Freedom to Live

There are a lot more of us out there than one might think. By "us," I mean those who have questioned the Christianity we were raised with, and come out calling ourselves "ex-Christian." We have seen through the hypocrisy and the lies, we refuse to accept on blind faith the inconsistencies of our former religion.

But what do we do now? All change is difficult in some respect, however necessary it is. But when the change is as huge as this one, our lives are turned upside down. Christianity dominated our lives; we were taught to do everything as a Christian, even eat or drink. And so we ask, "if I remove Christianity, what do I have left? Will not my life be completely pointless?" Do not give in to those thoughts, seeker. That is what Christianity wants you to think. You can and ought to have a life free from the false constrictions of religion. Rejecting Christianity is not the death of your existence, but rather the birth. Christianity does not have a monopoly on joy, or happiness, or love, though it might think it does. Lalaith has found love apart from Christ. I still love and am loved. And we are both happier than we ever were while we held to a belief that punished us for everything from our doubts to our desires.

Ex-Christian is a daunting title. It means you must no longer rely on a faceless, formless God or his supposed Word for your direction. You are free to, and must, seek your own way. You now have both great freedom, and great responsibility. You are free to do as you choose, and to answer only to your own conscience, and that is great freedom indeed. But you can no longer say, "that is right (or wrong) because the Bible says so." You are the sole determination of your own morality, and that is a great responsibility. But that is not to say you must reject the morality of the Bible. Loving your neighbor is likely a good thing, and I daresay most would agree murder is still wrong. You can pick and choose what agrees with your conscience. In the end, you will not answer to God. You will answer to your own conscience and give account to yourself for how you lived your own life.

It is true, it is no use to wait for God to tell you what direction you should take in your life. So what direction do you want to take, seeker? What do you like to do, what calling do you desire? You can do anything you want, you know. Nothing is withheld from you. You are free to choose.

Do you see what I mean about this being a birth, new life? It is still daunting to completely discard everything your life has stood for until this point. It is even natural to feel a sense of loss. But do not wallow in that loss. Look forward to what you now possess. Relish your freedom, and do not waste too much time looking back, to what was. Look forward! See what new adventures are in store for you! You have new landscapes to explore, new treasures to seek. Your shackles have been broken! Go and be free!