blue 1 year ago

You were brainwashed but simple observation woke you up.

19points

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#28

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group I couldn't be bothered to get up on Sunday mornings and slowly learning about the seedy s**t Catholic priests get up to behind closed doors

Mace_1998 , Luis Quintero Report

Final score:

36points

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OmBoyGanesh 1 year ago

Wait until you hear about their past & current financing of legislation in (mostly) African nations to institute “kill the gays” laws. They’ve already succeeded in at least two nations and are financing the initiatives, propaganda and promotion in several others. All proxied through adjacent (yet official) groups like the Knights of Columbus. Meanwhile, they have this apparently supportive and progressive mouthpiece who implies otherwise & he’s beloved because of his apparent kindness & silly behavior. But then, the pope is still the head of the worlds largest tax-free, organized crime group.

21points

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#29

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group maturity, it is clearly all BS

Fresh_Pomelo8842 , Tara Winstead Report

Final score:

31points

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Deborah Rubin 1 year ago

Wait, what? Santa Claus isn't real?

4points

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#30

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group The overly religious people (extremists) and what they do claiming that it is what God would want.

Also, the fact that the main religions do not afford a thought that God can...change. I mean, Christians, Muslims and Jews (pretty sure that goes for Hindus and Shintoists, too) are pretty proud of following the traditions set up thousands of years ago. But people change, cultures change, attitudes to various aspects of life change. Why do people deny that a God can change, too? That it can now feel cringe towards the things it "demanded" earlier?

When I was a teenager I liked brutal videogames, gory fatalities of Mortal Kombat, cynical comic plots like the Watchmen (probably would have loved The Boys tv show if it aired back then), heavy music like Death Metal or the "screaming" aggressive albums of Marilyn Manson. Now I recall this time with cringe because my tastes changed. Now I like softer music, pixel roguelites and kinder movie/tv/comic plots where the good guys win and Naruto Therapy works, can't stand gory games. So what if God feels something similar? "Yeah, I killed the residents of Sodom and Gomorrah, killed the Egyptian babies, still feel ashamed, or ordered to sacrifice sheep on Kurban Bayram, but sheesh it was so long ago dudes, why are you still doing it?".

Few people are proud that they are following ancient social traditions like slavery or racism, that are outdated. Few people are proud to still use the vastly outdated tools. But too many people are proud that their worship is almost the same as it was hundreds of years ago.

Malfarro , Karolina Grabowska Report

Final score:

31points

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birdhouse 1 year ago

I truly believe religion was made by the wealthy few as a way to control the masses. No police or law back then. So they make up this all mighty being that can see and hear all you do. They scarred everyone into behaving they way the rich wanted them to.

23points

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#31

31 Things That Shook People’s Faith In Religion, As Shared In This Online Group White people and Christianity, once I realized what we consider Christianity in the United States is an aggregated, filtered/edited version of the religion and it's history in support/promotion of white power structures I was done. Seeing Judaism used to subjugate the Palestinian people and steal their land to create an apartheid state.

I want to believe in this concept of divine design and lines that lead thru all creation however humans have shown they will use this sense of order to control behavior and beliefs.

Personally I'm good on religion, read too much to go backwards...

Still respect the idea of trying to understand how we all got here, mostly thru science but there's still that unknown "magic" to creation.

jonny_prince , Martino Grua Report

Final score:

24points

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Nikki Sevven 1 year ago

There's an unknown 'magic' to pregnancy too. And baking bread. And we know how both those things work. Failure to understand a natural process doesn't make said process 'magic'. Clarke's Law.

19points

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After many years of working as sports journalist and trivia game author and host in Ukraine I joined Bored Panda as a content creator. I do love writing stories and I sincerely believe - there's no dull plots at all. Like a great Italian composer Joaquino Rossini once told: "Give me a police protocol - and I'll make an opera out of it!"

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Saulė is a photo editor at Bored Panda with bachelor's degree in Multimedia and Computer Design. The thing that relaxes her the best is going into YouTube rabbit hole. In her free time she loves painting, embroidering and taking walks in nature.

