Godless Woman: Wasted Time

Monday, January 5, 2009

Wasted Time

I was thinking today about how wonderful my Christmas vacation was, I did what I wanted when I wanted. As I went back to work I heard so many people say that they had worked on Church Christmas parties and plays practically the whole break and didn't get to do things they really wanted to do.

I still look back and think about how much time I wasted and how many opportunities I may have missed out on because of religious activities. I know that if I had been able to work on Sunday's throughout high school I would have been able to make a lot more money to put towards college and other things that I wanted. I also would have qualified for a promotion and pay increase earlier.

Of course, at the time I didn't realize that I was wasting my time. I was brainwashed enough to think that by sacrificing my time to serve God I would be rewarded. I also did have fun socializing with all my friends during religious activities.

Even since I have come out to everyone as an atheist I have gone to a few religious activities because I didn't really want to rock the boat. Well, as another new year resolution I am not going to go to any religious activity that I don't want to. I feel that by going to religious activities now I am not only doing something I don't want to do I also giving false hope the Christians in my family. I really don't want to make them think that a sermon is going to change my mind.

Comments (8)

Logging you in...

Dashboard | Edit profile | Logout

Logged in as

+3 Vote up Vote down

Michael_White 36p · 844 weeks ago

I think I know exactly how you feel. So many of my friends are involved with church stuff back at home and have consequently made friendship groups. When I was a Christian I was very involved with it all and now looking back it just seems, quite wasted.

I have learnt a lot through those experiences which makes it easier for me to relate to Christians. Although I now refuse to take any part which makes problems with finding friends to hang out with at home. A little social problem of mine but I am so much more intellectual satisfied with my decision.

Besides, they work mostly with young teenagers, how could I lie to them? It seems clear to me there isn't a God. The world screams it out but yet theology takes rule and their world is changed, distorted. Bah, you have got me reminiscing!

Anyway, time for sleep, past 11pm in Britain. Thanks for the read! I should try to blog a little more.

+3 Vote up Vote down

OzAtheist 64p · 844 weeks ago

Never really thought how much time I must have wasted going to church on Sundays (not that I had much choice when young). Then again these days I waste Sunday mornings sleeping in (often recuperating from the night before. lol)

+3 Vote up Vote down

igetpissed 38p · 844 weeks ago

Even when I went to church I thought it was a waste of time. Nothing like sitting in church, listening to the pastor drone on, and wishing you were somewhere else. Glad I don't have to deal with that any more.

1 reply · active 844 weeks ago

+3 Vote up Vote down

Goddless_Woman 43p · 844 weeks ago

When I was at Bob Jones University we had chapel everyday except for Saturday which was exceptionally boring so I used to count how many times the speaker would say a particular word or phrase just to be able to stay awake since if I used that time to do something productive like catching up on my sleep or studying for a class I would have gotten in trouble.

+3 Vote up Vote down

ignored_ethos 41p · 844 weeks ago

Oh how I wish I could get back all those hours spent in mandatory church visits. My mother made us go quite frequently and, even though I knew I did not believe any of it, I still played along for a long time, to not upset my mother and also because of fear of how others would react. It was different then, especially in rural West Virginia.

I have been in churches since, mostly for non-religious reasons (churches are used for everything in the south), and a few times for ceremonies that I could not avoid even though I did not condone the religious aspect of the ceremony (marriages, child dedications, etc).

+3 Vote up Vote down

Jack 119p · 844 weeks ago

That sounds like an excellent resolution to me. I've been doing this for several years now. I still waste plenty of time, but now I do it how I'd like to and have nobody to blame for it but myself.

+3 Vote up Vote down

James · 844 weeks ago

I haven't gone to services in some time, but they did get me out of some classes at my jesuit high school. I think the real issue that you touch on is the social aspect. It is a tough balancing act for some people, I think, especially in really evangelical or mormon areas that are defined by their religious belief. If you aren't part of the church you are basically shunned from society. I really feel for those secret non-believers that have to put up with it for the sake of family and friends and hope they can move to a "godless" area and be free.

+2 Vote up Vote down

GingerRed 95p · 844 weeks ago

I look back and shake my head as well. That is far behind me, but I think about the investment of time I made...and how I was ALWAYS counting the minutes until I was free again.

Post a new comment

Comment as a Guest, or login:

Tweet this comment

Monday, January 5, 2009

Wasted Time

Forgot password?

Comments (8)

Post a new comment