Former Christians Share Their Turning Point
written 12/21/2024
Oh, I love shit like this. Buzzfeed often polls their audience requesting stories of a particular scenario they throw out there. I've read peoples testimonies on things like why they're estranged from their family, specifically how their partner was caught cheating, family secrets revealed after the damaging culprit passed away, nightmarish first dates, and countless others that generated some entertaining ass stories. People sharing their story always fascinates me (there was a lot of that in rehab), I think in part because they can only share it from their vantage point, which forces them to not tell me what mine should be. Something many of the people roaming this planet can't help but insist on doing
​
This one, fittingly just in time for xmas, had a headline that grabbed me right from jump:
​
Former Christians Are Sharing the Turning Points That Made Them Leave the Faith, And They Had a Lot to Say
​
I don't know why it specifically stated Christians when some of these stories were clearly from Catholics. But either way, you know I clicked on that shit with the quickness! And what ensued were 26 stories full of a bunch of shit I could really feel, like times a thousand! I don't know any of these individuals who shared, but they are all my people. My true brothers and sisters. We are connected in spirit and that's the only part that matters. Just because someone is physically related to you doesn't mean you have any kind of connection with them. These people all said infinitely more that I could relate to than anyone in my family ever did
​
I had to share them here. I've highlighted parts that I found really impactful in blue (the only color that seemed to work with this site's color scheme), and my thoughts are listed in red on anything that I have a thought about. And as the article advises ahead of the stories
​
Warning: This post contains topics of sexual assault and suicide.
​
'K, here goes:
​
​
​
​
1."There were a lot of reasons I left the church. The pastor had an affair, and it was conveniently swept under the rug because heaven forbid people actually acknowledge the issue. lol this is one of the many same complaints I had about my mother. In my experience, old school religious people are the fakest motherfuckers walking this planet! And there was the time the youth pastor told me (a then-preteen) that I needed to put on a bra because I was distracting. smh so often they give advice without realizing they're actually the sick ones And also when members of the church in charge of hiring a new pastor utilized both sexist and racist practices and kept women and minorities from being hired." —NeedsANap
Whaaat?? Sexist AND racist practices? In religion? Naaaahhh. You are probably mistaken. Our god would never....
2."I am a female only child of a divorced mother. My parents had been divorced since I was 5 because my father cheated on my mother. Around the time I was 15, our pastor was replaced because he had been convicted of sexually abusing his foster daughter. Of course he was....at least he was convicted and replaced though, those don't always happen I was still heavily involved in the church's choir, youth group, orchestra, and more. The new pastor gave a sermon about how kids just couldn't 'turn out right' without a father in the house. He said the kid would become a 'criminal, a drug addict, a sex worker, or somehow a less-than-good member of society.' Lmfao the fucking gall of these muthafuckas We didn't walk out that day. But we didn't go back, either." —smellysword15 Good for you. Knowing what I know now though I'da walked out soon as he said it, while hitting him with both middle fingers on my way out. Bitch who done died and made yo ass god? I mean, god ain't even god so you know yo nobody ass.....
3."My mom's Polish, so my brothers and I are Catholic, and she and her whole side of our family have always exemplified the purest and most loving form of Christianity. Must be nice. But wait, your mom is Christian? Why were you raised Catholic? Not talking shit, I really don't know. Especially since you started by saying your mom is Polish. Apologies, I'm not familiar with Polish traditions I went to church all my life until my mid-20s mmmmm, now is that the real reason your mom and her family always exemplified the purest and most loving...., listening to BS I didn't quite always agree with, but just sort of tuned out the iffy parts of sermons. Ha! I used to do that shit to the whole fucking sermon. All I cared about in church was the music. During the sermon, in my mind I was playing a game 7 against MJ and the Bulls, and the pastor started sounding like Charlie Brown's mama lol I got a job with a Catholic organization working under a very difficult priest, who believed that we should be working full time for free because we were doing God's work. He would always berate us for not working hard enough or putting in more hours. He said we should be glad to be 'filled with the light of God instead of being materialistic' (which was expecting a living wage)." Work for free. Where they do that at? I mean even Jesus had a job, correct? This MF was prolly FREELY touching them boys in his office tho
​
"Someone once replied, 'God doesn't pay my bills or put food on the table,' lmao THAT PART! and he went into a flying rage. Then, on Sundays, he would preach about goodness and kindness. Of course he did, fucking hypocrite One particularly hard workweek just broke me, and I couldn't go back to work or church. I'm more agnostic now, which works better for me." —TrilingualMom
(raises fist) Solidarity sister. Agnostics and Atheists are basically siblings under the ain't shit heathen branch of our respective family tree
4."I was raised Catholic and was taught that God would intervene if you prayed to him. My friend was having a difficult pregnancy, and I prayed every day that it would turn out OK, but she miscarried. When I spoke to my priest, he said that God had chosen to terminate the pregnancy because my friend wasn’t married and wasn’t a Catholic. BIIIIIIITCH these religious nuts are all the way the fuck outta control That was six years ago, and I never returned to the church after that."
