When did you first realize that organized religion is a sham?
358518
Probably around 10 or 11 years old.
800656
Luckily for me I had no formal religious up bringing. When I was little some one did give me a book called" The greatest story ever told." I was really impressed with a wizard that could walk on water and heal people.  I was probably in my early teens before I realized that it was jesus the book was about.  But  it did not change my perception of the book or jesus for that matter.  So today I am a pagan but I was not forced into any religion.  I did go to a catholic church with my friend once I was really disturbed by the wine and wafer aspect of the rite.. I thought that was a little on the cannibalistic side.
476760
I changed my faith to Hinduism from what I was brought up with, after YEARS of studying all I could about various religions, the Bible, and other Scriptures, ancient and world history, archaeology, etc.  I also "studied" myself.  I prayed a lot and came to understood that Hinduism is the religion of my soul, the religion I was when I was a child, before I was told what to believe.
41041
sorry, you've all got it wrong....RELIGION IS POLITICS.....just one more political faction...what do you think organized religion started as???...p.s. i am a proud republican, and i don't hate bush...just don't agree with all of his beliefs
685982
Something that was installed into my brain through the form of organized religion.
627995
Organized religion, as a rule, is as corrupt as anything else.  Since it is run by humans our natural instincts and flaws go into it.  For those that say corruption is not involved in organized religion they are not looking where they should.  Every church out there has had a problem with corruption and had to deal with its' effects.
770314
religion was invented by people themselves
800248
1954 to be precise.\n\nIn fact, here's the irony:  Before 1954 it said "One nation indivisible."\n\nThey then took that beautiful phrase, and chopped it up ("divided" it).\n\nAnd in so doing, they divided our "indivisible" nation in two:\n- People who could say the pledge with sincerity (Christians, Jews, and Muslims).\n- People who could not say the pledge with sincerity (pretty much everybody else).  I.e. you could say it as long as you were just mouthing words.\n\nIn other words they "amended" the Pledge of Allegiance to exclude athiests, agnostics, Buddhists, pagans, etc.   These people are no longer eligible to pledge allegiance to the country.  There is no different version for them ... you either say this is a "nation under God", or ... sorry, you're disqualified.  \n\nI.e. they amended the pledge in 1954 to make it clear that you could no longer be considered a loyal American unless you believed in God.\n\nCould some of the modern divisions in the country, along religious lines, be traced back to this little bit of symbolism?\n\nCan anyone really read the amazingly hateful posts on YA ... Americans expressing open *hatred* of fellow Americans (did I just hear Mark D say "God how I hate you people"?) ... and say we are still "One nation indivisible"?\n\n---\n\n{edit} Mark D ... yes that's precisely my point!  *Both* sides are extremely intolerant of each other, especially on matters of religion, because there is *nothing* more personal or sacred than whether a person chooses to believe, or NOT believe, in God.  That is precisely the POINT of the Establishment Clause.  When the government passes laws declaring that belief in God is part and parcel of declaring yourself a loyal American ... that's what happens.\n\n{edit2} Mark D ... good points.  So we have traded concessions ... so maybe there's hope after all. (Cheers.) :-)
209423
Yes. I have had people put my religion down before they even knew anything about it. Wicca. People(Christians in particular) assume that I worship Satan. I don't even believe in God or Satan. Satanists worship Satan, and Satanists came about after Christianity was thought of. My religion was around long before Christianity. It's just a form of manipulating energy. That's the easiest way of describing it.
1120064
Yup, he saw corruption, and wanted it to stop.  He wasn't really trying to form a new religion - he was trying to reform Catholicism.
1146932
I think you've opened a *huge* can of worms here! But never being one to avoid discussion, I'll dive in......\n\nI agree.\nI think that religion was a device created by early mankind to explain the unexplainable, to create some social order and it was exploited by some people who had various socio-political agendas. \nI'm not denying that many, many people find their religion a source of comfort and I would not deny them their faith. I feel that religion has evolved with time, although some of the dogma has remained in the past.\nI'm sure lots will disagree, but that's just my own tuppenth worth.
