If you used to believe in God, but not anymore, why?

[HankHillsPropane]

I was brought up in quite a religious home. As this is the status quo in my home country i.e. everyone is extremely religious, I never knew anything different. I grew up believing in God/heaven/hell, church every Sunday, prayers every night, praying whenever I needed something..etc

I think I started to have my doubts around the age of 15, and properly gave up on the idea when I was around 17. I'm 30 now.

For me it's the absolutely shocking state of the world we live in that made me completely give up on the existence of God. I felt that even if there was a 'higher power' of some sort who had engineered all of this, they were very much the opposite of benevolent(sadistic even?), and probably did not deserve my worship.

Just the constant barrage of disasters, evil, chaos, inequalities, atrocities, the absolute randomness and luck that defines our existence...I mean look around. Would anyone really want to put their name to this?

Anyway, what was your turning point? When did you stop believing in God?

Because all religions are fairly obviously human attempts to systematise ideas about the nature of existence, life and death, evil, suffering, etc, and which perform clear social functions like defining ideas of right and wrong, them and us, and — in the case of Christianity and some others — controlling women’s bodies, sexuality and reproductive capacities.

I grew up in a devoutly Catholic household and society, and my (perfectly contented) atheism is a function of my psychological adulthood.

On the rare occasions I’m at a service of any kind now, the psychological gymnastics, reiterated praise and placating of an invisible supernatural being who appears never to manifest himself to his creation, wish-fulfilment about death not being final, and all wrongs being righted in a glorious or punitive afterlife, look both ridiculous and touchingly pathetic.

There are parts of, say, Jesus’s social justice message I find appealing, and I love church choral music and the religious art of the past, but it’s very clear that religion is a human-made set of beliefs to impose meaning on a chaotic world.

No specific reason tbh. It just gradually dawned on me that, although I liked the idea of there being a god, I just didn't buy into it any more. There was no specific moment or event that changed my view. I think I had been trying to make myself believe for a long time before I finally admitted to myself that I couldn't. The triumph of rationality, I suppose.

@GloriousMystery yes.
I think you have echoed how I feel.
I love the music and the architecture and thank the believers for that at least.

When I learned about the history of religions and that when people didn't understand what made the sun rise and set and the rains come, it made sense that they believed that a god did it. Now we understand how the world works, the idea of a god seemed completely redundant.

When it was in the news that the Catholic Church had changed the doctrine that unbaptised babies no longer went to limbo but instead went straight to heaven, it was like a punch in the stomach and I realised that organised religion was just men in a room making stuff up.

@userchange8945

Catholism has several books added to the Bible, which shouldnt happen.

Says who?

Says God!

Interestingly, the last few verses of the Bible, talk about not adding or taking any word whatsoever from the Bible.

As a young child I believed in God and religious rituals. As a teenager I started to question. What triggered me probably was the behaviour of religious people. The story of Jesus is a positive story with lots of positive messages but the religious people I saw around me were hateful. I knew religious Catholics that supported the killing of people in certain circumstances (Northern Ireland). The hypocrisy dumbfounded me. Thou shalt not kill and all that.

It was a small leap from that to start to think about how unlikely it was that there is a higher being etc....

I have no intention of dissing Catholics.

Indeed, the few I know have been very Christian.

But the "Bible" they use, has whole chapters added.

When I was small, I was told “God is love”. As I grew, I looked around at all of the terrible injustices in the world and thought, well if that’s love, I can do without it.

I pray that those who have been let done by others, particularly those who have been let down by those inside a church, find peace. And yes, God.

And to those who have not found God yet, that they too find God at some point in time.

@lightand

I pray that those who have been let done by others, particularly those who have been let down by those inside a church, find peace. And yes, God.

And to those who have not found God yet, that they too find God at some point in time.

Thanks but no thanks

Because I think the world is beautiful without a God and that it’s often beautiful because at times it’s also painful. Maybe a bit gcse-level poetic, but works for my reasoning in my mind!

It's so futile to say you hope people 'find' God. I looked down the back of the sofa. He just doesn't there. Anywhere. Save your energy.

What’s interesting is that those very very tunnel visioned about a god or a faith, are often (not always!), like members of a club, judgmental, give the impression of being above others.

I would rather not be a member of such a club and be a kind, open minded person as far as it’s possible to be. Recognising at the same time that I am human, horribly limited, and can make wrong judgments and be a totally nasty cow sometimes just like anyone else. I’m not above anyone and nobody is above me. That’s the most compassionate way to be in my opinion. Faith and belief in god is fair enough - but when it becomes an exclusive and judgemental club, no thanks.

@lightand

I pray that those who have been let done by others, particularly those who have been let down by those inside a church, find peace. And yes, God.

And to those who have not found God yet, that they too find God at some point in time.

Nah, I spent years looking, and then realised that there was nothing there.

A priest slapped me when I was about 7 and that probably started it off! But it just all made less and less sense to me over time. The book the Blind Watchmaker helped to organise my thoughts on it when I was a teenager.

Unlike some others have said up thread, some of the loveliest people I know have a strong faith. It just isn’t for me.

A lot, though not all, of comments on here are about why people stopped believing in a particular religion, not why they stopped believing in God

I think when 9/11 happened. Thousands of people killed.

I was raised catholic (but more liberal than others I read about had a very good priest growing up who welcomed all to his congregation)
I used to pray every night, church every Sunday and special occasions
We stopped going to church every week when I was a teenager, not sure why. But I still talked to god and prayed. For everyone not just myself I basically prayed for the world. Then a few years ago my dad died, I had to find somewhere else to live as house was taken away. I just did not care anymore. The moment my dad died was the moment I stopped praying because I guess I just have nothing to say?
I would not in any way say I am now atheist, how could I be after that many years. But Although I say “I am catholic” the reality might be more agnostic these days
I barely survived my dad going, I am sat here crying cos it is Father’s Day. So basically all my energy goes into surviving and living my life best I can which can be difficult but I am doing ok now, so feel like I do not need that in my life anymore I will just be happy
But I am kind, I help anyone that needs it, I am kind to animals I am good person I not think it really matters if I pray or not

@lightand

I have no intention of dissing Catholics.

Indeed, the few I know have been very Christian.

But the "Bible" they use, has whole chapters added.

‘Added’ to what, though? What constitutes the core text, for you?

I stopped believing God existed when I had personal troubles, and God became important enough to think about. So I wanted tho think about what i meant by 'God'.
I am now a hopeful agnostic.

When I was 4 and started to develop a mind of my own. I just realised that it is nonsense.

Christians.
Vicars.
Religious leaders.
The nonsense around it all.

I still miss that community of people though.

From a very early stage I just thought it was riddled with inconsistencies and was more about controlling people, especially women, and shutting down dissent.

Enjoyingmy ciffee wrote:

"When I was small, I was told “God is love”. As I grew, I looked around at all of the terrible injustices in the world and thought, well if that’s love, I can do without it."

That is the problem of evil. How can a good God Who is all-powerful do evil things?

Saint Teresa of Avila claimed that we are the hands of God. That is to say we do God's work. That is what makes God something that really exists.

@lightand

I pray that those who have been let done by others, particularly those who have been let down by those inside a church, find peace. And yes, God.

And to those who have not found God yet, that they too find God at some point in time.

But all the religions can't be right? Or is it that any god is ok?

What about the Egyptians belief system, or pagans, or those who worshipped the sun, or Greek gods?

Given the current climate challenges, going back to pagan beliefs would be the best option if you want to believe in something?