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What do you think ?

POST

Adam Belaire 1 year ago

Here is what gets me. I'm Christian with the United Church. My wife is agnostic, one of my best friends is wiccan and their husband is a church minister and we all play D&D with different gods. We get along great. I have no doubt there are thousands of common stories of how crappy a religious person is and I feel bad for those wronged by religions. It's unfair to group every religious person together. It's the same as saying all Muslims are terrorists. Yes, there are bad ones but there are great ones out there too. Just like there are good cops mixed in with bad ones, good lawyers mixed in with the ambulance chasers, good Americans mixed in with the horrible ones. I'm not here to change any one's mind but want to just say that there are good people out there. As for the number of religions....To me, it's Hamlet vs. Lion King. Same story, different tellers. Ultimately, each story tells of a higher power and those that believe in the faith and how they are rewarded or punished.

11points

Tams21 1 year ago (edited)

I don't disagree with any of this but I also don't think much of it is unique to religion. To take an extreme (but shockingly common) example, look at the MAGA movement: It's followers regularly tell lies which a 30 second Google would disprove, some of them are then even proven wrong by the courts and still people blindly follow and even commit violence. Religion does have some problems unique to it but many of those have the same root as those with MAGA - People that are able and willing to abuse power.

6points

Mr Rammathorn 1 year ago

I am more upset that Santa is fake than religion.

6points

Mis Stake she/her 🇫🇮🇬🇧 1 year ago

Cult + time = religion

5points

K W 1 year ago

For me it's the rampant sexism and lack of female representation in the divine as well as how psychologically unhealthy a lot of religious beliefs are. Also one sky daddy is so boring.

4points

Kristal 1 year ago

I think religion as fine as long as it helps a person be a better human being. Some people need to be motivated by a negative to reach a positive, some religions help them with that. I was raised Mormon but saw the ugly side of it by not being part of the social norm and that helped me see the hypocrisy at a young age. Grown up, the most mind-blowing for me is that Mormons strive to reach the highest tier of heaven so that they, too, can become Gods of their own worlds .... yet they don't believe in polytheism? I mean, what? Seriously.

4points

TailsFangirl03 1 year ago

I'm sorry but I can't just believe God isn't real when He's part of the reason I didn't end myself. I respect everyone else's choices religion-wise tho

4points

Tyranamar Seuss 1 year ago

I'm a very big believer in God. I think it can be very healthy. I just don't think my God is the one right God. I also don't believe in giving up on God bc you went through something awful and God didn't answer your prayers. God's not a genie here to do your bidding. He's got a greater picture in mind. I went through hell as a child. The lord did not rescue me from it until I was 16. Those years were so important in shaping me and making me great at helping people now. I see God's plan in it. I feel a little bad for others who don't have that, sounds lonely. But I also think so many religions are full of c**p. I don't think God can be defined that way. Doesn't mean he doesn't exist. As far as proof- there was no proof quarks were real until very recently. Does that mean they don't exist?

2points

Best Behave 1 year ago (edited)

So tell us how god IS defined. Your god let a child suffer until they were 16 . It sometimes goes even better and allows the suffering to continue further, or allows the child to die in the most degrading and inhumane circumstances. And yes , it is incumbent on god to prevent this if it exists - if it doesn’t it is malign, just as a human that would not prevent it is malign. Sometimes it actually directly causes the suffering- diseases and parasites are god’s creation. As for Quarks, they haven’t been posited for thousands of years. They were predicted, very specifically, by our understanding of physics in the mid 60’s - that was the first bit of evidence they existed. Once it was understood what the particles were like physicist set about trying to find them, and did so in a few years. It really is not comparable, or at least not in the way you would like. You don’t need proof - a consistent definition and some evidence would be a start, or even a description of what the evidence might be and how we would find it. Until that time please keep your god out of the public sphere and out of the realm of policy decision making

1point

Dave Hanel 1 year ago

I follow Earl Hickey faith. Do good things and good things happen. It's simple, and you actually see the results of your good deeds.

