I was a believer most of my life, and I was deeply religious the last few years before I decided to put my faith to the test, and look at it from an outside perspective. It failed miserably, and with haste. It did bring me quite a bit of joy and peace those last few years. I was truly convinced that I had a relationship with the characters in the bible, and fell out of it rather quickly because I had an open mind. When I became more spiritual, I felt the exact same feelings or “presence”, I felt when I was praying or “talking to god”. Then, when I lost faith in god, I meditated off and on for quite some time, and still do to this day a little bit. I still experience the exact same feelings when not even thinking about a god, as I’m sure every other religious person does, and calls it their version of god. I discerned the exact same pure feelings I was having, was chemicals in my brain, that made me feel very happy and relaxed.
Although, it was enjoyable at the time, I don’t miss it at all. There is a great deal of mental comfort with coming to terms with reality. I look at things and situations for what they are, which does help me through life, as opposed to trusting or praying for things to work out. I don’t delude myself anymore, thinking that everything bad or good that has ever happened to me was a plan from god, which is also consoling. This makes much more sense, because, if that were true, that would mean he was choosing certain people to have a better life over other people. It’s also good that I distanced myself from religion, and started thinking entirely for myself for the first time ever. The world makes much more sense to me now, as I begin to understand it more and more by the day, in terms of actual testable, observable evidence, rather than trying to make excuses for my prior beliefs that didn't synchronize well with facts. I'm glad that poisonous, destructive garbage is out of my head.
Although, it was enjoyable at the time, I don’t miss it at all. There is a great deal of mental comfort with coming to terms with reality. I look at things and situations for what they are, which does help me through life, as opposed to trusting or praying for things to work out. I don’t delude myself anymore, thinking that everything bad or good that has ever happened to me was a plan from god, which is also consoling. This makes much more sense, because, if that were true, that would mean he was choosing certain people to have a better life over other people. It’s also good that I distanced myself from religion, and started thinking entirely for myself for the first time ever. The world makes much more sense to me now, as I begin to understand it more and more by the day, in terms of actual testable, observable evidence, rather than trying to make excuses for my prior beliefs that didn't synchronize well with facts. I'm glad that poisonous, destructive garbage is out of my head.
Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.' -Isaac Asimov-
