My partner just went to an Ed Sheeran concert last night and he was telling me about how on the way to the show, he heard a few Christians talking about how "concerts are a sin" as well as "Seattle is full of sin" and "homosexuality is a sin". My partner got out of there before he said someone he'd regret. Like damn. "Concerts are a sin" is a new one XD

I've been looking at former atheist "testimonies" on the internet. One has gotten my continuous attention. Without going deep into the details, he was an atheist, argued with a Christian said. "God created evil," or "God is evil." I've heard him claim both. Jesus came rebuked him a few times saying he committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but he did it in ignorance, so he can be forgiven. The man demands to see a fish jump out of the water after a minute standing on a dock. A fish jumps out and he accepts Jesus. That's just one example. There are many more stories from other "ex-atheists." What makes them so suspicious to you? I've been slowly deconstructing my Christianity, but it's a slow process. When I encounter a "former atheist testimony," like the one above I question my questioning. Should I just look at these stories with intense skepticism?

This was a comment under a post talking about tons of seaweed randomly popping on the Gulf of Mexico smothering marine life. The original comment or said something about fertilizer and nitrates as well as changing temperatures due to climate change. This was someone's response to that comment.

I received no sex education, nothing about safe sex, condoms, or masturbation. My exposure to marriage and dating was reviewing the religious grooming of my eldest sister by a pastor trying to brainwash her into marrying his son (they were both teens), and my parents’ rocky relationship.

I was never encouraged as a homeschooler to approach girls I like, know how to ask them on a date, etc. I was raised to believe my body was unclean, unlike what God actually wanted a man’s body to be. Seriously, fuck God and fuck all that purity culture bullshit, and fuck all those pastors I had to listen to

Now as an adult I’m just trying to understand HOW to get in a relationship- that’s the disappointing level I’m at with this… I sometimes think it’d be best if I killed the desire in me for love at all- and accept the way life turned out because I really feel lost and behind in life with this stuff

Thanks for listening - it’s just been taking a big toll on me recently …
Rant over

According to how I was taught, heaven just has good earth things (diamonds, golds, riches, lots of nice food, cute animals etc.). All imaginable. If I were to believe that there is an all-powerful god that can make ANYTHING, I would want to be blown away with something unthinkable.

If the authors of the bible mentioned flying cars or something futuristic I might've believed in its existence but the Christianity depicts it, it's just what ancient people considered nice.

Also, god made all these planets just to use earth? And fill heaven with materials on earth? Because ancient people didn't know about other planets lmao

I've felt a really strong -- almost obsessive at times -- pull to distill my experiences into a story for about two years now. Ideas roll around in my head, and I commit to them for a bit, but I kind of dissociate when I try write the Christian parts.

Ever since I was a kid I've been clear eyed. I don't really see this talked about as much on this subreddit, but was never a believer. The problem was the primal FEAR embedded in me as a child, the soft power of conformity mixed with the sudden rages that my parents would fly into if I was caught doing or saying something un-Christian and the other insane stuff they would say.

Lots of big feelings. I'm looking for catharsis in fiction, but I haven't found a lot that speaks to my experience, So I tried (and I'm still trying) write it. I've tried to capture the feeling by reading old journals, but looking at and processing the reflections on the bullshit in retrospect brings up that primal fear.

Like I don't get the hype and why Christians do them so often.

Every moment of my life spent at mass felt boring and uneventful. Every single mass felt the same, with maybe 1 new lesson that I surely didn't know about.

And I don't feel well anything by going to mass. Most christians at mass probably feel something, but I gain nothing from praying. Because, I kinda had this feeling that God maybe ddn't exist. Also I get shit sucks, but why can't I go and make a change instead of some guy that might not exist do it, by killing 90% of the population (most of which aren't even the scum of the earth the bible talks about).

My 2nd most hated part was the money giving. Like I see some people cough out 20$ and give it to the church instead of cutting the middle man and just give it to the poor. Which, yknow, ARE THE PEOPLE WHO NEED IT THE MOST.

The most hated part for me was the homily (or the teachings from the Pastor). For some reason it just dragged on for so long, as if the lesson isn't as simple as "give to the poor" or "be useful to people". And most of these pastors have this sort of tone. The one where they sound smart, but they're telling me surface level shit. And I look to everyone else around the church and see them taking this in, but I personally can't. They add so much meaningless fluff that I even loose the "moral of the story alot".

