Comment by Misty: Baytheist Living! on May 31, 2009 at 7:31am

I can second that. I was sent to church from a very young age and never, ever believed any of this crap even as a small child. All positive reinforcement told me to sit down, shut up and nod my head, but I couldn't help questioning and wondering out loud if people really thought that rape and murder and bigotry was really o.k.
"When god says it is" wasn't good enough for me.
Contradictions and the senseless of it all occurred to me at an age where children are supposed to want to fit in and please their elders. I did actually want to please my elders and fit in, but not enough to just buy it all like everyone else did. No matter how well behaved I was and how often I prayed and did good things, there was always this KNOWLEDGE that it was a bunch of crap. Eventually I had to make a choice to either close my eyes, pray really, really hard and then go out and do things to assure my salvation despite my doubt.....or throw my hands up in the air and go WTF?
I have (and usually do) pick the WTF option.

Comment by Nelson on May 31, 2009 at 3:06pm

you'll want to read Pascal Boyer's Religion Explained and Scott Atran's In Gods We Trust to find out more about the neuro-cognitive theories of religious thought.

Comment by Rick Watts on June 1, 2009 at 3:46pm

Thanks for your comment, Misty: Mo's Pitbull. You grit your teeth and clench your fists and pray so hard that your whole body trembles.. but its like trying to talk to a brick wall.

Thanks Nelson, these books look like good reading.. I'll find 'em and read 'em.

Comment by Nelson on June 1, 2009 at 5:39pm

my pleasure. drop me a comment on my page or here if and when you read either or both. i'll be interested in your thoughts on them.

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