Did you ever just stop caring about religion?

Question

My brother and I discussed it this afternoon. For me, apatheism (not caring about God or religion at all) was a necessary time of rest between Christianity and Paganism. It was a hotel--a nice and comfy one with sybaritic pleasures, but not a place I could stay forever. For my brother and his wife, apatheism is a default setting, a home. They're prone to saying things like, "Can we talk about something real?" if religion is brought up. My brother compared discussing religion with arguing over whether Spiderman or Batman is better.

Have you ever felt that way? Do you now? If so, what's your story? I'm just really curious.

Folks, I'm not asking if you want to shave your bikini zone with a metal cheese grater, okay? I'm asking a sincere question about faith journeys. If this horrifies you, please think of where you're at and grow some perspective.

Thanks to most of y'all so far.

I do mean not caring about *anything* to do with God, Gods, faith, religion, etc. Five senses only.

And it's actually a roll-together of "apathy" and "theist." It seemed much more fitting than just plain "atheist." There's a real difference between "don't know" and "don't care." "Don't care" seems to scare people more.

Keep the thoughts coming....

Answer 1

Yes, I did when I was going through a period of being "in between" religions. Religion and religious-themed questions were simply nothing I thought about on a daily basis. A lot of this had to do with moving out of my parents' place and finishing my Catholic high school, which put me in a position to be much less defensive about my own religion.

Eventually though I came to accept the fact that even though I firmly did not believe in deity, I did like the structure and beauty that religious dogma and ceremony provides. The good news is that there are non-theistic religions out there (look to the far east for a few examples), so I managed to find something that fit what I was really looking for.

Answer 2

great question. I have studied nearly all on a quest for fulfillment. I think it is important to again point out that Religion and spirituality are not one and the same. I have heard people say "religion i for people who don't want to go to hell; spirituality is for those who have already been." A bit trite but effective. I have found Taoism to be the most natural and logical. I must say that organized religion is scary and seems very outdated.It has become a giant shield behind which many wrongs are freely committed. Some other views....
“The tendency to turn human judgments into divine commands makes religion one of the most dangerous forces in the world.”
Georgia Harkness

We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.”
Jonathan Swift
“If there were no God, it would have been necessary to invent him.”
Voltaire
“We can live without religion and meditation, but we cannot survive without human affection.”
Dalai Lama
“Eskimo: "If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?" Priest: "No, not if you did not know." Eskimo: "Then why did you tell me?"”
Annie Dillard
“The church is always trying to get other people to reform; it might not be a bad idea to reform itself a little, by way of example”
Mark Twain
“I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world.”
Richard Dawkins
For seventeen hundred years the Christian sect has done nothing but harm”
Voltaire
“Of all religions, Christianity is without a doubt the one that should inspire tolerance most, although, up to now, the Christians have been the most intolerant of all men”
Voltaire
“When the missionaries came to Africa they had the Bible and we had the land. They said, 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. When we opened them we had the Bible and they had the land.”
Bishop Desmond Tutu

Answer 3

Well I guess to a certain extent I have. But it's not that I don't like talking about religion or discussing it anymore, because I do. I think it's important because it effects the world around us because so many people are influenced by religions of various sorts and shades. It'd be hard to ignore.

A better example with me would be politics, I used to be very much into politics as it was my favorite topic of conversation. Now I can't really stand it when people bring it up. It's funny looking back too. I suppose the biggest reason I no longer like talking about politics IRL is because my view has changed so radically from what it once was yet all the people around me still are ultra conservatives, and I'm not so I'm the black sheep. :P

Answer 4

GreenEyedLilo,

Religion used to be the center of my life. In fact it was for over 35 years. I read a couple of books that literally changed my life, and helped me see the reality or "what is real" rather than what I had been taught all my life by religion. I believed with all of my heart the religion I was in. I thought that what I believed was right and that others who did not believe like me were wrong, or "evil", or "sinning" unknowingly.


Little did I realize that I was the one in error. ME.


I came understand that reality and truth are more important than religion and belief. If you are interested in what I learned, you can read the free books at the site below. However, if you are happy where you are at, I would suggest just enjoying your life and being happy, and letting your brother and his wife do the same where they are at also.

My familiy does not talk about religion with me any more. I believe they are afraid of the truth, or reality as things are. I do not mention what I believe to them because I respect who and where they are and believe in allowing others to believe whatever they would like to.

God is not a respector of persons, and loves us all equally, no matter WHAT we believe.

Here is a quote from the first book cited at the website below:

"How great shall be the embarrassment of those who find out their Lord did not attend church or support any ordained minister. The “tormented” and embarrassed will be in the presence of a man who once lived on their earth, who is their Lord, and also in the presence of other exalted beings who have progressed far beyond modern humans (“the holy angels”). Christ loved his enemies, sinners, and friends EUQALLY, and will say to those spoken of above, “I gave you the simple commandments, which were the will of my Father which is in heaven, who is also your Father, and you did none of them.”

Answer 5

Well, religion and God aren't the same thing although for some reason people believe them to be synonmous. Religion is a construction of Man about God. Religion can be very frustrating, God is not.

Answer 6

Mankind is approximately to be ushered into Lifechanyuan era which will span one thousand years. the ideal functionality of Lifechanyuan era is the absence of kinfolk, faith, political occasion, and state interior the international. “the proficient would be positioned to solid use, and the finished international would be one kinfolk”, wherein “no it is common to pocket something stumbled on on the floor, and doorways are actually not bolted at night”, the folk would be organic and organic, the factors would be solid for harvest, the society would be harmonious, the desire of the folk would be non violent, the products would be ample, and everybody would be happy. The heaven will become sparkling and mind-blowing while unified, the earth will become non violent while united, the deity will become powerful while united, the grain will become wealthy while united, all issues replace into thriving while unified, and a saint’s theory could replace into popular if he pursues the uniform reality. the finished of mankind has in common terms one government, one theory, one order, and one trend; guy can in common terms have one objective, one desire, one path to construct, and one highway to stay with all the way with the aid of his existence. otherwise, it extremely is going to be difficult to realize the readability, peace, effectiveness, and prosperity. extra breeds confusion and heterogeneity motives inflammation. provided that “all strategies are unified into one customary concept”, and “all religions are unified into one uniform faith”, can the uniformity be found out. provided that the uniformity is located out, can we appreciate cohesion, peace, auspiciousness, solid climate, and a happy, happy,loose and blessed existence.

Answer 7

I really don't pay attention to religion much. I prefer a
Relationship with the Father through belief on the Lord Jesus and His Resurrection.
I Cr 13;8a

Answer 8

If it doesn't cause anything to bother me then i really don't care about it, let them go on 'holy crusades' if they want to, I'm a self interest person, you don't bother me i won't bother you, if you do however I will do what I can to stop you from doing it again, if that means tearing up some preachers bible when they come to my door then so be it, their way of life is their choice, my way of life is mine and my own.

Answer 9

Never totally. Whilst I was in care I did not think much on the subject. I stopped caring about many that professed to be religious though I learned to forgive them for their vile treatment of my late partner.
Rose p.

Answer 10

Let me be Jewish (like Jesus was), and answer your question with a question. Are we talking about faith, or are we talking about religion? I mean, who really believes that some virgin gave birth to some guy who walked on water and came back from the dead? (Frankly, my money's on Batman.)