Leaving Religion Was Hard
The Shift Within: How We End Oppression and Divisiveness to Create Liberation and Indivisibility for All
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Leaving Religion Was Hard
Deconstructing my beliefs about Christianity and religion was really challenging because of how important faith and belief in Jesus Christ is to my mother, family, and the African American culture. I hid these thoughts for many years when I first began to have questions and doubts for fear of being outcasted and misunderstood.
Since I knew that I was going to go public with my podcast addressing this topic I eventually had a conversation with my mother about my shifting beliefs. While I could tell it was hard for her to hear and she advocated for her beliefs she ultimately exercised tolerance and we were able to find common ground in some of our shared values. My mother can see how much I love and care about others and how I treat people with kindness and respect and that brings her comfort.
Presently as I write this blog I do not believe in a God. I do however believe that there is a powerful force or intelligence that humans can not fully articulate or comprehend that is responsible for the creation and evolution of all that has ever existed. I’m also not invested in being right about my beliefs or trying to prove that others are wrong in theirs. Our beliefs do not have to compete. I believe that a necessary step toward ending oppression and divisiveness and creating liberation for all is in allowing people the freedom to believe what they want to as long as those beliefs don’t impede others from doing the same.
I can recognize and appreciate organized religion for the many positive benefits that it has in society. I understand that they often serve an important purpose in communities like community building, ethical and moral guidance, charity and social services, education, psychological and emotional support, preservation of cultural identities, activism, and more. When I think about the criticisms and critiques of religion that I’ve had over the years it isn’t because of any of these things, it’s because of the oppression and divisive elements. When I think about this complexity, what I imagine in my mind is taking religions and putting them into a strainer and shaking out all of the power-over, control, patriarchy, and coercion. I feel optimistic when I imagine what would remain.
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