June 17, 2011
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A message to curious believers
(I did not write this and I do not know who did. It was shared with me and I thought I would pass it on.)
75% of all believers have some doubts.
50% of all believers have serious doubts.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Over 90% of all believers were never given a choice to believe in what they do. The religion that you “belong” to, almost entirely depends on where you were born and to whom.
There are 22 major (500 thousand + members) world religions, with countless sub-divisions or sects. For example, there are over 34,000 divided denominations of Christianity.
Most of those religions denounce the others. Which has been a source of countless conflicts?
Some people consider that being born into the correct religion is similar to playing the lottery. Except you don’t choose to play or which game but you are expected to pay and play it your entire life.
In recorded human history (150,000 years), various religions have directed followers to worship over 2,800 different gods. Many of those gods have reluctantly become extinct, over time, as people have found ways to progress.
The small percentage of actual people in the world who have had the courage to admit to being Non-Believers and Free-Thinkers (who are free from religion), have recently exploded in their numbers. Their membership is now expanding faster than any religion in the world; almost equal to Islam (second largest religion) in size.
Currently, there are almost 1.5 billion, admitted Non-Believers and Free-Thinkers, in the world.
SO YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
I know how difficult it is to be where you are, with that hidden doubt. I know how frightening it is, even if nobody knows.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
I can help you find the massive amount of vital truths that have been purposely hidden from you, all your life. I can help you find the real answers. Once you know these truths, it may be easier for you to stand up, against the religious control.
I understand that once you publicly refuse to be controlled by religion, it may be very difficult for you to be accepted by some friends and family. Many religious people stand by a duty of making sure everyone they know, follows their beliefs. Often, this duty is more important than the love for their friends and family.
You can do it. You can over-come their, control, pressure, anger and even abandonment.
It is never too late to regain your freedom.
Choosing to repress your true thoughts, for your entire life, will be very damaging. Believe in yourself. You will find a special comfort in that. Learn how you can truly help others, with a real and visible “hands on” (not hands together!) approach.
Don’t let history repeat itself. Break the cycle. Protect your children from the fear, shame and guilt.
Many of you were forced to take a leap of faith; so now, all I can ask is that you try to take a leap of doubt!
Ultimately, you have to make the choice for yourself. I want to give you that choice that religion never let you have. It may be the most difficult thing in your life to do but I believe you can do it.
There is an amazing freedom that you feel when you “break the chains of religion!”
~COMING OUT LINKS AND ARTICLES AND WEBSITES!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-OUT-Campaign/26796806059
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/robby_berry/ycomeout.html
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2007/4/27/coming-out-of-the-atheist-closet/
http://www.atheists.org/atheism/coming_out
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/27/us/27atheist.html
http://www.lawattstimes.com/opinion/opinion/773-out-of-the-closet–black-atheists.html
http://www.theroot.com/views/black-women-who-use-word
http://atheism.about.com/b/2009/05/02/atheists-coming-out-of-the-closet-attracting-attention.htm
Comments (18)
This made me laugh.
“I can help you find the massive amount of vital truths that have been
purposely hidden from you, all your life. I can help you find the real
answers. Once you know these truths, it may be easier for you to stand
up, against the religious control.”
If this person is trying to convince you the “real truth” is that there isn’t a God, he is as guilty as all those he professes are lying to you about there being a God.
Some people mindfully and thoughtfully freely choose religion. Some people mindlessly and thoughtlessly freely choose atheism.
@Jewelbeetle - What is wrong with wanting someone to have all the facts? Not sure what is so funny about that.
Nothing is wrong with wanting someone to have all the facts. I agree people shouldn’t blindly follow a religion. But all those facts don’t prove there isn’t a God. Its like a believer trying to convince an atheist there is a God because of the fact that the believer “feels his presence”.
Lol I can’t take any person who touts themselves as a free thinker seriously until they openly and publicly challenge more popular social norms that are completely unrelated to religion. Skepticism that lives only in the religious arena isn’t really skepticism, it’s masked and rationalized bitterness. Free thinkers my ass.
@striemmy - I’ve gotta say, you expressed my thoughts nicely.
@Jewelbeetle - I completely agree.
I think it’s ridiculous to pretend either way that you have all the facts, Encouraging discussion and offering a new perspective, sure. But to label something as lies is to make the same mistake as those who label it as fact.
Faith needs uncertainty in order for it to be faith. Certainty is what brings ignorance and arrogance and “extremists”. I am well aware that my belief in God cannot be proven scientifically. That’s why I call it “faith”. Nobody can tell me that there is no God for a fact, just as nobody can tell me that there is.
@Jewelbeetle - It’s very rare for an atheist to become one thoughtlessly. More often than not they arrived at it after careful thought. Sure, there’s a bit of everything, and you’ll find the rare atheist that seems to be just acting out, or trying to be rebellious. But, I’ve encountered very few of those. I’m being generous – I actually can’t think of a single case in my 17+ years as an unbeliever. And I’ve attended various meetings in person over the years, and I’ve interacted with A LOT of atheists online. The reverse is true of the religious believer. Most believe because it was pushed through their soft skulls since birth, and seldom (if ever), put their beliefs through serious questioning.
Agree with those above. Atheists can be just as dogmatic as theists in their conviction that God doesn’t exist. Agnosticism makes more sense.
Religion is the root of all evil. Spirituality and acceptance of each other is the beginning of world peace.
@LSP1 - I agree too Down right embarrassing too.
My BIL is an atheist and he OPENLY mocks my faith. I never even shared my faith with him. He told me what i believe is crazy. i told him I never cared to discuss this with him why is he attacking me?
“I can help you find the massive amount of vital truths that have been purposely hidden from you, all your life.”
wat.
i lol’d
@OhItWontBeForever - ”Faith needs uncertainty in order for it to be faith. ” Huh? Yaqeen is one of the conditions of the shahadah. How can one have faith (imaan, trusting in the Prophet (saw)), if they’re uncertain? Unless you mean uncertain regarding whether it actually came from him or not or how what has been passed on is to be implemented, etc. But then I don’t see what that’d have to do with faith.
@Ikwa - b/c he believes what he used to believe is crazy. therefore anyone that he assumes has a share with his former beliefs must also have crazy beliefs. and with this kind of behavior/mentality it’s generally impossible for a believer (of the same religion, similar, or just any, depends) to even have a different belief or a different set of implications because while he may not be a know-it-all, now that he supposedly knows better clearly he must’ve knew-it-all.
i love when ex-muslims look down on muslims. more often than not they expose that they never actually properly learned about the religion, and instead of conceding they just fall into mockery or a moral or intellectual high ground. real classy.
@versatil - Faith by definition is to believe something without having proof of it. That’s different to yaqeen. If it was with proof, it’d be called knowledge.
@In_Reason_I_Trust - This is opinion.
@versatil - what is strange is I am not catholic. Which he was and he used to tell my Husband he was going to hell all the time since my hubby was a Deist and didn’t believe in 3 gods.
Take care friend!
I was raised with all kids of religion but I find most beliefs have one thing in common, Belief that life is bigger than just me.
The thing is, with everything science can prove, Stephen Hawking said that there is no need for a god. Yet, he can’t prove there isn’t one. There are a bunch of things in the world that necessarily don’t need to be, but they are.
I’d like to get back to this discussion on “facts” after the Universal Theory is first found, second, proven. I hope to see that day.
@Jewelbeetle - So is what you said. I speak from direct experience with many atheists and many christians over many years (I’m 36.) The patterns are obvious. Suit yourself if you want to dismiss it as opinion. I know it’s not.