No I have not it has helped me through some rough patches. I will admit that the things that have happened in my life have certainly made me question

Yes I have. The reason is that organized religions are wrong and not open for criticism, they make their believes 'holy', which means nobody is allowed to question them, and this is very bad. Additionally, most organized religions fundamentally depend on holy books which are written thousands of years ago and do not represent the ideas and ethics of the Enlightenment and humanism. Those books are cruel and the rules are oppresive. What annoys me is that even secular countries spend lots and lots of tax dollars supporting religious institutions, and still many kids are indoctrinated and lose the ability to think critically.

yes. (and you know why) but for those that don't. it seems that the "Christians" I grew up with were always judging me (and then saying "the bible says though shall not judge)..HYPOCRITE TYPE PEOPLE. It seems to always be about "give me all your money" but DO NOT expect me to buy you a loaf of bread if you are starving (not all churches but at least 99% of them I attended) yet they will send millions of dollars overseas and the pastor get a new car yearly and all expenses paid for a MAJOR vacation 2x a year and a BIG salary and let's forget a million $ church building which is less than 1/2 full on Sunday (but it's the biggest one in town WOO HOO). The bible is full of contradictions. Those very Christians that were supposed to be there in times of great need never seemed to have time to be there for me in times of need. Shall I go on or did I cover most of it?

Gave up Catholisism because I had too many doubts and unanswerable questions : )

Yes I have... I figured out rather young that God is not only everywhere but especially in the indivisual heart... I don't need to fall on my knees before an alter or in a building... and I know enough about the bible to know what it does and does not say and why... I learned it for myself, not with any kind of interest in mind, to use it for any other purpose but to know it. I didn't have to shove it down anyone elses throat, so therefore I was free to read and understand it, as it was, for what it was saying, all on its own... I never read it to be wrong or right or change it to fit some man made purpose to appease my ego. I believe it because it decided to believe it... I also believe in the koran and the Tao and the Hindi beliefs and the budhist and all of it... as I believe it is all geographical accounts of time and the same darn thing, only presented in different cultural adaptations. I know the actual history of the times when Christ lived because I actually took the time to learn it. In Greek and Aramaic and Latin! I go by the bible yes, but I follow it to the point where it says... "The letter of the law kills." meaning that one can, with the right ill intent at heart... Change any, and all of it, to suit a personal agenda...Usually generational and un questioned by the person following it blindly. I don't need any of it... Most people however, require the interaction and games and winning and losing something in every single meeting they have with anyone in life mentally emotionally and physically and religion is only one of a hundred ways they exersize that need to divide and concor! I don't allow it... I have no use for it. I have a relationship with My God and I understand Him through the Science He created and the foundations He created for me to utilize and follow. Humanity just needs to learn to evolve... Then there would no longer be a need for it. Here is a wonderful book for you to read Zack... Fininte and infinite games. by: James P. Carse. It will better explain what I am trying to say.

I gave up on organized religion when I discovered that the original gospel was about our direct relationship with God as a loving Father... which requires no middleman. This will explain what I am talking about: http://gospelenigma.com

pretty much! my reason has to do with how organized religion doesn't measure up to what the bible says. The one man show. That and a personal reason that would take too much room to write out here :o)

Religion is estabished by man. Some of the reasons for establishing religion are not all good. And, some organized religions tends to remove God from the equation. Religion may be forced, while spirituality is chosen. That does not mean all churches that organize themselves are bad. So, I haven't given up on organized religion, I'm just particular about what church that I attend. The only reason I attend to be lifted up spiritually. I do know what you mean, though. Spirituality is very personal - a day in and day out experience. Edited Dec. 2, 2008 to correct grammar - not content.

It got in the way. Don't need any impressive, enormously expensive building...don't need a special day...don't need other people to tell me what I should think, feel, believe. It is between me and Him and nobody else. That's it. I don't need an interpreter or an explainer or a justifier or an apologist. Just me and Him. :)

No, I am still a follower.It gives me peace.

Yes, I believe it is nothing but a destructive control mecahnism. That, and I became an atheist.

I grew up, and couldn't believe we still followed this crap. Remember when we used to worship the sun? Then there were people who thought there were spirits in every object... like trees & rivers. Then people created sculptures out of sand and porcelain and worshiped them. You know how REAL these gods were to their followers? Just as real as our gods.

I gave up on organized religion because all I saw was hypocracy. Some years later I became an atheist because I saw no reason to believe, there are simpler explanations.

8-16-2017 In the 19th century Americans started moving west and three institutions went with them. There was vaudeville, traveling entertainment. There was lyceum, traveling education and culture. And there was the itinerant preacher, offering a new style of preaching called "hell fire and brim stone". It was very entertaining, only loosely based on scripture, and pastors didn't even try to compete. Instead they switched to preaching public morality and philosophy. Eventually an entire generation grew up not knowing the first thing about the religion they claimed to believe. That is why most Christian churches don't teach doctrines, and most members don't know what they are supposed to believe.

I was raised Mormon and stopped going when I was 12 simply because I never believed in any of it. It was harmful to our family for our mom to give 10% of our income to the church since we were so poor. The other members were very fake and I constantly felt judged. But mostly- it's just mind boggling to me when adults believe in fairy tales