Our heroes are a very personal thing. We look up to them and strive to be like them. Sometimes they're athletes, actors, or other celebrities, and sometimes they're people in our own communities. Unfortunately, people's public faces aren't always who they really are.
Even though they're our heroes they're still human; they suffer the same human faults we do. Nobody is perfect, but some are definitely worse than others.
Reddit user just_add_bacon_7 asked:
"To anyone who has ever had a 'Never Meet Your Heroes' moment, what's your story?"
Some responses edited for content or clarity.
Knowledge Isn't Conceit
Not a celebrity but when I was a teenager I wanted to join the military and become a pilot. They have recruitment tests for high school students for scholarships and stuff to the Australian Defence Force Academy. Took a whole day of school to do all the tests. I'd done some work experience on a RAAF base before and came across some arseholes but overall everyone seemed pretty chill. At this recruitment centre everyone there was pretty up themselves, like basically thought they were better than you because you wanted a job there and they already worked there.
Anyway I was pretty nervous and after all the tests and lectures we were taken for a one of one interview with one of the recruitment officers who would also go over your test results. He sat me down and was like “so do you have any questions, you can ask me anything, ask me why the sky is blue!" I was nervous but tying not to show it and so made a stupid little joke like “I actually now why the sky is blue, ha ha, but I did have some questions", after going through my questions he went through the test scores and said basically my scores would allow me entry as an officer and I was eligible to sit the pilots test.
Then he was like “I'm going to give you some advice, you come off as a smart arse and really arrogant", I was like “wtf? I've barely said anything all day?" He continued on “you don't need to show off that your smart saying you know why the sky is blue", I was stunned, I was 17 and nervous around all these stuck up d!cks and I made a stupid joke so now I was condemned to being an arrogant smart arse. I so wanted to say “great I'll fit right in then won't I?" It really turned me off the whole idea (plus the nurse was quite rude about my acne).
So I never joined, became an engineer and probably get paid a tonne more than I would have in the military. That guy probably did me a favour in the long run.
At Least She Found A New Hero
My sister's favourite hockey team has always been the Colorado Avalanche. They came to Vancouver to play against the Canucks and my mom got tickets for them to go to the game. My sister's favourite players were Patrick Roy and Joe Sakic. After the game my mom takes my sister to where the Avalanche board the bus to wait and ask for Joe and Patrick to sign her jersey.
As the players come out some of them sign her jersey as they board the bus, along comes Joe and flat out refuses to sign it, Patrick Roy comes out after and signs her jersey, my sister pleads with him to get Joe to sing her jersey and explained that they are both her heroes and the reason she started playing hockey. Patrick grabs her jersey goes onto the bus with it and got a few more to sign it and the coaches as well. She had every signature EXCEPT Joe Sakic, he flat out refused and it was his jersey she wore to the game. My sister was about 10 or so and was completely crushed. I mean she still got to meet her idol Patrick Roy and she's a goalie too so it was a big deal for her but my mom couldn't believe that he wouldn't sign her jersey, even Roy came out and kinda gave my mom a look like “yeah he's an a**hole but I tried".
Opposites Attract
Hillary Clinton. I was working in Washington D.C. for a non-profit connected to AmeriCorps, which was created by President Clinton. We had an event at the Capitol and she was still a Senator at that time. We organized everything and she came to speak. After she was done and waiting for the elevator with her aides, I asked politely for a photo. She looked at me and said "I don't have time for photos." She was just standing and waiting.
On the other hand, I also got to meet President Clinton after he had left office, and he was the complete opposite. Took a photo with me and asked about my background.
Not So Sly
Sylvester Stallone... my dad is a huge Rambo and Rocky fan. My parents had court side seats at a Lakers game once and he was sitting a few seats over from them. At half time they walked up to just say hello, he proceeded to hit on my mom, dismiss any attempts at a photo (which they weren't even asking for) and just be all around condescending. My dad was pretty bummed.
Arrogance Isn't Flattering On Anyone
Anthony Bourdain. His shtick that he popularized on TV, that sort of angry New Yorker with a heart of gold but wrapped up in layers of anger, cigarettes and traffic.....
