oh yes of course - religion! Definitely irrational... A rambling story of my descent into and eventual escape from religious fundamentalism
I used to be a full-on bible believing tongue talking evangelical. In fact, I joined b3ta whilst still (just about) part of it all and one or two of my previous qotw answers make me cringe immensely!

I was converted at the age of 17, having just about survived a thoroughly unpleasant childhood, the high point of which was finally escaping into care at the age of 14. Actually the children's home I went to was utterly amazing but I digress! Social Services don't get it all wrong believe me...

So anyway, probably because my nickname was Jesus (long hair, bare feet, hippy clothes and permanently stoned) the evangellyfish at my college latched onto me and concentrated their efforts at getting me to one of their church meetings. Once there, I had a very powerful religious experience (probably an ill-timed acid flashback to be honest) where I suddenly and intensely felt the presence of some beautiful and very other being. All my defences fell down and when the guy leading the meeting asked if I wanted him to pray with me, the word 'yes' came out almost involuntarily.
I was rapidly absorbed into church life and suddenly found myself among what seemed to be (and genuinelt was in some ways) a loving family group. I happily handed in my brain and heart at the door and believed the whole thing. hook, line and fucking sinker. I destroyed various things I owned that were considered by various people to be sacrilegious, such as my lovely collection of chinese idols, which I kind of understand, and also lots of music. Including for some reason, a Tracy Chapman CD. I mean what could be blasphemous about that? But anyway, I was baptised and 'filled with the spirit'. The first sign of weirdness was when I got it together with a single mum who was also a believer. I was very young - I was 19 and she was 21. But rather than just point out that maybe I was a little young for parenthood, the bloody Christians decided to brand her a hussy and a whore, distracting me from my holy calling of something or other.
We ended up leaving that church, but we were hooked by that point, so we just went to another one... We got married (in church) and I decided to bible college to learn to be an evangelist. Well, that was an eye opener. The idea of the people there being 'shepherds of God's flock' was quite frankly, terrifying. I was having serious doubts about the whole thing by then, but saw these as temptations sent my way by the devil (yes really) and did my best to ignore them.

In the end, it took several more clashes with scary power loving pastors and other utter dickheads before I came to the conclusion that it was all a big steaming pile of dogshit. Funnily enough I only managed to leave my religion though, once I actually found a church run by genuinely decent human beings. I guess I realised that if I still didn't believe it even then I'd better get the hell out. It still took me a while, though, and was a long drawn out process. I was a born again numbnuts for about 19 years all told...

Not long after I jacked it in I managed to convince my wife that it really wasn't all it was cracked up to be. She promptly realised that religion was the only thing keeping her married to me, so she buggered off with another bloke. Still worth it though! Actually not long after she'd gone I kind of realised the same thing, so everyone was better off. Especially the kids...

All the years of wonderful insightful Bible knowledge, church history and doctrinal understanding is a little wasted on me these days, but it has occasionally come in handy at pub quizzes or more occasionally when arguing with religious idiots... I can honestly say that losing my faith has been one of the best things to happen to me. I'm happier, more fulfilled, more secure and I enjoy life more. I'm even more thankful for what I have somehow. And I get to choose how I live my life rather than trying to shoehorn it into some semblance of bronze age thinking!

TDLR - I used to be an evangelical Christian, but I'm better now.
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 14:28, 33 replies)

Nicely told - and welcome back!

(moon monkey is busy making memories worth repressing, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 14:58, closed)

cheers!
I didn't really go anywhere I just loiter and occasionally post when there's something to say.
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:27, closed)

Just wondering what church was run by genuine people?

( d.r._and_quinch when will you be famous?, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 15:25, closed)

It was a Vineyard church in Truro (Cornwall not murica)
I'm still in touch with many of them.
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:28, closed)

but if you're thinking of going
don't do it! It's still homophobic misogynistic pie in the sky bollocks whoever preaches it.

edit - having just looked at yer profile and pissed myself laughing at your qotw answers I see that this is unlikely! :D
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:58, closed)

I was interested in the church, I was genuinely interested. You are right, it is unlikely
that I will pursue fellowship.
( d.r._and_quinch when will you be famous?, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 19:44, closed)

i know a lot of people who call themselves born-again christians
a bigger bunch of sanctimonious, nasty-minded, judgemental, selfish people i have never met.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 15:32, closed)

have you visited /board lately?

( The Great Architect is still waiting for his account to be deleted on, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 15:36, closed)

ahah. ahahahah.

( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 15:45, closed)

Well true
but one of my best friends ia a man who is a born again christian and you couldn't wish to meet a more genuinely lovely guy (apart from his timekeeping which sucks).
They aren't all bad by a lomg chalk
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 15:54, closed)

oh i know that
but watching the look of smug, self-righteous satisfaction on the face of one particular true believer as she watched her neighbour getting taken to hospital following a heart attack, coupled by her then saying "that's god judging him for not believing" is hardly going to make me want to seek out the nice ones
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 16:00, closed)

I know
Should have said to her "judge not lest ye be judged"
before headbutting the evil witch
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 16:26, closed)

i've actually tried that line before
the response i got was along the lines of god was judging these people, so obviously it was fine to say that they deserved what they got.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 16:33, closed)

yeah that's because they were idiots
I mean I know they all are and that, but that's the opposite of Jesus' teaching as well as the book of Job. I could easily give you scripture and verse for that! t'would be quite amusing if someone's regularly in that position...
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:18, closed)

i tend to leave them to it these days
as banging my head against a brick wall is painful.
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:23, closed)

yeah me too to be honest
and most of them know to leave me alone too. Or fairly quickly get the idea! Knowing the bible has it's advantages. A few years ago (whilst still at least vaguely evangelical) I was accosted in the street by Jehovah's Witnesses. They ended up backing away then running down the street. And I didn't show them my knob or anything!
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 18:07, closed)

We used to live right on the catchment area for two Kingdoms Halls
So having them turn up at the door spouting their ridiculous dogma became a depressingly regular event. It was ussually early on a Sunday so everyone was nursing a hangover and it was generally only me that bothered his arse to answer the door. I tried all the usual lines ranging from the polite "i'm not interested" to the absurd "I'm jewish" (while munching on a big bacon hangoever cure sandwich) and still they came back.
They only finally got the message when i answered the door barely coherent in my dressing gown, having just woken up and holding a barking staffordshire bull terror by the collar. Whereupon they said "ermm it doesn't matter" and beat a hasty retreat.
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Thu 17 Oct 2013, 10:12, closed)

I met some of the nicest people in church
and some of the nastiest fuckers I've ever come across.
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:19, closed)

Fool
Everyone knows that the one true god is Lemmy
(andythepieman Is surfing the waves of indifference on, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 15:50, closed)

I went through a similar thing
Only quicker, without marriage. Dave Gilpin really is a truly horrible man.
(piston_broke Actually thinks Supermatt is a decent bloke., Wed 16 Oct 2013, 16:20, closed)

yes I was particularly slow to realise I was being foolish
I think marriage had something to do with it - you can easily end up holding each other back from developing. Especially in that kind of situation
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:05, closed)

In certain religious circles
I've noticed a lot of the activities seem to centre around reinforcement of the idea of there being a god and so forth, with cell groups and the like. Perhaps marriage is a little like this? Then again, I've never been married so I wouldn't know. That said, once I got away from the cell groups, university societies and whatnot and into the bar with a lot of beer, it was kind of inevitable really.
(piston_broke Actually thinks Supermatt is a decent bloke., Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:19, closed)

haha yes
getting into good live music was part of it for me - actually socialising with real people is surprisingly effective in dispelling bullshit!
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:23, closed)

mistafeesh, just out of curiosity
I know it's very difficult to tell, but did you meet any people in the evangelical community who you guessed might be faking their belief for other purposes? Or do you think they were all pretty genuine even if unpleasant?
( cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:17, closed)

nope
never came across that myself. There were a few rebellious teenagers of church leaders who had managed to stay in that state well into their 30w and 40s though.
Apart from them everyone I knew seemed genuinely to believe it. But these were pentecostal/charismatic churches - probably a bit intimidating faking it if people regularly step up to the microphone purporting to have just that moment heard a message from God...
(teasus likes tea, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 17:22, closed)

I would like this to win.

( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 19:13, closed)

That's you in the corner
That's you in the spot...light
( Albert Marshmallow is a completely irredeemable cunt, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 19:18, closed)

Stipey's dead but only two people know.
That's me and the coroner.
( edjogs Collared doves are shit., Wed 16 Oct 2013, 20:01, closed)

If you turn up, after being invited of course, you'll be amazed how quickly you're asked to leave as soon as you ask a couple of sceptical questions.
They hate their faith being tested.
(Docofair, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 22:22, closed)

what about the pot guy

( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Thu 17 Oct 2013, 0:00, closed)

Clicked, and nicked.
( Happy Phantom has been to Hastings, Brighton, and Eastbourne too, Thu 17 Oct 2013, 0:57, closed)

And I'm losing my erection
Thanks for that.
(Eukanuba, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 23:26, closed)

Watching 'rational', thinking adults
babble complete gibberish can be quite entertaining sometimes.
*click*
(s0ckpuppet logging out to reply to you if you're not careful, Wed 16 Oct 2013, 22:59, closed)