Thoughts of a scientist who used to be religious.

&#x200B;<br><br>I am a biochemist and worked in cancer research. I am no longer religious and used to beand want to share what I think has happened and how I've seen the world change. &#x200B;<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>* Science is not about being right, but constantly changing your belief based on evidence and experiments. I was able to change in the lab everyday based on the results of my experiments. I was open to anything that could explain what I was seeing. I have worked on many projects and even went to graduate school and became a doctor of philosophy because I wanted to figure out why we get cancer and try to find a cure. I was always observing, listening, watching, testing and experimenting to try and figure out the truth. Science is just ones ability to seek the truth and be open to always changing your opinion. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>* There is one truth. The earth is round, its not Flat. If you are 5'9 you are not 5'10. It does not matter your belief, opinion, or feelings of your height. It does not matter what you see in the mirror, your eyes deceive you. There is only one truth. The universe is 13.8 billion years old based on all we know and observe, not 6,000 or 50,000 years old. The truth is simple to observe and measure.<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>* The best part of science is debate and critique. I have sent my work to other colleagues to observe and critique. I have gone to seminars and criticized others work. This is the bedrock of science. Anybody can critique my work, and I can critique theirs. Nobody is right and everybody is wrong until we all agree based on the evidence and experimentation. This allows us to weed out all the garbage and observe greatness. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>* A religious person goes against all these things. They do not change their beliefs based on evidence or observation. They are not open to anybody observations, criticisms, or opinions that go against their beliefs. In fact they get very defensive and critical when others try to question their beliefs. They do not debate or observe. They just follow. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>* And if you question a religious person they will always say "Well I just have faith". And That is somehow an acceptable answer. But it is not. And anybody can say they have faith in something else. I have faith the world is Flat. I have faith that Elvis is still alive. I have faith in anything that I can observe, test and experiment with and come to a conclusion that there is no truth behind it. The Bible is somehow more believable than the fact that Elvis is alive. Both are untestable, unobservable and have been proven to be incorrect. But if I say I have faith that Elvis is alive its crazy. But if I say I have faith in an invisible man who lives in the clouds and made the universe its not crazy, its divine. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>*There is a lot of good in religion. A lot of good. But the bad out weighs the good. And the bad of religion should not be accepted. Anybody can be good and believe in anything they want. Anybody can have good morals and ethics without religion. Anybody can do good for others without religion. Anybody can love without religion. I do not need religion to be a good person. I do not need religion to love and help others. I am a atheist and I am a much better person than I was as a religious person. And I know many religious people who are good and will continue to be good, but I also know many religious people who are evil. Evil only exists because of religion. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>* I am proud of the United States and our founding fathers. They separated religion from government. The law is based on morality, ethics and the protection of the people and not on the teachings of the Bible or any other religious text. Many religious people are mad that we do not live by Gods laws. Why would you want to live in a country that would stone you to death for working on Sunday? (Exodus 35:2). Why would you want to live in a country that would cut off your hand for stealing? (Matthew 18:8). Why would you want to live in a country that thinks you should be murdered for being gay? (Leviticus 20:13). Why do we need to live by the laws of God when man made laws are better?&#x200B;<br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>* And lastly, I was not raised in a religious household. I did not grow up a atheist. I grew up as a Christian. I followed the teachings of Christ. I went to church, read the Bible, prayed and observed all the holidays. I went to college and studied to be a scientist. I became a atheist when I was in grad school and realized that everything I believed in as a Christian was a lie. I still have morals and ethics, I still do good for others and I still love. I just do not believe in a God, or an afterlife or heaven and hell. I do not believe you need to be saved. You do not need saving. You are not a sinner because you are gay, or believe in science, or you do not believe in God. You do not need saving. You are born free, free to believe anything, to choose anything. You are free. <br><br>&#x200B;<br><br>Edit: Thank you for all the support. There are a lot of good religious people and I am glad you can coexist. Please continue to do so. I do not want to offend anybody. That is not the point. The point is if you choose to believe in religion you are free to do so,and if you choose to not to, you also have that freedom. We are both ok.