My dad always said: the only part about religion that mattered was to treat others as you want to be treated.
My dad grew up catholic but his family's home happened to be on the "protestant" side of the water but no one made a fuss about it when my grandfather was alive. When he died, however, the Roman Catholic priest from the community that my grandmother was originally from made her move her house to the Catholic side of the water or be cast out of the church. So she had to – with five small children – find someone who could float her home across the bay to the "right" side.
When my dad heard that story as a teenager, I think he lost all faith in faith. My mother took a little longer to come around, so we grew up in a very catholic home. Going to church every week, saying rosaries on our knees at home. My dad went along to make my mom happy, but he never believed.
I remember when The Davinci Code came out, my dad wanted to get the book but my mom wouldn't hear of it. I'm happy to say that at 76, she has begun to see the light. She came from a family of 12 children and my grand parents had no money, but if you were not procreating every two years, the priest would actually visit your home and threaten to have you removed from the congregation. It was always about fear and control. And thankfully my mom now sees the insanity of much of the church.
The one part my dad did believe in, however, was that you should treat everyone how you wish you be treated. And I share the same belief system but somehow not as common as it probably should be. I think it's because of this belief that when someone is purposefully mean – to me, or to someone else – I'm still, at 42 years old, shocked.
Both my husband (raised Lutheran) and I have all but denounced religion, having had it shoved down our throats for decades. Our daughter isn't baptized, we don't go to church, and she doesn't go to catholic school like I did. I do however, I try every day to teach her the golden rule: treat others as you want to be treated.