Posted by TXatheist on: 05.22.2006 /
I thought I start out just telling my story. I grew up in small town Illinois. We went to Methodist church maybe 3 times a year. We lived in Pueblo, Colorado during my junior high school years and that’s where I learned to snow ski and had an off road motorcycle which I loved dearly. My best friends were both Catholic so I went to some services with them a couple of times. I distinctively remember to this day one experience. I came home asked Jesus to come into my life and stood there for a few minutes after I say the sinner’s prayer. It was almost like I was expecting something to happen right then and there. A sign of some sort. In all honesty nothing happened.
When I was in boot camp for my Navy life you are able to have Sunday mornings off after the first couple of weeks. I decided to go to church once. I didn’t go back. My dog tags say “No pref” next to religion as in no preference. Today, they offer atheist as a choice which surprises me somewhat. During college where the GI bill came in financially handy I met a Catholic girl. I went to adult classes to become Catholic. Later in college I met a girl who was Jehovah Witness. If you don’t know much about them they are pretty moral for the most part. That should be a correlation of how moral I was. We dated and her Dad insisted I go to church with them to see if I might make a good JW. It was basic an ultimatum but it really didn’t bother me. I began questioning and read some anti- JW stuff. Her Dad said he could square away any concerns. He couldn’t and it basically came down to me telling her I was done with JW. It wasn’t a pretty break-up but I wasn’t going back to that Witness Hall (church). One of the last classes I took in college was philosophy. I can’t tell you how much I respect that teacher I had. Anyway, to this day my favorite book is still “20 questions: an introduction into philosophy”. It’s where I really began to search and contemplate the big questions. My current wife knew I carried this book around in my trunk everywhere I went so shortly after we met she bought me a brand new copy. Having never abandoned my membership in the Catholic church publicly I met my wife and we had what she had dreamed of her whole life, a large Catholic church wedding. Yes, I did it for her and I kept my atheism to myself. We are regular members of UU. I’m sure everyone has had defining moments to get to where they are. These are mine.
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Comment by: Eliza
1 05/22/06 7:20 AM | Comment Link |Hey, TX - thanks for the background info - looking forward to your posts this week! Can I ask about 2 things?
How far did you go in/with the ‘Catholic classes’ and why did you stop? (Did the classes turn you off, or did the need for them go away? :) ) And, what (generally) are your wife’s beliefs, & when did you & she have the “I’m an atheist” discussion?
Comment by: TXatheist
2 05/22/06 7:28 AM | Comment Link |I finished the 9 month of classes and took my first communion. My wife was Catholic, is now UU. When we first met, like the first week I explained to her that philosophy and religion were my passion. She gets upset if I attack people” Do not chide” she says but she was already a liberal xian when I met her, both politically and socially. I think the Catholic was just how she was raised but we openly discuss religion quite a bit. I bounce many ideas or philosophical questions off her. She also knows not to ask a question that she doesn’t want to hear the answer to:)
Comment by: Julie Marie
3 05/22/06 8:09 AM | Comment Link |TX, I notice it was women who were instrumental in exposing you to religion, not once but twice. A man was the impetus for my first influence too. I’ve been thinking about that lately.
he: “where are you going after you die?”
me: “I don’t think about that.”
he: “you should. its eternity, you know.”
So I did. Now, 20 some years later, I’m thinking again…
Wow, the power of love!
**big catholic weddings are great, imo. I had one of those once uopn a time. it was gracious of you to let her have that**
Comment by: Ir
4 05/22/06 8:26 AM | Comment Link |Thanks for sharing some background about yourself, TX.
It’s neat that you and your wife are both happily UU.
I appreciate that my own shift in belief has brought me much closer to my husband’s POV (atheist) than I was for the first 13 or so years of our marriage. It does make things easier.
Comment by: TXatheist
5 05/22/06 8:41 AM | Comment Link |Julie Marie,
My brother is a strong xian because of his wife. My wife tried to find another xian church that I might like but I said no way to any xian church. I love the fact she is content with UU.
Comment by: Bob
6 05/22/06 9:41 AM | Comment Link |Just goes to show–nothing good ever comes out of Illinois. ;-)
(For those who don’t know me, I’m from Illinois)
Looking forward to the ride my e-friend.
Comment by: Eliza
7 05/22/06 9:50 AM | Comment Link |(For what it’s worth, I’m from Illinois too - Champaign-Urbana)
Comment by: Tom in Sacramento
8 05/22/06 11:46 AM | Comment Link |You’ve almost answered my question, I think, but I’m not sure. Would I be correct in understanding that the only reason you go to UU now is because your wife retains an interest in religion? Or did I miss something in there?
If so, I have to say I really admire your willingness to share your loved ones’ experiences — wife and grandmother — even thought you don’t share the underlying beliefs.
Comment by: Ir
9 05/22/06 11:52 AM | Comment Link |Tom, I think UU is so open about what their beliefs are that atheists fall under the umbrella of them.
Atheists do; Evangelical Christians who believe there is only one way to have a right relationship with God don’t.
Comment by: TXatheist
10 05/22/06 12:02 PM | Comment Link |Yes Tom. Organized religion, but I really did like helping and working with people on hands on housing. I did try Atheist Community of Austin meetings and Ethical Society of Austin. ESA was ok but I didn’t care for ACA.
Comment by: theist
11 05/22/06 12:04 PM | Comment Link |TXatheist,
I understand that UU allows you to pretty much believe whatever you want and form a sense of community with others. If you received communion in the catholic church, what was it about catholicism that you did not agree with?
Comment by: TXatheist
12 05/22/06 12:22 PM | Comment Link |theist,
If you want to bring that to the DB I will but not here please.
Comment by: Danny Haszard
13 05/22/06 1:24 PM | Comment Link |Good for you mate,i went through the whole Jehovah’s Witness jazz with my family also.Cheers,Danny Haszard
Comment by: Peter in Pennsylvania
14 05/25/06 4:06 PM | Comment Link |TX,
Thanks for sharing! It’s good to know where you’re coming from a little more!
Comment by: LynnI.
15 05/26/06 9:18 PM | Comment Link |TX,
It’s been quite a while since I’ve visited OTM - All I can say is WOW! It sure did explode! I’m glad to be back though and I’m glad you shared your background. I couldn’t help but make an observation though -
It seems all of your “religious experiences” were led by someone else. You never seemed to be the seeker, but rather just the follower…first family, then friends, then girls.
Did you ever go somewhere for you? Did you ever seek for you - rather than through someone else? (Coincidentally I’m also from Illinois.)
Comment by: TXatheist
16 05/27/06 4:43 PM | Comment Link |Lynn,
All I can say is God was irrelevant to me personally but so many close to me talked about God so I checked it out. I did go to the Ethical Society of Austin….for me.