DevilsCabanaBoy 30 Report post Posted February 8 It made me believe that by myself I was immoral. It made me believe that no one could be good to me. It made believe that I couldn't do anything without a supreme being. It made me believe that I couldn't help myself. It made me believe that little children were going to go to hell. It made me believe that all human effort was useless. It made me believe that I all I needed to do was rely on the promises and blessings of God. It made me believe that all my actions were only rags of dirt. It made me believe that I knew something I could never prove. 8 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Derek 131 Report post Posted February 8 Everything in your post applies to me as well, but I'd like to add one thing, if you don't mind... Religion stole my childhood. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevilsCabanaBoy 30 Report post Posted February 8 25 minutes ago, Derek said: Everything in your post applies to me as well, but I'd like to add one thing, if you don't mind... Religion stole my childhood. And alot more I tell you that. We should add more to the list. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
♦ Fuego ♦ 1,564 Report post Posted February 8 It made me believe the promises of Jesus It made me believe that God promised to answer my prayers because he loved me It made me believe that when those prayers weren't answered, that God was answering with "a better plan" It made me believe that God's better plan included suffering and death instead of what I "thought I needed" It made me believe that a constant shell-game of beautiful -sounding promises, "better plans", and God's utter failure was really God's faithful and powerful response of love It made me believe that God was my father who was watching over me and would protect and provide It made me believe that his threats of harm were because he was holy It made me believe that my own sexual desires were really the devil, and that I was now holy but compromising with the devil It made me believe that satisfying my sexual desires made me unclean and made God want to hurt me It made me believe that God was justified in hating me, and that only another tortured person's blood could save me from being burned alive by the God who loved me It made me believe that groveling in tears of shame before this being was the right response to having been a mere human It made me believe that a cruel, abusive, spiteful, harmful, irritable, capricious, blood-loving, tantrum-throwing man was in charge of the universe, and that his actions and threats were really good instead of evil because he's "holy" It made me believe that "men of God" who behaved this way were good because they were chosen as leaders of the house, leaders of the church, and my role was to submit to their whims which weren't really whims because they were led by God 3 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
☆ TheRedneckProfessor ☆ 5,125 Report post Posted February 8 It made me fly an airplane into the World Trade Center. 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MOHO 1,506 Report post Posted February 8 Religion stole my loving wife and turned my step son into an abusive prick! 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MOHO 1,506 Report post Posted February 8 Then again...does religion simply act as a feeble excuse for abusive pricks to be abusive pricks? 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TruthSeeker0 705 Report post Posted February 8 1 hour ago, MOHO said: Then again...does religion simply act as a feeble excuse for abusive pricks to be abusive pricks? The short answer is yes, in particular when the abuses can be "forgiven and forgotten" and the abuser is free to continue. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DestinyTurtle 340 Report post Posted February 9 Religion made me believe that living in constant, overwhelming fear was a natural and good way to be. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mrspearl 39 Report post Posted February 9 Religion stole my ability to learn how to think for myself or even know how to have an opinion. Religion gave me an overactive propensity for guilt about normal things I shouldn't feel guilty for. Religion screwed up any chance of having unconditional acceptance, love, and relationships with my parents. Religion made me think I was "less than" for the majority of my life. Free at last! Free at last! Thank my own brain that was hidden, I'm free at last! 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Margee 4,318 Report post Posted February 9 I did not realize when I got involved in fundamentalist religion, that is was a cult and a drug to me. I was extremely dependent on it for many years and it almost destroyed my life completely in many, many ways. I am so glad you are free mrspearl. (hug) 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Geezer 4,221 Report post Posted February 9 Brainwashing is effective precisely because the victims don’t believe they’re brainwashed. Cults are effective for the same reason. Those that are members of a cult don’t believe they are in a cult. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBishop 750 Report post Posted Saturday at 11:42 PM 3 hours ago, Geezer said: Brainwashing is effective precisely because the victims don’t believe they’re brainwashed. Cults are effective for the same reason. Those that are members of a cult don’t believe they are in a cult. And the only difference between a religion and a cult are the number of people that follow the belief. Otherwise they are the exact same thing. DB 5 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DarkBishop 750 Report post Posted Sunday at 12:53 AM It made me believe that the music I love was the”Devils” music. it made me believe God would show me his will and when I thought I was following it, I made some of the worst decisions I’ve ever made. Causing an abundance of heart ache. It it made me believe I had a brother “Jesus” and a father “god” that would never leave me or forsake me, who in the end seemed like they didn’t even like me or want me in their church. It turned my life upside down when I realized it was all a lie. However, falling from religion led me to this fine group of people here in ExC. DB 6 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DevilsCabanaBoy 30 Report post Posted Sunday at 03:03 AM Religion made me believe that everyone outside my group would go to hell. Religion made me belive that being human was sinful. Religion made me believe that I knew better than everyone else. Religion made me believe that I had to judge everything by a book written by sheep herders. Religion made me believe that a invisible evil force was responsible for our condition. 4 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Insightful 302 Report post Posted Tuesday at 09:26 PM Religion convinced me that my precious daughters were sinners, deserving eternal hellfire and that, unless I hated them, I would spank them hard and often to get them to stop "sinning". 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
