Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Did you make the choice to be / not be religious?

386 replies

the0logical · 16/03/2021 20:16

Just been reading another thread on here about religion and I always think the theological discussions on here are fascinating.

I'll start - I identify as an athiest, I was brought up in a non-religious family but attended heavily Catholic schools. I didn't like some of the ideologies that became mixed into the religious elements of my schooling (e.g. through correlation or randomness, the most "devout" children were always the most prejudiced) and this pushed me away from entering into any faith. I studied Philosophy & Religion at a higher level and then learned about my perception of fallacies in most major religions, which I couldn't seem to logically support especially when I didn't have any feelings of faith. I've never felt the capacity to let myself be succumbed by a religion, though I have tried - I just don't believe.

So, guess I'm just curious to know some reasons why people are / aren't religious and how much of a "choice" it is. Not a reporter before anyone asks, just a nerd who loves anecdotes especially in a religious debate!

YABU - I made an active choice to become religious, or to become non-religious
YANBU - I didn't make any choice, I have always believed / never believed
(hoping that makes sense!)

OP posts:
Dianeisabighead · 23/03/2021 12:34

I was brought up a Catholic and continued to attend church for many years as an adult for one reason only - fear of Hell. I finally stopped attending after I became pregnant and found out at a scan that my baby had many things wrong (structural issues, one of which being a brain anomaly). I could not understand why any God would create a baby that couldn't live outside the womb and that's when I stopped going to church. Hasn't really stopped the fear of Hell though, as I still sometimes lie awake at night thinking "but what if I'm wrong?"

bgxqt · 31/03/2021 17:19

I tried to believe in god and failed. I don't think its a choice.

OReli · 31/03/2021 17:50

I’m an atheist, was brought up as a catholic technically but my family never brought me to church or encouraged me to pray, we went through all of the catholic motions, being christened, communion confirmation etc., but that was it. Now studying science as a PHD, I just can’t see past facts and need evidence for everything. It doesn’t effect me or my identity, in fact it felt freeing when I became an atheist.

HijabiVenus · 31/03/2021 18:37

If you do not believe in religion, what do you say when confronted with a drama or drop a pan on your foot. If you dont believe in God, do you invoke Gods name. If you dont believe in Hell they would you tell someone to go there?

Justmuddlingalong · 31/03/2021 19:42

I'd swear. FFS or F OFF.

Siepie · 31/03/2021 19:55

@HijabiVenus

If you do not believe in religion, what do you say when confronted with a drama or drop a pan on your foot. If you dont believe in God, do you invoke Gods name. If you dont believe in Hell they would you tell someone to go there?
Atheist raised as a Christian - I do say "oh my god" sometimes. I just see it as an expression. When I was a Christian, I never said it because I saw it as blasphemy.
Tossblanket · 31/03/2021 20:26

Conscious choice.

It's nonsense.

ClarkeGriffin · 31/03/2021 20:31

My family go to church, and we used to when younger, but I'm not really certain any of them actually believed in it apart from the older generation. I never did at least, it never made much sense too me and there was no proof, plus it just didn't interest me.

XenoBitch · 31/03/2021 20:31

I didn't choose to not believe. None of it made sense to me. That was from a young age too.

MayYouLiveInInterestingTimes · 31/03/2021 20:32

Conscious choice when I started noticing the illogicalities, and then again when I realised I wasn’t gaining much from being not-really-part of ‘the community’. It’s never stopped me from discussing morals and ethics, discussions of which predate Islam and Christianity by a known 500 years plus, and if Conan the Barbarian round a steppe campfire is any guide, probably by the 50 000 years language has been around for (disclaimer, I don’t advocate taking Conan as a literal guide Smile).

Captpike · 31/03/2021 20:40

@HijabiVenus

If you do not believe in religion, what do you say when confronted with a drama or drop a pan on your foot. If you dont believe in God, do you invoke Gods name. If you dont believe in Hell they would you tell someone to go there?
I don't believe in Thor but I still say Thursday.
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread