152- On why was my atheist coming-out important to me

I have recently come out as an atheist and now I'm going to tell you a few of the reasons why I think it was important to me. 

As I mentioned in that post and several others, I was raised in a religious cult, in a country where religion is very much part of daily life and politics. 


I believed everything that I was fed in spoonful, because I was a child, with a malleable brain. Time passed, and I visited a friend's family where I saw different lifestyles,  more open and freer that I was experiencing. This was the first seed of curiosity and after many years of personal battles against my father's religious cult upbringing, research and using my grey cells, have come to break away from all religious dogmas and beliefs because of lack of evidence to support the existence of any deity creating and guiding the universe at large and life on earth in particular. 

I see around me that the majority of world's population still believe in their respective religions and I know it would take a very long time for everyone to even question the basis of their belief systems. I know this isn't easy to ponder ''hey, what if I was wrong and all that I think I know was forced upon my malleable child brain and I never doubted any of it before now ?''

I know that the thought of stopping to believe can trigger a series of questions and fears, which can block or slow your decision-making, but it's important to take the time and do so - precisely because the answers to these questions are what can set anyone free.

I could go on about my thought processes in another post, but suffice to say that once I reached my goal, I felt that I had achieved something. I achieved personal liberation from life-long beliefs, doubts and fears that shouldn't guild anyone to believe in anything. 

In fact, dogma and religious teaching uses this fear to maintain control on our thoughts and hinder our actions, because if we free ourselves, they can no longer control us nor receive our cash flow.

So, why is it important to come out as an atheist ? because, aside for my own liberation from this psycho-emotional and intellectual prison, I think that talking about it can plant a seed in other minds, and with a snowball effect help liberate more people using critical thinking.

Also, the more of us talk, the more we can find fellow secular minds, and grow from a minority to normalcy. 

It's important to grow our society out of religious dogmas, because all those dogmas clash together - each believing to be the best, the chosen people of their respective god, and the results have been part of our bloody human history, slavery, mistreatment of  women and children, and anyone who didn't believe the same way, not to mention those those not conforming with gender and sexual religious norms   - to name but a few of society's illnesses. 

In a world where political leaders elected or self appointed want to force their religious beliefs on all citizens of their country and wage sociocultural wars on others, with religious background motivations, it's imperative to offer outside of the box thinking and acting, and these are only a few of the reasons why it's important to discuss and come out as an atheist - whenever it is possible.

In my case, coming out didn't alter my social standing as I am in a secular country, in spite of its other flaws (no country's free from those, we're all human), at least I can openly say ''I don't believe in god'' and not lose family relationships (so happens mine isn't religious, tho some will go light a candle in church, mostly out of cultural habit and a slight belief in saints helping to find lost items, or with health, for instance), though it did put strain on a couple friendships ("hey, I do believe, stop talking about this because you must respect my belief").

Let me precise that though I hate religious propaganda and religions, I don't hate people who still believe, because I know that most of you think you know what you believe in and don't doubt nor research the basis of your religion. 
Let me further precise that talking about it doesn't offend me - I'm here talking about ''no god'', and you may say contrary, but that's a dialogue, and we may indeed have to agree to disagree.

What I find difficult is to have mutual respect of belief VS non-belief... but, I'll keep that for another post...