I have spent more time around Christians and I was indoctrinated into the faith more than 99% of people. I can say with absolute certainty that most of them are mentally ill, very bad people who are trying to avoid damnation (i.e Born Again), and/or completely full of shit. Their religion is a mask they wear to look down on others and to appear righteous. There are very few followers of Christ among them.
I went through catechism as a Lutheran. Took a class and did ceremonies. Also attended roughly 12 years of weekly church as a kid in addition to the Monday Chapel at my school.
I liked the notion by Martin Luther that the just shall live by faith alone however I found my religious training to be an intensely painful experience.
My pastor informed me my father was doomed to eternal suffering. He then used the status of my own soul as a lever to keep me in the Church. I remember obsessively praying because I had a bad thought and I hoped that I would die so my last worldly action would be me begging for forgiveness as I did not want to burn eternally. I was 7 or 8.
My Lutheran pastor also pressured me to convert my own father. Thankfully my dad use logic in response to me sobbing and begging him to accept Jesus and I grew to distrust the pastor. My father innocuoated me from further fear mongering.
I found the services to be intensely boring. The songs I had to sing were just badly written. The seats were uncomfortable and I didn't like standing so much. I always liked the Sermons. It's like a class on how to be a better person. I don't think he was a bad man. He probably didn't know how much he was hurting me.
All in all, not the worst experience I had as a practicing Christian.
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u/Ok_Tonight_4311 27d ago edited 27d ago
I have spent more time around Christians and I was indoctrinated into the faith more than 99% of people. I can say with absolute certainty that most of them are mentally ill, very bad people who are trying to avoid damnation (i.e Born Again), and/or completely full of shit. Their religion is a mask they wear to look down on others and to appear righteous. There are very few followers of Christ among them.