Scooby Doo, The First Atheist Brainwashing Cartoon Reviewed

[ventilator]

One of the issues I had with that little church was that I noticed a marked difference between the behavior espoused on Sunday and that I actually observed from those same people the other six days of the week.

I didn't take too well to being griped at for being somewhere in town where they were playing rock-n-roll by somebody I knew for a fact was cheating on his wife.

Yeah, my church was only about 20-30 people at its biggest, 15 of which are related to me. The pastor was about 75 and old time to the extreme. Only traditional hymns were acceptable music, churches who used projectors for service instead of hymn books were evil, etc. I know I got a much broader view when I got out and went to college. It amazed me to see how hateful some of them were towards other people when the message in church was to love they neighbor and turn the other cheek. I would get yelled at for having a Christian metal CD (yes they exist and are actually quite good) because it was not "Christian style music" but then watch my family nervously watch a black person walk down the street because he had to be up to no good at 2pm on a Saturday.

 

[Sapper PE LS]

One of the issues I had with that little church was that I noticed a marked difference between the behavior espoused on Sunday and that I actually observed from those same people the other six days of the week.

Yep, the percentage of adult males from my church who spent time in prison is disproportional to the ratio of adult males in prison from general society. The church was small, maybe 30 to 40 adults on any given sunday, rarely a newcomer, almost entirely the same 30 to 40 the entire time I went there as a kid, and of those roughly half were men, and of those men, three spent time in prison while I was going to that church, and after I left at least two of the boys I grew up with went to prison as well.

Offenses: you name it, drugs, sex offenses, weilding guns at local kids in the neighborhood, domestic abuse.

Yet my parents still attend this church. When I left for college, I only went back to that church maybe two times. At one point I just simply told my parents I would not be joining them in church when I came to visit.

 

[YMZ PE]

Growing up in a Buddhist family FTW! Makes me appreciate what I have in Jesus without all the doctrinal baggage.

 

[csb]

I grew up believing Catholics were following a cult, somewhat based on Christianity, but far stayed from the truth. It really wasn't until my 30's that I realized that the Protestant denominations were the ones that had "strayed" from the church. I was just oblivious to the entire history of the church and the schism, the thesis nailed to the door, King Henry's beef with the pope, etc. I grew up thinking that everybody had been presented with Christianity in the form that I knew it and most had simply rejected it out of sinful desires and were therefore going to hell.

So really, is it any wonder that I had a major belief system shift after I left home, went to college and began seeing that I had actually been raised in an extremely narrow population segment of Christianity that almost everybody else claimed was closer to a cult than Catholicism was.

Well, you know, we worship Mary and whatnot.

Now that I'm older, I'm much more able to let religious things roll off my back. When I was 20, I was ready to launch the next Crusades if someone backed me into a corner. Because, you know, Catholics are always looking for the next Crusades.

This post was brought to you by sarcasm and bitterness.

 

[Sapper PE LS]

For the record, I no longer feel that catholics are idol worshipers, mary worshipers, or part of a cult. As folks that have been a member of this board for a long time know, I've gone from a fundamentalist pentacostal to an out and out atheist and now back to somewhere in the middle. It's been a pendulum effect which has slowed and stabilized in the middle... comfortably where most other Americans (of all faiths) find themselves, generally believing there is some higher power, but not extreme in either direction. I don't take the Bible literally anymore, which is the only way that I can appreciate it, and quite frankly the only way it makes sense.

 

[Flyer_PE]

Right now, I'm really enjoying being the Token Heretic at the local Serbian Orthodox church. I think they like having me around 'cause I know how to do stuff and actually try to get something done before having a couple of shots of Sliivovica.

I'd be tempted to convert except I don't think I could survive giving up meat and dairy for 40+ consecutive days twice a year.

 

[csb]

And I definitely wasn't aiming that at you directly, Sap, even though I quoted you.

My husband comes to church every Sunday, but can't commit to becoming Catholic. He's supportive of our kid being Catholic. I think that takes a big step for someone to do that, so I admire you Flyer.

