Jenny, welcome to this forum!
I know what you mean. I grew up going to church and only abandoned it a little over a year ago, but it's taking me a long time to adjust. Sure, it's easy enough to think about it, but there are all sorts of feelings attached to religion and subconscious beliefs which reside well after you've discarded the actual belief.
What has helped me tremendously is learning about why I believe what I believe. So if you say you don't believe in god, go out and start finding out why, beyond your personal reasons, you shouldn't believe in god. The more you learn about the world and why it can exist in such a tremendously beautiful state with god, the more comfortable you will become without god.
Also, spend time thinking about it. Work through your feelings associated with god, and figure out what needs to be resolved and what doesn't.
As for a substitute for god, there is none. That's precisely why we are called atheists. If we were leaning on something, we'd be something other than an atheist, perhaps a theist or deist. But as it is, we have no belief in god. What that means is that all that we believe in is provable by demonstrable evidence. And as yet, there is no demonstrable evidence of something similar to a 'god' we can lean on.
What it comes down to is a choice. Either you choose to forever wish you had something to lean on, or you choose to live your life, following evidence and reason to its consequential end. You can choose to look for comfort over reason, or you can face the facts, live in the midst of reality.
One of the most profound feelings I have felt which has come through exploring atheism is one of liberation. There was a time when I had to look at everything through a certain framework, that is, the christian worldview. However now, I am 100% completely free to critique anything, explore anything, and evaluate anything on the basis of it's own merits. Rather than being bound by a set belief, I can comfortably be open and free about who I am.
In time, I think you'll find atheism much more comforting than an outdated idea which is irrelevant in a 21st century society.
Take your time; don't expect it to all happen at once. Make it a priority to read a book about atheism once a month, or once a fortnight, and you'll come round.
Good luck!
I know what you mean. I grew up going to church and only abandoned it a little over a year ago, but it's taking me a long time to adjust. Sure, it's easy enough to think about it, but there are all sorts of feelings attached to religion and subconscious beliefs which reside well after you've discarded the actual belief.
What has helped me tremendously is learning about why I believe what I believe. So if you say you don't believe in god, go out and start finding out why, beyond your personal reasons, you shouldn't believe in god. The more you learn about the world and why it can exist in such a tremendously beautiful state with god, the more comfortable you will become without god.
Also, spend time thinking about it. Work through your feelings associated with god, and figure out what needs to be resolved and what doesn't.
As for a substitute for god, there is none. That's precisely why we are called atheists. If we were leaning on something, we'd be something other than an atheist, perhaps a theist or deist. But as it is, we have no belief in god. What that means is that all that we believe in is provable by demonstrable evidence. And as yet, there is no demonstrable evidence of something similar to a 'god' we can lean on.
What it comes down to is a choice. Either you choose to forever wish you had something to lean on, or you choose to live your life, following evidence and reason to its consequential end. You can choose to look for comfort over reason, or you can face the facts, live in the midst of reality.
One of the most profound feelings I have felt which has come through exploring atheism is one of liberation. There was a time when I had to look at everything through a certain framework, that is, the christian worldview. However now, I am 100% completely free to critique anything, explore anything, and evaluate anything on the basis of it's own merits. Rather than being bound by a set belief, I can comfortably be open and free about who I am.
In time, I think you'll find atheism much more comforting than an outdated idea which is irrelevant in a 21st century society.
Take your time; don't expect it to all happen at once. Make it a priority to read a book about atheism once a month, or once a fortnight, and you'll come round.
Good luck!
"I think that God in creating Man somewhat overestimated his ability." Oscar Wilde
My Blog | Why I Don't Believe in God
My Blog | Why I Don't Believe in God
