I believe that there is nothing wrong with not having a religion, which wasn’t something I could say growing up. My parents divorced when I was four, and while my mother rarely discussed religious beliefs, my father, who my sister and I saw every other weekend, relentlessly instilled the Christian religion and the importance of a devotion to God upon both of us. The weekends spent at my father’s house very often included prayer, discussions of God and the Bible, and going to church on Sunday. As a child, I took in everything I was taught by my father and the churches we would go to unquestioningly, being constantly reminded that rejecting God meant going to hell. However, as I became older, believing in God became more and more difficult, mainly because I became more open minded as I grew up and began to consider the countless other possibilities. I was afraid at first to accept that my beliefs were changing, but Christianity just wasn’t right for me, and no matter how hard I tried, I could not make myself accept Christian beliefs, despite the threat of hell.
I think that one of the most important days of my life was not the day I realized that I no longer believed in God, but the day that I was actually able to admit to myself that I no longer believed in God and decided that there was nothing wrong with that. I understand why many people would disagree with me, but personally, releasing all ties that I had to religion gave me a profound sense of freedom and even peace of mind. I’ve never been too concerned with how I got here, and I don’t worry myself with what will happen when I die. Not having a religion allows me to focus on what’s going on right now, and better enjoy and appreciate the present.
All too often I receive negativity for my lack of religious beliefs, but I hope others will come to accept it the way I accepted it myself. Everyone thinks and feels differently, and there is no reason to judge or think badly of someone because of what they believe in. I believe that it’s ok not to have a religion, but also that our beliefs should be respected, no matter what they are.