I was born and raised in an Eastern Orthodox Christian family. Became a theistic Satanist in the 1980s - more specifically a Luciferian. It even got me a conscription exemption. Still one to this day.

  • lemmy_outta_here@lemmy.world
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    4 hours ago

    I am a lifelong atheist. I attend a very progressive christian church where I am open about my lack of belief. They seem to accept me, including the minister. I don’t try to convert them and they don’t try to convert me. I started going because I was lonely and I wanted some opportunities to do good. Their whole theology is about helping people and trying to change the world for the better. The two major precepts are “God is love” and “Jesus has no hands but yours.” They don’t talk about sin or redemption. We have a huge rainbow sign that says “All are welcome,” and we actually mean it. The minister talks about Jesus as a teacher, not as a saviour. We raise money and food for the local food bank, and provide community outreach to people, many of whom have disabilities. We sing. We eat cookies and drink absurd amounts of coffee. I suddenly have so many sweet old lady friends, and even a handful of friends my own age.

  • stoy@lemmy.zip
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    11 hours ago

    Swede here, so while I was born, babtized and confirmed in the lutheran church, I, like most Swedes, am in reality an atheist.

    I am still part of the Swedish church and do pay church tax, I like seeing the old churches preserved in the Swedish landscape, and occasionally use their free toilets when I need to, so it feels only fair to contribute when I can.

    • thedeadwalking4242@lemmy.world
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      14 minutes ago

      I really hate when people equate them. science is not a religion. Is is the study of the universe in fact not in opinion and guesses.

  • cali@lemmy.world
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    14 hours ago

    I was raised as a strict Catholic, then stopped believing once I went to college and met people who challenged my worldview. Now I am agnostic. Not sure I want to call myself a definitive atheist, as I believe there COULD be something out there. However, if there is something out there, I don’t think it cares enough about this tiny blue dot in the entire universe.

  • megane-kun@lemm.ee
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    14 hours ago

    Born and raised Catholic, drifted towards atheism as I thought that if the tenets of the religion I was brought up in is true, I should be punished for eternity (and then pondered if suicide is a lighter sin than being who I am), and then questioned why that’s necessarily the case.

    Later on, I drifted towards agnosticism as I began to question my own beliefs, and more importantly, why I was having those beliefs.

    None of that was ever known to a lot of people, though, and I present myself as a non-practicing Catholic.

  • zxqwas@lemmy.world
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    18 hours ago

    Raised Scandinavian protestant which basically means you don’t go to church unless someone died or got married.

    Left the Church to avoid the membership fee.

    Answering this question is about 1/3rd of my effort I’ve put into religion 2024.

    • stoy@lemmy.zip
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      11 hours ago

      None of the large churches in Scandinavia (Church of Denmark, Church of Norway, Church of Sweden, Church of Finland) are Protestant, they are Lutheran.

      • Owl@mander.xyz
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        10 hours ago

        “None of the felidae are animals, they are mammals”

        Lutherans are protestants

  • AreaKode@lemmy.world
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    1 day ago

    I’ve been athiest since I was a kid. The older I get the less I’m able to ignore religion, and the more anti-thiest I become.

    • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      Yup, I’ve seen religion directly cause far too much harm to excuse the small benefit it yields to some people. Especially fucking now.

  • fxomt@lemm.ee
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    1 day ago

    I’m a closet atheist. In my country, apostasy is punishable by death. Thus, me being closeted.