Growing up did you attend religious services regularly?
For example going to church on most Sundays, or similar.
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@futurebird
I was a choirboy and we were paid to do weddings and funerals at a Church of England church, so I've attended more of those than most people have. But I never went otherwise, so I don't think that counts.
At one point the vicar had a fit and insisted that all choirboys also attend the Sunday services and Sunday school for a religious education, so most of us quit. He looked at the lost revenue and relented.
This was 9 year old boys.
I can see where he might have been coming from. People who take religion earnestly can be that way.
I have a lot of positive feelings about church because it was mostly a kind of helpful larger family for me.
And I was lucky enough to be in a Baptist church that wasn't homophobic. But they were still very sexist. No women pastors. I asked if I could be one when I was 8 and it really caused a lot of spluttering and illogical answers and being a serious logical child they lost me.
"If you really think girls can do just as well as boys and be doctors and leaders then why can't they ever be pastors?"
The answer was something like "it's just always been this way and it is too much trouble to change."
"But if you didn't even let the girls try how will you know you have the best possible pastors?"
The answer was something like "we need to fit in with other churches and everyone argues about this and it's just not that important."
I really enjoy working with young people because it has a way of keeping you very honest.
@futurebird Please do understand that I was forced to attend services every single Sunday at least once, sometimes twice per week, because in the Evangelical right-wing world I was raised in I was viewed as the property of my parents and was required to shut my mouth and obey. Full Stop. I don't attend as an adult.
@futurebird
My father was raised a practicing Catholic, but my entire time growing up we never went to church. I didn't even know he was raised that way.
I think my maternal grandmother took me to her (non Catholic) church once or twice, and I didn't like it.
After I left home, he apparently decided on it again, and made all my half sibs go every week.
I have no idea what was going on in his alcoholic brain.
@futurebird I put the last one but I never voluntarily went to church and my mum didn't take me, only for baptism at the expectation of some family. Religious stuff at school, but was never raised to believe anything. Parents said make up your mind and it never offered anything I needed.
Star Trek (🖖, rest in power, my captain) honestly did a better job at imparting good citizenship and moral consideration than most vicars or whoever would have, I think.
@futurebird Very much the first one. My parents went through Lutheran, Salvation Army, and Evangelical churches throughout my childhood. I stuck around into my late 20s, but the Evangelicals eventually pushed me to atheism with their bigotry, hypocrisy and other bullshit. It was incredibly liberating to leave that all behind. I felt free like I never had before in my life.
Being a former-Catholic atheist:
I had Catholic grade school and weekly mass. It did not stick.
@futurebird Not raised as religious at all, in any way.
@futurebird yes but not voluntarily.
@futurebird As a kid and teen I went to church more often than my parents; I was in the choir and they were "major holidays and life events only". Now I'm the choirmistress so obviously I'm in church most services :-)
@futurebird my dad was a united methodist minister/military chaplain, so I was compelled to attend until I turned 18
@futurebird I have very vague memories of Sunday school as a very small child (basically I can remember making a Christingle). I went to an independent school that was nominally Christian with special assemblies with Communion for things like Easter, and hymns sung every morning, but it didn't take, so I only really went to church for weddings and carol services.
3 times every Sunday
Music Group on Monday
Small group meeting on Tuesday
Bible study on Wednesday
Youth Group on Thursday
Youth Group Social on Fridays.
So yeah, I voted for the top one but it doesn't quite cover it.
@futurebird My dad had a vision when I was about 9 or 10 and joined the local Anglican church. He bought my brother and I ice-cream.
This was false advertising. Religion is not as good as ice cream.
@futurebird
Can't vote because it changed over time while growing up!
@futurebird
Grew up Catholic. Sunday mass every week. Catholic school for 12 years, where every Friday we attended mass. Mass every holy day of obligation. Three years an altar boy as a youngster, so many daily masses, funeral masses, wedding masses. Up until the age of 19 when I moved out of the family home, every Sunday due to family pressure. 19 years of indoctrination ultimately led to abandonment of the dogma. There were values instilled, but harmful ideas, as well.