I wasn’t religious in college through grad school and told people I didn’t believe. But something always seemed to be calling to me. I returned to the episcopal church after my kids were born—the episcopal church gives me the freedom to explore a theology and my belief. I guess I don’t want to give more details because OP will tear into me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

^^ I meant, why are you here? Why do you bother?

People like you make religious people look bad. I want all the truly good decent, kind, religious people that I know are out there see how someone can twist other people's words and their beliefs into something ugly and hateful. I'd like at least one of them to say " This does not represent me! This is not the religion I practice!"

Then again, maybe they prefer to avoid this ugliness and just quietly practice their religion. Can't blame them for that.

Spin fail. I posted the podcast, in an honest attempt to answer OP’s (your?) question. You’ve shown you’re not actually here to listen, you’re just here trying to tear apart peoples’ belief.

You make atheists look bad. Again, why are you bothering? Nobody wants to engage with your negativity, except me and the believer who is asking about forced conversion.

People who post here have no obligation to follow orders from other posters. It's possible to be familiar with Dr. Collins' views without listening to a particular podcast.

If you last followed Dr Collins “many years ago” as you said, you’re not actually familiar with his views. People grow and change.

That said, two posters have given you interesting stories, yet you’re still criticizing the NIH leader. Do you actually want to have a conversation? What is your purpose here?

Found it impossible to believe that life could have been created without divine intervention.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

^^ I meant, why are you here? Why do you bother?

People like you make religious people look bad. I want all the truly good decent, kind, religious people that I know are out there see how someone can twist other people's words and their beliefs into something ugly and hateful. I'd like at least one of them to say " This does not represent me! This is not the religion I practice!"

Then again, maybe they prefer to avoid this ugliness and just quietly practice their religion. Can't blame them for that.

I don’t know why you worry about finding religious people to apologize for other religious people, and make it some kind of quest to make yourself feel better? I don’t control how anyone else does anything, and that includes the religious practices and or beliefs of others. Even close family members often have very different opinions on these issues. I am not going on an apology tour for random people who may (or may not) practice their religion in a way you don’t like.

America has religious freedom. Neither you nor anyone else has to be religious. How other people choose to worship isn’t your business. Not should you be on a perpetual quest to find “religious” people to make you feel better about their religion or how strangers worship.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

^^ I meant, why are you here? Why do you bother?

People like you make religious people look bad. I want all the truly good decent, kind, religious people that I know are out there see how someone can twist other people's words and their beliefs into something ugly and hateful. I'd like at least one of them to say " This does not represent me! This is not the religion I practice!"

Then again, maybe they prefer to avoid this ugliness and just quietly practice their religion. Can't blame them for that.

Spin fail. I posted the podcast, in an honest attempt to answer OP’s (your?) question. You’ve shown you’re not actually here to listen, you’re just here trying to tear apart peoples’ belief.

You make atheists look bad. Again, why are you bothering? Nobody wants to engage with your negativity, except me and the believer who is asking about forced conversion.

People who post here have no obligation to follow orders from other posters. It's possible to be familiar with Dr. Collins' views without listening to a particular podcast.

I was non-religious until my late 20s when I met my husband. He is LDS (Mormon) and i loved his family and all his church friends, so I joined too. It's been a wonderful community and fulfilling spiritual life these past 10 years.

I was raised by a sort of nominally-Protestant mom and an atheist dad. We went to church occasionally when my mom felt like we should. I spent most of my middle and high school years agnostic, partly because Christian theology never made a lot of sense to me and my pastor and Sunday school teachers were always very dismissive of my questions. 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina made me really question whether God could exist. In college, I started to realize that I did in fact believe in God, mostly through conversations with an atheist friend of mine (who is still a good friend and a great person to this day). I ended up attending Hillel events with friends and going to the synagogue in my college town and eventually converted to Judaism after I graduated.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

^^ I meant, why are you here? Why do you bother?

People like you make religious people look bad. I want all the truly good decent, kind, religious people that I know are out there see how someone can twist other people's words and their beliefs into something ugly and hateful. I'd like at least one of them to say " This does not represent me! This is not the religion I practice!"