... that was nothing compared to the real Bourdain. I met him at a gathering when I was an undergrad, probably 2 years after Kitchen Confidential. I think it was during his "Cooks Tour" days. The guy was supposed to be talking about the kitchen industry; instead, he talked about how everyone was going to fail, that he was a fraud, he took dozens of smoke breaks and berated one girl who had told him she was influenced by him. He was so rude and angry at such a well thought out and kind comment that no one dared say another thing. The event was supposed to be +2 hours long but it was done in well under an hour.
*Edit: I saw him speak at a university where none of the attendees were in the culinary arts, and he either had no clue, or had been told, but was too drunk to know/care.
Negative Effects Of Fame
Alex Rodriguez. My family and another friends family would stay at the hotel the Yankees would stay at when they would play the Rays in Tampa. The first year A-Rod was signed he was sh*t, and was the most humble dude. The hotels used to have signs about "famous guests are guests too" and have ropes, A-Rod saw my brother and I at the end waiting for a signature and he took us under his arms into the elevator and talked with us, super cool dude.
The next year he was absolutely tearing the cover off the ball and started hitting homeruns again. He was the last guy to enter the hotel lobby and had a crew of security escorting him. We didn't think anything of it. We were running around the hotel and just below the bar is a bathroom that my buddy had to use so I was sitting outside on a bench. And down the stairs comes A-Rod, I was stunned, I could talk to him. Except 2 seconds later the security crew came down and walked in the bathroom as A-Rod and 2 security guards stayed outside. The 2 that went it came out with my buddy behind them. Basically told him "hurry up someone has to use this." And then A-Rod went into the bathroom.
He was so worried about people asking him for his autograph that he cleared out the bathroom. When he'd go in the pool he'd have 3-4 guards standing on the edge of the pool with him watching him.
Hideki Matsui ended up becoming my hero after this, he was throwing a football around in the pool with us even though he barely spoke English. We didn't even ask him for a signature or picture because he's in the pool and a guest. A-Rod was just so paranoid.
Emotional Crash And Burn
When I was a young lad in the US Air Force I met Chuck Yeager. As a child I was obsessed with the P-51 Mustang--the premier WWII fighter. Chuck Yeager earned his Ace designation in the P-51, shooting down five enemy aircraft in a single mission. Chuck Yeager was also instrumental in the development of jet aircraft; he was an early pioneer in faster-than-sound flight, with most aviation historians crediting him as the first human to exceed Mach 1. During my childhood, I read everything I could get my hands on about Chuck Yeager.
I served as a Boom Operator in the USAF, and was stationed at Beale, AFB in the 80s. Chuck Yeager lived in Grass Valley then, and sometimes shopped at the commissary on Beale. I once saw him in the commissary while I was grocery shopping. I was a SSgt (E-5) at the time. I had just gotten off duty and was still wearing my flight suit. I walked up to him and introduced myself. I wanted to tell him how he had influenced my decision to join the USAF and pursue a career field where I could fly. While I was introducing myself, he looked at my name badge, looked me right in the eye with a look of disdain, then turned his back and walked away without saying a word.
A Little Too In-Character
When I was a kid (Around 6-7 years old, I think?), my parents took me to Universal Studios in Florida. At the time, my all-time favorite superhero was Wolverine. I was so PUMPED UP to meet him, and that's all I could think about as we tried to track him down in the park (At least, the guy pretending to be wolverine.). At last, we spotted him, back turned to us. I nervously approached him, autograph book in hand, and said:
"Excuse me, Mr. Wolverine?"
Wolverine snapped around to face me, while practically growling "WHAT!?"
I know now that this was some actor doing his best to stay in character, responding to a voice from behind. I grew up big for my age, so I'm sure my voice sounded older than I was. But to kid-me, Wolverine had just snarled at me, and was now looming over me, angry. I started to cry as I meekly offered up my autograph book, and he quietly kneeled down to sign it before shuffling away from that whole situation.
I left Universal with Spiderman as my favorite hero, after that.
As an adult, I feel terrible for that poor actor who was just doing his best to embody the Wolverine that the comics and movies present. But I had grown up with a kid-friendly introduction to him, so I had no idea Wolverine was known for his rude dude attitude. I was expecting him to be as friendly as every other superhero in the park.
