Damus
Mandrik profile picture
Mandrik
@Mandrik
I've been thinking a lot about my nearly 15 years away from the Greek Orthodox Church.

I've come to this conclusion - I don't know if I would have the same ethical values without that upbringing. It's easy to think I would when I had that foundation since birth, but I no longer think it's that simple.

I've been around a lot of secular people. Not all, but many are in a dark place. People who are missing something from their lives. Ones who didn't have an upbringing similar to mine.

I've begun to wonder if these people would benefit from religion in their lives. Some type of positive power to pull them out of the darkness.

I'm not saying I've found Jesus. I haven't.

But more and more I want to be around the people who have.

Because I can't really be around these other people any more. My wife & I have cut most of them out of our lives at this point.

We prefer to spend our time around positive people who are working on building better lives. Building families. Nearly all of them are religious.

We're both very logical people. Religion and logic were like oil and water to me.

But when I look at the state of the world, it's not hard to see the positive impact religion can have on people. That's a very logical conclusion I'm coming to.

Also, I miss a lot of the Greek cultural stuff that I grew up, and it's intertwined with the church. It would be strange, but I'm accepting the idea that returning there, even as someone who isn't religious, feels more right than not going.

Still working through this but wanted to share.

Because bitcoiners are how I got here. The ones having families, going to church, and being decent human beings. Those are the people I want to be around.

The alternative is despair and darkness, and I am not going down that road.

