Curious How Many Of Us Were Raised Catholic?

[NeverAgainV]

I'm asking this because i wonder if Catholicism can set the stage for more extreme fundamentalism?

 

Also those of us who were raised Catholic, & who got sucked into a more extreme version of Jesus religion, do

you remember the reasons why you decided to leave the Catholic faith for the more fundamentalist bible faith?

 

In the cult I got sucked into when I was in college, many of the members were raised Catholic or Lutheran.

When the pastor came up from down south to start a church in the heathen north

(because most northerners were deceived & needed to hear the truth^tm) )

he didn't convert people to Jesus or Christianity, we already had that. 

He was converting people to his brand of Christianity.

 

Just curious. Thanks!

[SilentLoner]

I was raised catholic, but went straight from that into atheism. 

[NeverAgainV]

I was raised catholic, but went straight from that into atheism. 

was it because you saw hypocrisy- abuse- or that you realized things like transubstantiation were bullshit?

You don't have to elaborate if you don't want to.

[SilentLoner]

 

I was raised catholic, but went straight from that into atheism. 

was it because you saw hypocrisy- abuse- or that you realized things like transubstantiation were bullshit?

You don't have to elaborate if you don't want to.

 

 

To be honest, I don't really recall the exact reason I stopped believing - pretty much one day I realized I didn't buy into it anymore. 

 

There were a lot of little things that built up to it, though. I remember hearing about evolution theory for the first time in 5th grade and thinking it made a lot of sense, I could not bring myself to agree with the catholic abortion stance, I did see a lot of hypocrisy from believers, etc. I was only 13 or 14 at the time when I stopped believing. Took me a few good years to openly admit it though. 

[buffettphan]

I was raised catholic.  So was my husband.  But by the time we met in the early 1970's, we both considered ourselves ex-catholic agnostics/deists.  The christian biblegod just didn't make sense to either of us. We thought "God" had to be bigger than that.

 

He got snookered into AssOfGod about 12 years (and two kids!) into our marriage.   For about a year, I tried going to church with him.  But I just couldn't take it.  I'd sit in church and shake my head and roll my eyes at the shit that was being preached and at the congregation following along like they were brain dead.   During that year, I re-read the bible and became an atheist.  My DH on the other hand has gone from church to church to church looking for the "right" one.  Of course he's never found that, but I don't think he'll ever stop looking.  Nor do I think he will ever take off his god-goggles.   

[NeverAgainV]

 

 

I was raised catholic, but went straight from that into atheism. 

was it because you saw hypocrisy- abuse- or that you realized things like transubstantiation were bullshit?

You don't have to elaborate if you don't want to.

 

 

To be honest, I don't really recall the exact reason I stopped believing - pretty much one day I realized I didn't buy into it anymore. 

 

There were a lot of little things that built up to it, though. I remember hearing about evolution theory for the first time in 5th grade and thinking it made a lot of sense, I could not bring myself to agree with the catholic abortion stance, I did see a lot of hypocrisy from believers, etc. I was only 13 or 14 at the time when I stopped believing. Took me a few good years to openly admit it though. 

 

How awesome to see it so early and stick to what your gut was telling you.

 

I remember being a teenager and during the mass I'd go to the bathroom, which was outside and smoke a cigarette...I knew it was bullshit then.

But the guilt kept me chained, my mom would say "god takes care of you all week, the least you can do is go to church for one hour on sunday!!!"

ah the ole Catholic guilt.

[NeverAgainV]

I was raised catholic.  So was my husband.  But by the time we met in the early 1970's, we both considered ourselves ex-catholic agnostics/deists.  The christian biblegod just didn't make sense to either of us. We thought "God" had to be bigger than that.

 

He got snookered into AssOfGod about 12 years (and two kids!) into our marriage.   For about a year, I tried going to church with him.  But I just couldn't take it.  I'd sit in church and shake my head and roll my eyes at the shit that was being preached and at the congregation following along like they were brain dead.   During that year, I re-read the bible and became an atheist.  My DH on the other hand has gone from church to church to church looking for the "right" one.  Of course he's never found that, but I don't think he'll ever stop looking.  Nor do I think he will ever take off his god-goggles.   

LOL AssOfGod...hahaha!     Thanks for that!  So you have seen the BS, but he still is searching?  It is hard to get the indoctrinations out of the brain I think.

and it sure is true that if one actually READS the bible, that is all ya need to realize, this bible religion is effin' crazy!!

[buffettphan]

 

I was raised catholic.  So was my husband.  But by the time we met in the early 1970's, we both considered ourselves ex-catholic agnostics/deists.  The christian biblegod just didn't make sense to either of us. We thought "God" had to be bigger than that.