3points

Kimberly Buchanan Fisanick 1 year ago

I'm not religious. I'm spiritual, like my ancestors before. Religion is man made, which means, they are human. Which means they can lie, change things to benefit them. Hear say, after passed down just in hours, gets all wrong. Yet something passed down for many, many years, is suppose to be fact? I don't think so. You can be a good person without religion.

2points

Miss Frankfurter 1 year ago

Personally speaking, I do have a faith. I do believe in God. But, I up voted every single one of these. I absolutely understand all of these viewpoints. I will totally defend every single one of them to anyone who has the presumption to judge and declare the sentence (going to hell), be part of a war about religion and wants to kill any of you because you don’t believe. We’ll both go together on that one. And so on. Everyone has the right not to believe in a god. Everyone has the right to make their own decisions and not be judged for it, nor have to endure people who try to persuade you. My dad always said “My church is standing under the night sky.” Me too dad. Me too.

2points

Queen Jackson. 1 year ago

I don’t wanna make anyone feel bad for their religion so I’ll be civil for now but I’ll tell you what’s the most recent nail in the coffin for me. I realized that most people believed in Christianity, and even though it’s a free religious country, people immediately expect you to be Christian (specifically in black communities). If I ever outwardly said I wasn’t Christian, I’d be shunned, everyone would be mad at me, and it’s almost like no matter what I say in my head, I have to be outwardly Christian to not get in trouble (so much for free religion huh?). It also doesn’t help that it’s legal for catholic schools to exist, considering you’re forced to participate in mass, pray, and other things no matter what religion you are. How comes kids don’t get to think of their religion their selves.)

2points

The Milk In Your Fridge 1 year ago

ngl though I love learning about all the different rules, myths, and practices.

2points

Ralph Kretschmer 1 year ago

Some day you awake to the fact there is no Easter bunny or Santa Claus. When you grow up, it becomes clear that there's no sky daddy and that everything is just made up by people to rule over and benefit from their followers.

2points

PythonZER0 1 year ago

my opinion is that religion and mythology were made to explain the unexplained. now that religion is actively contradicting proven science is proof of this. if you disagree because you believe religion to strongly, you are part of the problem.

2points

Maikai 1 year ago

It seems these address religion from an empirical experience. My exposure to religion had a bit of a cultural lens. I no longer go to mass as an adult & don’t know what I “believe” now, but I keep my “practice” with me. I’d say I encountered religions integrated into multimodal practice. E.g. I didn’t just go to mass alone on occasion then go back to my separate daily routine. I grew up experiencing communities that happened to have some kind of practice. This usually meant occasionally joining the community for beach clean up/some other project/playtime/meals/grocery exchange/etc. Everyone that asked to be included was reached [not just families, but also neighbors, travelers, unhoused, non ambulatory. I like this topic & seeing how others experienced religion.

2points

WonderWoman 1 year ago

Religion was invented to control the masses. Don't want people eating pork because long ago it could in fact make you sick - tell the people their God told them it was dirty. Don't want people to lie, cheat, etc, tell them their eternal soul will burn. 100% CONTROL.

2points

Mark Karol-Chik 1 year ago

I had been losing faith for quite awhile and for the past 9 years my family has gone through s**t all the while my beloved parents never lost faith. Even when my Sister, niece, brother died. When they passed away from Cancer all too fast while holding their rosaries and praying. "God" is a farce.

2points

Apatheist Account2 1 year ago

Just have to think how many religious "truths" have been disproved by science to know that they are not knowledge from a deity, just human guesswork.

