My wife went through much the same thing following her departure from the faith, but what she found was that non-belief came as a relief. Her life before, the reality she thought she inhabited, was populated by supernatural beings of almost uniform malevolence; demons and ghosts, magic that was derived from the devil, stuff like that. Her childhood came packed with nightmares and such based on that theme, and the world became a much less dangerous place when she realized that all those things the christians want to fill the world with didn't exist.
As to hell and if you're wrong, there's an easy solution to that; if you accept that hell as a concept is not based in evidence, then rationally you have unmoored yourself from reality as a limiting factor in considering things that are possible. In short, if you're afraid of hell while understanding that it's most likely bullshit, then you must also remember the infinity of other beliefs that have the same lack of evidence, but might be true. No matter what position you choose, atheist, theist of any stripe, whatever, you have exactly the same odds: one in infinity. Any manner of afterlife could be real, if you're not using evidence in your determinations, but are you afraid of, say, the hell of islam, because you might be wrong about that?
Or is it just the hell that you were tormented with as a child in order to get you to believe, that you're afraid of? Hell and the boogeyman: not very different, ultimately.
As to hell and if you're wrong, there's an easy solution to that; if you accept that hell as a concept is not based in evidence, then rationally you have unmoored yourself from reality as a limiting factor in considering things that are possible. In short, if you're afraid of hell while understanding that it's most likely bullshit, then you must also remember the infinity of other beliefs that have the same lack of evidence, but might be true. No matter what position you choose, atheist, theist of any stripe, whatever, you have exactly the same odds: one in infinity. Any manner of afterlife could be real, if you're not using evidence in your determinations, but are you afraid of, say, the hell of islam, because you might be wrong about that?
Or is it just the hell that you were tormented with as a child in order to get you to believe, that you're afraid of? Hell and the boogeyman: not very different, ultimately.
"YOU take the hard look in the mirror. You are everything that is wrong with this world. The only thing important to you, is you." - ronedee
Want to see more of my writing? Check out my (safe for work!) site, Unprotected Sects!
Want to see more of my writing? Check out my (safe for work!) site, Unprotected Sects!