What led you away from the religion your parents gave you?

[Zanick]

Raised Catholic, I became aware of disturbing themes and narrative inconsistencies from an early age.  I would often worry that I might get to Heaven and be separated from my family who, dirtied by a sinful world, would obviously be sent to Hell. I didn't like God for that and I never felt connected to the idea of Christ. Besides that, church functions were so boring growing up. I had no understanding the pope and thus couldn't respect his authority.

When I was 11 or so, I started experimenting with a bit of meditation, lucid dreaming and astral projection, which led me to embrace some aspects of Western occultism years later. In high school, I started exploring other religious ideas that agreed with me better before finding a new path in the teachings of Buddhism, which introduced some of the beliefs I identify with today.

[Xena]

When my parents made church a punishment, and when they punished me for my thoughts if it didn't agree with theirs, or questioning the religion. The devil influenced me, they'd say. Need to go to church for cleansing. Don't question the religion. God is everything, he is all loving, all knowing, all powerful. People die from disease and hunger and war but not us, because god loves us more. Pray your troubles away, instead of fixing the problem yourself. Wait for God to fix the world, while in reality the longer the problem sits, the more issues it breeds and then you try to pray those problems go away too. I don't care anymore, whether there really is a god. Be kind and give charity because it is right, not because your god told you to. I don't waste my time praying. Anyway, religion is a forbidden topic in family gatherings.
I'm not gonna start on what I believe about the book. It's the people who drove me away.

[Rook]

Father was a Baptist, Mother was a Pentecostal.. I attended both churches when I was younger, but was never forced to go.. I was aloud to stay home or with my grand parents or attend if I wanted. I went on occasion.. the longest stints were 6 months at the Pentecostal and about 1 full year at the Baptist Church.. only because I missed one Sunday and it took me out of the running for an "attendance pen".. lol.. You got one every few months and I almost had my one year pen.. As bad as it is to say, I didnt return after missing that one Sunday.. lol.

 In time, my father has become a skeptic and near atheist due to continuously finding hardship in his life.. I could almost relate myself. My mothers faith is unwavering, and honestly.. I admire that quality about her. She isn't one of those over bearing christian types but she finds solace in her faith and I think that's just fine. I have found myself contemplating the universe, god, existence, and purpose many times throughout my life. My final conclusion thus far, I do believe in something.. I'm definitely a spiritual person, but you would probably assume I'm an atheist as I question most all religious notions.. especially those that restrict or demand certain things from an individual. That said, I believe in a single all might being (thus far).. I like to think that all the gods of this world are the same and are worshiped differently due to cultural/regional differences in societal progression. I make no clear or defined notions about this god that I believe in, other than god.. or a creator does or did exist.

 Then there are times when I imagine the universe as a living being in itself.. planets and celestial bodies are protons and stars are nucleus.. bound by gravity and magnetic attraction.. what seems vast and limitless possibly.. essentially the molecular scale for a being we comprise yet so large we could never fully fathom.. And perhaps.. within us.. on the same scale is an equally impressive universe unfolding in blissful ignorance  to ourselves.. Who knows.

[zok jr.]

My parents weren't dicks so they didn't indoctrinate me into any kind of bullshit.

[Obbe]

Lucifer.

[Σ]

Mom and Dad were religious enough to send me through private catholic schools. I am glad they did because rather than state sanctioned propaganda I got church sanctioned propaganda and it was much easier to spot. When I was younger I looked into a lot of religions that were not my parents. They didn't mind much and actually got me a copy of Dianetics for Christmas one year. I think what really lead my away from Catholicism is more that upon studying taoism it becomes clear no one religion is able to contain nor convey all of the natural law and that each religious system is a branch of spiritual understanding. The essential problem with most religions is their use of prayer. Prayer should be much more structured and have a meditation orientation to it rather than just kneeling before your lord saying things. Not enough people pray introspectively and spent their lives talking to someone who isn't there rather than affirming their faith in their own self.

Anyway I guess I never really had a break with religion, I am certainly not an atheist and I do not harbor anger that my parents allowed their religion to navigate my upbringing so prominently.