—philipn4226793a2
Good job on not hauling off and punching the mother fuck outta him too. Solidarity brother
5."First, I never wanted to go to church, it was something my mom made us do. GODDAMMIT THIS IS MY LONG-LOST SIBLING! I'll do you one better. My mother always insisted that I be the one to pray for the food before we could dig in at our family get-togethers. Yeah okay lady. If you knew wtf I did with this tongue last night and prolly again this morning before I got here, you wouldn't want me using it to pray over your fucking food that's for goddamn sure. And here's a hint, I wasn't in church bitch (although coincidentally there was still a lot of "oh god" being yelled out, and a lot of calling out the name of the holy spirit, at least I think that's the spirit she was screaming out ;)) Second, homophobia. Preeeeach The last time I went to a church it was a lovely and inspirational sermon until the pastor started disparaging gays for absolutely no reason. Prolly secretly gay himself, and his closet lover had recently broken his wittle heart Even at my grandfather's funeral, the pastor there managed to blame gays for the state of the world. Just random unnecessary hate."
—justchillman
6."I have lots of reasons for not participating in organized religion, especially Christianity. One of my main turning points was when a coworker, who I was also friends with, was having marital issues. It’s a small town, and her husband was a piece of shit who everyone knew. He couldn’t keep his junk in his pants and had several babies outside his marriage, and one of his baby mothers would even go to my friend's home and bang on the door threatening to beat her up. My friend was very, very religious and went to the pastor for guidance, smh big fucking mistake there and he put no blame on the husband at all. He guilted her into staying in the marriage and acted as if prayer would fix everything! I was disgusted."
—Mizztina
​
Yeah these MFs are the worst. My bitch ass mother actually talked to me one night at my home I was sharing with my then daughter's mother, about marrying my then daughter's mother. Even going as far as telling me how my girl felt about not being married, despite the fact that she couldn't fucking stand my mother by then, from her time long before we ever hooked up as my sister's best friend. Bitch how you know? Then years later after my marriage fell apart, after this sorry ass bitch brought up how tumultuous it was for me, with all the fake fucking empathy she could muster up actually had the nerve to ask me, "Do you have any idea how that made me feel, Spiritt? To watch you go through that?"
​
In addition to making even my struggles all about her as she did every fucking thing else, there was no mention of her actually being the one trying to talk me into marrying her in the first place. And that marriage advice is not for the person they're giving the advice to. That shit is NEVER solicited. It's for them! My mother is the one who had a problem with us cohabitating and fucking without being married, because apparently that dumb bitch didn't own a fucking calendar. This ain't the 60's, fuck are you doin?! And even in the 60's your fucking god still did not exist!! No religious MF walking this planet has the ability to tell you who you should or should not marry. That's entirely your call. Because when that shit falls apart, they are nowhere to be found. Those fuckers will give you advice based on THEIR ideology, and their lives are always more fucked up than yours. These muthafuckas don't know shit!!!! NOTHING!!!!! Your entire way of living was created by someone else based on what you were told by other people! You're a fucking puppet!! A scarecrow, unable and not even allowed to think for yourself. You don't have to listen to anyone else about anything in your life, and I think it's way past time that we stop letting these muthafuckas have a say so in what we do. If your advice is based on your perception of what an imaginary god wants, then you are already showing me you're one of the stupidest motherfuckers on this planet, and I'm not interested in ANYTHING you want to say to me. And btw, fix your own fucking pathetic ass life first. Ooooo this shit pisses me the fuck off!!!!!!
