I was born in a Southern Baptist family. They came north from Texas.

It took a long long time. Now, when I'm confronted with the threat of Hell, I just smile and say I have a condo overlooking the lake. Stop by sometime.

Yes it does, I am a recovering Pentecostal, Salvation Army

Raised in pretty much every kind of southern baptist branch...including church of god of professy...lol. From north east Louisiana to southeast georgia, sugar, I’ve heard all bout their hell and who it’s for. Sometimes I start to think about it but then I remember that hate is taught and definitely not divine. I remember that those people hide child abuse just like the Catholics. I remember.

I was born in the sbc I'm 65 an religion in general destroys everything from the book of the same name by the late Christopher Hitchens.Christians are doing their thing in the states under a Baby man president.Goodluck in the primaries its time to get the adults in your white house. We need a secular Continent the US anCanada. Don't know about mexico they will hang on to their catholicism as their church crumbles around them.

Southern Baptist until my father was kicked out for drinking beer and not tithing. Then we were made to attend Unity, which was just as strange, but not as 'hellfire and brimstone'. But I started questioning everything at 11 and was kicked out of my Sunday school class for doing just that. Until 16, or so, I attended church with friends out of the need for connection, but felt uncomfortable when I witnessed that crazy, and stopped attending all together. What I remember most about Southern Baptist was their selling points and marketing schemes. Free goldfish. Free sweets. I also remember the speaking in tongues (that was scary) and the yelling at the pulpit. God, when you look back at it, it really hits you how crazy that environment was and how that crazy influenced my extended family in adverse ways. I do think American christianity is the pulpit for the current state of crazy, greedy, hyper-capitalist, American society and why we have this unhinged president.

Former Korean baptist but I hate Lutherans more.

Also a recovering Catholic

I’m sure childhood indoctrination is bound to leave scars. You know rationally that it’s not true, but sometimes the idea of it still scares you and you start imagining what that experience would be like if it were true. Sounds pretty horrible.

I’m not trying to be an ass, but you look kinda scary in that photo.

It really doesn’t matter which sect is trying use the fear of damnation to get your momey. I was raised Catholic and it’s the same crap. I was never all in with it, It seemed ridiculous even at 7. When I am in a church for a funeral or wedding the obvious bullshit has me bursting... but I still try and be respectful.

I am only a recovering Lutheran Missouri Synod person.

My father was at least 4th generation deacon in a Southern Baptist Church

My mother was the State President of the WMU.

My brother was ordained as a Southern Baptist Minister.

I guess I qualify to answer the question.

Once I realized what an absurd belief system it all is, I knew that I wasn't going to worry about hell. Actually it was the concept of hell that started unwinding the whole Baptist/Evangelical thing for me. After all, how could a loving God send someone to hell just for never having heard of Jesus?

Born and raised! I was told many times why Baptists were right, and going to heaven. I never could understand why people were so sad when their loved ones died though. I always thought they must not really believe what they're preaching.

I was unfortunate to be one. I was even baptized in a Southern Baptist church. But that was many years ago, and have since long woken up.

Recovering is truly the right word. I was a staunch believer for a good 2/3 of my life. Born and raised in SBC. All my family and the majority of my previous friends are highly religious. When in college, a combination of not physically being able to attend church, deciding not to serve a god out of fear, and being very adept at reading comprehension & study of the bible, religion and history lead me to a point where I just couldn't believe any more. It can be painful and quite lonely. All of my past friends shunned me. I'm still OK with my immediate family but they are hard to be around as religion is a huge part of their life. I have a hard time respecting their beliefs and blind faith so I mostly stay away. It can be tough when something that was once the center of your life is gone. My family still thinks one day I will go back but I actually despise the christian god and the religion in general. I envy those who weren't indoctrinated since birth.

Maybe I’m already recovered. On a deep level I don’t think I ever bought into the hell thing, probably because my mama used to rail against the concept.

I’ve seen first hand though that early indoctrination about hell has been a severe burden for some. Whoever thought up the concept of hell ought to have been whipped. Makes no sense at all!

You put it perfectly, and yes, I have felt that same thing
I was raised SB in New Mexico, and always knew there was something about the notion of “blind faith” that I couldn’t buy into. I felt that from a very early age. My parents even had me baptized twice because they knew I wasn’t “getting” it.
I feel I was wired as an atheist.
That said, I still have those pangs of guilt that you described. It’s called brainwashing, and it truly takes conscious deprogramming. You know what you believe. That’s all that matters.
I do give them credit for my empathy toward others and strong family values though.

i am recovering baptist. family is still hardcore. mom and dad are dead but aunts/cousins don't like me.
i'm pretty much on my own at this point. cut it off with the x over a year ago and a friend bumps into her and tells me that she (an atheist as long as i knew her) is now going to church. i think it hurt most that she's going to church but i'm sure it's only because she wants a hookup. but i digress. but according to my cousin....i'm going to a warm and dark place she calls hell. she's not very intelligent past being a RN. her husband is a preacher. and the reason?mmmhmmm they like to live rent free.

I come from an Islamic background, in which the fear of eternal anguish and suffering is just as relevant as in any Christian denomination. I vividly remember losing sleep over the concept back when I was a believer. I somehow carried along the fear even when I came to realize how irrational, unethical, and ill-founded the whole thing was. As my critical-thinking ability developed and I became pretty certain about the fabricated nature of the concepts of God, hell, etc. the thought subconsciously faded away. I think you'll find the following discussion helpful:

On ocassion I do. I try to block it out and hope it wouldn't happen again. Knowing I'm free from the evil religion . Religion created a number of issues for me.