Same story for me. Forty years as an evangelical. Living in fear of maybe not quite having my doctrinal ducks in a row. Left 3 years ago to become a free agent, and studied. Today, some days I’m an atheist, others agnostic. And still other days…..captivated with both Jesus and Buddha. Ive found a new hime in a Unitarian Universalist community. Because they encourage all faiths.
Thank you for sharing that. It’s incredibly relatable to hear about the shift from 'getting the ducks in a row' to finally letting them just swim.
There is a unique kind of peace in moving from a life of fear-based certainty to one of curiosity—where you can be captivated by the teachings of Jesus and Buddha simultaneously without feeling like you’re 'breaking the rules.' It sounds like the Unitarian Universalist community is providing exactly what that transition needs: a space where the search for truth is more important than the pressure to have a final answer.
It’s a beautiful thing to finally be at home in the questions rather than the labels. Thanks again for sharing!
Thank you so much for the welcome and these recommendations! I'm always looking for other voices navigating this territory—deconstruction can feel pretty isolating, so finding community matters.
I'll absolutely check out both of your suggestions. The deconstruction space needs more people willing to share resources rather than compete for attention. That mutual aid ethos is exactly what drew me away from hierarchical religion in the first place.
Seems we've lived a similar story! It's always funny to go thru something so singular, and find on the other side that many more have walked the same path you have.
You’re absolutely right—it’s such a strange comfort, isn’t it? When you’re in it, the isolation feels crushing. You think you’re the only one seeing the contradictions, the only one who can’t make it work anymore. The loneliness of walking away from your entire community and identity is brutal.
But then you find others who’ve walked the same path, asked the same questions, hit the same breaking points. Suddenly you realize the “singular” experience was actually… pretty common.
Which says a lot about the system itself, doesn’t it? When so many people independently arrive at the same conclusions after examining the same patterns, maybe the problem isn’t us—it’s what we were taught.
I’m glad you made it out. Solidarity in the struggle, and in what we’re building on the other side.
Same story for me. Forty years as an evangelical. Living in fear of maybe not quite having my doctrinal ducks in a row. Left 3 years ago to become a free agent, and studied. Today, some days I’m an atheist, others agnostic. And still other days…..captivated with both Jesus and Buddha. Ive found a new hime in a Unitarian Universalist community. Because they encourage all faiths.
Thank you for sharing that. It’s incredibly relatable to hear about the shift from 'getting the ducks in a row' to finally letting them just swim.
There is a unique kind of peace in moving from a life of fear-based certainty to one of curiosity—where you can be captivated by the teachings of Jesus and Buddha simultaneously without feeling like you’re 'breaking the rules.' It sounds like the Unitarian Universalist community is providing exactly what that transition needs: a space where the search for truth is more important than the pressure to have a final answer.
It’s a beautiful thing to finally be at home in the questions rather than the labels. Thanks again for sharing!
You will enjoy this guy
https://deconstructedpastor.substack.com/
And you might like my work too,
https://maryfholley.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile_chips
Welcome to substack
Thank you so much for the welcome and these recommendations! I'm always looking for other voices navigating this territory—deconstruction can feel pretty isolating, so finding community matters.
I'll absolutely check out both of your suggestions. The deconstruction space needs more people willing to share resources rather than compete for attention. That mutual aid ethos is exactly what drew me away from hierarchical religion in the first place.
Really appreciate you taking the time to connect.
Seems we've lived a similar story! It's always funny to go thru something so singular, and find on the other side that many more have walked the same path you have.
Thanks so much for reading and sharing this!
You’re absolutely right—it’s such a strange comfort, isn’t it? When you’re in it, the isolation feels crushing. You think you’re the only one seeing the contradictions, the only one who can’t make it work anymore. The loneliness of walking away from your entire community and identity is brutal.
But then you find others who’ve walked the same path, asked the same questions, hit the same breaking points. Suddenly you realize the “singular” experience was actually… pretty common.
Which says a lot about the system itself, doesn’t it? When so many people independently arrive at the same conclusions after examining the same patterns, maybe the problem isn’t us—it’s what we were taught.
I’m glad you made it out. Solidarity in the struggle, and in what we’re building on the other side.