While religion is very prevalent in our society, not everyone is a fan of it. For some, it’s just simply not a thing they’re interested in, or something that doesn’t fit into their lives. For others, it’s something that was once their life that they had to turn away from, since it wasn’t a pleasant experience, to say the least.
Today, we’ve collected a list of rather diabolical things that people who grew up in church heard being said to them. And let’s just say, many of these are pretty traumatizing, so it’s no wonder why some folks decide to leave religion behind after experiences like this.
More info: Threads
#1
I’m still traumatized.
My youth pastor drank a live goldfish in a game of truth or dare, and when I began CRYING because I was a teen girl who had just seen a live animal go to its death, a church lady pull me aside and lectured me that I was ruining everyone’s fun evening.
That was the first moment I looked around and realized that church might not be for me.
IRONIC that Christians love to tell stories of Satanists sacrificing animals though.
#2
That my gay brother wouldn’t be welcomed into the gates of Heaven. I never returned to that church ever again.
#3
A friend got pregnant immediately after high school graduation and had a beautiful baby boy. As a toddler the baby tragically died of a bowel infection. During the funeral, the pastor stood over his tiny white coffin and said the baby paid for the sins of the parents…
No matter where you live, there’s no chance you haven’t encountered religion in some form in your life. It’s so prevalent in our society that there’s no avoiding it. We’re not saying that you have to have been religious yourself, only that you’ve either had contact with a religious person, been affected by customs set by religion, or anything of that kind.
According to Encyclopedia Britannica, Christianity is the most widely practiced religion in the world, with more than two billion followers. While this religion isn’t passed down to a person like, let’s say, Judaism, usually it is instilled in a person by their family believing in it and being raised on this religion’s values.
#4
Believing my pets had souls was demonic.
#5
One “religious” thing I was told is that the reason a couple died in a hot air balloon accident leaving their five kids parentless is bc they were wearing shorts and weren’t dressed in a Godly way.
#6
That if a man cheats on or divorces his wife, it is always the woman’s fault.
Well, it doesn’t have to be only within the family. Some parents choose to send their children to things like Sunday school (also known as Sabbath school). If you don’t know what it is, it’s classes before Sunday church service that are used to provide catechesis to Christians, usually of a younger age, but it can be for adults too.
And while for some the experience of being raised Christian is good enough that they continue practicing the religion well into their adult lives, for others, it’s not so great. The causes for this can be various, from mild to criminal ones.
#7
if i didn’t have a sin to confess they would give me one
#8
At 12 years old (Mormon) we were asked to make a list of the qualities we want in a husband. Then they turned it around on us and said now we as young women need to be perfect so we are worthy of these qualities in our imaginary husbands.
#9
“I know the doctors will tell you you need 6 weeks to heal, but your husband can’t wait that long. Make sure he’s taken care of and doesn’t resent the baby once she comes.”
I was 38 weeks pregnant.
We’re not going to delve into all of that today, as just a shallow discussion wouldn’t do it justice. Instead, we’re just going to talk about the things people who grew up in churches heard being said to them, something that makes up today’s list. And since we’ve already mentioned the unpleasant experiences, you’ve probably guessed that these things that people heard aren’t pleasant either.
Well, after reading these stories, it becomes clear why so many young people choose to turn away from church. Let’s be honest, some (if not all) of the experiences presented in today’s list are borderline traumatizing, and so it’s completely understandable when a person wants to leave something like that behind them.
#10
they told me my cousins are mixed-race because they stayed in the sun too long. like no, their father is black.
#11
Marriage advice from youth group: “women- don’t wear sweatshirts and lots of clothes to bed if you’re cold. Let your husband warm you up.”
#12
As a teenager I opened up about my anxiety disorder and was asking for help from (at the time) people I trusted and had grown up with. I was told that I had it because I didn’t believe in God enough.I don’t think I ever went back there after that.
Granted, that isn’t the only reason why people are choosing not to practice Christianity. There are plenty of others too. For instance, they simply might not be connecting with what the church teaches, or it might be just too detached from their lifestyle, interests, and issues. Lack of relevance can quickly work as a reason to not get overly involved.
A busy lifestyle can play a part in detachment from religion too. Daily life usually includes plenty of commitments to education, career, personal interests, and social life. So, if religion isn’t among those personal interests, there’s little to no time for it. Basically, if they don’t make it a priority, it gets left out pretty easily.
#13
Being self conscious and insecure about my appearance was actually pride because I thought I knew better than god about how I was made and I needed to constantly ask forgiveness
#14
Not growing up, but…..in premarital counseling, the pastor told us that my husband wouldn’t never be a good father bc his parents were divorced and his dad wasn’t the best or around much after that. (Mind you, his dad had frontal lobe damage that makes him difficult and/or unsafe to be around.) My husband is an amazing dad.
#15
I was told I’d go to hell at the ripe age of eight because I was sad my mother had died. And I wasn’t happy because “God always has a reason and it’s his will”. My mom died when I was four and in front of the whole church the pastor had told me I’d go to hell- Because I was crying as he had targeted me in the church crowd knowing about my mother. As the church was in a tight community…
These are just a few of the many reasons why people choose not to practice religion. Each of them is just as acceptable, whether it’s a busy lifestyle or trauma. After all, there’s always a broader context to a person’s life that influences their decisions. And that’s completely OK, as long as these decisions don’t hurt others, unlike the spoken words presented in today’s list.
#16
That I would go to hell if I died prematurely. (Whatever that means 🤷🏼♀️)
#17
So I didn’t really grow up in church, but as an adult a friend took me to her church (a now infamous church)
Where I sat through a sermon about how women need to be subservient to men and our hands are smaller so they fit in men’s hands.
#18
The last time I went to church, my senior year of hs, the pastor basically told our youth group it was [promiscuous] to go look for a boyfriend. Just sit tight, god would deliver a man to us and we’d just know that’s who we’re supposed to marry.
#19
That pre-marital [intimacy] was a sin second in line to [taking a life].
Drinking alcohol was next. Or breaking the Word of Wisdom in general. I had a full on panic attack the first time I drank green tea.
#20
I remember crying at a Christian camp because they dared us to eat a worm and I was horrified. And everyone probably thought I was pathetic. But what are we even doing!
#21
Not really the churches fault but my grandmother’s. I went to church every other Sunday (parents are divorced and separate weekends, this grandma is on my dad’s side so I don’t see her anymore) we got ready for church and I was around 7. She backhanded me in the stomach and said suck it in. Also continuously made comments about my body. Stopped liking church because I associated church clothing with being overweight.
#22
I went to a church camp where some kids tortured a small shark in a puddle
#23
That my mom was damned to eternal hell because she married my dad, who was divorced.
#24
that everything in revelation was literal. the ocean and moon WOULD turn to blood, everyone who believed in jesus WOULD disappear suddenly one day, and if i had “fallen short without repentance even once” i wouldn’t make the cut and i’d be here alone (presuming my family was raptured) to suffer trial and tribulations with the rest of the sinners.
#25
That my anxiety would go away if I just stopped thinking about myself so much.
#26
A Bible story I heard at church camp made me believe my mom lost my little brother at 20 weeks because she was being punished for having a child out of wedlock
#27
That if we didn’t follow along nicely we’d burn in a firey hellscape for all eternity. Thank goodness my parents were NOT of this mindset. I heard it during my teen years. Weird. Wild. Stuff.
#28
That god would sacrifice literal beauty if you were too arrogant about said beauty.