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Ilene: Look at it this way: You didn't waste all that time. You had to learn about "man's teachings" in order to be able to find out what is wrong with them and be critical of them from a position of knowledge. Many of us have made that journey in our own ways.
Mmmm....yes I probably will experience some regret from wasting so much time on man's teachings and not allowing myself to question or ponder the things of the Universe. I will be checking out the site you recommended, I'm interested in what others have to say about their journey too. Thanks!
What they said. It's not a waste to have thought your way to where you have to be. It's all experience. Whether you stay with a loving sortagod concept or move along from there you have benefited from letting your mind free to think for itself.
I don't think you'll ever regret thinking your way to where you are.
As a former evangelical, I look back in amazement at the things I used to believe. It was a willing suspension of disbelief on a staggering level. So many emperor's new clothes; "do you feel the spirit of the lord" lies that I told myself because I didn't want to admit the truth.
I had a "hard landing" from Evangelical to atheist. That conversion necessarily caused me to re-evalute a lot of life's questions. It was a great struggle. It was hard, but I got stronger through the process. I think going to Deism is probably going to be easier for you. (Incidently, I eventually ended up as agnostic, after 20 years as an atheist!)
Although I'm not personally a deist, I can see the merits in it. Pantheism too. Both embrace rationality and logic, yet at the same time maintain their sense of awe for this mysterious marvelous universe of ours.
Ilene: Look at it this way: You didn't waste all that time. You had to learn about "man's teachings" in order to be able to find out what is wrong with them and be critical of them from a position of knowledge. Many of us have made that journey in our own ways.
Indeed, I think some of the best atheists are the ones who had a religious upbringing, and can bring a lot more religious knowledge to the table (along with empathy for those who swallow it whole). They make better pit bulls!
Your story is very, very similar to mine. I joined a traditional Southern Baptist church when I was 14, and I went on to do missions and teach at a Christian school. The initial move from the church came because of the actions and behavior of Christians. I went on to acting in NYC (that's a long story), and the folks I met there were better Christians than most of the Christians I knew. It all started coming unraveled. It took five years for me to get to atheism. I read a lot, studied a lot, and found other nonreligious people to chat with. It was challenging to lose my faith, especially while living in the south, where "atheist" can be synonymous with "murderer".
I did try other religions like Bahaism, Buddhism and I looked into Jainism and Sikhism. They didn't make any more sense to me as religions than the Abrahamic religions. I do take some of the teachings to heart but just as philosophies.
Yes your story is very similar to mine, even the timeline. And LOL you're right about the south and "atheist" being synonymous with "murderer". It will be more than a challenge to admit what I have admitted here, and it might never come to fruition concerning my parents. They're old and I don't want to kill them.
As a former evangelical, I look back in amazement at the things I used to believe. It was a willing suspension of disbelief on a staggering level. So many emperor's new clothes; "do you feel the spirit of the lord" lies that I told myself because I didn't want to admit the truth.
I had a "hard landing" from Evangelical to atheist. That conversion necessarily caused me to re-evalute a lot of life's questions. It was a great struggle. It was hard, but I got stronger through the process. I think going to Deism is probably going to be easier for you. (Incidently, I eventually ended up as agnostic, after 20 years as an atheist!)
Although I'm not personally a deist, I can see the merits in it. Pantheism too. Both embrace rationality and logic, yet at the same time maintain their sense of awe for this mysterious marvelous universe of ours.
Same here Boxcar, it's amazing the things I used to believe but they were ingrained so I don't blame myself or anyone else for that matter, they (family) were also taught incorrectly. It's an ongoing 2000 year old fairytale that doesn't make much more sense than Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny. It's all so clear now, it's like a fog has been lifted.
I'm a little confused though, are you an atheist or an agnostic?
Indeed, I think some of the best atheists are the ones who had a religious upbringing, and can bring a lot more religious knowledge to the table (along with empathy for those who swallow it whole). They make better pit bulls!
I'm a little confused though, are you an atheist or an agnostic?
While people have varying definitions of those words, I would now describe myself as agnostic. For the first 20 years of my life I was Southern Baptist, for the next 20 I was an atheist, and now I am agnostic. (As of only a few weeks ago.)
This came about purely by logic, (or illogic as my friend rifleman will surely say.) It's not based on hope, or faith or anything else. I finally came upon some arguments that I couldn't defeat, so I changed my position to admit the possibility of a creating God a la Deism. This doesn't mean I believe Deism must be true, it only means that I don't think Deism must not be true, and that it's not much less likely then any other theory I've heard for how things got here.
I don't want to derail your thread, so I won't go into the arguments I found persuasive.
When I really get down to the brass tax, all the arguments are just more indication to me that none of us really knows what we are talking about, and some of us don't know what to believe. I leave this open for discussion but I'm telling you, I just don't know anymore.
This is called growth.
It's OK to not have or expect to have answers.
Trying to formulate meaningful questions is job enough.
hth
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you're right about the south and "atheist" being synonymous with "murderer". It will be more than a challenge to admit what I have admitted here, and it might never come to fruition concerning my parents. They're old and I don't want to kill them.
