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I was raised in a religious family, went to church every Sunday.
When I realized I had actual questions that they refused to acknowledge, I walked away. I was eight.
Example question:
Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 offer two different creation myths. Why? Is one "right" and the other "wrong"?
Genesis one: Animals created first, then people (man and woman created at the same time.) 7 day creation.
Genesis two: Man created first, then animals for man to name, then woman from the rib when god realizes he made a mistake and none of the animals are a fit companion for man. Not a 7 day creation.
Answer:
The reason for it is plain in the original Hebrew. Genesis 1 is the Elohist tradition (the Gods are referred to, in PLURAL, as Elohim.) Genesis 2 is the Jawist tradition where God is referred to as YHWH or JHVH.
Early editors took two different creation myths and mashed them together.
If you can't, or won't explain that to an eight year old... well... doesn't speak well for your faith.
Most churches won't even employ someone who knows the answer to this.
It's not even a "Won't tell you." thing; more of a "Why would anyone question the good book?" thing.
Whenever I looked too closely, I began to be black-listed and got the, "It's too bad that's where you are, because we hoped you would be a great leader."
Not defending stupidity at all, btw, just further emphasizing the blissful ignorance that is largely exonerated in religious circles.
Which just kills me because the actual answers ARE out there.
For example - What's the deal with the "begats" chapter and how were people living for hundreds of years?
Answer: They aren't individuals, they are family lines. Such and such family came from so and so family and lasted 140 years before dying out.
Makes way, way more sense when you read it that way.
Amazing what you can learn by reading Asimov's Guide to the Bible. ;)