Disdain for Religion

[garrisonjj]

As I embrace my newfound godlessness and severing the addictive, psychotic chains of religion, I find myself almost "hating" the effects and control that religion and god had over me for most of my life.
Is this a normal reaction?
Its just that i feel an inner joy in the reconcillation of my being that there are no gods to fear or man made dictiums (bible) to follow.
While still believing in the golden rule, I seek to read and put forth a scholary experience in reading atheist literature and further my pursuit of affirming the ridiculousness of gods.worship and religious ritual.
Please continue posting articles that debunk god and religion. Thanks

[smellincoffee]

As I embrace my newfound godlessness and severing the addictive, psychotic chains of religion, I find myself almost "hating" the effects and control that religion and god had over me for most of my life.
Is this a normal reaction?




I think it's quite normal -- religion is a digusting thing once you take off the blinders of credulity.

[Steve Schlicht]

If you do not want religion to continue to define your emotional status one way or the other then you should also consider dropping the hate of it, in my view.

Enjoy this life!

Steve

[Draconis]

On a related subject, I've seen Christians claiming that the feeling of freedom from religion will quickly fade. In my case, it is nearly 30 years since I gave up believing and at no point have I felt the sense of freedom fading. Nor do I feel empty or sad. I feel glad that I am thinking about the world, my life, the universe, everything, instead of being spoonfed "truth". It is a great feeling to think that I can help people because they need help, not because some "God" tells me to.

[anevilpetingzoo]

I find myself having to remind myself of how fooled I was. It helps to temper the bad feelings.
That is part of the reason that I do not wish to cover or remove the cross tattoo that I have. It is a good reminder that I too was once whole heartedly taken in, and that anyone can fall pray. They are people too (people that believe silly things but people none the less).

[phrog]

I don't have disdain for religions as much as the religious. If I had a prayer it would be the one that says "God protect me from your followers."

And I'm with Draconis. Though I've never been religious myself, I still get a certain elation over the clarity of thought that not believing brings. Half a century now that's not likely to change in the next half. Then I'll be dead, and you all will cease to exist.

[blkgayatheist]

I think its a common phase to go through for many deconverts...some stay there, others reach a more settled place.

[Alter]

Hmmm, for me it's like watching one of those ant-videos. There's a parasite that latches on to ants. They fight it, then give up on go on about their business. Most ants in an infestation have two or three parasites attached to them, and they move slower.

That's what I think of when I see religious people. They move a little slower, think a little less, but don't even notice the parasite eating up their time and efforts. Just like with the ants, I wish I could pull it off of them.

[amaradulcis_nyx]

Alter, I got a kick out of your ant wisdom! It almost reads like a "deep thoughts" SNL sort of thing (yeah, I have an odd sense of humour), but it's quite lovely. I know people I'd like to help pry the parasites off of, but they don't notice them either.

garrisonjj, I know I was angry at how many years I had the blinders on and accepted the snow job - at the religion and at myself for accepting it for so long. When I think of how much I've changed in the last 5 years, that counters most of the bad feelings. I think it's normal to be unhappy with (what I consider in my own life) to be a bunch of wasted time, emotions and effort on the behalf of religion.

[Johann_Kaspar]

If you do not want religion to continue to define your emotional status one way or the other then you should also consider dropping the hate of it, in my view.

Enjoy this life!

SteveYep, I support that view. You will be free of religion, when religion won't matter in any way. To hate is still to maintain a connection.

Good luck.

[garrisonjj]

After a lifetime of senseless, unfullfilling worship and an attempt to find christ, I am indeed born again!
I consider myself a born again atheist in that after years of doubt, I researched, read and concluded that gods are imaginary and it is no longer necessary to burden myself with worship and obedience to a figmanent of man's imagination.
I am rsponsible in treating my neighbor with respect and my authority is myself and my conscience towards others.The chains have finally been broken.

[Jon Barleycorn]

Hey! Well done! Congratulations. It can indeed be very liberating!

After reading your post I was wondering - did IIDB play any small part in your decision?

Anyway, however you got to where you are now - I say again "well done" - It really is so much better & more fulfilling to live your life well for your own (& others) sake rather than because you've been told by an ancient book that you should behave in a certain way!

Let's hope that your example encourages a few others to throw off the chains of enslavement to religion too - (go on the rest of you, you know a part of you wants to...)

All the best, garrisonjj !

JB

[sakrilege]

Threads merged for being on same topic by same poster.

sakrilege
SL Moderator

[4 billion]

The issue I have is that the straight up stupidity of religion, it seems to perpetuate a level of ignorance about the world we live in, by creating special rules of existence that only apply to humans. Considering the vast ramifications of Global warming, now is the time humanity needs to have a very clear and factual understanding of its relationship to the planet.
Religion also is frustrating as a lot of people use it as a reason to kill other people, when was the last time one saw an atheist suicide bomber.

[Harumi]

After a lifetime of senseless, unfullfilling worship and an attempt to find christ, I am indeed born again!
I consider myself a born again atheist in that after years of doubt, I researched, read and concluded that gods are imaginary and it is no longer necessary to burden myself with worship and obedience to a figmanent of man's imagination.
I am rsponsible in treating my neighbor with respect and my authority is myself and my conscience towards others.The chains have finally been broken.

Have you read Dan Barker's Losing Faith in Faith? He considers himself a Born Again atheist too. :)

[garrisonjj]

I actually read it twice and it ultimately helped in my deconversion.

[Steve Schlicht]

I think its a common phase to go through for many deconverts...some stay there, others reach a more settled place.

This is so very true!

The fortunate can do it in less than five years.

I wasn't quite so fortunate.

;)