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The anger DOES subside at some point

Some of you will admittedly NOT fall into this pattern. Some of you will say it doesn't apply, but in all honesty it does. And many will be like me and hit this one right on. Agnostics and atheists often feel anger and resentment towards religion.

I know ..."duh" - right? But hear me out.

I think it's betrayal. Many of us reached this point after feeling betrayed or let down by a set of beliefs that just don't add up. When you put your faith in something like that and it keeps getting beaten up it's pretty natural to carry a grudge. Some resentment. Often lots of it. But it will subside if you let it.

Don't let religion do that to you. Don't give it a power over you to incite feelings one way or another. It's a tool. Nothing more. Does a hammer sitting in a drawer make you mad?

You have to be able to step back objectively and just see it for what it is. I say this but I was in the same boat for many years. Oh, I was mad! I still feel the resentment at times. But I no longer need the crutch that it gave me before ... and I recognize the weakness in people that makes them turn to it. They need that feeling to make it, you don't. Pity them and envy yourself. There's no reason to be mad.

JeffMesser 8 June 4
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12 comments

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0

I don't feel anger towards , i feel sympathy for those that beleive in mythology. they are unable to believe in their selves and must grab on to something that allows them to feel worthy as their feelings and belief in their selves don't cut it. sad, really . . .

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Well said!

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Here's a video about non violent communication, he talks about anger being due to our needs not being met. I think we can all agree that Religion has not met our needs, hence we're here, but anger is a waste of energy according to Rosenberg. Personally I think he's a very smart man:

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Can't say I felt 'anger' about the whole religious shitterree. I was indoctrinated into this dogma by my parents, who were at peace with religion. They weren't whackos, so I deducted they were pushing this on me because of habit. It wasn't some dangerous cult. So once I hit 16 I just got the hell away from it. I probably felt more grateful than anything else after I peeled it off like the dead skin it is.

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I figured out religion was BS when I was a very young grade-school person so I was never angry for "feeling betrayed or let down by a set of beliefs that just don't add up" as I figured religion (like the invention of Santa-Clause was a mind control game adults used to control children.

My primary emotion about religion is great pity for those who consider faith (belief without evidence) -the foundation of religion- a method for finding truth (things that can be demonstrated to be accurate) I am angry that religion causes death, deception, and misery for so many of those who drink the cool-aid and those controlled by those that drink the cool-aid.

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You're not the boss of me. I'll be mad if I want. So there. 😛

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Religion has been made into an attempt to explain the world by priests who cannot afford for their authority's sake to say "I don't know". It didn't work out very well, much of it is corrected by science but the Christians refuse to go back and revise their holy manual.
I don't blame my grandparents for adhering to it and sneaking some Christianity into my life by the back door. It is my heritage, and even if it was based on falsehoods it can still be mined for a few truths, as long as you are careful to test for truth.

I agree with the dalai in that I see the positives of religion such that it's probably better that they do exist rather than not. But I won't go much further in crowing their usefulness. Overall they have done almost as much harm as good and in my opinion they are responsible for many of our ills.

I'm sure this is not what you intended but your ". . . sneaking some Christianity into my life by the back door." brings to mind stories of several guys I know who were fucked in their back door (ass) by their Catholic Priests.

@NoMagicCookie well THAT escalated in a hurry! how about those Bears!

@kauva Sorry about that. That is honestly what came to mind. . . that and this rather funny music video.

@NoMagicCookie oh it's all good. that was just a rather awkward shift from the subtleties of religiosity to anal intercourse.

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I heard a lot of people in jail and prison find jesus and then they claim to be not angry anymore.

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I feel no anger, only sadness.

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I'm not angry at my parents for playing the Santa Claus game with me. And I'm certainly not mad at Santa Claus. I don't see parents doing the Santa Claus thing as doing more than engaging in harmless, well-meaning fun and I'm not angry at them.

Some people disagree, but I think there's a general consensus that this myth isn't really worth a ton of emotion. People grow up, they learn to see reality for what it is, and the problem would be if an adult wandered around talking and acting like she actually believed in Santa. We'd feel pity for such a person, not anger. And then have to confront the issue of how to get that person to reality in a way that neither hurt her nor condescended to her.

By themselves, other myths are no different and no more cause for alarm or anger than Santa Claus. The problem is when people don't see myths for what they are, and act on them like they're real. How can we get these people to address reality in a respectful, non-hurtful way?

The last 2 sentences of your comment are the crux of the dilemma in this country. I wish I had the answer. In the meantime I'll be who I am and try to spread critical thinking whenever I can.

you have to address the cause of their errant perception.

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I left the church at 14. My anger at religion comes from its influence on society, our politicians, and laws. I will stay angry about that influence.It has had no affect on the way l think about anything other than its societal impact.

3

Yeah good point. I think we need to use our belief or is it non belief system in constructive ways. Staying angry just wears you out and it makes more sense to use energy constructively

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