I used to think gods were an interesting idea, and spent some time playing around with polytheism. (Never could wrap my mind around monotheism and never cared for it.)
Then one day I realized that I would not testify under oath that any gods were real, and that was that: Agnostic theist to agnostic atheist in about 5 seconds.
I later realized that my brain simply does not accept religious/supernatural claims -- it classifies them as unproven and probably imaginary, thereby preventing me from having genuine religious faith. At most I can be a cultural practitioner, indulging in ceremonies and festivals, but with those things having no more reality to me than a movie or book or role-playing game.
I do not feel empty, though, despite having "only" reality to play with. I obtain meaning through that reality, seeking out interesting experiences and developing new skills, and occasionally just sitting quietly and mindfully and watching the universe do its thing.
Then one day I realized that I would not testify under oath that any gods were real, and that was that: Agnostic theist to agnostic atheist in about 5 seconds.
I later realized that my brain simply does not accept religious/supernatural claims -- it classifies them as unproven and probably imaginary, thereby preventing me from having genuine religious faith. At most I can be a cultural practitioner, indulging in ceremonies and festivals, but with those things having no more reality to me than a movie or book or role-playing game.
I do not feel empty, though, despite having "only" reality to play with. I obtain meaning through that reality, seeking out interesting experiences and developing new skills, and occasionally just sitting quietly and mindfully and watching the universe do its thing.