Oh god this is so heartwarmingly embarrassing. Both of you walked away humiliated.
Eau De Tyson
Different twist on the whole thing.
I met Mike Tyson, by accident, in Vegas. He was in his way to an autograph signing, and his security detail and my group got stuck in a very narrow walkway. We had to lean up against the sides essentially to let them all pass. But, he stopped to shake all of our hands and say hello before he walked by, extremely friendly man, gave me one of those weird shake hug things.
But. His cologne. It was the most heavenly smell I have ever encountered. From that moment on, I could never look at the champ the same. He wasn't the boxing god that I used to think of him as anymore.
He was now, and will always be, the greatest smelling man I have ever encountered in my life. Anytime I smell something similar, I believe he is near by. Mike Tyson has taken over my olfactory glands, and I'm okay with that.
Edit: just want you to know, as weird as this may be. It's 100% true. Mike Tyson smells like an angel, and I hope on day you will have the chance to smell him.
-TheLoneTomatoe
Mr. T FTW
Jerry Lewis. Came to the Children's Hospital where I was a nurse. He wouldn't come up to our oncology unit. Wanted us to bring the immunocompromised kids to the lobby so the press would see him meeting the children. Sorry, Jerry I can't do that. F**k Jerry Lewis.
Mr. T, however, was the best. No entourage or cameras. This was during his A-Team peak. He spent as much time as each kid wanted. He was kind and warm to everyone on the unit.
Content Warning: Questionable medical care, sexual harassment or assault
Some people are really against making doctor's appointments or attending them when the day comes.
In order to properly care for ourselves, it's important that we follow through on these appointments.
But there are certain experiences that make it perfectly clear why a person would want to stay as far from a medical professional as possible.
Redditor Silent-Zebra asked:
"What's the worst thing a doctor has ever said to you?"
False Prognosis
"I went through treatment for Acute Myeloid Leukemia six years ago. I went through chemotherapy and total body irradiation with an allogeneic stem cell transplant."
"My 28-day biopsy after my stem cell transplant results came in, and my doctor literally came in stoic as could be with paperwork printed out. He just said the transplant didn’t work and I still had residual cancer cells in the flow cytometry of my marrow."
"I simply just accepted it and didn’t even look at the paper. My brain was just thinking of all the different scenarios."
"As the minutes went by, I had a different attending come in and say that there were still other options, which made me reassured. I also had another doctor from the Middle East come in after her and told me I was still young and there were other treatments we can try so it lessened the blow at that point."
"I had always been pretty optimistic even with such a poor prognosis."
"Fast forward another 14 days, I had another bone marrow biopsy to see how much the cancer had progressed to see how we could attack it and there were no signs of any cancer cells. Ever since that day, I have been cancer free."
"My donor cells attacked the residual cancer cells and saved me. I now have the DNA of a French woman that is six years old. Modern medicine can be amazing."
- GregNak
Don't Talk to My Child Like That
"When I was seven, I slipped and hit my head on the door axle. I was rushed to the hospital cause well, at that age, my skull was like butter."
"I was crying a lot, and one of the doctors told me, 'Stop crying or I'll make it hurt more.'"
"My parents couldn't do anything since she was the one responsible for fixing me up. But I know they must have been piping mad at that b***h."
- Foodcarsanime1390
Holy Misdiagnosis, Batman
"They told me that I have genital warts, proceeded to freeze them off, and sent me on my way."
"I went to my family doctor and she told me I did NOT have genital warts and was very confused by the other doctor’s diagnosis and treatment."
"I found out later on that the original doctor who gave me the treatment and diagnosed me with GW had come to Canada because he lost his license while practicing in the USA, then shortly after, his clinic was no longer open in my area."
- aycarambo
No More Martial Arts
"After my knee surgery, my doctor told me that I would still be able to practice my martial arts when I recovered. But I had never done martial arts before."
"He probably told me that because I'm Asian."
"We both had a good laugh when I told him that I didn't do any martial arts."
"I was actually a tennis player, and he told me that my tennis days were over. I still play tennis to this day, lol (laughing out loud)."