2points

Laura Lett 1 year ago

I am a Christian. I know God is real. . Because, when I was 16 ,I attempted suicide. The phone rang. I was being given a kitten. That tiny baby ,gave me the will to live. Yes,it sounds crazy. But ,this was how a Caring God saved my life. I had been a rape victim at 9 yo. Therapy didn't work for me. I know what I know. Nothing can change the truth for me. I respect your opinion. And I understand your choices. I have been in a mega church,for too long. Back to a basic congregation that has many out reaches to the community. We are faith based . And serve those less fortunate. Again, I'm not going to belittle anyone for how they believe or not. You do you. Live your life. Be well.

1point

Jill Bussey 1 year ago

My biggest point of contention is the disparity of treatment for males and females. Why should one half of the world be treated any differently to the other half? (I am not in any way dismissing those who choose a different gender, just those who discriminate for no reason.)

1point

Ziggyc 1 year ago

My mother is very religious, I was dragged to Sunday school as a kid,then went home to a junkie for a Dad ,the church knew but never interviewed when they saw bruises etc...anyway,I was asked to leave Sunday school when I was 10 because I questioned the rationality of Mary carrying God's son.I asked if it was Mary's egg ?I was genuinely curious and was told I was blasphemous and disgusting.I was a curious girl and they couldn't handle it.The fact that they saw my siblings and I covered in bruises as well as my Mother and they did nothing and still a Tithe from her weekly when we wore rags ..disgusting, I want no part in such hypocrisy.

1point

Katrina M. Alecson 1 year ago

I got told by a pastor when I was 9ish that MEN were automatically forgiven for everything but to had to beg for forgiveness for any wrong the did. This was a public school program.....

1point

Sugar Cargill 1 year ago

If we are considered complacent when we don’t step in and help someone being hurt or bullied, then why is it OK that God doesn’t step in? Seems like he likes seeing people, and animals being cruelly treated. Or just doesn’t care.

1point

Casey Smith 1 year ago

My story is that I was hired to work for the church by the minister after my counseling sessions, then he molested me knowing all my dark secrets would keep me quiet. Ruined so much.

1point

Leo Domitrix 1 year ago

"But how does that make sense?" I ask and I'm told, "It's part of the mystery." OK, so .... yeah. I was raised Catholic, got a Catholic school education, we were taught Logic & Reason for two years, and that's why I don't "do" religion. Logic & Reason negate the "it's just the mystery" for a legit answer.

1point

Kiwii Stone 1 year ago

I still believe in God but I don't practice anymore. My car failed its MOT and I live to far from church to walk. It took months for my church 'friends' to notice I was missing. They said they would arrange for someone to give me a lift - on three separate occasions. Haven't heard anything since and it's been 14 months. I realised that the community spirit I felt wasn't as strong as I thought :(

1point

Liu Woods 1 year ago

I think it’s kind of f****d up when Christians leave their religion and then decide all other religions from all other cultures are equally awful. You left God, you should leave proselytizing next.

1point

Kungfu Panda 1 year ago

I guess you all are speaking about your individual religious experiences. I don't relate any of what's mentioned in here with my religion Islam, it provides me with every answer to every question in my life.

1point

Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 1 year ago

Some of this is just religion hating... I'm atheist but like respect others as long as they personally use their religion for good. Religions main belief is to love each other and to be kind

1point

Iblowsheep_V3.2 1 year ago

Hypocrisy, Judgemental, Greedy, Circular logic, Dishonesty, Deceit...... there is more but isn't that enough?

1point

Viv Hart 1 year ago

,What gets me, is that more wars were started because of religions, all of them, all to do with power & control, esp. in the Middle East, not naming names. When you consider the history of Europe, think how much conflict was the result of Church disagreement, and yes, there was only 1 Church, until Martin Luther spoke up. To me, my relationship with God is private, I believe in a Higher Power, something had to have created the Universe, after all, it didn't just happen. I had polio as a child, some of my Mom's family said that it was God's punishment on her, because she had different ideas to them, she had ideals that they couldn't be bothered with. She went NC with them, after all, why would a loving God put such a punishment on an innocent child?

0points

Wim Cossement 1 year ago

I'm a believer of the transistor trinity now and the holy atom (in the neutral state), especially after the death of Moor's law...