7."When I was younger, the pastor at the family church was allegedly involved in a scandal with a child and no one would do anything because he was a 'man of God.' Oh hell naw, fuck that politically correct "allegedly" shit. Was he or was he not involved? And fuck capitalizing god too I was instantly turned off of organized religion after finding out. That was the catalyst and the more I grew up and did some soul-searching, the more I realized I could not believe in a God that would protect a monster over a child (amongst other things as well)."
—sdhendrix182
Believe me when I say I feel you completely! Solidarity
8."I used to go to a Protestant church in high school, and one time, a guy who was in his 40s came up to me on a church dinner cruise and started talking about how Hurricane Katrina was New Orleans's punishment for the gay rights movement and that bad things happen in places where the gay rights movement is popular. He then proceeded to ask me out and wanted to buy me a drink even after I told him I was 16. Also, we had a pastor who was very against gay marriage and put a sign up on the church with 'the church's stance.'"
—christines4fb3be872
And see, shit like this continuously happens because, a) they think they're RIGHT, and therefore you HAVE to listen, and b) we allow it by always choosing to remain polite. FUCK. THAT.
9."The amount of gossiping that went on in my church was astounding to me, even as a child. I always felt I had to be perfect ohhh you are speaking my language with this shit or else I would give everyone else even more to talk crap about. The irony of the 'judge not lest ye be judged' Christians being the judgiest people I ever met was lost on them, lmfao FACTS!! And of course it was lost on them!! They're too busy judging everybody else. That's how I learned you can't be subtle with the religious and the working class when I was a supervisor (which let's be real, the religious make up the majority of the working class, especially in governmental office jobs). But in both the case of the church and at the workplace, you're not allowed to single anyone out. So when I, as a supervisor in a meeting with my staff, would say something intended for Maria let's say, Maria missed it completely, because she was too busy thinking I hope Jessica is listening. Uh no bitch, I was talking to you. Well probably both y'all asses but it made me really evaluate if I actually believed or if it was just putting on a show so I could fit in. I found out it was the latter." —afinallullaby
Hahahahahaha I fucking love you afinallullaby; whoever the fuck you are. Solidarity
10."My mother was raised in the Catholic Church, but her breaking point was when they demanded 10% of her monthly income in order to attend. My mom basically told them to fuck off and NEVER looked back."
—dodemeister1
Ha, go mom! My mom woulda sold me if her church told her that
11."I was 9 years old and finally able to join my church's Scout group. In one meeting, they gathered us all and asked everyone individually if they were a good person. Definitely feels like a set-up. How the fuck do they know? And you said you were 9, right? Smh Most children said yes. As you would expect. You said 'most' though. I would have loved to read the ones that answered no lol Once they’d asked everyone, they told us that we were all wrong and that the only good person was Jesus. Haha called it! But didn't that same Jesus say "bless the children"? Asking for someone who gives a shit I was only 9 years old, but even I thought that was bullshit and a pretty cruel exercise to do with children. I left the church at 13 and have been an atheist ever since."
—josefineg
And ain't it fucking great? Solidarity my dude
12."I was raised Catholic but as I got older, I questioned the church and its teachings more and more. A lot of it started to not make sense. When I discovered that I was nonbinary and pansexual, the church responded by forcing conversion therapy on me rather than accepting me. Smh of course they did A God that supposedly loves everyone is not going to force that sort of hell on anyone."
—Anonymous
Agreed, among other things. Solidarity
13."I left after being judged in youth group for my clothes (tighter shirts and ripped jeans) and being called out in front of the group. Jesus doesn't give a fuck what I'm wearing, and now you've made me more important than Jesus LOL. I hate the hypocrisy."
