Congratulations on coming out, so to speak. I too was born and raised Catholic, though my mother was hard core and my father was a pretender, so I can relate to the particular challenges, especially the guilt.
The seminal moment for me occurred during a conversation with my father. I questioned why he believed when he constantly poo-pooed religion behind my mother's back. "I don't want to die and find out there was a god, so it's easier to believe."
Even back then, at my relative young age, I said: "Big deal, if you don't believe, don't believe. And when you die, if there is a god, say I used the brain you gave me and I called shenanigans, sorry."
I'm not a social scientist, and I don't have the access to hoards of study subjects, but I am a bar owner, and I see people at both their best and worst, I believe that most people who consider themselves religious are similar to my father inasmuch that they carry the weight of bullshit on their shoulders and aren't inclined to shake it off, or are too busy living live to give a shit, or are chicken-shit and are hedging their bets for an imaginary afterlife.
Anyway, congrats on having the courage of your convictions.
The seminal moment for me occurred during a conversation with my father. I questioned why he believed when he constantly poo-pooed religion behind my mother's back. "I don't want to die and find out there was a god, so it's easier to believe."
Even back then, at my relative young age, I said: "Big deal, if you don't believe, don't believe. And when you die, if there is a god, say I used the brain you gave me and I called shenanigans, sorry."
I'm not a social scientist, and I don't have the access to hoards of study subjects, but I am a bar owner, and I see people at both their best and worst, I believe that most people who consider themselves religious are similar to my father inasmuch that they carry the weight of bullshit on their shoulders and aren't inclined to shake it off, or are too busy living live to give a shit, or are chicken-shit and are hedging their bets for an imaginary afterlife.
Anyway, congrats on having the courage of your convictions.
“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
Epicurus
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
Epicurus
