This booklet is about my journey of going from Catholic to atheist. Actually, from very Catholic to very atheist. I wrote this prologue around 2010…
I will try to explain the reasons behind my distancing from the Catholic Church and later why I stopped believing in God. What started as a feeling of “something doesn’t add up”, I confirmed through studying of the Bible, Catechism, other Catholic books like Leo Trese’s “The Faith Explained”, along with science books and studies. The main objective is not degrading the church but rather to show the information I was exposed to and present it to you so you can understand why I stopped believing. I hope some healthy debate comes from it, that it helps others in using reason to make better life decisions, and, who knows, maybe someone comes out with a convincing argument that there is a god and there is a religion that represents it in the world.
When I started writing these things, my main objective was to be at peace with myself. I had been taught that Catholics that become atheists go to hell, so there was an enormous fear of the monumental consequences that might ensue if my reasoning was flawed, namely, burning for the rest of eternity, with Celine Deion’s Greatest Hits Album blasting at 100 decibels on repeat.
Another reason for this booklet is that my family and friends (including priests and Opus Dei Numeraries) can see that my new beliefs (more like “unbeliefs”) are based on solid information and reasoning; and that this change is not merely a tantrum or rebellious reaction. Lastly, I put these words at the disposal of other religious and non-religious people, that might find them useful, or that may encounter errors or omissions in my reasoning (which I’m very eager to receive and sincerely ponder).