Shedding old religious prejudices

EatingAndKnitting

In another thread I was talking about the dietary prejudices I grew up. I grew up Seventh-day Adventist and we as a group tend not to eat meat, and if we do we don't eat the "unclean meats" as set forth in some verses in the New Testament (also in the OT I think, because we share these prejudices with the Jews, but without the other restrictions they have).

This means no pork, no catfish/shrimp/lobster/several other seafoods, and a few other meats.

I'm an atheist now (and sooo happy, once I accepted that I was on, and had been one for a very long time, I finally felt that peace that every Christian claims to have had once they accepted God), but I can't shake these prejudices.

I eat some pork (the breakfast meats, but I ate those when I was growing up), but I won't eat ham unless I have to (I was in a mental hospital for a week, and the lunch was ham, greens, and cornbread. You had to make arrangements a meal in advance for something else. I ate the ham). I don't eat any sort of seafood, even the "clean" stuff (we never had fish growing up at all, and I'm not adventurous enough to try it.

Saturday was our holy day, from Sundown Friday night until sundown Saturday night we're to keep the day holy (that's subject to interpretation, in some things) and generally we don't do much more than go to church. A lot of us go hiking after church, or other physical activities, except for swimming (not allowed at all). Naps are frequent, and bible study is encouraged. Shopping and eating out are frowned upon, as they are "worldly things". I still have a hard time doing some "worldly things" on Saturday, partly because my husband is SDA still, but partly because it still feels blasphemous.

Does anyone else have these hangups? I know they are stupid. They are artificial things created by the brainwashing I endured growing up (and I grew up in a very very liberal SDA home!), and I have no reason to feel this way, but I just can't quite shake these feelings.

T1DCarnivoreRunner

My grandparents and aunt/uncle are SDA, so I was aware of some of these things. Honestly, though, I don't get along with them and haven't seen or talked to them for more than 2 years (and not for awhile before that either... just that I saw them for my dad's funeral). So I was aware of some of these things, but not all of them. Not that it matters...

If I were you, I wouldn't worry too much about it. Do what feels comfortable. Over time, you might find that doing more of these things feels comfortable. If not, it isn't going to hurt you to not swim or shop or eat out on a Sat.

TARGET65K

Hello Jesslla and midwesterner85 its nice to see a bit of activity in this Group
I was a R.C and had an easier time than SDA.
No meat on Friday but you can eat whatever you fancied the rest of the week.
Bbbbbuuuuuttttt no sex at any time except if you are married to the opposite sex and you better not enjoy it, and only for reproduction.
But if you are a member of the Clergy, anything and everything is OK.
Thank God I am an Atheists.

AnsleyAdams97

I definitely have hang ups, for me though I have (while only an atheist officially for 2 years) been out of my religion for 13 years. It gets better with time. I can't imagine having a spouse still in the faith, especially one as strict as SDA (I am lucky my husband is also an atheist). I think you just have to give it time, eventually you might stop feeling guilty for certain activities or foods, and even if you don't thats ok too!

TitoTim

It can take time to change your habits. I spent 27 yrs as a Hindu vegetarian. When I finally admitted I was a closeted atheist, I quit. I went straight to Church's chicken for a drumstick of joy (now THAT was a religious experience ha ha). But I still find myself eating only with my right hand. That is not exactly religious, more cultural. You know the old saying "the left hand cleans the body, the right hand feeds it." Well it is an old saying for Hindus.

I was raised Mormon and we had some food rules, not many. No hot drinks, no alcohol/drugs, no caffeinated drinks... all were very easy for me to give up. The Mormonism was easier to walk away from than the Hinduism, for me.

My wife is Aglipayan but is not fanatical about it. Once I mentioned something about turning into a pillar of salt... and she had never heard of Lot, or his wife Sarah.