I have left christianity 3 years ago. Losing my faith was not a choice, it was a long process that I tried to resist, because I was scared of hell and social exclusion, but still rationality won and the result was that my faith was completely gone. Even after that it took me a lot of time to really leave the religion. I first told my friends, one by one, then my family, and finally I told the rest of the world. I was terrified of the consequences, but I had to, because I want to live authentically.
Christians don't understand how hard it is. They mock people who doubt, saying they are weak, even more so when they leave. They gossip about them, they try to convince them with their sermons, but don't actually empathize and listen. I am talking about the majority here. There are, of course, exceptions, and these are the christians that have remained my friends. These are the people who like you for who you are, not for what you believe. I do the same for them, even though I think their beliefs are silly I don't mock them, I even show interest in their church activities, even though I don't like the topic (it's painful to think about it), because I know it is important for them.
When I left christianity, I expected to enter this big "secular world", which should mean a lot of freedom, rationality, humanism and so forth. Well, I was wrong. I discovered that people have a tendency to develop irrational ideas and behaviors, which could develop to become new religions. People create their own prisons, their own cults. I don't say this to be cynical, I have seen a lot of good as well, but I became a bit more realistic in my expectations of people. I see that it's not a normal thing to be rational and free, you have to work hard for this and keep challenging ideas, including your own, which is not always easy, but the rewards are great. Religion really limited in what I could be, it held me down, but now that I am free and able to think and act sensibly I have the opportunity to build an awesome, exciting and meaningful life with everything I could dream of.
I just wanted to share this. Curious to know what you think of it. I will answer any serious questions you may have.
Christians don't understand how hard it is. They mock people who doubt, saying they are weak, even more so when they leave. They gossip about them, they try to convince them with their sermons, but don't actually empathize and listen. I am talking about the majority here. There are, of course, exceptions, and these are the christians that have remained my friends. These are the people who like you for who you are, not for what you believe. I do the same for them, even though I think their beliefs are silly I don't mock them, I even show interest in their church activities, even though I don't like the topic (it's painful to think about it), because I know it is important for them.
When I left christianity, I expected to enter this big "secular world", which should mean a lot of freedom, rationality, humanism and so forth. Well, I was wrong. I discovered that people have a tendency to develop irrational ideas and behaviors, which could develop to become new religions. People create their own prisons, their own cults. I don't say this to be cynical, I have seen a lot of good as well, but I became a bit more realistic in my expectations of people. I see that it's not a normal thing to be rational and free, you have to work hard for this and keep challenging ideas, including your own, which is not always easy, but the rewards are great. Religion really limited in what I could be, it held me down, but now that I am free and able to think and act sensibly I have the opportunity to build an awesome, exciting and meaningful life with everything I could dream of.
I just wanted to share this. Curious to know what you think of it. I will answer any serious questions you may have.
