My Path to Atheism, Part 1
My Indoctrination into Christianity
This is the first instalment of a multiple article series on my personal path to atheism. In this article I describe growing up and being indoctrinated into christianity.
When I was a child I believed in childish things. Like everyone before the age of 10 my parents were the authority on everything and I did what I was told knowing they had my best interest in mind. One thing they insisted on was regularly attending a Southern Baptist Church where I was taught a book called the Holy Bible, specifically the “King James version” of this book, was the ultimate source of truth and had the answer to the biggest questions imaginable: Why are we here and what happens when we die?
Learning “the Message”
At church on Sunday’s I attended “Sunday school” where bible lessons where taught by age group. Until children were disciplined enough to be quiet during the regular church service they attended “children’s church” instead. This involved snack time and usually some sort of craft activity usually based on something learned during Sunday school. At these meetings I learned of god, jesus and all the bible stories, the fantastic miracles and how I was special because god made me and allowed me to live and if I accepted all this was true I would live in the paradise of heaven forever with those I loved.
Of these beliefs what most disturbed and perplexed me was the concept that people that do not accept jesus as their lord (master) and saviour were to be thrown down into the worst place imaginable called hell and BURNED for eternity. It seemed pretty harsh a punishment from god who supposedly loved me so much, but my parents believed this so it was good enough for me and I had know reason to doubt them and everyone else I came in contact with.
Saved
Around the age of 9 I was “saved” when I walked down the isle towards the end of the service while the preacher pleaded for those that hadn’t accepted Jesus as their saviour to come down and “get right with the lord”. I was led to a back room where a church deacon and I prayed for Jesus to enter my heart and change me. I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour at that moment with my father at my side. Afterwards I was brought out before the church and everyone in the congregation was happy and welcomed me into the fold and my parents couldn’t have been prouder of me.
Although it was quite a moving and emotional time, filled with tears and happiness I believe I really did it because I saw my friends doing the same thing and that just what one does at that age in the church. It did feel very good but I don’t think I was “changed” in any way. I was then baptized a few weeks later in a big ceremony before the church and it was like being let into an exclusive club almost, like I had been stamped with approval from those around me.
Church Activities
During these childhood years the church was a major part of my social life. Church did not just involve attending Sunday school there were all sorts of activities like children’s church on Sunday evenings and various fellowships always keeping schedules full of church activities. On Wednesday nights there were bible study classes as well as the weekly meeting of the R.A.’s.
R.A.’s is a male only group that stands for Royal Ambasadors of christ. This mostly involved crafts and activities similar to cub scouting but much lamer. Now that I think about it was really trying to be like scouts but based around bible devotionals. I remember they had this horrible vests, blue with gold trim. There were similar organizations in other churches and a few times a year there would be a gathering in area and competitions kind of like a county fair with various catergories all based around similar activities that all were doing. Also there was an RA summer camp that I for a few years. This involved a week of living in cabins, doing crafts, some camping out, swimming and of course several worship services.
Peppered in with these regular meetings were all sorts of special activities for members of the congregation. Some consisted of cook-outs, conferences and various other social outings usually called fellowships that allowed the people to grow closer together and interact with each other. For every holiday there was some sort party or special event going on even watch the Super Bowl together.
The large quantity and diversity of social activities filled up just about any free time I had really making attending church and its functions a large part of my childhood. All of this social interaction with other christians really enforced the ideas that the dogma was true.
This pretty much sums up my childhood years growing up in a church and becoming saved. In the next installement, My Path to Atheism Part 2: Thinking for Myself where I will discuss how I began to doubt my faith as a young teenager.
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