Thank You for Your Videos [#1485]

[DL]

Dude,

Thank you for your videos. Ever since I was a kid, these exact sub conscious feelings have been churning inside of me. I was never one to cave due to pier pressure. And the church for me was nothing but a big peer pressure club of fear. The power of "FEAR" is misconstrued as the power of GOD. The power of the unknown. Rulers uses this power, animals use this power. This power is sometimes good, because it prevents you from getting killed. But that doesn't mean it GOD.

As a kid I had no way of putting exactly what you are saying into words. You have articulated EXACTLY what I feel. As a child I can remember getting my face slapped for saying things like, "Look, just because you believe in rocks, or the moon, or lightening, and it works for you, does not mean this "GOD" thing exists." It's the power of positive thinking. As a teenager I would argue with my parents and tell them everything happens under the "CCC" rule.(Chance, Circumstance, and Coincidence) You evaluate what are the chances of something bad happening to you for an action. Or under what circumstances that you put myself in will certain bad things happen to you. And, even if you did everything that was "right", shit would still happen and bad things would come your way, just by coincidence either something bad or good could happen.

OK, I've ranted enough. Thanks!!!

[Emily]

OK, I've ranted enough. Thanks!!!

Ahh, ranting has never sounded so sweet. 

Glad you liked the videos. You should join the forum!

And the church for me was nothing but a big peer pressure club of fear. The power of "FEAR" is misconstrued as the power of GOD

I remember as a kid being afraid that I was upsetting god and that I'd go to hell if I didn't worship him exactly how he wants. Religion is a very scary concept. It uses power and fear to manipulate.

I grew up Penticostal. I believed in speaking in tongues and all that. But really, for me, speaking in tongues was peer pressure. I was just imitating the sounds that the person next to me was making.

[deconvertedone]

Usually when one of our letters start out with "dude"  they turn out to be very idiotic or hateful, yours is an exception.  Thank you for the nice letter, come join the forum.

[William]

I was never one to cave due to pier pressure. And the church for me was nothing but a big peer pressure club of fear.

Dude, you are so right with this, and not alone by any means    You can look around you at the congregation in any church and KNOW that most people there are just faking it.  I felt that way and several close friends, whose faith seemed very evident on the outside to me, have eventually confided that they are "acting" as if they believe, because everyone else around them believes.  And then there is the fear of being wrong underpinning it all - so they rather go along with the "acting" and hope that sometime soon the faith will come through for them.

I look forward to your conversation after you've joined the forum