- MackumTheKnife
What's Said Behind Closed Doors...
"This was overheard by a friend of mine when a neurosurgeon looked at the CT scan of her son's brain: 'There's no point in doing this one. This kid is done. I'm out of here.'"
"The good news is another neurosurgeon did the surgery and the kid (now about 40) is perfectly fine today."
"Another story I heard while working in a hospital, but cannot verify:"
"A guy was gravely injured due to being shot in the face; there was no chance of recovery and he was expected to die within a very short period of time."
"An intern walked into the room and said, 'Is this the guy we are going to harvest the kidneys from?' The doomed patient was reported to have reacted by briefly bolting up into a sitting position. I hope it is not true, but they did get the kidneys."
- Ordinary_Today401
Incredible Violation
"I was 17 and saw a male doctor because I was scared I had an STD."
"He told me I had to give him a list of the names of all the men I'd had sex with."
"I was so young and very naive as this was a country area. And also I think I was naive by nature. So I gave him the names."
"He made it clear that I'd been shameful. In reality, it was two or three guys."
"Then he said he had to test me. He used some kind of tool to take a small chunk of the inside of my labia. Hurt like h**l."
" He then put vinegar straight onto the cut. Hurt like h**l. He said that that was part of the test for STDs."
"After that, I was messed up for years. I kept going to doctors thinking that there was something wrong with my genitals. It took one very kind doctor to realize that I had an emotional and not a physical issue, and he sat me down and told me that my vagina was in A1 condition, that it was 'beautiful,' and I had nothing to worry about."
"He said it in the most wholesome, genuine way and respectful way. And after that felt okay about my body again."
- thylacinesighting
Just, Gross.
"When I was 19, my primary care doctor (male) told me he could do a pap smear for me at my physical."
"When I told him I already had a gynecologist, he said, 'I can do it professionally or personally.'"
" Needless to say, I never saw him again and reported him."
- 2SadAllTheTime
Be More Reassuring
"'Welp, looks like you're probably going to go blind!'"
"While I have visions of myself walking about tapping a white cane in front of me, he blithely adds, 'But don't worry about it. Corneal transplants are 99% effective, you'll be fine.'"
"I did have transplants later when eyesight got bad enough to warrant it. They worked a miracle, but man, lead with the, 'You'll be fine,' next time."
- SchaefSex
How Frightening
"Three years ago, I went for an eye test, and the optician gave me a note and told me to go directly to an eye hospital."
"I gave the note to the reception at the eye hospital, the lady said, 'Oh, right, come this way,' and I was taken right through the waiting room and put in a CT scanner within 20 minutes of arrival."
"Shortly after, a doctor came and said that, 'There is something in the middle of your brain,' and that an ambulance is going to take me to a neurosurgery specialist hospital."
"A few hours later, I was having a drain put into my skull to get rid of built-up spinal fluid pooling behind my eyes."
"An MRI scan revealed a golf ball-sized cyst in the middle of my head that was causing problems."
"That was a pretty bad day."
- Cubix89
Incredibly Careless
"A doctor said that I obviously didn't dislocate my knee (I had put it back in myself before I went to ER) because it wasn't swollen out like a balloon."
"He then proceeded to push my knee down flat after it had seized in a bent position to put a stretchy bandage on it."
"I went back two days later because I had lost feeling in my toes as the knee had pinched nerves. They did an MRI and I had a complete tear of the ACL, and my bones in the shin bone and femur were bright white from the bone bruises/fractures."
"I absolutely dislocated my knee and the doctor just smashed my knee down and said, 'Off ya go,' basically."
- sillicibin
Abstinence Only
"I was 18 or 19, and at my first gynecology appointment, I told her how something hurt when I had sex and I wanted to start birth control."
"She told me that I was too young to have sex so she wasn’t going to help with that."
- sweetgirl757
More Exercise Isn't Always the Answer
"I would constantly complain to my doctor that I couldn’t breathe when I would walk and I would get shortness of breath, I was always tired and fatigued, and I would get dizzy if I walked too long."
"She always brushed it off and told me to get more sleep or drink more water, even though I was getting plenty of both."
