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This topic contains 5 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by  TheEncogitationer 3 years, 11 months ago.

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  • #35407

    Manny
    Participant

    Hi, not sure what to expect here just needed to get things off my chest.

    I wouldn’t classify myself an atheist yet but I’m sure as hell done with Christianity

    I moved from Nigeria to Canada for my graduate degree in december 2016, I honestly don’t think I’m that smart, It was just the available option for me to move far away from home.

    I grew up in a christian background. My sense of worth came from believing  life suffering and unfairness will come to an end when I die and luckily end up in heaven.

    Now I know better.

    But I’m stuck. How do I create meaning now. I feel so alone because I can’t discuss these ideas with family and friends back home.

    I will be 29 years old in january, 2 years after graduation. Fnding work in my field has being challenging; maybe I haven’t been fully committed in my search or it’s just a racial thing. I don’t know. I’m not saying I had much racial drama but there’s always that ‘elephant in the room’ when dealing with others

    Trying to redefine my life has being harder than I thought. I’ve read as much as 70 books on self development, psychology and philosophy this year in hopes of coming up with a life purpose and meaning. Honestly, it’s being hard, really hard. I put up a happy face but deep down I’m struggling. I’m not suicidal or anything like that. I love life too much.

    I have interest in writing, currently trying to write a book to my younger self as a form of therapy. As you noticed from this write-up, my writing skill is terrible.

    I intend to make a life here in Canada. But why is canada so cold. It makes adjusting tough

    My distrust for others makes asking for help even harder.

    I’m currently trying to quit marijuana I picked up the habit in my last semester in school. It’s being 12 days. The withdrawal is being wearing me down. Thankfully meditation and Journalling helps.

    I found this site through a random youtube channel. Hopefully I’ll learn alot from rational forums like these.

    I wouldn’t know how to emotionally respond to comments but thanks for letting me rant.

    #35408

    JadeBlackOlive
    Participant

    These are good sites to rant on when you like. Someone is always willing to listen.

    I am Canadian born, & to me it’s not cold, but I guess it is to you being from a totally different climate.

    #35412

    jakelafort
    Participant

    Hi Manny.

    The search for meaning! What do we know? What are we gleaning? It is a fundamental human concern. Christians who truly believe seem to derive satisfaction in their delusion. Notwithstanding i have seen too many Christians who fail to find comfort in the purported knowledge of a future life when a loved one dies. If one buys the BS of immortality then it is either an eternity of torment or an eternity that will result in boredom beyond anything we can conceive, itself a form of torture. How does the knowledge of eternity by design add meaning?

    Instead when we contemplate how everything had to fall in place precisely as it did in the endless causal chain that led to the life of Manny a sense of gratitude and fortune may ensue. Furthermore Christianity makes life intelligible and orderly-the steps from baptism, communion, marriage, blah blah blah but in doing so it subtracts from the mind blowing recondite nature of the universe. The universe is a puzzle so abstruse and beyond us but we do our utmost to make sense of it. Beats the hell out of the perspective that a white guy with a beard created the universe for our benefit and to have fawning humans sucking up to him. Even the brevity of life makes it special. The soldier in the battle field has a respite to smoke a butt and have a bite of chocolate is going to appreciate that moment ever so well. That is a snippet of the existential value of life.

    Whether we are theists or atheists i think meaning is derived through involvement. It can be helping others, a job, hobby or vocation we love, other humans we love, nature that we love and even the delicious absurdity of the human condition can give a chuckle that is filled with meaning. When we turn inward and stay there it can feel a little awful and then some.

    Your former sense of meaning in Christianity fraudulently offering an even playing field after this life ends was a bill of goods sold to slaves to keep them quiescent. It is harm number 3892 attributed to Christianity in the book of life. It is good that you are aware it is not so. But i don’t think you can manufacture a sense of meaning, ya just gotta live your life and you will fall into it.

    Did not take up marijuana until last semester? Wow i think almost all college students take it up in first semester. I wish you luck.

    #35413

    TheEncogitationer
    Participant

    Greetings, Manny!

    Good to have you on and glad to hear your perspective.  Don’t sweat about your English.  You express yourself far better than many YouTubers who were raised with a resemblance of the Queen’s English, and Autocorrect is the enemy of us all online.  I understand you well.👍

    If the illusion of immortality ending all suffering and injustice is no longer inside your head, that means your brain has more room to fight suffering and injustice in the time you have on Earth.

    There is plenty of suffering and injustice to fight, so just pick a place to start and be a happy warrior!   Double down on getting your new career in a new land and if you do encounter bigoted idiots, go above, under, or around them and don’t let them hold you back!

    I’ve never heard of marijuana addiction or withdrawal being a problem, but if it is a problem for you, try filling your time with more fulfilling activity and get professional counseling to find out new ways of getting the same feelings.

    You always welcome from my part of this Forum.  Please enjoy yourself here. 🤜🤛🤝🤟🖖

    #35419

    Manny
    Participant

    @jadeblackolive

    Thanks for the kind words

    @jakelafort

    “Meaning is derived through involvement”

    This quote resonates with me.

    @theencogitationer

    I agree with you on being a happy warrior and alleviate as much suffering as I can, I hope to someday be a beacon of reason. Religion has screwed up my home country. But first I have to take care of myself.

    #35426

    TheEncogitationer
    Participant

    Manny,

    You will be pleased to know that there are not only Unbelievers in the West fighting the poison in religion, but especially brave Unbelievers in Nigeria and throughout the Continent of Africa.

    Here is a great article on this very subject:

    Religion and human rights abuses: Combatting Islamic extremism and witch persecution in Africa
    https://mobile.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/features/Religion-and-human-rights-abuses-Combating-Islamic-extremism-and-witch-persecution-in-Africa-1123895

    Unbelievers in many African nations face imprisonment, torture, and death for simple things like denouncing religion on Facebook.  But they persist anyway and unlike too many in the West, they aren’t intimidated by Political Correctness or Moral Relativism.  They think human rights and the bounties of Secularism belong to themselves just like everyone else on Earth.

    Perhaps after you get better established in your career and life in Canada, you could establish contact with fellow Unbelievers and offer whatever assistance you could to free them and/or escape to another country.

    If I were as wealthy as a Bill Gates or Steve Jobs, I would gladly help all of them myself.  One thing’s for sure, I do spread the word now and I will gladly give them a small “bachelor’s mite” whenever our economy gets past this COVID-19 mess.

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