—s4e3512291
No surprise here, my pitiful excuse for a mother and I got into an argument one day at my home in Burbank over this same shit. She kept talking about a scripture stating something about god calling for us to have our Sunday best when going to his home. One of my many arguments to that was Sunday best is interpretive, and the people back in the time when Jesus allegedly lived wore nothing but cloths for clothes. And isn't there another scripture that encourages you to "come as you are"? Stating that the important thing is going to fellowship, not what you wear there? She was equating it to getting super dressed up and my point was those people back then didn't even know what the fuck that meant, so how could that be what the bible is saying? Ultimately though it didn't matter because I agree with you 100% (and the analogy of making you more important than Jesus, fucking brilliant btw). Jesus wouldn't give a single solitary fuck what we were wearing if he existed, but these bitch ass judgmental motherfuckers sure do
14."I am a 60-year-old heterosexual African male and was increasingly bothered by the comments and jokes about gay people from the pulpit. Y'all notice a pattern here? I was a devoted and tithing member of a non-denomination mega church. Hey so was I about 25 years ago. It had to be the same one, right? Oh there's more than one? Really?! Come on! If there's only one god, why the fuck would there be..... My childhood years were spent every Sunday in a southern Baptist church. Holy shit, mine too. Well the Baptist part, though we weren't down souf. Shit, is this another long-lost sibling? But I began to feel more and more uncomfortable with rhetoric that was justifying why gay lifestyles were 'unacceptable.' In short, I asked myself is this what Jesus would say or do with anyone or any group? My answer was no. This caused me to have enough doubt to question a number of teachings and stories in the bible that I was now able to look at with open eyes." Lmao same thing I said on my atheist podcasts. Most of these MFs are still hypnotized though, so they're not ready to be unplugged from the Matrix. As Fishburne added in the movie, "(they're) hopelessly dependent on the system". Side note: my mother didn't understand this part of the movie. Of course she didn't!
​
"I began to research the origins of religion and came to understand it is all about a belief, not facts. Hahahahaha swear to god this is like the best article I've ever read in my life I then asked a basic question is there any area in my life where I operate on belief and not fact? GODDAMMIT PREACH!!!!!! That's another question I've always asked. What else in our life works like that?! I figured out that was one of the many reasons I struggled with religion for so long. My brain doesn't work that way!!! With that in mind, I had to get honest and admit, I have no concrete data or facts that clearly show me there is a God. The idea of attributing what we don't understand to a God is no longer acceptable to me."
—Anonymous
I love you anonymous muthafucka I don't know. Solidarity. And we're both heterosexual males who agree that gay bashing in religion (or anywhere) is bullshit. We're not even a part of that group and we ride with them. Because what's right is right. And what's wrong.....is pretty much all y'all shit
15."I had fallen out of the Christian faith before, oh damn, I haven't seen that phrase since that church I belonged to 25 years ago. Whenever anyone left we said they "fell away" but then 9/11 happened and I thought I needed to reconnect. That's how they get you. They play on tragic shit I saw The 700 Club blaming the sin of America (on) Vegas and thought it was crap. I went to a Calvary Chapel service down in Fort Lauderdale the Sunday after. The sermon was almost verbatim from The 700 Club. They were blaming people in Vegas for the loss of lives of thousands. In New York, mind you. The fuck kinda sense does that make? No thank you. I realized religion was a hoax. Yep The pastor of that church was later brought up on charges of money laundering and child pornography."
—gemmakensington
Of course he was. You know what I wonder? What if there is a god and he doesn't like these religious fucks either? What if he gets high too cuz he's tired of these MFs using his name to justify their own hatred among other things, and chooses to "bless" (whatever the fuck that means) those of us who come to realize everything about religion is bullshit? Would an existent god really put these sick ass criminals in high positions in his so-called home? Maybe he does exist and really is testing us, but it's just not the test these MFs think it is. And if he is testing us like they say, why has he never thought to update all his shit, including and perhaps especially that severely fucking outdated book of his? He didn't know we'd be here in 2025? Doesn't sound very all-knowing to me at all. Maybe god does exist and he's more like me than them. Ok, now THAT'S a God I can fucks with right there!