 

He got snookered into AssOfGod about 12 years (and two kids!) into our marriage.   For about a year, I tried going to church with him.  But I just couldn't take it.  I'd sit in church and shake my head and roll my eyes at the shit that was being preached and at the congregation following along like they were brain dead.   During that year, I re-read the bible and became an atheist.  My DH on the other hand has gone from church to church to church looking for the "right" one.  Of course he's never found that, but I don't think he'll ever stop looking.  Nor do I think he will ever take off his god-goggles.   

LOL AssOfGod...hahaha!     Thanks for that!  So you have seen the BS, but he still is searching?  It is hard to get the indoctrinations out of the brain I think.

and it sure is true that if one actually READS the bible, that is all ya need to realize, this bible religion is effin' crazy!!

 

 

Actually, DH (or as I lovingly refer to him -- DFH for DearFundyHubby) isn't searching anymore because he already has THE TRUTH.  But he is always on the lookout for a church that  has more truth than the one he's currently attending agrees with The Truth According to DFH.  

[Tezia]

Most of my grandmother's side of the family are Catholic. And some of her children are starting to follow in her footsteps. The Catholicism they follow seems to be of the liberal variety. And for a short moment in my life my mother tried to raise me and my siblings as Catholic. I've even attended mass lots of times. I will never forget how sickening it was.

[NeverAgainV]

Most of my grandmother's side of the family are Catholic. And some of her children are starting to follow in her footsteps. The Catholicism they follow seems to be of the liberal variety. And for a short moment in my life my mother tried to raise me and my siblings as Catholic. I've even attended mass lots of times. I will never forget how sickening it was.

Yeah -but I'd take liberal Catholicism over the fundamentalist bible Baptist/Calvinist variety anyday.

[Guest MadameX]

I was raised Catholic. Some wacky stuff there! It is interesting because there are SO many deities in Catholicism - Mary is the most venerated (arguably) figure in Catholicism. And then there are bazillions of saints, some of them very colorful indeed. Check out Saint Sebastian, pierced by a hundred arrows.

 

Have you ever been to the Vatican?! Seen the eye-poppin riches and art and precious materials?!?!?! Cash all that crap in and save millions of lives, millions who are starving or dying of disease. Oh, but nnnnnnno ....

 

It is interesting because in Catholicism the primitive roots of Christianity are apparent. Relics (errrr, pieces of people - yep body parts) are kept in many churches in Europe. 

 

But yeah for all the magic and wackiness in Catholicism, I have met many tolerant (and closeted atheist) Catholics. Fundies are so much worse. Never thought I would say that!

[pandora]

Checking in here...

 

Being raised Catholic had quite the opposite effect on me.   I knew lots of down to earth nuns, and my parents were liberal Catholics.   It set the stage for my deconversion.   Most non-fundamentalist/non-orthodox Catholics are pretty tolerant of other religions and such.  Ironically, many of my evangelical classmates have converted to Catholicism as adults with children.   

[NeverAgainV]

I was raised Catholic. Some wacky stuff there! It is interesting because there are SO many deities in Catholicism - Mary is the most venerated (arguably) figure in Catholicism. And then there are bazillions of saints, some of them very colorful indeed. Check out Saint Sebastian, pierced by a hundred arrows.

 

Have you ever been to the Vatican?! Seen the eye-poppin riches and art and precious materials?!?!?! Cash all that crap in and save millions of lives, millions who are starving or dying of disease. Oh, but nnnnnnno ....

 

It is interesting because in Catholicism the primitive roots of Christianity are apparent. Relics (errrr, pieces of people - yep body parts) are kept in many churches in Europe. 

 

But yeah for all the magic and wackiness in Catholicism, I have met many tolerant (and closeted atheist) Catholics. Fundies are so much worse. Never thought I would say that!

I remember praying to different saints for different "petitions". Yes the Vatican has wealth beyond belief & that is one thing that pissed me off w/ the Catholics...

one church had a $20,000 statue of Jesus or some saint put in front of the church and I remember thinking "couldn't that $$ be used to help people who really need it?? Why spend it on a statue??" So it was shit like that which drove me away from the Catholic church. However I found it was no different in fundyland!! Except instead of spending $$ on the statue it was for -pastor's private trainer- trips overseas paid for by the church (missionary work used as an excuse to travel the world...) etc. etc. I realized this bible religion was a bunch of bullshit from the Catholics to the friggen Jehovah's Witnesses!

[NeverAgainV]

Checking in here...