"Finally, I made an appointment to talk to her face to face, and she flat-out told me I was lazy and needed to exercise more."
"I was so embarrassed because I went with my husband and she made me feel like I was just this lazy couch potato."
"I switched doctors, and my new doctor decided to do blood work, which is something that other lady should have done in the first place, and found out I was severely anemic, to the point of needing blood transfusions."
"I felt soooo much better after I got my infusions. Some people just shouldn’t be practicing medicine!"
- NotAsPlanned-
Worst Case Scenario
"At 30, I was rushed into hospital out of the blue with a Heart Infection, and needing a valve replacement."
"The Professor was absolutely brilliant, but she told me off the record that, 'You may want to get any close family to come and visit, and sort out any important paperwork as it's not guaranteed that you'll wake up again.'"
" I obviously pulled through, but her honesty was reassuring, and even after ten years, we still send the odd handwritten letter to each other."
"(We also had these stupid personal televisions at each bed which cost about £2 an hour to watch. The money would seriously rack up as I was in there for weeks, but she blagged me a pirated code so that I could watch it for free.)"
- stanagetocurbar
How Encouraging
"It was to my husband, I was in the room. He said, 'I’m not going to figure out what it is. If it was serious, you’d be dead by now.'"
"Later, we found out that this doctor was the one that my husband’s uncle was seeing before he was diagnosed with colon cancer. By the time another doctor found it, it was too late. He said there was no way it should have been missed."
- Mellopiex
Reality Check
"I’m a physician. Sometimes I worry that I’m not doing a good job because it took me an hour to return a patient’s call, or some other small thing. Then I read stories like these."
- MidnightMiasma
While there are always going to be situations where we need to seek medical attention, instances like this make it perfectly clear why some people would rather skip that appointment.
When you can't get enough of one particular film and hope to revisit the characters you've fallen in love with in a sequel, be careful what you wish for.
Many sequels seldom live up to their predecessors and fans of the original find themselves disappointed after flocking to theaters to see them.
Franchises are money-making machines, however, and some fans are forgiving of them if they are remotely entertaining.
Unfortunately, not all sequels succeed at this endeavor, and the worst of the bunch was revealed when Redditor poopy_wizard132 asked:
"What is the worst sequel you have ever seen?"
These mega blockbusters smashed at the box office the first time around.
Not so much the second, third, or fourth time around.
Highlander Sequel
"There can be only one..."
– Tiamatium
"The Highlander was a story about a collective of ancient warriors who live forever and are trying to kill each other so that only one can exist. One particularly large powerful warrior is wiping out the remaining immortals in modern times and now he's coming for an immortal who came from the Scottish Highlands and faced him previously in a feudal battle."
"Highlander 2 takes place in the future when the Higherland (Connor MacLoed) has built a dome to protect the world from UV rays after the ozone layer was destroyed... and now all the immortals are aliens... and people who died in the first one are also reborn."
"The movie was so bad that Highlander 3 considered Highlander 2 to not be canon and just became a direct sequel to Highlander 1. To avoid confusion future sequels no longer had a number."
– garlicroastedpotato
Independence Day 2
"What a god awful excuse for a movie. Ridiculous plot, terrible acting, even worse script and an alien moon-sized ship that 'lands' on earth! Really??"
– Tonyhillzone
"This movie lives in a strange space for me. I've never had it happen before where I see a movie, but remember literally NOTHING about it. All I remember is that I watched it, but I don't have any idea what happened, or how it ended. It's just a black hole in my movie watching history."
"At least other movies are so bad that I remember them, but Resurgence has literally left NO impression at all on me."
– Krinks1
Jaws...Again
"The only answer can be Jaws 4: The Revenge. A shark swam all the way from Amity Island to the Bahamas to get revenge on a widow and her family for her late husband killing a different shark some twelve years beforehand. I don’t think I need to elaborate any further."
– thegoodfella98
"Don't forget that the shark roared in that one too which is just absurd."
– BondraP
Superman
"Superman 4 The quest for peace."
"Edit:and with that cast! Still utterly unwatchable."
