Misterspock1 Posted April 25, 2013 Share Posted April 25, 2013 Wow, it is hard to believe it has been eight years since I left my faith! The first couple of years were true agony. I almost killed myself once and wanted to on several other occasions. What do you do when all you have known for 23 years is an overwhelmingly Christian environment? What do you do when all of your strength, peace, and morality came from something you no longer believe? I did not know the answers to these questions and I agonized for a long time, often with a knife blade pressed against my chest. I had several friends and family eventually intervene, and throughout the course of several hospitalizations for depression I began to work through things. I eventually moved to the big city (KC...woohoo) and started a new chapter of my life. I had finally started to work through my depression, but I felt a change of scenery would help. I found a new girlfriend, a new job, and made new friends. A couple years after I moved, I became an uncle, which has been a truly rewarding experience. I still have questions and I will admit there are things I do not know. For example, I do not know if God exists or not. However, I have grown comfortable with identifying myself as an atheist. As I explore the questions more and more, the less I believe that God exists. I will not rehash my whole story about leaving Christianity (you can read my profile or my original post for that), but I have been gone for a while and I wanted to give an update. I mainly wanted to give encouragement and hope to new members and new exCs. It can take time, but the fear and the sadness do subside, and your new beliefs and your new self start to solidify. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 I still have questions and I will admit there are things I do not know. For example, I do not know if God exists or not. However, I have grown comfortable with identifying myself as an atheist. Hey there, Misterspock1! Thanks for the update. I like what you said here ^^^ and I think this point is key. These are the hard questions about which people have argued and fought wars for millennia. What makes us have so much angst about not knowing for sure if God exists or not? No one knows; there is only evidence. I too am increasingly at peace with not knowing. This transition--from a theory of everything to a theory of nothing--was difficult, as I am a black and white thinker who needs to organize and create conceptual frameworks for just about everything seen and unseen. (I know.... ) Christianity--the charismatic version in particular--had me skiing out of intellectual bounds and I was soon swept away in an avalanche of contrary evidence. I wish you peace on the journey, friend! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted April 26, 2013 Share Posted April 26, 2013 There is only one conclusion that I have felt satisfied with about god: I am convinced that there is no supernatural power that involves itself with individuals or human affairs on earth. As to whether there is some other god or higher power, I don't know. I can't be any more honest than that. bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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