if you find any proof guys then text me, because am done searching for his shadow.
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I was raised by a devout christian family, my father a Mason, my mother Eastern Star. I became devout, but at around the age of 18 I left organized religion because to me it was more of a social club, and that got in the way of my getting closer to my creator. I spent the next forty years in a search for my god, I spoke to many holy leader so many faiths, I had long discussions with theists. Many times I spent on my knees late at night in church, devoutly asking for any sign.
My search resulted in the opposite of what I intially set out for, that I realized there was no evidence of a god, and realized I was an atheist.
Although my mind is not closed to accepting a god, I now need something tangible, something a lot more than fancy words and weird excuses.
The many videos I have watched in the last five years and the exchange of dialogue in this forum have brought more understanding to me, a sharper clarity of thought, and an understanding on how to approach truth claims.
But is also has made me fully understand the harm religion does, from teaching children from birth that they are born in sin, to how it influences politics in a very bad way, to the suppression of women as second class citizens.
I do not hate any individual, but I have a powerful contempt for religion, something that robs us of our full potential and the ability to fully enjoy the wonder of this world.
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Snap.
I stand by my opinion that organised religion is the greatest confidence trick ever perpetuated on the human race.
—it goes back I think to the neolithic shamans who convinced their tribes they could talk with the dead, turn into animals and cause rain to fall…
Thought for the day: “Religion; man’s attempts to communicate with the weather” (Graffito, Cambridge,2000)
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Imagine how many great minds were stifled during the Dark Ages. How much suffering and ignorance could have been avoided if those minds had been allowed to get their ideas into the public domain.
Indeed, how many gifted geniuses were immolated to an imaginary deity out of fear and jealousy. The mind simply boggles, when theists and religious apologists try to claim science and art owe their existence to the superstitions that slowly allowed them to express themselves, but only within the constraints of never daring to imagine or question those superstitions, and the errant nonsense they worshipped as the infallible truth.
If all the time, energy, ingenuity, and money wasted on superstition had been given unfettered expression, just think what art, science and philosophy might have achieved by now.
40 years seem like a long time for searching. why didn’t you stop searching after you discover that church is a social club - its similar club in islam too -. how did you feel after you have discovered that you are an atheist ?
why you wasn’t convinced in just few years that all religions are similar and people are believing in something that doesn’t exist ?
I was fully committed to believing in a divine entity. I was still devout despite a lack of evidence. I still wanted a god to believe in.
I am pretty smart at some things, especially mechanical. But I am dumb in others.
I was only able to properly examine the “god” question thanks to the internet, being exposed to arguments from atheists. That is when many of my questions were answered, that is when I was able to organize my thoughts, which were very confused and cloudy.
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Organised religions are far more than a social club. They are institutions of control, power and wealth. Give you an example: I lived in Malaysia for a bit .It’s about 60% Muslim… It is a criminal offence offer alcohol top a muslim or to try to convert a muslim to another religion .There are religious police. A muslim founding eating or drinking in public during the daylight hours of ramadan will be arrested. A person who renounces Islam will be sent to prison,for 2 years. Islam, has much more power in some countries, such as Saudi Arabia.
I left my church at 20, when I found I could no longer accept their teachings. The teachings of religions have nothing to do with the existence of God. Plus the Abrahamic faiths are not the only belief systems. There are literally thousands of other religions.
After leaving the church, I still believed in god. I spent the next 20 years searching for meaning. I didn’t find any.
Finally realised I was not simply an agnostic, but an athiest because I no longer believed in god.