I was also raised a Catholic and my parents forced me to go to Catholic School for 12 years. The fact that the nuns were married to god? We couldn't eat meat on Fridays, the mass was in latin and I didn't understand any of it. It was totally wacky! In high school I quit believing.

Fusilero, Would you mind answering me one question which has always puzzled me ? With the appaling history of the Roman catholic church, what is the reason that followers continue to follow them ? What is the inducement ? Thanks a lot......

I was Roman Catholic until a few years ago. Somewhere in my education, I picked up the idea that I could not trust what I thought I knew was true. In challenging my beliefs as to how the world works, I came across the fact that there was nothing to justify my faith in God. I saw the teachings of the church and of apologetics boil down to this unsupported value of faith (something reading "A Manual for Creating Atheists" has allowed me to properly identify in my rejection of faith). While claiming to provide answers and sollace, it seems all the church can do is to trick you into ignoring your questions on god entirely.