I was born into a religion. Like many others, I grew up with its rituals, stories, and frameworks for understanding the world. And I’ll be the first to say there were times when it helped me. Especially during my younger years, religion offered me structure, a sense of belonging, and, in certain moments of psychological distress, it served as an anchor.
So when I say that I no longer identify with any religion, it’s not from a place of anger or rebellion. I didn’t walk away from religion because I hated it. I simply reached a point where it no longer spoke to me not in the way it once did. Its teachings, once vital, began to lose relevance in my evolving understanding of life, humanity, and morality.
That said, I fully understand why others still turn to religion. For many, it remains a source of deep comfort, community, and personal meaning. I respect that. We all seek grounding in different ways and for some, religion provides that grounding. But respect must be mutual.
Where I draw the line is when someone steps into public space a forum, a gathering, a casual conversation and declares that because I have no religion, I must have no morals. That because I do not pray to their god, I am somehow lost, broken, or even dangerous.
To that, I say: Watch how I live. Don’t judge my values by my lack of belief. Judge them by my actions. I don’t feel the need to debate or defend my humanity with scriptures or slogans. Instead, I show it in the way I care, the way I treat others, the responsibilities I uphold, and the life I lead without the scaffolding of religious doctrine.
Because goodness is not owned by religion. Compassion, ethics, integrity these are not exclusive to the faithful. They are human qualities. They belong to all of us. And so I walk this path not with bitterness, but with clarity.
Not to convert others to my view, but to live in a way that reflects what I believe: That a life can be meaningful, moral, and beautiful even without religion.
