Navigating a Crisis of Belief and Being Kind To Yourself

It's a crisis of belief.
A crisis of faith.
A crisis of meaning.

Many people who are not or weren't religious don't understand. They think it should be as easy as discovering there is no Santa Claus that we should just get a good dose of reality, grow up, and move on.

Maybe for some it's that easy. But for most, no. Questioning your beliefs and all you've known is hard.

The reason is our religion was all-consuming. It was everything to us. It defined us, our identity, our morality, our social network, our worldview, sex, the structure of reality, history, meaning, and so much more.

It's not like getting over a cold. It's more like surviving cancer.

Not that I compare belief to cancer. I respect belief as a part of our maturation process.

So, I don't ridicule my former believing self, and I don't appreciate it when others do either.

Healthy deconstruction of faith isn't like jumping tracks. It's not a sudden change of your life.

It takes time. It's a process.

Yes, our minds can suddenly change, like mine did overnight. But it takes time to assimilate and integrate this inner change with our outer world.

So don't let anyone ridicule or rush you. Own it and take your time.
This is your journey, not theirs.

Respect it and embrace it so you can get to point B and whatever that is is up to you in good condition.