– Joebroni1414
"I watched this as a kid on tv all the time, I thought it was great. I've seen it since and it's obviously terrible but I still get a kick out of it for just how truly bad it is. Nuclear Man with his nuclear nails, hilarious."
– TheHeyHeyMan
"Alien vs. Predator: Requiem"
"God, what an awful movie that was."
– hodgkinthepirate
"Yup but they didn't hold back on killing everyone... That hospital scene with the predalien... Didn't see that coming."
– GNDM03
These successful films made on a modest budget should've gone out on a high and stopped after the first movie.
Return To The Shack
"Caddyshack 2. Phew, what a turd. Rodney Dangerfield read the script and threw it in the trash."
– StoolToad9
"This is what I came here looking for, just embarrassingly bad for everyone involved, and is absolutely the worst performance of Dan Aykroyd's career. Yes, I've seen Nothing But Trouble."
– TheHeyHeyMan
American Psycho Strikes Again
"American Psycho 2… absolute trash and not in a good way."
– Icy-Side5075
"ya this was a bad idea from the starts. american psycho one is so good because its source material. the sequel just kind of invents a girl serial killer story and completely forgets what the main message was."
– karmagod13000
George Of The Jungle
"George of the Jungle 2. Granted the first one wasn’t that great either, but I liked it. Brendan Fraser made that movie go from bad to okay. Recasting him made the sequel unwatchable."
– leebon427
"I saw this as a kid and didn't even notice the recast at first... Until they broke the fourth wall and George looked into the camera to have a conversation with the narrator talking about how they couldn't afford Brendan Fraser."
– Troncross
Popular franchises as a package deal tend to do well because of their fanbase, but that doesn't mean there's a not a big flop in the bunch.
Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
"I think Rise of Skywalker is probably the worst. It undid every hope I had for the series, and made no sense. I think the set pieces were good, because that's all JJ is good at, really. Tying them together into a story is just not something he cares about, and I really wanted someone who cared about the story of Star Wars to tie up the series."
– crazy-diam0nd
"It’s not a movie, it’s a board room argument."
– Earthshoe12
Dying Harder
"A Good Day To Die Hard. Couldn't even sit through the entire thing. It is quite the accomplishment that they managed to make an action film boring."
– Qster4
"This is the way. The other Die Hard sequels ranged from good to lacking, but they were all highly entertaining in their own way. A Good Day to Die Hard had zero redeeming qualities and somehow involved a spy mission and Chernobyl in a series of movies about a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time having to kick a**."
– AbeVigoda76
Return To The Matrix
"The Matrix 4."
"I am f'king SHOCKED anyone agreed to come back for that script."
"What the hell was Keanu and Carrie thinking?"
"What the f'k was anyone thinking? Who the f'k thought any of this would be a good idea?"
– TelephoneFanClub
"Studios are starving for established IP's, raking the coals for whatever hint of light. WB/Studio was pressuring a "reboot", 'We'll do it without you if u [Wachowski] won't do it'. So Lana just like 'F--- U' and made a tongue-in-cheek bad script, sloppy CGI movie with closed, finished story no sequel, and Keanu and crew are friends w Lana and prob realized this and signed on to take part in this 'rebellion', sotospeak."
"WB then released it, with a tail bt their leg. Covid didnt help."
– moogly2
Given the fact that many sequels bomb at the box office and draw the ire of dedicated fans, studios will keep churning them out and bank on the fact that the originals performed well.
And what keeps studios cranking out sequels is due to the demands of fans who will go see them anyway.
Who cares if Michael Myers is alive again?
People knowingly go back to theaters knowing they're not in for Oscar-worthy material. These films are bad, but oh so good for a laugh.
One thing which has drawn people to live in the United States is the freedom to practice any religion you wish.
While sadly, this hasn't prevented acts of bigotry or violence against certain religions, it has spared people being forced to practice a certain religion, even if they disagree with its values or practices.
One's relationship with religion is very personal, as it only has value if it finds them and gives them the strength and comfort it is intended to.
This rarely happens when it is forced upon others, which often leads to people searching for another religion, or abandoning the practice of religion altogether.
Largely owing to the fact that they found no comfort or solace in it.
"What made you turn your back on religion?"