16."I grew up in church with pastors on both sides of my family. It's overwhelming as a child to be told all the things you can't do because it's a sin and you'll go to hell. It's also severely damaging to the psyche, potentially for the rest of your life!! You spend the rest of your days thinking you may be in trouble with god, and that thought quite literally affects every single decision you ever make after that
Why do these hypnotized lab rats always assume we all want to go to heaven anyway? From what I read there's no sex or edibles allowed in heaven. And the only music they can have has to be played from a fucking harp. When was the last time you heard a top 40 smash that primarily used a harp? What, 69 B.C.? I don't wanna go to that boring ass muthafucka! Like the very book it's based on, the entire concept of heaven and hell is so severely fucking outdated anyway. They prolly don't even have Wi-Fi, despite already being located "in the cloud". Bitch you 'spose to BE Wi-fi. And forever?! Foreva eva?! Foreva eva?! I am SO good on that shit
Plus, if it did exist as we know it, that means judgmental bitches like my mother will be there too. SHIIIIIIIIT!!!! Send my ass to hell on day one! I'ma make sure it happens too. Cuz when I see god on my judgment day I'll be like, "oh, so you DO exist, and saw all this shit and did nothing huh, ok". And I'm punching that muthafucka square in his punk ass "pay no attention to the man behind the curtain" supposedly all-powerful ass face. The fact that I'll be able to land that shit will further prove he's nothing but a fucking fraud. "Yeah, uhhhh, I'll just see myself down." I'll be down there with my new friends who all contributed a story to this article Don't get me started on the teachings about relationships and sex. Preeeeach I wasn't allowed to date until I was 17 and once I turned 17, I was suddenly supposed to be okay with openly dating without feeling conviction. Religion played a huge part in me not dating or having significant relationships until my mid-20s and even then it still felt wrong." Because no one wants to say it, but religion has been fucking up our lives for quite some time now
​
"Additionally, end-time prophesy teachings (the rapture) were genuinely traumatizing. Not to mention complete fucking bullshit I was under constant fear that the rapture would happen and I would be left behind for some unknown sin I committed. Hate to break it to you but that was exactly how they wanted you to feel, my friend I now have a child of my own and I REFUSE to put any sort of religious teachings in her head standing ovation for you and I've told my parents that I will decide what's appropriate for her until she's old enough to make her own decision about religion."
—Anonymous
Yep, so fuck off grams and gramps. You don't know what's best, especially for anybody of today's generation. That's a fucking lie y'all need to stop telling
17."At a very young age, I was forced to attend church. These fuckers are the worst! It felt like a cult. I was cognizant of the so-called church body I convened with. All I did was look and listen. That's a great thing that only the most intelligent people figure out. Look at that MF that's always running their big fucking mouth and I promise you they don't know shit!! Attending church continued until I was in my early teenage years. After all that I have experienced and been through I made a conscious decision something the religious are not able or allowed to do, other than making the decision to turn your life over to god. I wrote that like that and underlined it intentionally, so we can all see it in writing. Under what scenario is it okay to actually commit your one precious life entirely to a MF who may or may not be there? Before you sign your only precious life away, like, y'all don't require any kind of proof, or a guarantee of some sort? Apparently the religious don't see their lives as all that valuable, but I sure in the fuck see mine that way. Far too valuable to give up my one life to live to some stupid ass hearsay that I did NOT want to be in the same place with any of those people which I will never do."
—Anonymous
18."I was always a very open-minded kid growing up as most kids are before our parents completely fuck that up forcing their racist (father) and religious (mother) ideology on us (my mom always encouraged me to think for myself), omg standing ovation for your mom so I was never a hardcore Catholic or Christian like most of my family. We also never went to a hardcore Catholic church, either. I never cared for church much and always thought religion should be something personal, but what made me never want to go back was when my church wanted everyone to sign a petition against same-sex marriage after the sermon. And the fucking beat goes on I think I was the only one who just stood there without signing. I watched as the whole congregation signed. It made me angry and sad. They also had a sermon about abortion one day that was downright offensive. After those two events, I just couldn’t go back."
—mooly17 Solidarity
19."I didn’t grow up in church or a religious household, I truly wish I could say the same I was just told God exists, sin exists, and went to a few summer bible schools. As an adult, I wanted to grow my faith. The more I started reading, researching, and contemplating, I called bullcrap. It took about three years of combing through Christianity, Black Hebrew Israelites, and belief in God with no attached religious text before I settled on atheism. Honestly, I never felt more at peace or free."
