Life as an atheist...

[an anarchist]

... is very nice and liberating.

New atheist here. My whole life until recently I was zealously religious.

But I came to the conclusion that all religions were either wrong or incomplete. So, it would be neccesary for me to create my own religion if I were to stay religious. And my religious ambitions would lead me down a path of great emotional anguish.

I refuse to drive myself insane for the sake of religion. Honestly, being put back on antipsychotics has done wonders in helping me shed my religious zeal.

Perhaps I should call myself agnostic, as I don't claim to know for sure there is no god. I don't know squat.

I <3 atheism. It's just working so well for me. Never have I been so focused on my own well being rather than my own Messiah Complex and my greater purpose.

 

[an anarchist]

Honestly should probably be in the journal forum, but lemme think of a relevant discussion point...

How has atheism affected your personal life, as opposed to your previous religious life?

 

[F1fan]

Honestly should probably be in the journal forum, but lemme think of a relevant discussion point...

How has atheism affected your personal life, as opposed to your previous religious life?

Maybe explain what happened that you faced whether your religious views were true as taught to you versus them not standing up to your independent thinking.

I was never really a believer. I remember being told mainstream things about Christianity, God, and Jesus, but I was never really convinced. I remember being told all the ideals about Jesus and salvation, and that we have to go to church to worship, but then watched my Christian family members act in ways contrary to what they claimed was true, like loving others. From what they claimed versus how they behaved did not add up, even though I was a child. I didn't realize until college that I was an atheist. It wasn't until my 30's that I really began to examine religion and belief, and then psychology. I ended up studying psychology because religious belief was not reasoned, but was emotional and cultural, so I wanted to understand the psychology of religion, and why people believe irrational ideas.

 

[an anarchist]

Maybe explain what happened that you faced whether your religious views were true as taught to you versus them not standing up to your independent thinking.

It was really my independent research and religious fanaticism. I'm an extremely intelligent person as well, it is like my sole fine quality, (other than my friendliness, according to some).

Born into Christianity, the church fed me typical Christian apologetics. Pastor gave me some books on that and I eagerly was convinced by apologetics. But just the continual pondering on what is the truth led to (imo) see that organized religion was not it. Really my new found anarchist leanings had a role to play in my shift on religious thinking, but I'm not gonna get into that.

 

[ChristineM]

How has atheism affected your personal life, as opposed to your previous religious life?

It's got a whole congregation off my back for being dyslexic. That was liberating for a 14 year old. It took a couple of years to reach the conclusion the god idea is a crock. And that was also liberating.