I left the Catholic Church when I was 17. The rules had changed and I started to question them and the answers I got were ridiculous, so I left. I believe your conscience guides you and all you have to do is listen.
I agree. I think I left at about the same time/age. I saw a priest refusing to give communion to a lady who wasn't wearing a chapel veil or hat. He snubbed her in an embarrassing way. I thought that I can't follow a leader who is so mean and hypocritical. It still was frightening, since I had a family.
That’s why indoctrination is so critical in keeping religion going.
Well yeah. The only reason they really want their members to have so many kids is to keep up membership numbers and thus keep up donations.
When nuns had babies from having sex with priests in the middle ages, the Catholic church killed the babies to keep up the appearances of celibacy. Their talking about the sanctity of life and innocence of the unborn, when arguing against abortion, rings pretty hollow for me, knowing how they once behaved themselves. They are never actually sincere about their real goals.