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Atheists & Agnostics

NNadir

(36,635 posts)

27. My oldest son nearly went insane from reading that book.

Reply to GigiLeigh (Reply #25)

Wed Sep 24, 2025, 04:15 PM

Yesterday

He was 17. How or why he read it I never found out; we do have a few copies around the house, family heirlooms.

My wife and I were very concerned and took him to a psychiatrist who wanted to medicate him. He tried Prozac once, became suicidal and quit it. (The interesting thing was he autodidactically educated himself on neurophysiology without much of a a scientific education other than that which I forced down his throat. He got to a point where he could give very sophisticated lectures on brain chemistry. )

Eventually he intellectually muscled his way out of it, and went on to become a high functioning adult.

Why this happened I have no idea. We seldom, if ever discussed religion in my home, except in a largely negative offhand way. Possibly it involved his fundementalist Aunt.

We don't discuss it now.

I did read that book as a child. Much of it is truly appalling.

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GigiLeigh

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Highlight:

Question: How many of my fellow atheists had a religious upbringing? If one had one, when did it wash out? [View all] NNadir Monday OP

Raised Jewish by agnostic parents. no_hypocrisy Monday #1

Robert Oppenheimer, as you may know, was in the ethical culture movement as a child. NNadir Monday #2

Religious upbringing trueblueinmo Monday #3

Raised catholic got wise Faux pas Monday #4

Agnostic here.... anciano Monday #5

I decided years ago SCantiGOP Tuesday #22

I appreciate you taking the time to respond... anciano Tuesday #23

Fundamental markie Monday #6

attended baptist church as a kid, didnt pay much attention to the religion part tho nt msongs Monday #7

Not religious at all - just moral Nigrum Cattus Monday #8

I was raised Universalist oberle Monday #9

I have 13 years of perfect attendance pins from my small, rural Methodist church. sinkingfeeling Monday #10

Very catholic with guilt a driving force Envirogal Tuesday #11

I did... GiqueCee Tuesday #12

My sig line in this post, from Max Born's Nobel Prize speech.. NNadir Tuesday #13

Ah, yes! GiqueCee Tuesday #14

It turns out that it's not from his Nobel Prize speech but is found in his autobiography. NNadir Tuesday #21

Priests and nuns were mean, especially to kids that needed some help. First grade I had my doubts. twodogsbarking Tuesday #15

My wife experienced that and concurs. NNadir Tuesday #20

Raised in a very liberal Southern Baptist church wysimdnwyg Tuesday #16

I never believed any of it mike_c Tuesday #17

I grew up in the Vancouver area of Canada. pandr32 Tuesday #18

Raised Catholic; was even an altar boy for a short time. SeattleVet Tuesday #19

12 years of Catholic schools and parents that purported to be very religious rurallib Yesterday #24

Southern Baptist GigiLeigh Yesterday #25

My oldest son nearly went insane from reading that book. NNadir Yesterday #27

Raised Catholic. Family still is. Went to Catholic school 12 years. Srkdqltr Yesterday #26

I was raised as an American Baptist (supposedly more liberal than Southern Baptist), we could dance and play cards.. wcmagumba Yesterday #28