✌️🧡
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Abundant Heart · 22w
You got it backwards….Jesus found you.
Sleventy3 · 22w
I went to church whence I lost it when I was young I too feel the urge #haiku
Deleted Account · 22w
What a deep and honest reflection. 🙏 And you’re absolutely right it’s not just about traditions or morals, but about living faith, about truly feeling God’s presence in your heart. Because believing isn’t just an idea; it’s a real spiritual experience that transforms how we think, act, ...
HelpfulGiraffe · 22w
I decided to go back to the Church after a long time away mainly because I wanted my kids to grow up with the experience. My wife and I looked around a couple of churches before going back, wanted one that was theologically based, small, and family oriented. We found one. After a couple of months...
R · 22w
Thanks for your openness and sharing your thoughts. My Christianity is core to my worldview and I think it is truth. However, even if I’m wrong, it has still greatly added to the quality of my life simply for the reasons you mention. I’d say plug back in for a bit and see what happens.
Homem4de · 22w
It’s ironic that Truth points us back to the things we have observed being true in our lives. I have also made my way back to God and Bitcoin pointed me there.
DonquiHODL · 22w
Dang this is some deep stuff as someone who’s Atheist raise catholic, but love being around religious people. I always say I have the moral compass and ethics of them than those that live in darkness.
Simon · 22w
Watch "The Chosen" (Season 1, episode 1) and see how you feel. Maybe this monumental series about Jesus is also for your. For my wife and myself like going to church but better, since it's not boring and really brings us closer to Jesus.
Ben Ewing · 22w
Religion is just a group of people that promise they won’t tell each other to face reality.
Satoshi Consult🔑 · 22w
🕯️
Andy_R · 22w
Growing up in a community that takes care of each other is important. I don’t think religion is the cause of the morality, its community. Growing up in a small town where everyone knows each other will have the same effect.
TomDulz · 22w
Yeah nostr:nprofile1qyxhwumn8ghj7cnjvghxjme0qy2hwumn8ghj7er9wd3ksmm0d35kueeww4ej7qpqqex7yjtuucs6ac49kjujdgytrjsphn5a4pdscu2w3qlprym4zsxq0tmqvm , there are many ways to build a grounded, positive life — religion’s one of them, but what really matters is having a value set that keeps you steady. T...
BitcoinEkasi · 22w
Belief in a higher power (and or a higher purpose) is entirely logical. Doesn't have to religious, but must be something bigger than the individual. Something beyond ones own grasp. With it, life makes sense. Without it, life doesn't make sense. And in its absence, without fail, the result is despai...
Azz · 22w
Being a Christian in a state school prepared me to be a bitcoiner
Jake Woodhouse · 22w
Thank you 🙏🏻 Very thoughtful and thought provoking I need some more faith in my life
BulgarianHODL · 22w
We are born with no software. It's installed through our parents and surroundings. Once you hit 15- 18 you have to start building your own values and why it's important to start developing your own philosophy and why you should have your own values.But you are right without proper upbringing I don't...
Thomas · 22w
Jesus said “you would do greater miracles than mine”. He is not asking anyone to find him or follow him. He taught you lessons in self love and self discovery. People often seek God and love in value systems, religions, cultures and ideologies. You will never find truth or your own true self in ...
Telluride · 22w
Your story is very similar to mine. Was Raised very religious and attended a church that i never really connected with. As a teen I rejected it all but the values stuck with me. As a father, I came to the same conclusions you have. Values, ethics, & positivity are all tools to help you stay ce...
SelfBankt · 22w
Similar vibes man. Christ is King.
WildBill · 22w
Your life is not an accident with no purpose. It didn’t come from spinning nothing billions of years ago. Morality, love, joy, etc does not come from evolution of nothing. You were created in the image of God with a purpose. Christ is King.
Stjepan · 22w
Secular people i know are some of most positive people i ever met. Grounded, no bullshit, ready to change their minds when presented with data, living best possible lives as they think its their only one.
Momo · 22w
"I'm not saying I've found Jesus. I haven't. But more and more I want to be around the people who have." I've been saying this for years: "I'm an atheist, but I find myself more comfortable in the company of religious people." Atheism used to be very important to me. But then covid lockdowns occu...
TwentyOne.Life · 22w
I think that’s quite natural if you are getting older, as we all do.
Javed AB · 22w
I am very glad to have come across this post. I do not know many Christian people. There are those who might be officially Christian, but they have no real relationship with their religion. It is similar with Muslims, because many identify as Muslim but have little connection to the Quran. I was sp...
Marina · 22w
I must confess I’ve been going through the same process in the last year. In my case it’s the good old Brazilian catholic upbringing resurfacing after years of agnosticism. I’m stepping back very slowly, but it has been very emotional and actually satisfying, so I totally understand your point...
Mick · 22w
I love Eastern Orthodoxy though I myself am not (yet). Disproportionately have the best posture towards the world of any group of people I've met. The more Orthodox writers I read and the more Orthodox people I meet, the more sure I feel that they are walking the path of truth as demonstrated by the...
cavemanf16 · 22w
If Greek Orthodox isn’t your cup o’ tea, consider Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, or Roman Catholic, or Russian Orthodox. Christians disagree on a lot of things, but when centered on Christ, those are the people you’re talking about wanting to be around. I’m LCMS now (didn’t grow up that w...
Jorj X McKie · 22w
Years ago I took a job at a hospital and part of my orientation was for what you would probably call a ‘mission statement’ — and a Greek Orthodox priest talked to my small group for about an hour. It was very informal and wide ranging. I was extremely impressed by this man and if that’s what...
Joan Piretz · 22w
Your raw honesty resonates deeply. Raised in an Italian Christian family, I rebelled in high school, wielding Nietzsche’s superhuman and Bacon’s tabula rasa to break free from dogma, diving into atheism, nearly nihilism. Yet Kant’s take on Christianity as a moral compass stuck with me. Now,...
nostrich · 22w
The problema Is the monoteistic religión, the politeistic religión área More peaceful.
Rodrigo · 17w
Fully agree with you brother. I tell some people around me that tend to be more Catholic maxis, that it's not about what religion you identify with, its more of what kind of person that religion and its beliefs make you become.
TaMeR [eng] · 17w
I moved back to Turkey. I take religion over communism any day. Here people live their life's and don't push their ideology on you. I live on a boat, and find my self in Greece quite often. Hope to see you here. We are here: 36.826650°N 28.311060°E geo:36.82665,28.31107 http://maps.google.com...
Robertrobert · 15w
It’s not bad or weak to go to Mass. Go and re-experience the presence of the spirit and the beauty of the word.🌅🙏☦️