Of religion
About time I updated, right? I haven't had a lot of time lately because of work (and nothing much has happened because work takes up most of my time these days) but here I finally am.
I've finally gotten to the point where I am confident enough with my work that I no longer need to have full concentration in what I'm doing and instead I can let my mind wander. It's funny how one can get oddly philosophical when one is bored enough. One day I started thinking about a certain subject that has been bothering me for a while but I had never done anything about it. And then suddenly, I finally decided to act.
I have now officially left the church.
I haven't addressed this issue in my journal before because I hate getting into arguments about religion. Everyone has their own beliefs and arguing about them will get you nowhere and just create bad blood. If you're reading this, please keep in mind that this is only my opinion and I completely respect your right to disagree with me.
I have never made it a secret that I'm a non-believer, atheist. I only belonged to the church because I was registered at birth and I kept thinking that being a member of the church would also have its benefits. My biggest reason was that I really want to be a godmother some day (and where do you bury people who don't belong to the church?). But recently I've realized that things like that aren't really important. It's more important to me that I'm true to my own beliefs. Belonging to the church felt like lying to myself. Even when I was a child, I treated the Bible more as a collection of fascinating stories than as a religious book.
So, why exactly don't I believe in God? Well. One of my main reasons is the fact that there are so many different religions in the world that contradict each other. This fact has made me reach the conclusion that religion is simply something that humans have developed to ease their fear of death. Believing that there is some higher power looking out for you and that there is life after death can certainly be a comforting thought. I know that there are lots and lots of people who need religion to keep their mental balance. Religion is also a good way to teach people morals. That is why I will never say that there is no need for religion. I simply realized that I can control my fear of death perfectly even without the reassurance that there is something to come after death.
I really should have done this years ago, but there where some things holding me back. The godmother thing, for one. My extended family is also pretty religious so I didn't want to completely alienate myself from them (especially from my grandparents). Thankfully, my mom is really open-minded about things like this and she has no problem with me leaving the church. My godmother, on the other hand, is as religious as one can be. She has always been totally against my interest in fantasy (at one point she even told my mom to get rid of my Harry Potter books because they apparently "teach wrong beliefs". Better not tell her I'm also a yaoi fan... *sweatdrop*). I'm really thankful that she is only my godmother and has no real say in my life. I suppose it will be better if I don't go announcing my beliefs to my extended family, just to keep things peaceful.
Phew, it sure was nice to get that off my chest. If anyone was offended by this entry, I apologize. I respect your right to have your own opinion and I hope you also respect mine. I have no intention to argue about this subject.
I've finally gotten to the point where I am confident enough with my work that I no longer need to have full concentration in what I'm doing and instead I can let my mind wander. It's funny how one can get oddly philosophical when one is bored enough. One day I started thinking about a certain subject that has been bothering me for a while but I had never done anything about it. And then suddenly, I finally decided to act.
I have now officially left the church.
I haven't addressed this issue in my journal before because I hate getting into arguments about religion. Everyone has their own beliefs and arguing about them will get you nowhere and just create bad blood. If you're reading this, please keep in mind that this is only my opinion and I completely respect your right to disagree with me.
I have never made it a secret that I'm a non-believer, atheist. I only belonged to the church because I was registered at birth and I kept thinking that being a member of the church would also have its benefits. My biggest reason was that I really want to be a godmother some day (and where do you bury people who don't belong to the church?). But recently I've realized that things like that aren't really important. It's more important to me that I'm true to my own beliefs. Belonging to the church felt like lying to myself. Even when I was a child, I treated the Bible more as a collection of fascinating stories than as a religious book.
So, why exactly don't I believe in God? Well. One of my main reasons is the fact that there are so many different religions in the world that contradict each other. This fact has made me reach the conclusion that religion is simply something that humans have developed to ease their fear of death. Believing that there is some higher power looking out for you and that there is life after death can certainly be a comforting thought. I know that there are lots and lots of people who need religion to keep their mental balance. Religion is also a good way to teach people morals. That is why I will never say that there is no need for religion. I simply realized that I can control my fear of death perfectly even without the reassurance that there is something to come after death.
I really should have done this years ago, but there where some things holding me back. The godmother thing, for one. My extended family is also pretty religious so I didn't want to completely alienate myself from them (especially from my grandparents). Thankfully, my mom is really open-minded about things like this and she has no problem with me leaving the church. My godmother, on the other hand, is as religious as one can be. She has always been totally against my interest in fantasy (at one point she even told my mom to get rid of my Harry Potter books because they apparently "teach wrong beliefs". Better not tell her I'm also a yaoi fan... *sweatdrop*). I'm really thankful that she is only my godmother and has no real say in my life. I suppose it will be better if I don't go announcing my beliefs to my extended family, just to keep things peaceful.
Phew, it sure was nice to get that off my chest. If anyone was offended by this entry, I apologize. I respect your right to have your own opinion and I hope you also respect mine. I have no intention to argue about this subject.