1050427
The onset of reality.  Honestly, I just realized how much religion contradicted science.  I saw religion as an antiquated idea that tried to explain the unexplainable.  Once science got out from under the control of religion, it flourished and started to push religion back into the dark corners of "the unknown", where it continues to kick and scream for every scrap of control it can get.\n\nAnd I also couldn't accept a god that was so cruel, arbitrary and uncaring.  Reading the OT, I know that this was a god with whom I wanted nothing to do.  Even reading the NT, reading very closely, I wasn't that thrilled.  If this is what god is, I want nothing to do with him.\n\nThat, and I met someone who was unapologetically athiest.  I realized then that it was OK, I could be one too.  I realized that being an athiest doesn't make you a satan worhiper who bites of the heads of babies.  Most true athiests that I've met have been much better people than the rest.  They just choose to accept responsablity for their own lives and live without superstition.\n\nThat being said, I do enjoy studying about mythology (in which category I include all religions.)  I love the whole Jungian/Campbell view of it and what it tells us about who we are as a people.  Neat stuff.
380186
This is one of the realizations that I came upon after studying what I believe, and not what I was taught to believe. I'm 18 years old, and I have (as of a year ago) quit the Roman Catholic religion. I no longer believe in any religion because religion is just a set of beliefs that have changed over time. Throughout the thousands of years that man has existed, can someone actually say that every sin has not been committed? By this, I mean that if every sin has been committed, then the bible has been changed (because that is a sin). For every letter of the bible that is changed, one month of a person's portion of food will be taken away from them in heaven (food being the Tree of Life's fruit). It is absurd to follow a belief system that is outdated, sexist, prejudiced, close-minded, and just plain fallible. The Bible was "inspired" by God, not written. And since then, there have been many changes/compromises. I am thankful to say that I worship God without a religion to restrain me. Ethics, morals, and faith are my guiding stars. I can only hope that more people realize what I have realized.
804198
Because religion is a corrupt empire. Are we entirely sure that they werent changed by others as they years went by? History tends to be painted in a somewhat favorable light in order to keep weak minds controlled.
273022
I was baptized Catholic as a baby and raised that way throughout my early childhood. After a while my family stopped going to church, and I went on a period of self-exploration. I studied different religious ideas, beliefs, doctrines, etc. and pieced together what made logical, rational, reasonable sense in my opinion. From that I formed my own personal path. I followed it, and preferred not being a part of organized religion because creating my own path meant that my faith could grow and change as I grew and changed (and learned more) instead of remaining fixed and never evolving into something better.\n\nThen a friend of mine introduced me to Wicca. It takes a lot of work and study (I am still), but it allows solitary paths. Its lack of dogma also allows for your faith to grow and change. The more I learned about it, the more it coincided with the beliefs I'd already put together through my soul-searching. Since then I have considered myself a solitary Wiccan.\n\nI think this is the proper way to go about finding religion. Everyone's always saying things like, "I've found religion," or (specifically), "I've found Jesus," but more often than not, IT finds THEM. They believe it because they were raised to believe it, and/or people told them to. They didn't find it for themselves, or even bothered to figure it out. I formed a religion to fit me, rather than conforming myself to fit a religion.
1165462
I know exactly how you feel!  I get the same thing when I say I am an Atheist!!!  People are surprised when I tell them because I guess most of them assume that I am a Christian.\n\nI have already gone down the religion road and the older I get, I realize organized religion is suited for those who don't think for themselves!\n\nIt is prejudism!  But it happens to other religions also, like to the Islams and Buddhist and so on and so on!\n\nThis country was supposedly built for religious freedom, but people seem to think that they have a right to "Change your mind".\n\nI'm happy the way I am!!  Believe it or not, but I have a peaceful life with a loving husband and kids!!!!!  I try to teach my kids that it is OK not to believe in a supernatural being!!!  I am not hurting anyone by my beliefs!  So, please except my friendship or leave me a lone!\n\nGreat Question and I hope you get good responses!
542106
I do think the Internet is contributing to the decline of organized religion.  Before the 'net' the only people who really went to libraries to look in religious texts were people who planned on making it their life's calling.  Now like you said anyone can look at all aspects of it right from their own home.. for most the shine is off.. the mystery is gone.\n\nReligion in some form or another will always exist and I view these changes as a good thing.  Human beings were never meant to be stagnant.. we need to grow and change.  \n\nOf course many religions today will look at this as totally destructive and will contribute to some negative factor that their own religion ordains.