I have never had serious thoughts about religion till now.
I am a little confused if I should ever take it seriously - i like the serenity religious institutions provide - the artwork - the quiet comfort - but dislike the brainwashing and scams.
Would love to know how the community got started with this.
At 25? Where I settled now.
Religion can provide a loving, peaceful philosophical framework to live by. Some of the most wholesome, kind, generous people I’ve known are devout.
People’s brains are all wired differently, and this works well for some.
It’s cultural. You can’t just throw away that huge part of someone’s background
But.
Some of the most unspeakable things in my personal life happened in the name of religion.
Ive seen it ruin families, and kick rationality out of groups and instill hate in its place. Not in news feeds; with my own two eyes.
What’s more, some religions reinforce idolization and “worship” of people, which is extremely dangerous.
So I’ve settled on this:
…I respect other people’s faith, especially in people I respect in person. People do what they do, you know? They have their own perspective of the world, and I’m not going to presume to know better.
And I keep in mind that religion is more philosophical for many. And that kind, devout people won’t push it on you.
But I am under no obligation to share it. I’m sure as hell going to push back against idol worship, anti-science thinking, bigotry, political cultism and so on, but not cross the line to their belief in God or the afterlife or whatever.
…And I have no interest in it myself. It doesn’t fit my brain.
This was a journey, though. For a long time I was an “apathetic Christian” because it felt like an obligation, even though Christianity made no sense to my systemic view of the world. I would have never dared admit I was agnostic or atheist when I was 18, not even to myself.