Can't seem to let go.

[sunflash]

I used to be a Christian until I came accross a Jewish site which convinced me that Christianity is false. Now, I would consider myself an agnostic, but I feel like I should follow a religion simply to avoid a bad afterlife. I know this sounds cowardly and that there are so many choices, but I grew up believing in a burning hell and I find the idea of this terrifying.

But I don't think I can follow a religion that condemns people for their beleifs, sexuality, race etc and this is one reason why I haven't followed a religion yet. There are a few reasons, but fear keeps me in this sort of limbo.

I posted at thread like this a while ago, and several members have provided helpful advice, but I still don't feel that I can turn to atheism. I don't think I can be an atheist with this uncertainty, like Dawkins can. How can I let go of religion?

Islam in particular concerns me. I thought that evolution would have disproven many religions wrong, but Islam doesn't seem to reject the idea.

[Craveman]

The harsh truth is that there will be no afterlife sunflash...I know how you feel because I was also raised a strong xtian and it took me a while to find my peace. Give it some time and don't just follow any religions just because you're scared of not having an afterlife. I know it is not a nice idea but IMO there is nothing after this life here on earth. That is why you should live this one to the full!

Try and look at it from a positive side - when you die your body will be "absorbed" by nature. You will be broken into many different elements which in turn will create new life forms. So in a way you will live forever

[fr0d0]

Maybe you should discuss through your thoughts on the afterlife and rid yourself of the superstition? It may take a while for rationality to sink in, but at least you'd be doing something about it.

[Violet]

I could swear i read this post before...

One doesn't 'turn' to atheism... if you do not believe in gods then you are by definition an atheist. If you do believe in gods, then you are a theist

[Tiberius]

I doubt very many of us (and that includes Dawkins) are "certain" of our position. I'm certainly not; but I view it in terms of likeliness. In my opinion, the existence of any kind of afterlife is unknowable, and given that the various "revelations" of such places is based on nothing but hearsay and dogma, I don't think the case for such a place is very stable.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. If the God of the fundamentalists happens to exist, and I have to explain myself, at least I'll have the intellectual integrity to admit I was honestly skeptical.

[Morilyn]

I doubt very many of us (and that includes Dawkins) are "certain" of our position. I'm certainly not; but I view it in terms of likeliness. In my opinion, the existence of any kind of afterlife is unknowable, and given that the various "revelations" of such places is based on nothing but hearsay and dogma, I don't think the case for such a place is very stable.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. If the God of the fundamentalists happens to exist, and I have to explain myself, at least I'll have the intellectual integrity to admit I was honestly skeptical.

This, this a million times.

We as human beings cannot be 100% certain of anything, so if beyond all of our reason and logic there is in fact a god, at least we can explain ourselves.

Any god who doesn't forgive us for that, said god is unreasonable.

[Violet]

We as human beings cannot be 100% certain of anything

Actually... we can be quite certain of a number of things. That doesn't mean we are correct though

[Scarecrow2407]

But I don't think I can follow a religion that condemns people for their beleifs, sexuality, race etc and this is one reason why I haven't followed a religion yet. There are a few reasons, but fear keeps me in this sort of limbo.

How can I let go of religion?

Every religion based on a personal deity or deities has some form of bigotry built into it. It is simply not possible for religion to exist without a kind of "holier than thou" attitude from its adherents. So, finding a religion that doesn't condemn people is impossible. You could, however, embrace Buddhism, which, according to many, is not a religion at all, but a philosophy, a lifestyle based on personal growth.

And to address your question....the only way to truly let go of religion is to want to. If you truly want to break free from the dogmas of theism, the vague promises of reward and/or punishment that comes with religion, you must WANT to. If you think you want to be an atheist, then you might convince yourself for a while, but eventually you will begin to question again. "Am I sure I'm right?" "What if....?" These are the same questions that drove you to become an agnostic, and they are legitimate questions. However, nothing can be 100% proven, so there will always be room for doubt. You must embrace these doubts and explore where they come from. Do they stem from ignorance? Fear? Self-doubt? When you know WHY you need to believe in a deity/afterlife/religion, then you learn how to let it go.

Hope this helped, but I'd wager not.
Yours in doubt,
Scarecrow.

[fr0d0]

I doubt very many of us (and that includes Dawkins) are "certain" of our position. I'm certainly not; but I view it in terms of likeliness. In my opinion, the existence of any kind of afterlife is unknowable, and given that the various "revelations" of such places is based on nothing but hearsay and dogma, I don't think the case for such a place is very stable.

If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. If the God of the fundamentalists happens to exist, and I have to explain myself, at least I'll have the intellectual integrity to admit I was honestly skeptical.

And that's the absolute position from that point of view. The faithful view is something else, and the meaning of the concept/s of an afterlife is another subject, which there is a point to... just nothing to explain any scientific questions you might have.

[Paul the Human]

If it helps, Sunflash, many atheists can tell you that finally giving up the belief in superstition and myth is a very freeing experience. It is difficult to arrive at that point, because the concept of an afterlife is so deeply ingrained that even though one may realize that there isn't really a god, the fear of eternal damnation as punishment for that realization sits in the back of the mind and threatens to burn you in hell.

That is why religion uses the afterlife concept as a tool in the first place. On one hand, we are promised eternal paradise if we abide by the 'law of god', but on the other we are threatened with eternal suffering if we do not. One of those laws is to believe. Of course, we are told that the choice is ours and that it is 'freewill'. Paradise or Burn in Hell. You choose.

But there is a third option and that is to educate oneself and apply logic and reason to the claims made by religion. It can (and often does) result in total freedom from such fears. When we die, we cease to be. It isn't scary, because once you cease to be... there is no you to be scared. The purpose of life is to live life... not to worry about what comes after. Nothing comes after, so try to live a happy life while you have the chance. It is the only one you get.