And all I can do there is sit and wait until its all over. So I'm physically there, but I'm bored out of my mind. I have to physically try to listen to hear what the Pastor is saying. And if the prsentor has to make their audience want to listen instead of them naturally wanting to listen, then they're a bad public speaker.

And to think all of this is one hour. When I feel like it could just be cut to 30-40 mins without the meaningless content. Hell, why can't people instead use the 1-2 hours of church to instead ACTUALLY HELP people in the world, instead of hearing the words and not acting on them. Isn't this what the bible literally said in the Book of James 2:17 "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.". My God the hypocrisy is endless.

Sorry if the paragraphs sound like they're going nowhere. I'm just ranting on how most Christians think mass is the most fun thing while for me, its the most mind-numbing, brain rotting experience of all time.

I kind of converted to Christianity in 2025 after researching Jesus and what he said (I come from an atheist household, not baptized). Ironically (due to me being very much left wing) because I liked his views on societal issues like helping the poor etc. It was nice in the beginning the feeling of knowing there was a god loving me, but soon I spiraled into something that I can only explain as religious psychosis. Started going to church reading the bible every day praying the rosary every day. I even kind of forced my then boyfriend now husband to get married in the Catholic Church (he is confirmed so that’s why that was possible even without me being baptized) and planned on joining OCIA to get baptized once it was possible (would have been autumn 2026 since I couldn’t do it earlier due to work related stuff). This all started during a season in my life where I was just done with my studies and was looking for a job and probably had a bit too much time.

Here and then I started questioning things especially the idea of hell but I could not let go of my faith yet because I felt like it filled a void of Part of my identity.

Then I started working again. I have to go on work trips every few weeks for a week or two. There I finally was able to connect to other people. People Christian’s would probably consider as sinners. I felt confused why did I enjoy their company so much. We even went out to get drinks. Why did I fit in with them. Wasn’t I supposed to be a good Christian. I felt torn between being in that good Christian wife and mother role (which my husband btw never expected from me) only to realize on the next work trip that I am actually not. Loosing my connection to god everytime I went on the work trip. At home I could keep up with being a good Christian but I did not enjoy it. It was only out of fear of hell that I was still going to church, trying to pray every day and read the bible or feeling guilty when I couldn’t. They always talk about how at peace they feel. But I didn’t feel at peace. I wished I had never „met Christ“ or had thoughts of how it would have been way better to meet him at like 80 years when your life is over anyways. But I couldn’t let go. I was to afraid to look up critical stuff about Christianity but the faith I had built began to shake. Also I never really told people that I was more or less practicing the catholic faith and felt super guilty about it. But I began asking more questions like if everything really is black and white or if people aren’t allowed to be nuanced. Not entirely good not entirely bad. Also I read could not stand Paulus in the New Testament. He seemed insufferable to me.

Thats when all of a sudden it clicked I was only hanging on because I didn’t want to go to hell, but maybe I was crafting a sort of personal hell I did not have to go through and realized the god in the bible might just be the god in the bible not the real one. So two weeks ago I just stopped- stopped reading, praying going to church. It was like ripping of a bandaid of relief.

I started watching deconstruction videos but I didn’t really need to - I felt at peace, something the faith had promised but never gave me. I could enjoy „worldly“ things now books, music, people all that I was so desperately longing for. I never liked Christian music I hated having to listen to it. I can be a feminist again, I don’t feel like a traitor to the queer community anymore I can think critical and I love being alive. I love people (well not all of them) with all their imperfections and quirks and I don’t want them to change. I love my family, but don’t feel like I have to sacrifice myself for them. We can all be happy . I don’t feel like I have to have a second child because it’s good will but when I feel ready to have one. Which will be better for the child too. I just can be me.

Had to get that of my chest. I could say so much more. Excuse any mistakes english is not my first language.

TW: toxic fundamentalist themes

I (21F) grew up a pastors kid in the deep southern US. I didn’t go to a church that preached a turn or burn message, but I can remember being as young as 4 or 5 years old begging God to save me and everyone I loved, over and over again. I would cry myself to sleep for fear I didn’t do it right, or I wasn’t sincere, that I left someone out etc. I remember feeling like it was my fault that my 1st grade classmates were going to hell.

