return to childhood religion

that's good, a happy place.

No I have not returned to my childhood religion. I too was raised as a Catholic and have dipped in and out over the years. A few years ago I joined my local Anglican church and could not be happier. The welcome and warmth has been wonderful and I will continue to attend because I have found my happy place.

i was raised strict catholic ,it only installed guilt shame and fear, i guess that is its intention! I was literally brainwashed and at various periods i looked into other religions/beliefs the little catholic imp in the recesses of my mind drew me back to RC. I even let my sons go through the RC education system, which some years later i both apologised to them for.Ive heard it from several ex catholics the system crushes you on so many levels.My leaving of the beliefs was gradual which was due to education on theology, and the history of the RC church, the power and abuses etc.I loosely call myself an agnostic Quaker, i would not officially become a Quaker but i like the openess, lack of mostly men in power and frocks and the humilty of the beliefs.It took me 60 odd years to get to this point!

Not going to get involved with any of the theology and religious/ denomination issues.

To answer the original poster .... I went back to church after an absence of around 30 years. I went back to a little independent evangelical church I knew as a teenager - where I went to youth club back in the day. In between I had been nominally C of E for a few years but never a regular church goer.

Does it work. Well for me, it did. I was amazed at how , even as an old woman I have been welcomed. I also found out some never left the church but graduated from youth group to main church. Others, like me had left and were now drifting back. It may well depend on the reasons you left in the first place. In my case it was family pressure. ( Mum passed away and I have been able to return - after a fashion as my husband has had a stroke now and this does stop me going and joining in as much as I would like). The church were also very quick to help me when my husband did have his stroke even though I had only been with them a few weeks. Their support has been very welcome to me.

I have never changed my beliefs since I was baptised as a teenager. Maybe that makes a difference? Going back to church was the best thing I have done in many years. As I say, I just wish I could join in more things with them.

Thats all I can say really.

There is a very good reason why families and communities want everyone to marry someone of their own religion, in often, denomination. Because it is more likely to lead to adhesion and less questioning.

My mother was Protestant, my father from staunch Catholic family (oh the irony, originally 'extreme' Protestants, aka Huguenots) - the reaction from both families certainly made me question how they behaved and reacted, a lot. DH comes from a very mixed family, other Christian denominations (Methodist and Baptist) and Islam. We both came to the conclusion very early in life that it was, sorry, but a lot of nonsense and led to more division and discrimination, cruelty even, than any other cultural or even colour, differences.

Dawkins helped making sense of it all. I am a humanist, through and through, and so is he.

well, now we know where to go for the best in counterfeits.
in the meantime, have reported to GNHQ.

They will try to infiltrate anything, won’t they? Perhaps they think those interested in spirituality are dumb. Quite the reverse in my experience, whatever the beliefs.

Reported!

Message deleted by Gransnet. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

This post is 13 years old! I wonder what happened to frida and if she did return to church.

I think you're doing a good thing Marydoll, I'm sure there are many like you, I know my mum knew such people I her church, who do restore some faith.

I am horrified about the scandals of the past. For that reason, I became the Safeguarding Co-ordinator for my Parish, twenty years ago.
I cannot redress the wrongs of the past, but will do my best to ensure that our very large parish is a safe place for all.

Terribull, your post resonated with me.

welbeck

has anyone heard from Kiwigran in the last 13 years ?

No 😂

Marydoll "I was raised by over zealous Catholic parents and taught by vindictive nuns" Heavens that makes two of us. I had too much religion when I was growing up in retrospect, not only mass on Sundays, but back in the afternoon for Benediction on various occasions. A very Catholic childhood, sometimes you have to live that to understand it. It's more full on on what it demands from adherents than other Christian denominations. It doesn't surprise me, as you say, some lapsed Catholics return to it after a period of time. It's very hard wired, so much so, I feel a nostalgia for something I didn't really appreciate at the time. When my mother became a widowed we often discussed religion, I've been a fierce critic of the church in light of the scandals and when I learnt more about its dark history for myself. I think she impressed on me there were a lot of good people in the church in spite of how it had been tainted, I saw much evidence of that from her church support group. I think unfortunately, like any man made entity the church has been corrupted by those who run it, it might be in Jesus Christ's name but far removed from his message imo. I think there is an inevitability, even with organisations set up with high minded ideals, they rarely remain true to their original principles.

Apologies, Frida

Or Frieda?

has anyone heard from Kiwigran in the last 13 years ?

I agree with you sandelf . Us Christians are no better than anyone else and certainly shouldn’t be feeling smug and superior.That is not what it is about.

As a humanist, sandelf, I'd say the best thing we can do, when they need help, is to help them. To help each other- instead of fighting, so often through the words of religions.

Kiwigran, I find your comment very offensive and patronising, sorry. ' You are making a terrible mistake.' No, I don't think so.

There are times when the hope we are not just scraps of life in a cold universe gives one the extra strength some situations demand. Religion is NOT about miracles, tenets of belief or even ethics (can be any of these, also can be misused by the powers) - it is a way humanity has of helping us bear the unbearable - the rest is trimming. Also please remember in the Christian church we do not KNOW anything, - we 'hope' and we 'believe' - not at all the same as knowing. Sorry to be a bit bossy but the idea that those of faith somehow understand life after, miracles, etc and that we are 'good' people irks me. We are people who need help, and this is one way to find some.

I love cathedral architecture, much church music and the. Bible as literature, but I don’t believe in any religion. It’s mostly superstition and completely unnecessary. All you need for a good life is to treat other people as you would like to be treated yourself.

absentgrana

milliej Which version of the Bible does Dawkins misquote? There are lots of them in English, let alone in other languages – all translations from mostly Aramaic (OT) and ancient Greek (NT). There are also various "original" versions or fragments of "original versions" which Biblical scholars will probably continue to argue over until the end of the world.

Thank you, this exactly.

All Bibles are translations, and differ very much.

Positive post Rosannie

I was raised by over zealous Catholic parents and taught by vindictive nuns.

I am sill a practising Catholic and very much part of my parish community.
However, there are parts of Catholic teachings, which I have questioned and cannot accept. My husbands says I have developed my own version of Catholicism.

You would be surprised at the number of people, who return the Catholic faith, years after rebelling against it.
There are quite a few in my parish.

I went to a Methodist church as a child but I wasn’t a believer. I would have liked to believe but I just couldn’t. Fast forward many years to when I was in my 50 s still wishing I could accept my Lord. It just happened, suddenly and unexpectedly and I actually burst into tears. I am so, so glad. It was a turning point in my life. I became a Baptist and was baptised by full immersion ( I had been ‘christened’ as a baby in a C of E) . Now I attend a Presbyterian church which is lovely, I love the sermons which help me to understand parts of the Bible and the people are my brothers and sisters in Christ.
Many of my friends are non believers, including my husband. I have hopes for them all but I know by my own experience it is not in my hands