Delusion can happen to anyone. When it happens to you, I hope there is a wise, compassionate human to guide you through your confusion back into truth. If your delusion includes the belief that you’re “nonreligious” then there’s good news! I’m here to wisely and compassionately guide you out of that delusion. Below, I’ll explain why it is impossible for you to be nonreligious.

The definition of “no religion.”

My atheist pals were the first people to alert me to the problems that arise when you profess to hold “no religious beliefs.” After dozens of conversations with many atheists, I was able to succinctly define what it means to be “nonreligious.”

“Nonreligious” is the belief that you have no beliefs.

Atheists fiercely object to that definition. They claim that it misrepresents their position. They claim that I’ve gone too far. Nonreligious people want their “non-belief” applied to a handful of specific religious rituals such as going to church, reading the Bible, saying prayers, and sacrificing adorable animals to Satan. When they successfully avoid these religious rituals, they believe themselves to be “without religion.”

The definition of religion.

When you identify as nonreligious, you’re using the atheist understanding of the term. You think skipping formal religious practices means you have no religious beliefs. That, my friend, is delusional.

Religion was invented by human beings to describe how we ought to behave. Notice I didn’t say it describes HOW we behave. It describes how we OUGHT to behave.

The religious checklist for appropriate behavior is quite long and contains things like:

• Be generous
• Help others
• Forgive people
• Show gratitude
• Practice patience
• Be kind

The specific items on your religious checklist are irrelevant. The point is, you have a religious checklist. You actively maintain a list of behaviors that people OUGHT to follow. It is what separates you from animals. Beasts and birds are nonreligious. Humans are not.

Simply put, your ideas about right and wrong are your religion. So, atheists are religious. People who don’t go to church are religious. People who never crack open a Bible are religious. People who are hostile toward other religious people are religious.

Your religion matters.

Religion defines your values. Your values determine your character. It is not an exaggeration to say your religion is your identity. You ARE what you believe. Literally.

I’m suspicious that you’re identifying as nonreligious to distance yourself from kooks and crooks. You don’t want to be associated with screeching street preachers or greedy televangelists. Fear not! Religion is much more than the rantings of notorious lunatics.

It is your religion that empowers you to reject the kooks and crooks! You cannot respond to a belief with a “lack of belief.” Beliefs can only be engaged by other beliefs. Without religious views of your own, you have no way to evaluate the religious views of others.

Your religion is all that matters

Every priority in your life comes from your religion. Your politics is formed by your religion. Your loyalties are formed by your religion. Your principles are, you guessed it, rooted in your religion. Claiming to, “have no religion,” sets your entire being adrift. Without religion, you cease to be a person.

Religion is not something you can opt-out of. If you are a person, you are a religious person. The only question is whether your religion points toward light or towards darkness. So, which is it? Does your religion lead to life or death?