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Recovering from Religion

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Unless you were raised by atheist parents, you probably had some recovering to do when you left religion. The purpose of RR is to provide a landing place for people when they jump from religion. With local support groups throughout the US, Canada, UK, and Australia, and real-time resources accessible to everyone, RR is where to turn when faith has lost its luster.

Website: http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org
Location: International
Members: 551
Latest Activity: on Thursday

35 members like this

Discussion Forum

Has it Been Easy for Anyone?

Started by Nathan Hevenstone. Last reply by Loren Miller on Thursday. 8 Replies 0 Likes

I wonder if anyone who's gone from faith to non-faith has done it relatively easily? I ask because, for me, it's not really been that tumultuous. I guess it has a lot to do with my upbringing. Despite my family being really religious, it has also…Continue

Anyone still deal with anything like this?

Started by Starland Victor Seay. Last reply by blue pashmina on Thursday. 24 Replies 0 Likes

One thing I have noticed is a tendency to "doubt" my new path in life. I still want to reach for the Bible sometimes. I still hesitate somewhat when someone mentions Pascal's "Wager"...LOL! Even though I know that science teaches this and that no…Continue

Walking Away

Started by CD Free. Last reply by Diana May 2. 9 Replies 0 Likes

I'm guessing many here walked away from one religion or another. What religion did you walk away from? Did you look at other religions, if so what ones? What made you settle on Atheism?Continue

Maintaining family ties

Started by Diana. Last reply by jon taylor Apr 30. 11 Replies 1 Like

I was adopted into a fundamentalist Seventh Day Adventist pastor's family. My parents loved me and I enjoyed a happy and secure childhood. Although I felt disappointed that I couldn't take dancing lessons, be involved with local theater or…Continue

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Comment by Mary O'Grady on January 19, 2011 at 7:13am: Thanks for the heads up, L. Hunter. Alabama's new governor almost makes our Texas Governor Rick Perry look good by comparison. Note, I had to say "almost."

Comment by L.Hunter on January 19, 2011 at 6:24am: Whats up with Alabama's new governor?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_alabama_governor_christians

This governor has made his position known!!!!

Comment by One Manic Ninja on January 13, 2011 at 2:20pm: whaddayamean START worshipping??!!

[giggle] You have the best sense of humor!

Comment by Darrel Ray on January 13, 2011 at 2:17pm: I guess you are now resurrected! Congratulations, you are about the 10th or 20th person to do that in all of history. We may start worshiping you soon! Can I be the treasurer?

Comment by One Manic Ninja on January 13, 2011 at 12:41pm: Hi, I was already a member but I had to delete and recreate my profile... so here I am again!

Comment by Mary O'Grady on January 11, 2011 at 4:27pm: I

'd love to take the survey, but my New Year's resolutions include not signing up for things like SurveyMonkey on-line. Is there someplace I can take the survey without opening a new account (and giving up contact info, etc.)?

Thank you!

Comment by Darrel Ray on January 11, 2011 at 1:28pm: Dear RR members:

We are doing a groundbreaking survey on sex and secularism. We will collect data for a month or so, then shut it down and analyze it. Depending on what we find, we may publish it in a journal but it will definitely be used in my next book in some capacity. Here is the link:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PGHSWMW

Take it yourself then let others know about it.

This is a short survey about how your sexuality has developed over time and how it has changed in relation to your lack of belief in a god. The research is being conducted by Dr. Darrel Ray, author of The God Virus and Amanda Brown at the University of Kansas.
This survey is for ATHEISTS, AGNOSTICS, SPIRITUALISTS, HUMANISTS, and SECULARISTS. We need to have people who do not believe in a deity, or organized religion, of any sort.

We hope to get hundreds if not thousands to complete it so we will have a pretty reliable picture of what sexuality looks like in the secular community. One additional concern is that we really want to encourage women to take the survey. Men are overwhelmingly represented in the secular community so we want to ensure we get as many women as possible.

Pass this along to any secularists or secular groups you think might be interested.

Thanks for any help,

Darrel

Comment by Richard Goscicki on January 4, 2011 at 7:45pm: Mike, that clears up a lot of my questions. Thanks.

I have an old joke I made up: I can barely take this county, i.e. Florida with all the nudie bars, free speech, multi-millionaires living on the beach in million-dollar condos, and so-called democracy. I wouldn't last five minutes in a country like Iran.

My friend, please be smart. I wish you were here in Florida so we could pass a joint around and discuss this situation. Future happiness of several people is at state. Above all, you have to realize where you are and don't cause problems you'll only regret. You're not going to cause any badly-needed social changes. Smile when you have to smile, tough you might be gritting your teeth.

You gotta get out of there, soon as you can. I don't know how much you love your wife, but it can't be worth living under a repressive, pleasure-negative and religion-intolerant regime.

So, figure out a way to get out and tell your wife "you're either going with me or staying behind. My way or the highway,"as locals here like to say." "But I'm outta here."

I'm in Sarasota, Florida. I think the government is repressive because I have to wear a seat belt while driving, under threat of a $107 dollar moving-violation ticket. Also, I have to mow my lawn every three months or so or else get a courtesy note from the Community Assocation. How much can I take?

So, keep my posted. Enjoy life. :-)

Rich

Comment by Mike McDonald on January 4, 2011 at 6:00pm: Yes I am living in Jakarta, Indonesia in a 'Hajji' neighborhood.

Hajji - someone who has been to the Haaj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

So now they are all elevated to most revered among Muslims status! It was a problem when we were first dating because since I'm a westerner I automatically have an inclination towards evil and I come from a place that is 'too free' and believes in 'free sex'.

I used to get so angry at these absurdities. They actually gave a my then gf a warning of eviction from the neighborhood if i continued to come over after 9 pm! She is in her young thirties and I am in my upper thirties! The reason for this stupidity is that by her and I being together too late, while not being married, will bring bad luck to the neighborhood so in order to avoid the possible danger of a evil infusion the would just kick her out of her home!

I wasn't an open atheist until I moved to Indonesia and seen first hand the depths of absurdity into which religion will push people.

Comment by Richard Goscicki on January 4, 2011 at 8:46am: Mike, I've been thinking about your situation and I must admit I'm confounded by it because I don't have enough info.

Are you living in a Muslim community, which would change all possibilities of reform? Because then, you'd have political and social considerations, as well as familial. If it's just the latter, you'd have much more opportunity to effectuate change.

I have let her know that when the kids are old enough, when they ask me if I believe in god I will not lie to them for the sake of her belief.

This is to be expected of any honest person. I hope you established this before you got married.

I liked the point about the star stuff. (You must be a fan, as I, of Carl Sagan.) It's just the heavy elements, the atoms of our body, that were formed on distant stars as a result of nuclear fusion. Interestingly, every atom of your present body wasn't there ten years ago.

Good luck. Just try to enjoy life and have as much fun as you can in what sounds like a repressive environment, and don't worry about supernatural horsecrap.

I say horsecrap, because I just learned that Mohammed did have a flying horse named Barack. I hope the president wasn't named after it.