To the Atheists w/ a Religious Past : That Nostalgic Feeling

[InbetweenDreams]

While I can't say I share the experience nostalgia as the OP @"Sherman8D" used to describe as I wasn't brought up in a religious household. I can certainly see how one can experience a lot of feelings about leaving their religion. I don't think my sexuality played much of a role other than I think the fact that being gay was a heated issue for Christians that it more clearly exposed the hypocrisy of it.

I guess you can say I am agnostic with a interest in Pagan traditions/paths, but I am not solely invested in anything in particular.

I do think that "church" and faith are very different things. Yes, @Tjemka88 you don't have to go anywhere in particular to worship a deity. Many Pagans for instance can setup an alter in their bedroom or out in the woods somewhere. I do sometimes get the feeling that people in many mainstream religions don't really believe or follow the teachings of their religions, rather that they interpret things the way they want and weaponize it as we keep seeing over and over. I find that when you take away their religion that people are people, that we humans tend to be hypocrites, contradicting, conflicted, ignorant and afraid of people who are unlike us. Not saying all Christians or any particular religious group are all a certain way, there are good people who follow these religions. Take people like Fred Rogers or LeVar Burton, good examples of what I would call a good Christian. They're not out on a mission, they're not out to spread hate, they're not shoving their beliefs down anyone's throat. Simply that they're trying spread good in the world. That is after all what I think anyone should try to do, regardless of what they believe, be it a God, or polytheistic or believe in a purple dinosaur in the sky...or nothing at all.