Many children grew up going to church and never questioned why Sunday mornings were reserved for the Lord.
But not every young adult remains devoted to organized religion as they develop critical thinking.
When Redditor screamingcat99 asked: "Ex-followers of an organized religion, what was your "f'k this sh*t" moment?", strangers on the internet had plenty to share.
Many witnessed their church neglecting to practice what they preached – including refusing to help those in need.
Scandals also seemed to be a recurring theme.
Priorities
"When personal issues and politics in the church became more important than doing the right things to make a safe and supportive community for everyone."
– sonnygmk
The Unwelcome Visitor
"I say that I left the church in my heart at 10, in my head at 14, and physically at 18 (when I moved out of my parents house)."
"My 10 yo moment is most FTS. It was pouring down near freezing rain outside, we're in the middle of the sermon. Drunk (found this out later) guy walks in and quietly sits on the back pew. (if the sanctuary door didn't squeak, you wouldn't have heard him come in) He's clearly disheveled, homeless looking, pitiful and soaking wet."
"Middle-aged righteous looking lady from the Amen pew walks back and asks him to leave. He asks to stay. She says, loudly enough that I can hear sitting several pews in front of him, 'We don't want your kind here.' Actually says that, in the middle of a Christian 'love your brother' service."
"Two ushers/elders of the church get up to help and and lift the man out of his seat, they take him out of the sanctuary and outside to the steps of the church. Service resumes. I'm bawling, my mom is trying to help me feel better."
"I refused to put my allowance in the plate that day and gave it to him when we left (like my measly 2 $ did anything, mom told me later that my stepdad wrote him a check and told him which bank to cash it at to make sure they would give him the money)"
"And that was the day that my 10 yo mind said, FTS."
– ejja13
Epiphany
"Grew up mormon. Read the history of the church vol 6-7 (which they actually have in every church library.) And realized, wow... This is completely bullsh*t. These people are no critical thinking."
Marriage Over Education
"UK based ex Mormon... my moments crept in in small doses, lots of not feeling like I fit in, lots of the rules and teachings didn't feel right. My 'I'm done' moment was when a young women's leader said she would rather her 18 year old daughter get married than go to university. Seems small but was completely against my parents attitude towards marriage and education."
– winegoat
Scam
"It wasn't really a single big moment but a series of small ones. When I was about 9/10 I started to notice the politics within the church of who was in the clique and who wasn't. Then I began to notice the vicars wife was super materialistic which doesn't fit with how that sort of person was 'supposed' to be. Then finally I learned what the catholic church is one of the richest organisations in the world, whilst simultaneously asking its members to give money to both the church and church-related charities and that was the last nail in the coffin."
"I wasn't catholic but church of England. They've got a hell of a lot of money too so it all just made me think the whole thing is just one tax-exempt scam."
Scandals
"Growing up, our pastor had an affair with a married woman from the congregation and ended their life when they were found out."
"Our next church had a father/son pastor duo. The younger pastor was married with children but got in legal trouble for sending d*ck pics to women in the congregation."
"You don't need religion to be a good person."
Turning A Blind Eye
"The church I used to go to had a free pancake breakfast for parishioners after service on Sunday mornings. I never ate, but always saw the congregation flock there after mass every time I went. There were homeless people outside the church asking for spare change to get some food and never did I see one of the parishioners take any of the homeless people for pancakes. They just passed them up saying they hope God finds a way to help them. Never went back."
"Faking It"
"Growing up Pentecostal and experiencing all the stuff charismatics do like praying in tongues, getting slain in the spirit, prophecy, dancing, etc. As a kid I took it seriously and struggled because the spirit didn't affect me that much, then my friends and family started admitting they were faking it."
"At that point realizing that we are seen as weirdos even by other Christians by knowingly pretending to do this crap in order to fit in with the cult made it clear that was what this was a cult. After that I took up studying religions and philosophies of the world and the whole dogma just fell apart."
