I used to be a fairly religious person growing up. I went to a Catholic grade school and high school. But life events have changed my views on religion.
I graduated college in the Spring of 1998 and moved home to live with my parents while I searched for a job. My mom had been sick recently, a few weeks after I moved home she was diagnosed with untreatable liver cancer at the age of 54.
My mother was a very religious person who went to mass weekly, donated large amount sof money to the church and was actively involved in the catholic community in Dubuque. She lived by the book of being a catholic person.
My family began to hold rosary services at our house and special masses to pray for my mom to get well, all of which I attended. She firmly believed God would make her better and make the cancer to into remission if we prayed enough for her. I believed it would work and that my mother would be spared. After all, why would God take my mother at such a young age?
Months passed by and the cancer treatement was doing nothing, and her health was going down hill very fast. Hospice moved in, yet my entire family, myself included, prayed hoping that God would have mercy and spare my mother.
July 1999 my mother died peacefully at home while holding my hand. I watched her breathe her last breath on this earth.
It was that very moment in my life that I swore off all religion as complete and utter bullshit. I will never, ever again believe in a higher power who takes mercy on us and watches over us. I only attend chuch for funerals and weddings out of respect for others. When I got married 3 years ago, it was a non-denominational wedding held in a public building. My family never once questioned my choice on not getting married in the Church. They knew my reasons.
In my opinion, the bible is just the fictional writings of some person from long ago and simply has no basis. It would be like 2000 years from now someone finding some pages from the Lord of the Rings book and worshipping it. It has no basis, no physical proof.
We are in charge of our own lives. Don't let anyone tell you any different. Live for the moments you have.