Do you practice religion?

I used to engage in religious practices. I went to church almost daily, lit a candle, and prayed. I also chanted the Akathist Hymn, the small supplicatory canon, and other canons, as the church recommends us to do as Christians.

But this has changed in the last couple of years, and my belief has transformed, especially my view regarding the church’s role as an institution. I am more skeptical about many of the church’s decisions in the last few years. It happens a lot that the church interferes in government decisions, like same-sex marriage. This year, the church opposed vehemently when the Greek government decided to legalize civil same-sex marriage. Another verdict of a Christian clerical, with which I am deeply disappointed, is regarding a case that happened last week in Crete where a 17-year-old girl committed suicide after being bullied over a long period by her classmates. The archbishop of that district decided not to give her a proper Christian funeral because she committed suicide. For me, it’s a very heartless decision, considering that even murderers are buried adequately according to Christian rites. Where is here the Christian charity?

So, over the past few years, I have transformed how I associate with God and religion. It is not that I don’t believe in God, but I disagree with many points the church dictates how we should act as good Christians in the frame of the church’s constitution. As I mentioned, I’ve found another spiritual path to connect with this higher power called God and the realm of spirituality. This transformation offered me a lot of inner peace and opened new horizons. And isn’t that the most important, to find inner peace?