There is nothing out there after death, just energy that becomes part of the universe taking up less space than you did before!!!

The medieval churches in England used to collect “indulgences” from their sinning members!! The worse the sin, the higher the “indulgence” was!!
In fact, you could even pay the “indulgence” in advance if you intended to sin in the future!

I did NOT travel the Agnostic to Atheist road to 100% honest.
Instead, as a child I was raised by an Atheist father and a, what I choose to call, a Christian of Convenience mother.
When I asked my father a question regarding things I got a straight answer, No God or mysteries involved, ask my mother and I'd get the exact opposite so with her I would walk away still confused, with my father, the opposite, I'd have reasons and reasonings.
During my 60+ years I have been confronted, quite often in fact, by the " God did it" brigades and the ridiculous and inane twaddle so I decided that I would bring my daughter up just as my father did wqith me.

Sometimes religion shows its ugly head, and sometimes it shows its entire ugly head and ass!

Religion is really about money and control.

My journey evolved over time from the age of 13.
Religion is a business so it is not surprising that money is a priority for them. What is surprising to me is how many people in this day and age fall for it.

Wow, they really showed their true colors, huh?

Welcome to the asylum. Enjoy your stay.

I was born an atheist.

I've never heard of this before. I am told that believers can be agnostic too. In my mind that means a person who goes to church and says they still do not believe everything they are taught. I don't know the point of that. I simply would not go. I call myself an agnostic atheist. It means I cannot prove to you that there are no gods and I damned well know you cannot prove gods exist either. In my world people who try to prove gods exist all have their minds made up beforehand. Belief without evidence is a foolish and shallow belief.

The pressure to donate is very strong at any church, even something as benign as Unitarian.
What you described sounds closer to a mob shake down though.

Hello and welcome. I don't think that everyone ever does, and being an agnostic atheist is quite a common and perfectly logical position.