Reading the comments and I feel a kind to all who have gone to catholic school. I remember having a good time there as I had friends who I played with and enjoyed. The school work was good but for the religion part. I did not understand any of it as I could not make sense of it. Later I became aware of all the stuff I learned and I had to unlearn all of it. Finally the world became easier to understand, science tells us how to understand the world and the universe.

Yes, very similar. It was weird to go to church every Friday and get a letter grade in 'Religion' (which of course was just the Catholic teachings) when I didn't believe in a thing I was told for many years. My school didn't teach directly from the Bible, they taught from our "Religion Textbooks", that would pick and choose what parts of the Bible we're taught to us with pretty illusions.

In 7th grade my parents divorced and my mother couldn't afford Catholic school anymore, so I had to go to public school (hallelujah!). I didn't get away from it though, my mom made me go to CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, aka religious education) every week. It was there that they taught directly from the Bible and there that I finally said enough, all this is hogwash, I'm done.

At this point I was in 8th grade and going through the preparations for my very public Confirmation. I was not about to lie to an entire church and family, God was a lie and I wanted to no part in this religion. I told this to my mom, who was obviously distraught. She demanded that I told my father, which I didn't know at the time, but he was also in atheist ever since he was little going all the way back to his Catholic School, so needless to say she didn't get much support there (but he didn't come right out and say he was an atheist until years later.)

From there I had to tell my grandmother who was my "Sponsor" (mentor) for my Confirmation, and my priest.

I wish I could remember what kind of questions they asked me... To be honest, all I can remember was shooting them down instantly. I told them I refuse to believe in the god that expects me to live in fear of him. That's not love. All they had left to stand on was faith. I said I didn't have any faith, and therefore I am not going to go through with my Confirmation. I think part of them expected me to come back or change my mind about it...

Well... It's been nearly 18 years. I don't think I'm changing my mind.

Ah yes, Catholic school where they load you up with guilt and beat the devil out of you... I tried so hard to believe when I was young,but even then I knew it was just a load of crap. Took me a few more decades to have the courage to actually be done with it.

For the longest time I just by the philosphy to live by the ten commandments minus 1or 2 and the Golden rule. It took me a long time to get past the label of "Atheist". I never went to church because it never made any sense to me.