Reddit reviews Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America and Found Unexpected Peace

Here are some book suggestions. I have not read them, but they are on my reading list.

Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity

Godless: How an Evangelical Preacher Became One of America's Leading Atheists

Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America and Found Unexpected Peace

Why don't you try Dan Barker's book? "Losing Faith in Faith" He was a Preacher and became an atheist through time. Great story.

There is also "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity"

Oh, I almost forgot William Lobdell. He covered religion for the LA Times for years but after reporting so much on religion he became an atheist. Here's his site and here's his book "Losing My Religion: How I Lost My Faith Reporting on Religion in America and Found Unexpected Peace"

Good luck!

edit:fixed link
edit2:fixed grammatical error

Read a book called "Losing My Religion" buy a LA times columnist, absolutely, whats the word....Horrifying. Basically this Columnist is investigating the catholic church in America and the level of pure sadistic evil by the Catholic Church makes Enron execs and Bankers look like saints.

Edit: link to book

http://www.amazon.com/Losing-My-Religion-Reporting-Unexpected/dp/0061626813

> Those of you who have been where I am, what really pushed you over the edge? What was that moment where you lost your religion?

For me (and my wife), it wasn't a single moment. Nor was it one single thing that sealed the deal. It was over years (~3?) of honest discussions and self-examination. The transition was much more difficult for my wife (who grew up having nightmares of being left behind after the rapture, couldn't wear pants or shorts without guilt, … couldn't really do anything without guilt).

So like the other commenters have said, continue on your journey. If you end up in a place where guilt and self-loathing are your daily struggle, you'll figure out that you're doing it wrong :)

That said though, three things that might help.

1: There was a book my wife and I both read that we enjoyed: Losing My Religion. It presents a very honest struggle of the process you're describing.

2: You might want to see how many self-described atheists have been able to finally enjoy their lives once they shed the dogma they've been steeped in their whole lives. It's anecdote, but it seems to be really common amongst the few people I know who've gone through a deconversion.

3: Being a parent and really starting to think about unconditional love made me see Christianity (and other religions) in an entirely different light. I'm sure you've heard pastors wax poetic about how they finally understood "the Father heart of God" when they had children. But for me, religion is (in my experiences) a serious hinderance to true unconditional love of yourself, and of others.

Not super sure how Reddit works with old threads, but I think we'd all love to know how things work out and what you find helpful along the way.

http://www.amazon.com/Losing-My-Religion-Reporting-Unexpected/dp/0061626813

and

http://www.amazon.com/Gods-Problem-Answer-Important-Question-Why/dp/0061173975