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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 Kara Ward on December 14, 2012 at 11:55pm: @Tabitha: Don't believe everything you hear about Dawkins; I think he's just the sweetest old man.

I can't believe I'm Kara#2 here, and I also used to be Wiccan! This is going to get confusing... ;-)

Comment by Joan Denoo on December 14, 2012 at 11:53pm: So many people don't like Richard Dawkins because he says what is on his mind and you don't have to wonder what he means. He can be rude, abrasive, short, blunt. and intimidating.

One of the things I like about him, he makes sense. To be confronted by him, one has to have a tough skin. Some just don't want to listen to someone as direct as he. He was abrupt with Rebecca and she is one tough lady. She was right in calling him on his attitude toward her and he should have seen her side. And I don't think he still does. With women such as Rebecca, we can see that she is not intimidated by him, she can stand up to him and come out of it stronger and respected by women such as I.

P.Z Meyers recognizes the challenges facing women in the atheist movement and stood powerfully beside her, both in his public statements and in his writings. Meyers has my respect for that.

I guess the trick is to develop a thick skin, get used to abrasive men and women from all points of view, and don't let your ego get in the way of what you believe. If another woman were to give the same speech as Rebecca, about sexism in the atheist movement, I hope more men and women will stand with her. It is most unusual for women to be vocal when confronted with such behaviors and attitudes and we will do better if we do stronger.

Comment by Tabitha McCoy on December 14, 2012 at 10:48pm: @ Patricia and Kalliope Thanks :) Change and internal transformation do take time, though, so the best I can do is read everything I can get my hands on and think outside the box--get out of my comfort zone and always question everything. I'm just now starting to understand that.

@James I'll have to look into those novels...

Comment by James M. Martin on December 14, 2012 at 9:20pm: T Andrew, Freud wrote to debunk religious as mass delusion, and Jung wrote to claim that the UFO phenomenon was just as you say, a modern example of mass delusion. One of my favorite writers on these things was the late Philip K. Dick, whose Valis Trilogy examined religion from different points of view. One of the novels re-visited the disappearance, in the Holy Land, of the once-revered Episcopal bishop, Pike. But the novel, VALIS, itself, is the shining masterpiece and one of the finest examples of imaginative fiction one could want.

Comment by Patricia on December 14, 2012 at 3:31pm: That's also why religion is a form of brain-washing......takes a long time to re-think for yourself.

Comment by Patricia on December 14, 2012 at 3:29pm: Just keep reading Tabitha, & have patience with yourself....it'll eventually begin to clear away. Even though I was never able to believe, I had a lot of crap to unload from my upbringing as well as the damn moronism....still have some issues, but I can live with them.

Comment by Tabitha McCoy on December 14, 2012 at 3:23pm: And another thing...I hve this tendancy to cling to childish, almost delusional way of thinking. It's hard to let go of the belief in a soul, the whole god thing...how do I let it all go??

Comment by Tabitha McCoy on December 14, 2012 at 9:29am: @ Andrew Yeah! I think they just wnted to do something outside the norm of the regular religion, wanted to spice up a new religion to make themselves feel special. It really is quite ridiculous, and very sad. But hey, I've been there.

@Patricia Excellent! I will definitely look into those :) I've read a lot by Richard Dawkins, but I also hear he's kind of an arrogant jerk...I dunno. But thank you!!

@James Yes, it is sad...at least WE don't live in those kind of dark ages anymore. I'm glad we have the freedom to think for ourselves.

@Kara Welcome! I understand how you feel, and I know exactly where you are. I'm kinda in the same place right now. I hope you find some enlightening information here, as I already have :)

Comment by Patricia on December 13, 2012 at 11:49pm: Nice to meet you, Kara!

Comment by James M. Martin on December 13, 2012 at 10:19pm: I know about that, Tabitha, but the Church also confiscated the lands of "heretics." We know that when Philip "le bel" of Spain began to feel threatened by the power and wealth of the Knights Templar, he contrived with the Pope to have them arrested and tried by the Inquisition. They were accused of worshiping the devil in the form of an hermaphroditic goat called Baphomet, a Byzantine plot contrived for purposes of a show trial. Then the lands of the knights were divided up as spoils. Sad, sad.