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Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 11:43 am
I used to be a Christian until I came accross a Jewish site which convinced me that Christianity is false. Now, I would consider myself an agnostic, but I feel like I should follow a religion simply to avoid a bad afterlife. I know this sounds cowardly and that there are so many choices, but I grew up believing in a burning hell and I find the idea of this terrifying.
But I don't think I can follow a religion that condemns people for their beleifs, sexuality, race etc and this is one reason why I haven't followed a religion yet. There are a few reasons, but fear keeps me in this sort of limbo.
How can I let go of religion?
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 12:06 pm
You need a philosophy, not a religion.. And welcome by the way 
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 12:15 pm
Now you need a site to convince you that all religion is fake.
Perhaps atheistforums will do the trick.
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 1:25 pm
(March 25, 2010 at 11:43 am)sunflash Wrote: I used to be a Christian until I came accross a Jewish site which convinced me that Christianity is false. Now, I would consider myself an agnostic, but I feel like I should follow a religion simply to avoid a bad afterlife. I know this sounds cowardly and that there are so many choices, but I grew up believing in a burning hell and I find the idea of this terrifying.
But I don't think I can follow a religion that condemns people for their beleifs, sexuality, race etc and this is one reason why I haven't followed a religion yet. There are a few reasons, but fear keeps me in this sort of limbo.
How can I let go of religion?
Find solace in the fact that the only one controlling your life is yourself. We're all subject to influences and chance, but supernatural influences and haughty judgements are the last thing to think about when trying to live your life the best you can.
Some people enjoy being subservient to an ultimate authority, and truly fear the repercussions of being wrong about such an issue. Fear is something that you have to face head on to eliminate it. Analyze why you have this fear, and realize that everyone has a fear and fascination with the unknown. Mankind is still coming to terms with its mortality. The reward of heaven or fear of hell is a catalyst for those who believe in it to feel morally justified for doing what they did in life. Their actions lend no credence to the notion that these places are real, and there's haven't been any good reasons to think that a heaven or hell exist.
Don't take life too seriously, it's not permanent.
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 3:06 pm
Welcome and fear of punishment or reward is no reason to believe in anything.You eiher believe in an afterlife or not, but that has little to d with following any perscried religion. Try some of the godless religions to help your separation, if you can't just break it yourself.
"There ought to be a term that would designate those who actually follow the teachings of Jesus, since the word 'Christian' has been largely divorced from those teachings, and so polluted by fundamentalists that it has come to connote their polar opposite: intolerance, vindictive hatred, and bigotry." -- Philip Stater, Huffington Post
always working on cleaning my windows- me regarding Johari
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 3:17 pm
You're not holding on to religion you're holding on to superstition, which is part of the spiritual experience that would encompass both. Atheism is the denial of reality and the limitation of it to the material, which is ultimately illogical.
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Every time I see a post like that I am so glad I was never in that situation. I'm sorry I can't help you much.
Best regards,
Leo van Miert
Horsepower is how hard you hit the wall --Torque is how far you take the wall with you
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 4:23 pm
How to let go?
Take it easy, take a deep breath. Look at this wonderful, unexplored universe.
Now live in it.
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 4:36 pm
(This post was last modified: March 25, 2010 at 4:48 pm by Ace Otana.)
Quote:Atheism is the denial of reality
Wrong, atheism is nothing more than lack of belief in the existance of god or gods.
Shoulda learnt that by now.:|
Quote:Try some of the godless religions
Lack of belief in god does not constitute a religion.
@ sunflash -
There is no logical reason to fear such a place. Religion and it's threats have such a low credibility.
Living isn't about fearing the end but living for the now. Hell is the place for which was created by our very imagination.
Kinda like when you feared monsters under your bed at night as a child. Fearing the dark because you cannot see what lurks in the dark. Our imagination can bring fear, comfort and happiness. My imagination always brings me back to sex. 
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence - Carl Sagan
Mankind's intelligence walks hand in hand with it's stupidity.
Being an atheist says nothing about your overall intelligence, it just means you don't believe in god. Atheists can be as bright as any scientist and as stupid as any creationist.
You never really know just how stupid someone is, until you've argued with them.
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RE: Can't seem to let go
March 25, 2010 at 4:45 pm
(March 25, 2010 at 11:43 am)sunflash Wrote: I used to be a Christian until I came accross a Jewish site which convinced me that Christianity is false. Now, I would consider myself an agnostic, but I feel like I should follow a religion simply to avoid a bad afterlife. I know this sounds cowardly and that there are so many choices, but I grew up believing in a burning hell and I find the idea of this terrifying.
But I don't think I can follow a religion that condemns people for their beleifs, sexuality, race etc and this is one reason why I haven't followed a religion yet. There are a few reasons, but fear keeps me in this sort of limbo.
How can I let go of religion?
So the idea is to for you to pretend to believe in something to avoid a place you don't think exists. Let me know how that works out.
"On Earth as it is in Heaven, the Cosmic Roots of the Bible" available on the Amazon.
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