Do you resent your parents for raising you religious?

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,731
3,440
136
Did you grow up believing the same falsehoods that your parents did, only to grow out of those beliefs and resent them for misleading you? Do you feel like they wasted time with you by taking you to church when they could have exposed you to something like astronomy or something else truthful and interesting?
Also, do you blame them for that and feel that they failed in their responsibilities as a parent? Or do you feel that they did the best they could, despite being wrong about some important things regarding the world you live in?
 
Last edited:

Insomniator

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2002
6,294
171
106
I'm glad my parents never wasted my time taking me to church, they taught me to make fun of religion from the start.
 

Grooveriding

Diamond Member
Dec 25, 2008
9,147
1,329
126
media_preview.php
 

cronos

Diamond Member
Nov 7, 2001
9,380
26
101
No.

I am resenting myself for not being able to do the same to my son, though.
 

mnewsham

Lifer
Oct 2, 2010
14,539
428
136
Father has a PhD in astrophysics and made sure I never went to church until I was old enough to think for myself (I was probably 14 the first time I attended a religious service, and only then to appease a family member)
 

tHa ShIzNiT

Platinum Member
Feb 15, 2000
2,321
8
81
not at all. I now know that it was all BS, but they raised me the best they knew how. and i'm still alive now.
 

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,731
3,440
136

I kind of do. My mom took me to church against my will and my sister went willingly. My dad always stayed home. I remember worrying about my dad, fearful that he would go to hell because he didn't know the same truth that we did. We were all afraid for my dad as he sat there contently in his chair, watching TV on Sunday morning as the rest of us went off to church.
But my dad's attitude toward church always confused me. He didn't seem to care and had no fear. Didn't he know he was going to burn? Looking back I'm glad he was like that. It created a sense of balance. He knew we were silly for going, but he also knew how pointless it was to talk to us about it, and the whole time we thought we were supposed to talk to him about going.
So, I wish my dad would have gotten through to my mom and talked some sense into her. All those perfectly good Sunday mornings wasted.
 

z1ggy

Lifer
May 17, 2008
10,010
66
91
PArents took me because they thought it was the "right" thing to do. Currently, I only attend to appease my g/f and her family because they are somewhat religious. If we have kids, I want them to make the choice themselves when they are older. I'm sure the g/f will want to take them, which I don't have a problem with. If they are smart kids, they will realize it's all kind of BS. That is, unless it means something to them.
 

Raizinman

Platinum Member
Sep 7, 2007
2,355
75
91
meettomy.site
I am very grateful that my parents sent me to religious (yeshiva) until my teen years. It made it much easier in law school. Later in life my religious views changed, but I'm still glad my parents pushed me.
 

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,731
3,440
136
PArents took me because they thought it was the "right" thing to do. Currently, I only attend to appease my g/f and her family because they are somewhat religious. If we have kids, I want them to make the choice themselves when they are older. I'm sure the g/f will want to take them, which I don't have a problem with. If they are smart kids, they will realize it's all kind of BS. That is, unless it means something to them.

I'm in the same boat, except I rarely go with my wife. I will go on special occasions for her, but I usually stay home.
She often takes the boys, and at first I was concerned about it. But like you said, in today's world they will go to school with better informed people who aren't as afraid to ask questions. Plus, they have me to create balance, and balance I will create for sure.
Its kind of a delicate thing when dealing with kids and a religious wife. Its important to respect the wishes of the wife, but also to protect the minds of the young kids from going in too deep and taking things literally.
 

zokudu

Diamond Member
Nov 11, 2009
4,364
1
81
Grew up Catholic. Ambivalent towards religion now but still consider myself Catholic. I feel religion can be used to teach valuable lessons about morality and kindness but can also be used by hateful people to preach hurtful things about people.

Glad my parents raised me religious because I feel that it helped me be a better person. YMMV of course in regards to religion and religious education.
 

lxskllr

No Lifer
Nov 30, 2004
59,113
9,548
126
Resent? No, but it was a colossal waste of time. The Catholic school I went to was pretty good, but it would have been even better if they filled the religion period, and various church crap with something useful.
 

Pheran

Diamond Member
Apr 26, 2001
5,740
35
91
Fortunately my parents didn't do that, I think I went to church a total of about 3 times when I was a child. We sometimes take our daughter to church, but it's a Unitarian one so that's completely different than your typical church experience.
 

moonbogg

Lifer
Jan 8, 2011
10,731
3,440
136
Fortunately my parents didn't do that, I think I went to church a total of about 3 times when I was a child. We sometimes take our daughter to church, but it's a Unitarian one so that's completely different than your typical church experience.

I think that's something I could be more easy going about. Unfortunately, other people in my life are pretty Christian so I don't think that would be something that stuck for us as a family. If someone is Christian, then they are unlikely to be open to other ideas in the church/worship type areas.
 

AznAnarchy99

Lifer
Dec 6, 2004
14,695
117
106
My mom brought me to church with her once. My mom definitely does not wear the proper church attire. She always has to be stylish. Some lady told her that she shouldn't wear that to church. My mom smiled at her and just said that she wishes she could look like her.

That ends my church experiences with my parents.
 

smackababy

Lifer
Oct 30, 2008
27,024
79
86
The only thing I resent my parents doing or not doing is not sending me to piano lessons. It would have been invaluable as a musician. But, I suppose they couldn't afford it, so I don't particularly resent them. Just wished they had.


The only time my parents took me to church was one Easter when my father was so incredibly broke he couldn't afford anything other than us walking down to the church that was doing something.
 

poofyhairguy

Lifer
Nov 20, 2005
14,612
318
126
I grew up Catholic and loved it. All the dogma and made up BS really taught me to question authority and automatically giving my respect to certain people because I am supposed to. I am the person I am today because of it.

With that said, as an adult I see a benefit in church. Not in the religious stuff, but just having a group of guaranteed PG-rated people to dump your kids off with sometimes.
 

thestrangebrew1

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2011
3,835
595
126
Grew up Catholic. Ambivalent towards religion now but still consider myself Catholic. I feel religion can be used to teach valuable lessons about morality and kindness but can also be used by hateful people to preach hurtful things about people.

Glad my parents raised me religious because I feel that it helped me be a better person. YMMV of course in regards to religion and religious education.

Pretty much this for me too.