 

Being raised Catholic had quite the opposite effect on me.   I knew lots of down to earth nuns, and my parents were liberal Catholics.   It set the stage for my deconversion.   Most non-fundamentalist/non-orthodox Catholics are pretty tolerant of other religions and such.  Ironically, many of my evangelical classmates have converted to Catholicism as adults with children.   

Now that is interesting....it lead you OUT of religion. Hmmm  I can say that the Catholicism I grew up with was liberal and modern. I did enjoy the songs and they had guitar playin instead of the organ so it was less...churchy.    Also the nuns never wore the black and white, they wore normal clothes but might wear a headcovering.

In general I don't like religion, but because the baptist/calvinist bible cult was so abusive, so damaging I find myself looking back on the good ole Catholic days with fondness. One thing I did appreciate is that when I thought "god" was leading me out of the Catholic church, they never judged me or told me God would kill me or that God hated me for doing that. However in the primitive Baptist/Calvinist bible cult, they filled my head w/ threats of divine judgment for leaving their little cult church.

 

To this day I have such hatred towards that cult church...I know I need to let it go.

 

It would be interesting to find out why & how those evangelicals converted to Catholicism. I think as far as Christianity goes all roads to lead to Rome...??

[NeverAgainV]

dang I'm out of UP votes for today!

[milesaway]

I wasn't raised in any religion, but the Catholics delivered the critical strike and ultimately destroyed my faith, even from afar. They were my final attempt at church, and the Catholics I dealt with were batshit fundy through and through. Then again, the church itself was traditional and WAY conservative, enough that the pastor threw a tantrum about skirts and shorts that hit above the knee in the middle of summer. I think that hellhole was what accelerated my deconversion a whole lot quicker than it would have if I stayed and tried to duke it out at the liberal fuzzy feel-good one from three churches ago. That one was a different denomination, btw.

 

Funny you should mention Baptist converts. One of the people there that I tried to talk to actually came to the Catholics from some Baptist church, along with one of the newcomers.

[NeverAgainV]

I wasn't raised in any religion, but the Catholics delivered the critical strike and ultimately destroyed my faith, even from afar. They were my final attempt at church, and the Catholics I dealt with were batshit fundy through and through. Then again, the church itself was traditional and WAY conservative, enough that the pastor threw a tantrum about skirts and shorts that hit above the knee in the middle of summer. I think that hellhole was what accelerated my deconversion a whole lot quicker than it would have if I stayed and tried to duke it out at the liberal fuzzy feel-good one from three churches ago. That one was a different denomination, btw.

 

Funny you should mention Baptist converts. One of the people there that I tried to talk to actually came to the Catholics from some Baptist church, along with one of the newcomers.

You know I definitely have heard of Baptists converting to Catholicism. I'm sure Catholics run the gamut of the very liberal and social justice types to the uber conservative ones.

 

One of my experiences comparing Catholics to Baptists (since I was involved with both) The IFB Calvinist/Baptist church was just way more into your personal life and way more controlling to the point of keeping track of ones "church attendance". In the Baptist church if we were going to miss church, the pastor wanted us to CALL HIM...so if you were sick, fuck sleeping in, you'd better wake your azz up and call the pastor to let him know you wouldn't be in church. That kind of micro management I never saw in my Catholic church growing up. Though my mom kept track of my Catholic church attendance!! LOL

[milesaway]

 

I wasn't raised in any religion, but the Catholics delivered the critical strike and ultimately destroyed my faith, even from afar. They were my final attempt at church, and the Catholics I dealt with were batshit fundy through and through. Then again, the church itself was traditional and WAY conservative, enough that the pastor threw a tantrum about skirts and shorts that hit above the knee in the middle of summer. I think that hellhole was what accelerated my deconversion a whole lot quicker than it would have if I stayed and tried to duke it out at the liberal fuzzy feel-good one from three churches ago. That one was a different denomination, btw.

 

Funny you should mention Baptist converts. One of the people there that I tried to talk to actually came to the Catholics from some Baptist church, along with one of the newcomers.

You know I definitely have heard of Baptists converting to Catholicism. I'm sure Catholics run the gamut of the very liberal and social justice types to the uber conservative ones.

