Name: Miranda Celeste Hale
Website/blog: Miranda Celeste
Profession: College English teacher and a writerBorn: 1978
Location: Spokane, WA, USA
Label: Atheist
Former religious affiliation: Roman Catholic
About Me: My full story is also available at here on my blog. This is a snippet:
“Belief is Optional”
I believe in reminding everyone that they have the option not to believe. I was raised Roman Catholic. The traditional messages of the Church were reinforced to me at mass, in Catholic school, and at home. There were things that one should do, and, more importantly, things that one should never do. I focused more on the latter, because I was raised to believe in a literal hell, one that I would spend a tormented eternity in if I transgressed against the rules I was taught to follow.
This was not a matter that was up for debate. For the majority of my youth, I had no idea that there was a world beyond Catholicism and the constant anxiety and obsessive avoidance of sin it created in me. Because the religion and its rules permeated every minute of each of my days, I didn’t know that there was any way to live outside of its confining structure. In other words, I did not understand that belief was optional or that I could leave it behind, stop following its rules, and stop worrying about going to hell for doing so. I did not know that I had the option to not believe.
At 16, I became an atheist, giving up both Catholicism and my belief in God. This created tension and emotional torment, both at home and at school, but it was, without a doubt, also the most liberating choice that I’ve ever made. I was finally able to escape the suffocating atmosphere of religious fear. But, more importantly, I also understood for the first time that I had a choice regarding belief. It was a profound and empowering awakening.
Because I spent so long not understanding that belief was optional, I’m passionate about reminding everyone that it is. Religious faith isn’t an inherited trait. You don’t have to believe what your parents did, or what you were taught at school. Tradition and authority are no reason to maintain unquestioned beliefs. Examine your beliefs and see if there are good reasons to hold them. If not, ask yourself why you continue to believe and remind yourself that you do have the option not to.
If I’m grateful for anything from my childhood religious indoctrination, it’s that the fear and pain that it inflicted upon me eventually led me to question why I continued to profess belief in something that I knew to be both untrue and damaging. After years of not understanding that I had both the option and the responsibility to examine my beliefs, exercising that option was like gasping for breath after emerging from underwater: at first, I was panicked because I didn’t know whether or not I’d ever be able to breathe properly again, but when the gasping and coughing subsided, I realized that I had come out onto the surface, could breathe perfectly well on my own, and had left the murky, dark waters of unquestioned belief behind me for good. I hope to inspire others to do the same.
Tagged with: 1978 • 32 • atheism • Atheist • blogger • catholic • english teacher • Hale • Miranda Celeste • professor • Roman Catholic • Spokane • USA • WA • Washington
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Sooner or later I was going to find a better worldview. They told me if I didn’t pray before I eat, I would get a belly ache. They said women have one less rib than men. And so forth on and on.
In Sunday school I would ask questions and they would tie themselves in knots trying to answer. I wasn’t trying to find holes, I was only asking the glaringly obvious questions and they just hadn’t thought these things through. At 8 years old I was far better at this logic stuff than the clergy. Ultimately they would just tell me to shut up.
I realize now that the our little hillbilly church was a small step from having snakes involved.
Thanks so much for starting this wonderful project and for posting my video
I thought this “snippet” of Miranda’s was very well put, interesting, informative and thought-provoking. I will certainly take the time to read the full version. Thankyou!
I’m Brazilian and I am very grateful for your words in the video.
I’ll have time to read the full version, but there is a problem on the link to the url because it is a “http://http://” that can cause trouble for someone who does not notice the detail.
Rest assured that I am very happy and grateful for your words.
Soon I will make a video like yours.
Thank you very much!
The link should be fixed now. Sorry about that. Sometimes when I’m uploading late at night I miss those silly things. Please read her full story now at the link above.
Awesome video! I totally agree with your assessment. Good luck in your journey.
You have really interesting blog, keep up posting such informative posts!
I’ve recently become a Miranda Celeste subscriber at Facebook, captivated by the delightful coincidence of her ample intelligence and her striking loveliness.
Personally, I regard atheism as a great leap forward from the fanaticism and mere belief of religious faithfulness. Yet, I also conclude that there are additional leaps forward that atheists, too, might undertake.
Among the “new atheists,” Sam Harris affirms this conclusion in a conversation with Newsweek’s Lisa Miller:
See, Sam Harris Believes in God, by Lisa Miller.
To darling Miranda and all readers here, I also commend the works of Ken Wilber.
Much love!
have you written any books? i’d like to read something about how religious indoctrination in childhood affects one’s life.
Bravo Miranda for your sincerity and courage. I am struggling with childhood indoctrination (on one side of a divorce) but it is extremely evangelical protestant-neocon-reactionary cult in orientation, truly frightful at times. Its something I’m just going to have to write about. You inspire me!
best,
m