this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2026
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I have never had serious thoughts about religion till now.

I am a little confused if I should ever take it seriously - i like the serenity religious institutions provide - the artwork - the quiet comfort - but dislike the brainwashing and scams.

Would love to know how the community got started with this.

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[–] brucethemoose@lemmy.world 10 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

At 25? Where I settled now.

  • Religion can provide a loving, peaceful philosophical framework to live by. Some of the most wholesome, kind, generous people I’ve known are devout.

  • People’s brains are all wired differently, and this works well for some.

  • It’s cultural. You can't just throw away that huge part of someone’s background

But.

  • Some of the most unspeakable things in my personal life happened in the name of religion.

  • Ive seen it ruin families, and kick rationality out of groups and instill hate in its place. Not in news feeds; with my own two eyes.

  • What’s more, some religions reinforce idolization and "worship" of people, which is extremely dangerous.


So I’ve settled on this:

  • …I respect other people’s faith, especially in people I respect in person. People do what they do, you know? They have their own perspective of the world, and I'm not going to presume to know better.

  • And I keep in mind that religion is more philosophical for many. And that kind, devout people won’t push it on you.

  • But I am under no obligation to share it. I’m sure as hell going to push back against idol worship, anti-science thinking, bigotry, political cultism and so on, but not cross the line to their belief in God or the afterlife or whatever.

  • …And I have no interest in it myself. It doesn’t fit my brain.


This was a journey, though. For a long time I was an “apathetic Christian” because it felt like an obligation, even though Christianity made no sense to my systemic view of the world. I would have never dared admit I was agnostic or atheist when I was 18, not even to myself.