So… what, exactly, is deconversion? Basically, it is the process by which a religious adherent recognizes that his religion is probably not true and so “de-converts” out of it. From what I gather, deconversion (for most people) involves not just dispensing with one’s religion but with religion altogether; it seems that many newly-formed skeptics who become deconverts discover a simple truth: that, because there are so many thousands of different religions, and none have evidence to prove them true, it is likely that they are all false.
So… who, exactly, am I? My name is Frank, and as of this writing I am a 36 year old gay male living in Madison Heights, Michigan. I am married to my partner of nearly 6 years – we are one of the first gay couples legally married in this state. I only bring this up because the circumstances of our marriage partly served as the catalyst for my deconversion. This blog is about my journey out of religion.
It seems that most deconverts become atheists, but some claim agnosticism. I deconverted from Christianity to agnostic theism (that is, I believe in god but claim no knowledge of god). Originally I was raised as a Lutheran and had converted to Apostolic Pentecostalism in my 20’s.
Letting go of what I grew up with and what I thought I knew as truth for so many decades has so far been a very difficult and gut-wrenching process! I find that I no longer have an afterlife. I no longer have a god to rely upon when things look bad, or to praise when things look good. I may not even have a soul.
I feel lost and alone. I’ve scoured the internet for resources and advice on what I should now do, and the internet has just laughed back at me. It is a cold and cruel mistress sometimes! So I want to document my process, struggles, notes, resources, and thoughts so that perhaps the next deconvert who is in my situation will maybe have one extra thing to help him along the way.
Until next Monday,
Frank
So… who, exactly, am I? My name is Frank, and as of this writing I am a 36 year old gay male living in Madison Heights, Michigan. I am married to my partner of nearly 6 years – we are one of the first gay couples legally married in this state. I only bring this up because the circumstances of our marriage partly served as the catalyst for my deconversion. This blog is about my journey out of religion.
It seems that most deconverts become atheists, but some claim agnosticism. I deconverted from Christianity to agnostic theism (that is, I believe in god but claim no knowledge of god). Originally I was raised as a Lutheran and had converted to Apostolic Pentecostalism in my 20’s.
Letting go of what I grew up with and what I thought I knew as truth for so many decades has so far been a very difficult and gut-wrenching process! I find that I no longer have an afterlife. I no longer have a god to rely upon when things look bad, or to praise when things look good. I may not even have a soul.
I feel lost and alone. I’ve scoured the internet for resources and advice on what I should now do, and the internet has just laughed back at me. It is a cold and cruel mistress sometimes! So I want to document my process, struggles, notes, resources, and thoughts so that perhaps the next deconvert who is in my situation will maybe have one extra thing to help him along the way.
Until next Monday,
Frank
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