 

One of my experiences comparing Catholics to Baptists (since I was involved with both) The IFB Calvinist/Baptist church was just way more into your personal life and way more controlling to the point of keeping track of ones "church attendance". In the Baptist church if we were going to miss church, the pastor wanted us to CALL HIM...so if you were sick, fuck sleeping in, you'd better wake your azz up and call the pastor to let him know you wouldn't be in church. That kind of micro management I never saw in my Catholic church growing up. Though my mom kept track of my Catholic church attendance!! LOL

 

 

Holy shit, that's creepy! Why the hell should anyone have to dictate to some pastor over their attendance like that? This isn't elementary school where your parents have to call in and tell them you won't be there when you get sick or something like that. The only reason I can see that kind of thing being even remotely acceptable is if you're part of the service, like if you're gonna be the one to read scripture at the podium, or if you're with the church's choir and whatnot, then it would be out of politeness or common courtesy. Seriously, the more I think about it, the more I agree with the whole idea of religion infantilizing people. Good thing you're out of that hellhole!

 

Speaking of social justice, I remember the pastor totally bashing social justice in more than one sermon. If I remember right, he basically said it was the same as moral relativism, and that social justice is responsible for ruining families, blah blah blah. I think this was a couple years ago, before the shit hit the fan. And to think I stayed for another year. So glad to be done with that pointless rat race, once and for all.

[Kris]

I was raised catholic until I was 12. I told my mom at that age that the philosophy of the church just didn't make sense to me. However, at age 13--I became Pentecostal. How could a kid be so smart and yet so stupid at the same time????

[RipVanWinkle]

. "However, at age 13--I became Pentecostal. How could a kid be so smart and yet so

stupid at the same time????" Kris

 

Need you ask? You were a teenager.

 

One thing that has always made Catholics on a personal level so much better to tolerate

than the fundamentalists is they don't try to convert non-Catholics as agressively or as tastelessly as fundamentalists.

At least that has been my personal experience. bill

[NeverAgainV]

 

 

I wasn't raised in any religion, but the Catholics delivered the critical strike and ultimately destroyed my faith, even from afar. They were my final attempt at church, and the Catholics I dealt with were batshit fundy through and through. Then again, the church itself was traditional and WAY conservative, enough that the pastor threw a tantrum about skirts and shorts that hit above the knee in the middle of summer. I think that hellhole was what accelerated my deconversion a whole lot quicker than it would have if I stayed and tried to duke it out at the liberal fuzzy feel-good one from three churches ago. That one was a different denomination, btw.

 

Funny you should mention Baptist converts. One of the people there that I tried to talk to actually came to the Catholics from some Baptist church, along with one of the newcomers.

You know I definitely have heard of Baptists converting to Catholicism. I'm sure Catholics run the gamut of the very liberal and social justice types to the uber conservative ones.

 

One of my experiences comparing Catholics to Baptists (since I was involved with both) The IFB Calvinist/Baptist church was just way more into your personal life and way more controlling to the point of keeping track of ones "church attendance". In the Baptist church if we were going to miss church, the pastor wanted us to CALL HIM...so if you were sick, fuck sleeping in, you'd better wake your azz up and call the pastor to let him know you wouldn't be in church. That kind of micro management I never saw in my Catholic church growing up. Though my mom kept track of my Catholic church attendance!! LOL

 

 

Holy shit, that's creepy! Why the hell should anyone have to dictate to some pastor over their attendance like that? This isn't elementary school where your parents have to call in and tell them you won't be there when you get sick or something like that. The only reason I can see that kind of thing being even remotely acceptable is if you're part of the service, like if you're gonna be the one to read scripture at the podium, or if you're with the church's choir and whatnot, then it would be out of politeness or common courtesy. Seriously, the more I think about it, the more I agree with the whole idea of religion infantilizing people. Good thing you're out of that hellhole!

 

Speaking of social justice, I remember the pastor totally bashing social justice in more than one sermon. If I remember right, he basically said it was the same as moral relativism, and that social justice is responsible for ruining families, blah blah blah. I think this was a couple years ago, before the shit hit the fan. And to think I stayed for another year. So glad to be done with that pointless rat race, once and for all.

 

You said the exact thing my husband said, that the pastor was making him feel like he was in grade school, a child! It was very controlling, that was just one of many issues.

 

I'm glad you got out too! It's sad that pastor's have to bash social justice, they are sooo messed up w/ their thinking!

[NeverAgainV]

I was raised catholic until I was 12. I told my mom at that age that the philosophy of the church just didn't make sense to me. However, at age 13--I became Pentecostal. How could a kid be so smart and yet so stupid at the same time????

I agree w/ Bill, you were so young! Don't be too hard on yourself.

 

For me, I saw that things just weren't -right- in the Catholic church, things didn't make sense, so I was searching.

Ended up in something so so very much worse than the Catholics ever dare to be!

Oh well, I've lived and learned. LOL

[NeverAgainV]

. "However, at age 13--I became Pentecostal. How could a kid be so smart and yet so

stupid at the same time????" Kris

 

Need you ask? You were a teenager.

