A question for "ex-fundies"

[Rocknrule]

For those of you who deconverted from fundamentalist religion at one point, especially fundie Christianity, I just wondered; what was it that made you abandon organized religion? Was it the doctrine of hell, the political whoring of Republicans, the pressure to witness, or just the outright bigotry towards gays, women, Muslims, etc.? Share your stories.

[undeterred]

1. one thing at a time

The first issues were the low status of women... when I was in college (75-80) there was no politicization of fundamentalism yet, no bigotry toward gays or muslims that I was aware of. I left the conservative churches because they didn't think a woman should be in any kind of church leadership - I knew it when I was in college that any church which didn't ordain women and was against womens rights was ridiculous.

I walked into a liberal church where I didn't know anyone when I was 23 and there was a black woman preaching to a diverse audience- so I knew that the "order of things" was fundamentally different there, and it was, in every way.

[Olney Blue]

2. I hated the hypocrisy.

[ginnyinWI]

3. personal life experiences

My life wasn't turning out like it was supposed to. I was doing all the "right" things, but bad stuff happened to me anyway. If there was a just God there making sure that life would work out if I had faith, then where was he?

I became disillusioned and came to see religion as a scam run by self-interested people. Fundies in particular hold sway by using primarily FEAR of hell and damnation.

[ruiner4u]

4. just didn't and still don't feel like I need to employ someone

to be an intermediary between God and I.

[JuniperLea]

5. All the arguments with church elders...

It started when I was 14 and had my own music ministry... and they got pissed at my rock 'n roll... I argued that the Lord worked in mysterious ways and that I was filling the chapel on Sunday nights... that maybe the Lord liked my rock 'n roll and liked that it attracted a lot of youngsters to the Sunday night service.

It escalated when one of the church elders was very mean and very rude to one of the "hippie types" I invited to hear my music... and it got very heated when I grabbed said church elders' Bible and turned to Matthew 25 and asked him to explain to me what it meant.

It all went to hell in a hand-basket when I announced that I was going to be frequenting places where I could find "lepers and whores" and bringing as many of them to church with me as I could, because that's what Jesus would do if he were here...

If I had to narrow it down to one word, that word would be: Hypocrisy.