How Has Turning Athiest/ Agnostic Affected You?

minimus

Many JWs believed in God. Now many here, do not believe in a deity. How has this affected you in your life?

It probably doesn't affect most people who go from religion to agnosticism/atheism as much as it affects Witnesses, because we were in a high control group. So, for me, the major difference is that I am not focused on appeasing an invisible person by meeting his stringent standards (that is, his stringent standards as claimed by certain men). In lieu of that I can now focus on contributing something to the society that I was taught to shun, and to focus on building a future for myself instead of feeling that I shouldn't bother because the world is going to end in a few years.

Giordano

Minimus it affected me about the same as when I stopped believing in Santa. At some point in time you become aware of Santa and what that means reward wise then at 6 or 7 Santa is just not there.

The god belief is hardwired into our brains as very young children. We carry it around like our culture. Some people hold on to god because it's a bridge to far to let go.

In my case I never missed what I never had.

love2Bworldly

I feel free but at the same time sad. I used to feel comforted thinking there was a big guy in the sky watching over me. Now I know there isn't, not with all the human suffering that goes on and the way the earth is becoming ruined by mankind's selfishness.

nicolaou

Here in the UK we used to meet up in pubs that, before the smoking ban, were filled with cigarette smoke. The chairs and carpets were grubby and the toilets stank of piss and puke. Leaving faith and religion behind was like walking out of those pubs and drawing lungfulls of cool, clean air before getting home, showering and putting on fresh, clean clothes. I've never regretted it.

Junction-Guy

Well I still believe in God, though the Devil has tried every trick in the book to destroy my faith. Even so far as having a "supposed" friend lead me to a church where the social dynamics worked against me. I walked away from that church, in order to keep my faith, even though I still have a good home church in Kentucky. I still believe in God, even though I don't have a good local church in Tennessee, nor do I have a desire to find one.

steve2

There is possibly no beating the consoling value of religious beliefs in times of loss and grief.

And, the deep human need for consolation suggests that whether the source of the consolation is truthful or not is less important than whether the "recipients" view it as such. Subjectivity rules, OK.

And it is this aspect that illustrates the triumph of the need for consolation over the need for the "truth" since every man and his dog swears that their beliefs console them (and as we know, it would be logically impossible for all beliefs to be true no matter how much they console their respective believers).

I guess what stamps agnostics - and atheists, in particular - as impressively different from those suckered in by the consoling value of religious beliefs, is prioritizing the need for truth over the need for consolation - it is not that agnostics and athiests are above being consoled. But they 'd rather be consoled by something evidence-based and truthful than by something that soothes and the soothing properties then be adduced as evidence of "truth". This latter route to truth is favored by those who claim God touched their hearts (and consoled them) therefore God is real and true.

The fallacy "My beliefs comfort me therefore they must be true" is the same "logic" used by children whenever they escape into the pages of their fairy stories because the "real" world is too harsh . Understandable but hardly a sound basis for reasoning.

How Has Turning Athiest/ Agnostic Affected You?

minimus

Apognophos

Giordano

love2Bworldly

nicolaou

Junction-Guy

steve2

cofty

Phizzy

Wasanelder Once

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