Do you ever miss it?

[Doubting Thomas]

I don't miss a damn thing about going to church. I always hated it, even as a kid. But I was always taught that if I didn't go every week I'd end up in Hell, so I went as a young adult even though I still hated it. I was Catholic, so all the masses are pretty much the same now as they were when I was a small child being dragged to church. Same boring old readings, long boring homily by the priest, some more recitations of prayers I recited hundreds of times before but still didn't really know the meanings of, get wine & wafers, talk to friends before going home.

Now on the few occasions I allow myself to be dragged to church, I hate it even more because I don't believe in any of it. Out of respect for my wife I don't check my internet on my phone, though that would be a more productive use of my time.

But I think the thing I really don't miss at all was the constant fear of offending God and being struck down & tossed into Hell, the awkward instances of going to confession and telling a priest all the supposedly bad things I did, religion classes where they kept reinforcing the punishment aspect of the religion, watching out for the boogeyman devil everywhere, and speculation on all the terrible things which would happen at the end of the world.

I'm far more happier now.