Why losing your religion is a step to a higher consiousness
For most religious people, losing your religion is the most unimagined thing in this world. It will be like a death wish or a cursing on you and your family for eternity. I used to have such a great faith in my religion, that it became the very essence of me. It became my world and the way I perceived things. My beliefs became my worldview and perspective.
Now, for some religious people out there, this may sound like a very good thing, depending on the religion, right? If you are Muslim and I am a Muslim, you would say I have a perfect perspective of this world. If I am Christian and you are Christian you would think the same, but if I am Christian and you are Muslim, you would not agree with my perspective or my religion and visa versa.
I would have never imagined that losing my religion could be so painful. It really is earthshattering. It really is like your very foundation crumbles and you are left with nothing. You do not know what to believe anymore, who to trust, what to do, how to live or if living for eternity is even in the cards you were delt with, nevermind heaven or hell.
Here is why losing your bearings (your religious perspective) is actually a step to a higher consiousness.
Your view about God may change. He may become bigger or smaller or less or more human and more universal or maybe non-existent. This may challenge your perception about this world, how it came about (actually seriously reflecting on it and maybe even search for answers from science (which can be a surprizingly beneficial). You may look at God's relationship with mankind (looking at the whole world and asking questions about the injustices taking place in some countries, the geography of religions, like why God would have a true religion be Christianity in a place like America and Islam in Irak, Judaism in Israel, Hinduism in India. So depending on where you were born, you would be born into either the right or wrong religion depending on where you find yourself. You may reflect on your prayers and be true to yourself when you ponder the amount of prayers that were really answered miraculously and which were self-fulfilling.
Your view about Money may change. Where you may have seen it as a tool of Satan or the enemy, to derail you from your eternal perspective, you may now view it as a friend, that sets you free and can do more good in this world than any other good deeds, to equalize the opportunities of all humanity and make life easier for everyone.
Your view about a continuation of life after death may change. Not that this is a pleasant thing to consider. Who wants to acknowledge the possibility of never existing ever again after death? That is such a harsh thought. Yet, if one actually does consider the fact that biologically, when you die, there is no life within you. All processes stop, including your brain, so the ability to think and feel will also stop. Then when the idea sinks in, that this is a possibility, you may just value this life more than you value a life here after.
Your view about sin may change. You may consider that if there is no God at all, then there also will not be the concept of sin. Then things like being guy or being angry or abortion or sex outside of marriage may not be things that need to be frowned upon and can actually bring more love, tolerance and acceptance into this world.
When you consider that no religion is true, but a choice of a belief that you would like to be true, then you may stop frowning on other people's beliefs, but start frowning upon the bondage that some religions place on people and even the inequality or the injustice they embrace. You may perhaps view religion as something redundent, an institution that is outdated and belief as something very personal and single and unique to every individual. This may just mean a bigger embrace and appreciation for each individual in this world's uniqueness, but also acknowledging and loving the core similarities we share. We might just find ourselves understanding our own selves as well as everyone else better.
Your view about reality and truth may change. You may find that losing your religion will kind of bring you back to earth. You may find yourself looking at the world more realistically and searching for the truth among the most fundamental and essential basics of our human existence. To find a cure for an illness, we need to find out where the illness comes from and find answers to what will truly kill the disease. It is not open for beliefs. It is dependent on research and examinations. The same with convicting a murderer. It will not be just to only accuse someone of murder before investigating the crime. In all of these things we need to find the truth in order for things to be fair and affective. The same holds true for religion and what we believe. Believing in an afterlife can be very hopeful, but it can also be damaging. Those who may live for eternity, may just cut their own lives short or give up the fight. It is important that we look critically at what we believe and stand for truth above all else. We may even find ourselves making less mistakes and have a bigger zest for life, because of a more realistic and timebound outlook.
I am happy to announce that after losing my religion, I was not cursed and I did not die, as yet. I have been without a religion for more than three years and I love my freedom. I love to know that I am in control of my own life and only us as people of this world, can bring about change. It does not help waiting for some miracle from above. Only if we stand up for what is right and true will we be able to bring about a change that can move us forward to become a people of love, acceptance, innovation, tolerance and peace. Welcoming change and embracing and valuing differences should be our motto.