Then again, maybe they prefer to avoid this ugliness and just quietly practice their religion. Can't blame them for that.

HAVE you listened to the podcast? No?
ARE you twisting the words of the one poster who tried to answer you? Yes?

So what about that post is wrong? You make atheists look bad.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

^^ I meant, why are you here? Why do you bother?

People like you make religious people look bad. I want all the truly good decent, kind, religious people that I know are out there see how someone can twist other people's words and their beliefs into something ugly and hateful. I'd like at least one of them to say " This does not represent me! This is not the religion I practice!"

Then again, maybe they prefer to avoid this ugliness and just quietly practice their religion. Can't blame them for that.

Spin fail. I posted the podcast, in an honest attempt to answer OP’s (your?) question. You’ve shown you’re not actually here to listen, you’re just here trying to tear apart peoples’ belief.

You make atheists look bad. Again, why are you bothering? Nobody wants to engage with your negativity, except me and the believer who is asking about forced conversion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

^^ I meant, why are you here? Why do you bother?

People like you make religious people look bad. I want all the truly good decent, kind, religious people that I know are out there see how someone can twist other people's words and their beliefs into something ugly and hateful. I'd like at least one of them to say " This does not represent me! This is not the religion I practice!"

Then again, maybe they prefer to avoid this ugliness and just quietly practice their religion. Can't blame them for that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

^^ I meant, why are you here? Why do you bother?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about

We do know these things about you:
- you haven’t listened to the one testimony that addresses OP’s question, and
- you’re anti-religion (“luckily” and similar language).

So you have nothing to contribute except your distaste for religion. Can I ask you, Why?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

Parents don’t “force” religion on their children. Do you take umbrage with parents “forcing” their kids to go to school, do their homework, get vaccinations, eat healthy meals, read books instead of watching cartoons, etc? Do you think children are not supposed to abide by the rules their parents set for them?


Children are part of a family, and many families have religious faith and traditions. Children are not being abused or indoctrinated by participating in their family of origin’s faith tradition.

Children can choose to continue that faith, or discard it, when they are adults. I think it’s problematic, extremely unrealistic, and flat out wrong to pretend you have any right or business to try to pretend you can tell parents what to do with their children. Parents do as they think is best for their children. Unless a child is being neglected or abused, your opinion about their childhood is meaningless.

People always ask for examples of how religion is forced upon adults in America, and I’ve never seen any examples posted here that concern me. A neighbor asking you to come to church with them isn’t an example of forced religion. Attending a friend’s church service in the evening that features a band is not forced religion. Hearing a person or people at your voluntarily attended wine and book club say unkind comments about a mutual friend is not forced religion. Having your single mom leave the state, and because the only family that would assume responsibility for your needs and well-being by caring for you in their home were religious, and you attended youth group with their child is not forced religion.

If you don’t want to raise your kids in a faith tradition, that’s your choice. However, labeling patents/families as bad because they choose to raise their kids in a faith tradition is honestly terrible. That’s scary and invasive crap that doesn’t belong in America.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

and as fewer people feel horrible guilt about having doubts about religion and as more people see that non-believers can be good people.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So you started this thread to confront people who used to be atheists and are now religious? Okaaaayyyy…. No wonder nobody is engaging with you.

OP needs to get a life.

Apparently the only person who listened to the podcast is the second poster—OP won’t deign to do so.

OP doesn’t want to listen, she only wants to criticize. I’ve seen several recent posts by people who said they used to be atheists and had recently returned to synagogue or church for spiritual reasons, but they obviously aren’t posting on this thread—that checks out, why bother.

So what? There are lots of people who become religious and lots who drop religion. It's a choice, like many other things in life. A difference with religion, is that it's forced on many as children, and even as adults, people can feel pressured to be (or at least act) religious, or be censured.

Luckily, that is changing, as more non-believers make themselves known.

So what? This is the actual thread topic.

Have you listened to the podcast yet, or are you intent on demonstrating that you never listen and just criticize?

Of course, you - whoever you are - have no way of knowing who I am and what I "never" do. But it does give you, and maybe some of the dumber readers here, something to complain about