—Anonymous
SPEAK THAT SHIT!! Same here. There is zero doubt I'm living MY truth in atheism. Solidarity
20."My parents were raised Catholic, and so was I for the first 12-ish years of my life. I never bought into the rhetoric — not sure I ever even really believed in God — same here and I used to bring books to read at church. So I wasn't heartbroken when we left the church at the time because my parents said they just needed a change. I didn't find out until a couple of years later that it was actually because of me. I'm adopted, and my parents and younger sister are white. Apparently, many of our congregation had trouble wrapping their heads around that idea. Are you fucking kidding me?! I swear religion is the fucking worst! Go back in history and see how all the KKK and skinheads in our country's racist history, always referred to themselves as good, god-fearing Christian white men. These MFs would actually sign off on their racism and would use god's name to do it. I would get high and never fucking come back if I was god too They would be preaching love and acceptance of everyone on Sunday, and on Monday they would ask my mom why she adopted a brown kid when she could have a white one on her own. My parents (obviously) got tired of the hypocrisy and abuse and swore off institutionalized religion."
—frodofreaklotr
Yeah, fuck religion and especially that church. Much love to your parents. Solidarity
21."As I got older, a lot of things in the bible just didn't add up (no mention of dinosaurs, no one could give an exact timeline of the events in the bible, the fact that the whole origins of the bible itself are a matter of debate). Yep, and I added one too. No mention of the solar system Not to mention that Christianity was used to keep slaves in check. PREEEEACH!!!! I definitely have been persecuted for my stance, but I will never go back to any religion."
—Anonymous
Oh these muthafuckas will persecute the shit out of you for not believing. Why the fuck does your belief outweigh my lack of belief? Again, they always believe they are unequivocally "right", which is such a dangerous fucking way of thinking. That's why I will spend the rest of my days persecuting the shit out of religion. Fine. Let's play
22."I told a counselor at my Christian college that I was deeply depressed and suicidal. Her advice boiled down to 'pray more, and trust in God.' I told her I’d been trying that and it wasn’t working. She told me that if I had really been trying, it would be working, so the problem was my lack of faith. The religious are a buncha fucking brainwashed idiots. By their own admission, god doesn't answer every single prayer (because ya know, he doesn't fucking exi-), so by their own logic I'm calling absolute bullshit on this statement This was, suffice it to say, not helpful in dealing with my depression."
—senexbarbatus
And here lies another aspect of religion the religious completely suck at. Their views on mental health is enough to drive anybody truly bat shit fucking crazy. I'll repeat again. They are the absolute fucking worst!
23."I did research on the history of the church and became very knowledgeable on all its past. Once I understood the roots of the faith, it became impossible for me to logically subscribe to it."
—Anonymous
Solidarity
24."I grew up in a Baptist church in a religious extended family. Ah shit. Here we go My belief in some higher power diminished because of multiple reasons. Usually the case Multiple friends of mine died in the same year and I just can't fathom how a higher power allows so much grief and hurt (at a personal level as well as across all of society). Mass shootings, violence, homelessness, assault, and so many heinous acts get explained away by free will, but why let people suffer if an all-powerful being could make it better? Excellent point and question. That would also mean god is using his own free will to NOT intervene despite being able to. Um, no, that motherfucker is not good all the time Modern Christianity is so far from the teaching of the bible. I still think if god really did exist, he should have BEEN updated his shit to get with the current times...but I get your point Looking at the mega-churches and the pastor and their lavish lifestyles, they're businesses."
—Anonymous
25."I was raised in the church and the older I get, the more it seems to me how religion is used just to control the less fortunate."
—Anonymous
BARZ!!!!! And it started with slavery!! Wake the fuck up y'all!!!
26.And finally, "I would say that actually reading the bible for myself without someone else's interpretation led me out of Christianity. It amazes me how often these people will defend this shit tooth and nail without ever reading it for themselves. Your entire ideology is based on what someone told you? You're fucking ridiculous Once I read it fully, I saw how humans created a God in their image depending on their circumstances and state of mind. BIIIIIITCH say it again for them stupid ass religious peeps like my mama lol. People like her never understand why we can't believe like they do. Because it's literally all in your head, dumb ass, that's why. It's like a poison that has already spread to your brain that you all just have no fucking desire to get rid of. You refuse to even be open to the fact that maybe, just maybe, you're 100% dead ass fucking wrong. The fact that y'all can't see any of this genuinely astonishes me, and it's why I completely fucking despise all you religious motherfuckers...the exact same way y'all feel about me While Christians will believe their God is going to save us from ourselves, the work of being better stewards of the Earth and each other falls on us. We must evolve into better humans."
—Anonymous