0points

Isa 1 year ago

Can u define instinct or gut feeling no Y can not see it but feel it but if y ignore it y know better.

0points

Isa 1 year ago

People should give proof of them being humans.What if they are something else we don't know for sure.Normal looking people have bad intentions,y never know.

0points

Alicia Rossano 1 year ago

Pretty much all these are nothing new and things different traditions have been wrestling with for millennia - namely, hypocrisy of the faithful, literalist interpretation of scriptures, and the problem of evil. There are long and robust conversations regarding these and many other issues within each tradition

0points

Invader Zim 1 year ago

You needed to find proof that religion is a made up fantasy ? Duh

-2points

POST

Adam Belaire 1 year ago

11points

Tams21 1 year ago (edited)

6points

Mr Rammathorn 1 year ago

I am more upset that Santa is fake than religion.

6points

Mis Stake she/her 🇫🇮🇬🇧 1 year ago

Cult + time = religion

5points

K W 1 year ago

For me it's the rampant sexism and lack of female representation in the divine as well as how psychologically unhealthy a lot of religious beliefs are. Also one sky daddy is so boring.

4points

Kristal 1 year ago

4points

TailsFangirl03 1 year ago

I'm sorry but I can't just believe God isn't real when He's part of the reason I didn't end myself. I respect everyone else's choices religion-wise tho

4points

Tyranamar Seuss 1 year ago

2points

Best Behave 1 year ago (edited)

1point

Dave Hanel 1 year ago

I follow Earl Hickey faith. Do good things and good things happen. It's simple, and you actually see the results of your good deeds.

3points

Kimberly Buchanan Fisanick 1 year ago

2points

Miss Frankfurter 1 year ago

2points

Queen Jackson. 1 year ago

2points

The Milk In Your Fridge 1 year ago

ngl though I love learning about all the different rules, myths, and practices.

2points

Ralph Kretschmer 1 year ago

2points

PythonZER0 1 year ago

2points

Maikai 1 year ago

2points

WonderWoman 1 year ago

2points

Mark Karol-Chik 1 year ago

2points

Apatheist Account2 1 year ago

Just have to think how many religious "truths" have been disproved by science to know that they are not knowledge from a deity, just human guesswork.

2points

Laura Lett 1 year ago

1point

Jill Bussey 1 year ago

1point

Ziggyc 1 year ago

1point

Katrina M. Alecson 1 year ago

I got told by a pastor when I was 9ish that MEN were automatically forgiven for everything but to had to beg for forgiveness for any wrong the did. This was a public school program.....

1point

Sugar Cargill 1 year ago

1point

Casey Smith 1 year ago

My story is that I was hired to work for the church by the minister after my counseling sessions, then he molested me knowing all my dark secrets would keep me quiet. Ruined so much.

1point

Leo Domitrix 1 year ago

1point

Kiwii Stone 1 year ago

1point

Liu Woods 1 year ago

I think it’s kind of f****d up when Christians leave their religion and then decide all other religions from all other cultures are equally awful. You left God, you should leave proselytizing next.

1point

Kungfu Panda 1 year ago

1point

Aroace tiger (she/they/he) 1 year ago

Some of this is just religion hating... I'm atheist but like respect others as long as they personally use their religion for good. Religions main belief is to love each other and to be kind

1point

Iblowsheep_V3.2 1 year ago

Hypocrisy, Judgemental, Greedy, Circular logic, Dishonesty, Deceit...... there is more but isn't that enough?

1point

Viv Hart 1 year ago

0points

Wim Cossement 1 year ago

I'm a believer of the transistor trinity now and the holy atom (in the neutral state), especially after the death of Moor's law...

0points

Isa 1 year ago

Can u define instinct or gut feeling no Y can not see it but feel it but if y ignore it y know better.

0points

Isa 1 year ago

People should give proof of them being humans.What if they are something else we don't know for sure.Normal looking people have bad intentions,y never know.

0points