Now it makes me want to start a poll to find out who still practices the faith/non-faith of their parents.

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I grew up believing Catholics were following a cult, somewhat based on Christianity, but far stayed from the truth. It really wasn't until my 30's that I realized that the Protestant denominations were the ones that had "strayed" from the church. I was just oblivious to the entire history of the church and the schism, the thesis nailed to the door, King Henry's beef with the pope, etc. I grew up thinking that everybody had been presented with Christianity in the form that I knew it and most had simply rejected it out of sinful desires and were therefore going to hell.

So really, is it any wonder that I had a major belief system shift after I left home, went to college and began seeing that I had actually been raised in an extremely narrow population segment of Christianity that almost everybody else claimed was closer to a cult than Catholicism was.

Western Civ in college was quite illuminating regarding the course of religious evolution (now there's an oxymoron for you!).

 

[engineergurl]

I'm Roman Catholic but attend a Baptist church... I didn't like any of the Catholic churches here, there are many more Baptist ones to choose from. I found a small one that seems to welcome me...

 

[Sapper PE LS]

EG, it may not be your thing but on the corner of Panetta and Buford in Bon Air, there is a Tridentine Rite (Latin Mass) church called St. Joseph's. I don't know if you are into the traditional Catholic experience, but my catholic friends in the area seem to like that one.

 

[snickerd3]

Grew up roman catholic, was an alter server through high school...but the family was more of what you would a fair weather catholic family. Major holidays, weddings, funerals, christenings are really the only time you will find them at church.

Mr snick's parents are Christian church hoppers, they prefer the fire and brimstone sort of sermon. If they get bored they go to another church until they find a pastor that has publi speaking ablities.

so it made it difficult to find something mr snick and I could agree on. Catholic church was too boring and materialistic for him, but I'm not a huge fan of the in you face projector/slide show church experience. For now we attend a desciples of christ christian church. Enough of the catholic experiences mixed with less traditional.

 

[engineergurl]

EG, it may not be your thing but on the corner of Panetta and Buford in Bon Air, there is a Tridentine Rite (Latin Mass) church called St. Joseph's. I don't know if you are into the traditional Catholic experience, but my catholic friends in the area seem to like that one.

I'll check it out, that maybe good for holy days since I think it's closer to where I work than live... I sort of stopped my search at a radius of a 30 min drive, I figure while I try to be good and go every week, I'm less likely to do so as the effort it takes increases... but Bon Air was just beyond where I looked into...

Mass is Mass to me and many times I'm going more out of obligation because I'm "supposed to" then for the real want of it... the Baptist church has been refreshing, but there are differences and things I don't agree with... last time I checked, the commandment was to keep the sabbath day holy, not that I had to go to a designated building and pray with my peers...

I once heard someone say, "some people have religion, some people have faith... but with out faith religion is pointless." you guys reminded me of that with all your comments.

 

[Ble_PE]

My husband comes to church every Sunday, but can't commit to becoming Catholic. He's supportive of our kid being Catholic. I think that takes a big step for someone to do that, so I admire you Flyer.

This is pretty much us. The mrs. is Catholic and wanted to raise our kids Catholic and I have no problem with that. There are things that Catholics practice that I don't entirely agree with which is why I'm probably never going to convert, but I enjoy the church. The main priest is a very good speaker and I really enjoy listening to his sermons.

I have also changed tremendously regarding my outlook on religion in the past decade. Gone are the hardline views I used to have and I've found myself being more mellow when it comes to what's acceptable. I guess I've mellowed in my old age.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

<--- can count on one hand the amount of times he has gone to church in his lifetime...

 

[wilheldp_PE]

I'm somewhere between an agnostic and a non-combative atheist. Faith just doesn't play a role in my life, and as long as you aren't trying to shove your religion down my throat, I don't care what you do. I do disagree with combative atheists that actively engage in debate with theists just to start some shit.