sent in by Jo

Well the only religious family member I have is my gran. She is a God
fearing Catholic. She forced my brother, cousin and I to go to church
every Sunday with her from a very early age. We were told that there was
a man sitting at the back who was watching us to make sure we were
being good.

I hated church, though eventually when I was about 8 the brainwashing paid off and I became a good Christian. But something at the back of my mind was niggling me. It kept questioning what the priest would say. I later became Church of England as it was less demanding than Catholicism. But one sermon angered me. The Rev. told us that we were not individuals but we were one. He kept repeating how we were not individuals.

Was he on drugs or something? How can we not be individual? If we were not we would be a mass of pink goo slurping and making weird fart noises as we move as one being!

I came across a website which states all of the evil things in the bible that the Christian god has demanded people to do from raping virgins to killing children, was this a god for me? Hell no!

I am rather new to the craft but I am very happy. Sex is celebrated and our deities are seen as more symbolic than an actual being who is perving on us 24/7. I worship nature and strive to live among it and not rule over it. I am not at all saying that my religion is the right one, who can know if there is one at all? I am saying that it is right for me, I get to live my life as fully as I want without denying myself of pleasure. I felt the anger once I saw the light and realised that the church was just a way to control and subdue the masses but I would not let it take over.

So I toast to the freedom I have found and the happiness I now feel!

Wolverhampton
England
How old were you when you became a Christian? Early childhood
How old were you when you ceased being a Christian? 22
What churches or organizations or labels have applied to you?
Catholicism, then later Church Of England (Protestant)
What labels, if any, would you apply to yourself now? Wiccan
Why did you become a Christian? Had no choice, it was forced fed me
from Catholic grandmother
Why did you de-convert? Paganism made more sense, you don't feel guilty
about living life and you are encouraged to question and learn
Email: Serenitycourt at Yahoo dot Co dot UK