23 Jan 2024
Starting Point
I am an Atheist and have been so since 1992.
Degree in Theology
I studied theology in university. I converted to Xnty (Christianity) when I was eight. At church camp the next summer, I walked forward to denote that I was going to be a missionary. This stayed my focus throughout my childhood, regardless of the many distractions of youth. At 18, I loaded my car with my belongings and drove two hours to the university where I would begin my Bachelor of Arts in Religion. I studied this for almost five years and then completed my BA in 1990.
Becoming Atheist
When I completed my BA, I was then offered a scholarship to study a Master of Divinity degree. My new bride was still doing her undergrad degree and I used this as an excuse not the move across the country to start my divinity degree, but deep inside I knew that all of this religion stuff was incredibly problematic. When your university lecturers repeatedly encourage you to think for yourself and provide you with good examples, at least a few students will accept the challenge and begin down the path of discovery of self and their world.
Two years after this decision to put off futher theology studies, in 1992, I bought Bertrand Russell’s, “Why I am not a Christian” and read it from cover to cover. As I finished the last page, I looked around my study - with shelves full of hundreds of theology texts - and decided this was the end. Mid-June of 1992, I was an atheist.
Reactions
As you can imagine, the religious I knew were shocked - and more specifically were scared. If this person who has been religious so many years could become an atheist, am I dedicating my words (if not really my life) to something of value? People get scared and then make excuses for your behaviour so they can stay asleep.
Place of Deities in my Life
There are no personalised deites in my life and I have no space for imaginary, angry, insecure sky people. For some years, having been surrounded by monotheism, I imagined that no gods equalled no spiritually, but nothing could be further from the truth. I seek to understand existence and do no need fairy tales to help me along the journey.
Aroha nui,
Lee Sturgis
leesturgis.eth
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