Logic Over Faith
"What they taught didn’t make any sense."- stupidfock
"The ridiculous concept."
"I didn’t turn my back."
"I just never bought into it."
"There is no part of the concept of creation that doesn’t seem preposterous to me."- pay-this-fool
Learning It Was A Possibility
"I went to a church of England school, which involves singing hymns, prayers etc."
"Pretty standard for primary school age kids."
"I was talking to another girl about religion and she said 'I'm an atheist'."
"I asked her what it was and she explained that she didn't believe in God."
"I was mind blown, I didn't even know that was an option, but it immediately made sense to me in a way Christianity never did."
"My parents never spoke about religion much or went to church, but I went home to tell them my new discovery and they both just laughed and admitted they don't believe in God either."
"I have a few atheist family members too, I learnt my grandmother, now 93, doesn't believe in God, and my Grandad on the other side who passed a few years ago."- CherylTuntIRL
When People Didn't Practice What They Preached...
"People put religion first over being a good human being."- wootmon12
"The hypocritical behavior of deeply religious people."- Taskerst
Ironic?
"Critical thinking."- Apoplexi1
Needed More Concrete Proof
"Lack of evidence supporting the existence of God."- glisteningdinkus
Preaching To Wallets Over Souls...
"The principal topic from the pulpit each week was money."
"Parishioners were relentlessly hounded to increase their pledges."
"On top of that, the church went on a major 'Capital Funds Drive' to redecorate and refurbish the buildings (even though there were many millions in the endowment fund)."
"Somehow, matters of faith were eclipsed by 'The Almighty Dollar'."- Back2Bach
"When my religion had 120 billion dollars in a slush fund, owned 2% of the land in the United States, and made no effort to help the world with those funds."- exmo_fo_sho
"When MFers got ten grand for a robe and a gold ring and a gold cup but gives out soup and bread like they doin a grand thing."
"Churches should be charged 75% taxes."- Outnabout3535325
Too Many Innocent People Punished
"A very religious friend once told me 'It's a shame you don't believe in god, you're a nice person and don't deserve to burn for eternity'."
"I was like...if that actually happens, your God is an a**hole and I wouldn't worship them even if it was proven without a doubt that that god existed."
"I'm open to the idea of a higher power."
"I don't think it's impossible that life was seeded on Earth by higher beings."
"But I'd want to see the evidence before I believed it and I certainly don't think that millionaires who demand money from the poor are the people spreading the word of any kind of savior."- Raephstel
"I grew up as a Christian and even spent a little time working in ministry."
"For years there were some nagging things that just didn’t add up for me."
"I worked for Child Protection Services for years and decided any God that has the power to prevent heinous abuse against his supposed innocent, but doesn’t, is either a sadist I don’t want to worship, or simply non existent."
"If this all started between God and Satan they can leave me the f*ck out of it."
"It’s the bullsh*t manufactured responses from Christians that were the nail on the coffin."- __KWM__
Seeing What Their Future Could Be
"I come from a fairly religious family (some are very, others, not so much, some not at all)."
"I became an atheist at the age of six."
"Why?"
"Simply put, I could see, even then, how badly religion is use to manipulate, control, bully, intimidate, and attack people."
"And I wanted NO part of that."- Dippycat149
"I'm autistic."
"So when I asked a clarifying question ( as I am want to do) at age 6 in Sunday school i was told."
"'Don't ask questions'."
"And that was the end of that."- brumbles2814
No one should be persecuted or belittled for their religion.
Nor should anyone be for their lack thereof.
Do you have any experiences to share? Let us know in the comments below.
What makes somebody weird?
Has that question ever really been answered?
]We're ALL a little "weird" now and again.
In fact, we've been more conditioned now to embrace the weird.
What is weird, really?
Eccentric. I like that word better.
Some people are just eccentric.
And that can be fun.
Let's embrace the eccentric... as long it's not off-the-wall crazy.
That's a different story.
Redditor CATBVYS wanted to hear about the students we went to school with, who left a lasting impression, so they asked:
"What made the weird kid at your school, the weird kid?"
The weird kids at my schools always kept to themselves.
Now I suppose I'm the weird kid.
