My Grandmother used to make me go to church dressed in best clothes. I am almost certain the church was of the Protestant denomination, Church of England?
The only thing more boring I have experienced in my life was attending a piano recital at the Sydney Opera House whilst on a school trip in 1975. (I fell asleep during the performance)
What did I get out of going to church? Reinforcement that religion was super boring.
If I remember correctly…“for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
I’m a doubting Thomas Bret, but I can see how in the past religions of all denominations have held communities together, upheld family values, and taught us the difference between right and wrong…Now most people in the UK have abandoned religion and we have people who don’t know who, or what they are anymore, and have forgotten the reason why they exist. We are in a moral wasteland where everything is acceptable.
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Religion is a dark relic of our past - a control mechanism used by the greedy to screw every last drop of blood and resources out of people and the planet 
I’ve gone off Stephen Fry as he’s been disgustingly quiet about the genocide, but this is a good clip where he expresses things very eloquently…
And this… well this is brilliant:
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One just has to hope one has done more of the right stuff than the wrong stuff throughout this journey, if peace is at the end of it.
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I’m agnostic, with all the religions in the world, who am I to say, what I believe is the only true belief? One thing I firmly believe in is , humans are not the most advanced life form. with all the different religions in the world, my knowledge is equal to a grain of sand. I can not say with any certainty if their is or is not a god.
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Freedom of passage has to be attributed to something.
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I come from a very religious family but it never registered with me.One thing I try to remember though : “in everything, do not do to another what you would not want done to you.”
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There would be far more peace if that thesis was adopted.
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All mainstream religions are a moral compass reminding us that there is more to life than self gratification and that there is a bigger picture so we shouldn’t sit and mope “woe is me”. Unfortunately a) religions are abused by those in power and b) people obsess with trying to prove something that was never meant to be proven.
Individual attitudes to religion tend to be based on personal experience and life is a journey of learning. When times are hard many find strength through having a faith, others soldier on without one.
It’s all ok with me so long as people don’t try to force their religion onto others or behave hypocritically. People should live and let live whether they have a faith or not.
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I have known many religious people. I have never met one who is not a hypocrite or a controller.
I find them very entertaining; they make me LOL and laughter is the best medicine.
And most of them are threatened by non believers - which indicates their own doubts.
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#MeToo
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I can only say that our experiences differ. I’ve met religious people involved in churches that have been very hands on regarding caring for others within the community in a non judgemental way. Of course there will be those within all “religious” communities and persuasions that are hypocrites, controllers and perhaps even worse, sadly that’s life!
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I think there’s a big difference between believers (everyday people) and the controllers (rich greedy ruling classes) - most everyday religious people I know are actually lovely, it’s those at the helm that I despise 
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Religion is maybe not a bad thing for Children at Christmastime, but they should be allowed to quietly grow out of it.
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Should atheist be allowed to type OMG, that’s a bit nonsenseical isn’t it?
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FFS is less personal
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Have you noticed, its standard practice after some major catastrophe for news folks to say “Our prayers are with…” One has to wonder if this a literal statement, or just a throwaway phrase.
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throwaway phrase, I always assume.
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They’re reaching out …
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I can honestly say I have never used that expression, ever.
A conscious decision because it would be hypocritical for me to use the “My God” when I believe there is no such thing as god.