Things I Like About No Longer Being a Christian
When I saw Matthew's post this morning it made me think of the post I just wrote on my blog Frasch Ideas a couple of days ago. I got to thinking about all the reasons I like about not being a Christian and wrote them down. I agree with Matthew that Christian's seem to think they have a monopoly on Love and Joy and Peace. But I feel ever so much better (relieved, even) since I left first the church, then Christianity and then God. As much as they might hate to admit it, even the Christian side of my family would have to say I am a much happier person now. So, here for your pleasure is: Things I like about no longer being a Christian (or as Matthew says: The Joy of Being a Heathen).
This is all there is; make the most of it.
I like this thought better than thinking about spending eternity in heaven. This makes life more exciting and enjoyable. I know I can't just laze around because I've got something better coming. I appreciate my world more now and want to take care of it because this is all there is, and all those who come after me are going to have.
There is no fear of punishment.
No more do I have to worry if god is going to punish me or my kids or my friends because we did something wrong, or chose an alternative lifestyle, or because of the sin of the world. I no longer have to view tsunamis and AIDS as punishent sent by God.
My relatives are no longer in hell.
This is a feeling not like any other. Imagine being told by the scriptures and your pastors that anyone not believing on the Lord Jesus Christ would go to hell when they died. I was sure my grandfathers were in hell. It is amazing to me how much this is preached except at a funeral. Then the unbelievers (or rather their families) are given a hope that maybe there was a deathbed conversion. I've never heard a pastor say, "Sorry Mrs Jones, we know your husband was an unbeliever and he is hell right now." If they really believed that unrepentant sinners go to hell, then they should say so right in the face of the mourning. It is easy to say when speaking in generalities, but hard to say to Mrs Jones if she asks you where her husband is.
There are no taboo questions.
As a matter of fact, questions are encouraged. Searching is encouraged. Coming up with different ways of looking at things are encouraged.
There is no more guesing God's will.
What a farce that always was, trying to figure out god's will. How do you figure it out when he won't say anything? If you are lucky the Bible says something about it, but if not you are left with trying to discern the will of god on your own, through your feelings.
No more thinking I must be sinning because of adversity.
Here is what I know now - bad things happen to good people, bad things happen to bad people, good things happen to good people, and good things happen to bad people. That's life; shit happens. Most people are good most of the time and most of the time life is good. That's what I look for now.
I can take credit for what I do.
If something good happens in my life and I worked hard for it, I can say it is because I worked hard for it. I don't have to give god the credit. By the same token,if I mess up I have to take responsibility and not say the devil made me do it.
I don't have to mess with the problem of unanswered prayer.
This is such a relief. One, I don't have to pray anymore and two, I don't have try to figure out the right way, the way to make things work, the way to make things happen. I don't have to have the convoluted mess of scripures in my head that contradict each other or that show the way alongside another one that shows the way. I don't have to have answers as to why my prayer isn't working, why god didn't heal so and so even though we followed all of the rules.
I don't have to witness or feel guilty for not witnessing.
I used to hate witnessing. I never was very good at it. I didn't like butting into people's personal lives, especially uninvited. Instead, I indoctrinated little children in Sunday School and Good News Bears for which I repent.
I don't have to fear for my unsaved friends and family members souls.
And even when I did witness, it didn't mean that they accepted Jesus. And then I felt guilt for not convincing them and fear that they would end up in hell because I didn't do enough. I spent hours and hours praying for my dad to be saved so he could be in heaven with us. God never answered, or maybe he said no.
I have every Sunday completely free.
">I can sleep in every Sunday now and have my whole day free, no Sunday night services, no practice sessions, no Wednesday nights, no council meetings, no special meetings, no offerings, no tithing. Sundays are my own (along with the rest of my week)