Regular or Diet?
coca-cola cola GIFGiphy"Carried around a briefcase with two, two-liter bottles of coke. I don't know if he would finish them every day but he would definitely crack one open in class and drink it."
mytwocents22
Dressed for Success
"He dressed up as a Jedi every day from elementary to the last day of high school and he had a lightsaber and would chase people who bullied him around with it. I'm actually surprised the teachers didn't take it away. He did have some emotional/personality problems as well."
longdongjohnson2005
"Sure, people like to make fun of him due to his peculiar dressing and weird beliefs."
"But did you ever see any Sith at your school?"
"Think about it."
Junior-Gorg
Worms
"Whenever it rained there would be dead worms on the cement… he ate them. Not like 1 or 2 he brought bags with him from home to fill up and eat like f**king gummy worms. Teachers never believed us when we told them so he had to have eaten hundreds over the years in elementary school."
Meow939
"I'm just imagining your teacher's doubtful expression 'He's eating handfuls of worms any time it rains, huh? And brings home whole bags to snack on? Stop making stories about Timmy now, it's unbelievable the things you come up with.'"
HyperSpaceSurfer
Sad Genius
"Turned yellow (literally) because he went on a carrot-only diet, shaved his eyebrows off (no idea why), and blew up his garage trying to make his own nuclear bomb. He died in his 20s after taking too much cough syrup and drinking homemade alcohol."
"I forgot to mention that he thought he had appendicitis and attempted to do surgery on himself, thankfully he only knicked the skin. He was considered a mathematical genius and got full scholarships to several colleges but didn't think any of them could teach him anything."
Cultural_Magician105
The Power
Excited 90S GIFGiphy"The vine where a kid goes 'I have the power of God and anime on my side' and screams like a banshee went to my middle school. He was maybe 4 grades underneath me but his weirdness turned him into one of the most popular kids in his grade."
PerryPimentel
Vine?! Now that takes me back in time. Wow.
Miracles
jesus wink GIFGiphy"He was tall and skinny. Would say the name of a girl in class a few times and then throw his eraser at the ceiling; in the middle of class."
"He did all sorts of weird things. At winter camp, we witnessed him take a large tube down a snow hill, hit a ramp, and while flying into the air, the back of his boot (with his leg still attached) hit him on the TOP of his head. Imagine that flexibility? We still discuss this over 40 years later like we witnessed Jesus walk on water."
Uncle_Bug_Music
Humper
"We had a kid join our fifth-grade class halfway through the year. The entire grade was given a chat about how this kid is different, but we need to be kind."
He spent every recess humping the playground equipment. We were kind to him but also terrified."
"In high school, we had a kid who only wore wolf shirts. He was Australian, so I just convinced everyone that it was a cultural thing. He was nice and didn't deserve to be picked on."
airhornsman
PHEONIX
"Not only was he large (tall and in stature not fat) for his age, like towering over some teachers, he maintained an impeccable straight, shoulder-length haircut that was half neon blue and half neon green that never faded. He also brought his katana to school which how was allowed in the mid-2000s I’ll never understand and had everyone including teachers call him PHOENIX."
oreoloki
This is Me
"Let's see..."
"He wasn't fully potty trained till almost 1st grade, He would randomly flip pencils back and forth in front of his face, he would meltdown if he couldn't get something right the first time, couldn't play sports due to terrible coordination, stuttered like crazy while talking with a very bad lisp, would nearly puke if he ate any unfamiliar food, and daydreamed about Angry Birds during class all day."
"Really weird kid, the reason I know him so well is because he was me. Autism isn't a fun or quirky thing to have to deal with. Most of my major issues were fixed by the time I got to middle school thankfully due to having very supportive teachers, therapists, and parents. Still have sh*t coordination and can't eat normal food though."
TheNobleOne06
Potato
Good Vibes Dancing GIF by Rosanna PansinoGiphy"He made up a thing where if you said potato to him he would do a silly dance. Halfway through high school, I guess he decided he didn’t like it anymore. But then people would just come up to him and yell potato at him over and over while he just tried to ignore them. I felt bad for him."
ApprehensiveLuck2325
Life Lesson #369...
Be nice to everybody. That's all a person my need sometimes.