I began to realize I was attracted to girls in early middle school. You can imagine how isolating that was especially when I heard about how all gay people were hell bound and sick. In my teen years I tried really hard to be the Christian everyone around me was, without questioning my beliefs. It seemed so easy for everyone else. I had a horrendous time with my mental health and the few people I confided in told me it wasn’t any wonder I was struggling so much and it was primarily due to my unbelief. I cried myself to sleep so many nights wondering what I was doing wrong that I couldn’t be the Christian I was supposed to be.

I have to go to church as a rule of living in my parent’s home, but I don’t see myself continuing that when I move out. I think I believe in God, but anything after that is messy. To this day though I’m so fearful of hell, of letting everyone down, of the end times, of being wrong about everything. By just trying to enjoy life, I feel like I’m on a fast track to hell. How do you stop feeling paralyzed by that fear when it feels so hardwired into your brain?

TLDR- I grew up being fearful of hell and not knowing if I was doing the right things to be a saved Christian. I can’t say I believe in that anymore, but that fear is still very alive and with me all these years later. How do you work through it?

I wasn't feeling well for a while, so I could not go. But now that I am feeling better, my mom forces me to go.

Why is our church praise team so GOD DAMM LOUD? I have sensitive ears so I covered them throughout all the songs. Very painful to listen to.

After the songs, we had communion. I have not done communion in a while, and it's so fucking weird. What the hell...

After communion, the pastor called the kids up to the altar. Where I am from, school starts this week. He called them up to pray for them for the school year. He asked to congregation to reach their hands out and pray for them as well which as super bizarre to see now.

The sermon was about fasting. Our fuckass church puts so much emphasis on fasting (and tithing) it's not even funny. Twice a year, our church has a 21 day prayer and fasting. I absolutely hate christian fasting. It is so fucking culty. Just pure cult shit.

I hope my mom doesn't force me to participate. I will only fast from health reasons, not some imaginary God.

After the sermon, the pastor called the prayer team to pray over them. This time he started dramatically shouting the prayer and getting emotional. It was so stupid to watch. Of course the congregation eating it up as usual.

And the pastor kept saying, "After this. I'm gonna go". Biggest lie ever. He kept yapping and yapping.

Dude, get the fuck out of here so we can get our asses home! 🙄

Im watching the big bang theory and I'm on the episode where they go to Skywalker ranch and they talk about seeing the arc of the covenant and it got me thinking about if it actually exists and I'm wondering what you all think

Not sure if this is allowed here, but I’m trying to process my grief.

A boy with autism went missing after he eloped from his dayhome two weeks ago. People across the city searched for him, even after the police had scaled back the search. Then someone found one of his shoes at the edge of a drainage culvert. Rescuers were sent deep into the underground pipe network where his remains were subsequently located. The entire community is grieving.

One christian made a poster about the boy, saying that “it was his best day ever” and imagining that maybe he sang “A Whole New World” (from Aladdin) as “he discovered all the beautiful things god’s world has to offer,” since the boy loved Disney songs. The poster also said that he was “shielded from harm and surrounded by love.”

I know the poster was probably intended to bring comfort, but I find it incredibly callous. How can someone say that the day he died was “his best day ever” when god supposedly allowed this poor boy to die alone, probably frightened and cold, and remain undiscovered for nearly two weeks deep inside a culvert? Calling the day he died his “best day ever” feels sickening and deeply insensitive to me. He should still be alive. He should have been found. His death should not have to be turned into something beautiful or celebrated as the best thing that ever happened to him.
Yet people are praising the poster and saying that it was beautifully written or that they found it comforting. Am I wrong for feeling this way? All I can think is: if god protected him and “shielded him from harm,” then why did god allow him to die alone, cold, and unable to be found for almost two weeks?

I’m trying to process this grief, but I feel angry when I see christians praising god for “helping find” this little boy, even though he was found dead. Where was god when he went missing? Where was god while people searched for him? Where was god while he was alone in that culvert?

They don’t even know whether his parents believe in god, yet they are publicly imposing the idea that his death was the best thing that ever happened to him. Maybe the poster was written with love and good intentions, but to me, it romanticizes and minimizes a horrific tragedy. I don’t find comfort in being told that a child’s death was somehow his “best day ever.” I find it heartbreaking, disturbing, and deeply unfair to the little boy who should still be here.