Leaving Faith: Holding On Letting Go Looking Back Moving Forward (Deconversion Survival Guide Book 1)

If you are in the process of leaving your faith or have completed the process and are looking back at your exit, this book is designed for you.

For most committed believers who decide to walk away from their faith, leaving is neither simple nor easy. It’s something you do, but also something that happens to you — which means you may not always feel in control. And it’s not something that happens overnight. The process may be measured in years.

One reason for the complexity and time required is that it’s not just about leaving. There’s also the work of rebuilding as you decide how this major course correction affects your values, purpose, and sense of meaning.

In the following pages you will find 100 short readings — one per page — that testify to my experience of leaving Christianity after 50 years of commitment. Many of these readings are like journal entries. Others can be viewed as a thought for the day or a quote to remember. And when you read all 100 readings, you also have a story about holding on to faith, letting go of faith, looking back in disbelief on what was once accepted as true, and moving forward with a new life beyond religious belief.

These readings reflect on questions, issues, and feelings common to the experience of leaving a life of belief and to the reconstruction that takes place as a result of leaving. It is my hope that in these pages you will find insights and encouragement for your journey, along with a reassuring awareness that you are not alone.

If you’ve read my books or followed me on Twitter, you may have already read some version of a number of these readings. Even if that’s the case, I encourage you to read on. It is my view that these ideas are worth remembering and pondering more than once.

Tim Sledge