I always questioned things most of my life. As I got older, I noticed that most commonly held assumptions were untrue. I also noticed that these beliefs were harmful to hold. So I became more distrusting of everything. I noticed a lot of corruption in religion and was ostracized for questioning inconsistencies. It was pretty fucking obvious to me that something was wrong but surely the problem is people and not religion right? I began asking questions that no one could answer. And it ALWAYS pissed me off that they would say something along the lines of, “I don’t know the answer to your questions but you’re wrong and need to talk to an expert.” The experts didn’t have answers either and would get frustrated with me too. It didn’t matter what religion or denomination it was, I talked to several people about it and they all answered the same way. I don’t understand why so many people are smart enough to call out the bs and inconsistencies in government, the pharmaceutical industry, and the financial sector but can’t do it with religion. There is this weird romanticism associated with religion as if the past was better with religion in control. But times were objectively worse before secularization. The dark ages were a horrible period for humanity and some of the most barbaric and degenerate things were committed by the church. If you’re still a religious person, have you ever asked yourself if this whole thing is just a scam? Have you ever asked yourself if religion is just meant to control the masses? Have you ever asked yourself why the religion that YOU believe in is right and why every other religion is wrong? Have you ever claimed that other religions don’t make sense while failing to realize that ALL religions contain “miracles” that don’t make sense?

“The essential problem of all varieties of universalistic, collectivistic, and holistic social philosophy is: By what mark do I recognize the true law, the authentic apostle of God’s word, and the legitimate authority. For many claim that Providence has sent them, and each of these prophets preaches another gospel. For the faithful believer there cannot be any doubt; he is fully confident that he has espoused the only true doctrine. But it is precisely the firmness of such beliefs that renders the antagonisms irreconcilable. Each party is prepared to make its own tenets prevail. But as logical argumentation cannot decide between various dissenting creeds, there is no means left for the settlement of such disputes other than armed conflict. The nonrationalist, nonutilitarian, and nonliberal social doctrines must beget wars and civil wars until one of the adversaries is annihilated or subdued. The history of the world’s great religions is a record of battles and wars, as is the history of the present-day counterfeit religions, socialism, statolatry, and nationalism.”

— Ludwig Von Mises