 

One thing that has always made Catholics on a personal level so much better to tolerate

than the fundamentalists is they don't try to convert non-Catholics as agressively or as tastelessly as fundamentalists.

At least that has been my personal experience. bill

Yes, I can see that.

[milesaway]

 

 

 

I wasn't raised in any religion, but the Catholics delivered the critical strike and ultimately destroyed my faith, even from afar. They were my final attempt at church, and the Catholics I dealt with were batshit fundy through and through. Then again, the church itself was traditional and WAY conservative, enough that the pastor threw a tantrum about skirts and shorts that hit above the knee in the middle of summer. I think that hellhole was what accelerated my deconversion a whole lot quicker than it would have if I stayed and tried to duke it out at the liberal fuzzy feel-good one from three churches ago. That one was a different denomination, btw.

 

Funny you should mention Baptist converts. One of the people there that I tried to talk to actually came to the Catholics from some Baptist church, along with one of the newcomers.

You know I definitely have heard of Baptists converting to Catholicism. I'm sure Catholics run the gamut of the very liberal and social justice types to the uber conservative ones.

 

One of my experiences comparing Catholics to Baptists (since I was involved with both) The IFB Calvinist/Baptist church was just way more into your personal life and way more controlling to the point of keeping track of ones "church attendance". In the Baptist church if we were going to miss church, the pastor wanted us to CALL HIM...so if you were sick, fuck sleeping in, you'd better wake your azz up and call the pastor to let him know you wouldn't be in church. That kind of micro management I never saw in my Catholic church growing up. Though my mom kept track of my Catholic church attendance!! LOL

 

 

Holy shit, that's creepy! Why the hell should anyone have to dictate to some pastor over their attendance like that? This isn't elementary school where your parents have to call in and tell them you won't be there when you get sick or something like that. The only reason I can see that kind of thing being even remotely acceptable is if you're part of the service, like if you're gonna be the one to read scripture at the podium, or if you're with the church's choir and whatnot, then it would be out of politeness or common courtesy. Seriously, the more I think about it, the more I agree with the whole idea of religion infantilizing people. Good thing you're out of that hellhole!

 

Speaking of social justice, I remember the pastor totally bashing social justice in more than one sermon. If I remember right, he basically said it was the same as moral relativism, and that social justice is responsible for ruining families, blah blah blah. I think this was a couple years ago, before the shit hit the fan. And to think I stayed for another year. So glad to be done with that pointless rat race, once and for all.

 

You said the exact thing my husband said, that the pastor was making him feel like he was in grade school, a child! It was very controlling, that was just one of many issues.

 

I'm glad you got out too! It's sad that pastor's have to bash social justice, they are sooo messed up w/ their thinking!

 

 

What an unhealthy environment! Not that church is ever a healthy environment to begin with, but still. That pastor's insane rules are all about power, control and manipulation, even if the pastor doesn't realize it (or knows and doesn't care). Either way, it was an attempt to shame you and a threat to boost the attendance numbers. Guess that says something about the church if the pastor has to guilt trip you into showing up, eh?

 

They really are messed up with their thinking. It's terrifying in hindsight. Then again, you're not dealing with rationality here.

[NeverAgainV]

 

What an unhealthy environment! Not that church is ever a healthy environment to begin with, but still. That pastor's insane rules are all about power, control and manipulation, even if the pastor doesn't realize it (or knows and doesn't care). Either way, it was an attempt to shame you and a threat to boost the attendance numbers. Guess that says something about the church if the pastor has to guilt trip you into showing up, eh?

 

They really are messed up with their thinking. It's terrifying in hindsight. Then again, you're not dealing with rationality here.

 

yeah you've got that right. and check this out- the pastor would actually hand everyone a piece of paper with how many days of church they missed that year.

Then he'd get up and say the names of those who missed zero and one day the whole year. oh what STELLAR christians to never miss a sunday indoctrination session, er- I mean "sermon". He had the audacity to say that "maybe next year I'll say who missed the MOST days..." (which was my husband cause he had to work on sundays, which pissed off the pastor...) It was a threat to SHAME him, manipulate us. Oh the stories I can tell....

 

Great observation that if one needs to guilt people to go to church, that's just stupid. If there is a god who sees the person really doesn't want to be there, or can't be there....why should a person be FORCED/guilted to go? Of course we know why, to maintain the status quo of the "kingdom of pastor god" and how wonderful his church is and how he feels powerful to wield his supposed authority over others.

BLEGH They make me sick.