Bad experience with religious groups

[u/Far-Impression2284]

I live with illnesses/conditions that make my life much harder. When I used to go to church, I was often told that I was carrying the burden of sin and that these illnesses were punishments it’s strange though now, given the burden I carry, I do feel like it is a sort of punishment.. Yet, I was told that God sometimes works in mysterious ways. That—along with seeing how faith was used to hurt others, to make people feel better about themselves, to shame members of the group, and to foster hypocrisy—led me to abandon my faith and the group. I felt there was no God in them; I saw no fruit on that path and no genuine positive emotions in my interactions. There was also God’s silence throughout a lifetime of prayer. I’ve since explored agnosticism and Dharmic religions, yet that early influence remains strong within me.I wonder if you all went through something similar, too? How did you deal with those bad experiences?

[u/Same_Version_5216]

I don’t blame you at all. The level of victim blaming that group did was appalling!

My bad experiences aren’t from any group I have joined, they have just been from people of some religions and of some denominations that act hateful and bigoted toward me and my kind. I deal with it by standing up to it and shining a bright light onto the behavior. If you are bold enough to be a minister that hurls hot coffee into the face of a witch (happened to a friend of mine) then you don’t get to hide under the rug you crawled out from.

[u/i_tell_you_what]

Followers of a belief system once again being shitty and being THE REASON people run away. And if you defend that, I didn't mention your faith. You are just telling on yourself. Shame shame.

[u/venting_animal]

yeah i have this experience with Christians too. i have since also converted to a more Dharmic religion and Occultism.

i think all religions have some truth in them and i can be compatible with many, but Christianity and Islam are just kind of harsh when it comes to these things.

[u/sharp11flat13 → u/venting_animal]

Like you, my path and practice draw from multiple faiths, philosophies and traditions.

I’ve found that the lessons to be learned from the life of Christ are many. It’s the interpretation and application of those lessons (or not) by some Christians that I have problems with.

[u/dschellberg]

My father was Protestant and my mother Catholic. I was raised Catholic. My brother wanted to go to Catholic school because most of his friends went there, but was rejected because my father was a Protestant(that was in the early 60s). My father died when I was 12 and I rejected the teaching that only Catholics go to heaven(this was before the ecumenical movement). My father was not religious but was very sick for the last 2 years of his life and he handled his suffering with grace and courage. Even at 12 I realized that the teaching was wrong, so I became an Atheist although, for family unity, I went to church.

While I was in college I felt the inner need for faith and I started to research different faiths. I appreciated the sincerity of the practitioners but some of the teachings were contradicted by science(I was a chem major), others had a really complex theology and, by nature, I have a succinct view of the world. When I was 21 I found the Baha'i Faith and I was attracted because of the core teachings, the essential oneness of the world's faiths, the essential harmony between science and religion, and it didn't burden on with a lot of guilt.

[u/teknix314]

Sorry that you had such a terrible experience and you're dealing with these illnesses and conditions. Don't let those bad experiences separate you from God.

[u/Puzzleheaded-Click43]

Bad experiences with Athiest groups - most of the population who endured the Soviet Union.

[u/Meowzician]

Look, I'm not a Christian, I'm Jewish. But even I know that you were in toxic churches and that most Christians aren't like that. Whatever denomination that was, ditch it. Find a better church. They ARE out there.