November 28, 2022
I’ve written about it here on my blog and have elaborated on it even more in my book: deconverting from fundamentalist religion is a lot more than ceasing to believe in supernatural dogma. It harms your seven life areas as well. Recovering from the damage caused by a difficult deconversion from religion involves getting your life areas back on track.
One of the seven life areas that are upended by leaving religion is your hobbies. Before, you were taught that all of your talents and gifts were given to you by God and that they should only be used to glorify God. However, now that you’ve left religion, this is no longer true. You are free to engage in your hobbies for you and only you.
Picking up some new hobbies is also a great way to help you recover from a painful deconversion. A couple weeks ago I wrote an article called 3 Positive, Masculine Hobbies for Deconverted Men. I followed that up with the article 3 MORE Positive, Masculine Hobbies for Deconverted Men.
Here we go again. Here are three EVEN MORE positive, masculine hobbies for recently-deconverted men.
Brewing Your Own Beer or Wine
This is a great hobby for deconverted men for a few reasons. First, it’s creative. You get to be in control of the flavors and ingredients, which can be very satisfying. Second, it’s social. Home brewing clubs are popping up all over the country, and they’re a great way to meet other people and make some new friends. Third, it’s practical. You get to enjoy your own delicious beer or wine, and you can even give it as gifts to your friends (they’ll love it!).
I mentioned this in my article How To Build a New (and Better) Network of Friends as a Deconverted Man, but there’s just something about men and their desire to come together and drink. Plenty of fun can be had at the bar drinking all the usual brands that are on tap, but one way to inject something special into this centuries old, near-universal male hobby is to invite your buddies over to share with them your home creation.
Going On Camping and Hiking Trips
Camping and hiking are great hobbies for deconverted men for a few reasons. First, they’re active. Getting out into nature and getting some exercise is always good for the body and mind. Second, they’re calming. Being in nature has been shown to have a calming effect on the mind, which can be very helpful for men who are struggling with anxiety and depression associated with their faith deconstruction. Third, they’re affordable. You don’t need a lot of expensive gear to go camping or hiking, and you can even find free campsites in many areas.
In my opinion, camping and hiking is best done with a small group of other men. I’ve mentioned before how leaving religion can damage your social life. Getting involved in some local camping and hiking groups in your town is a great way to make some new friends who share a common interest. Men bond when they’re doing things together, and camping and hiking is a perfect example of one of those things that bring men together in a special way.
In a way, camping and being outdoors stimulates the old part of your DNA and biological wiring that still exists, harkening back to when we used to live off the land. Tapping into that distant, ancestral memory can do wonders for your soul in ways that the Christian god never did.
Traveling
Last but not least, traveling is an excellent hobby for deconverted men. It gives you a chance to see new places, meet new people, and experience different cultures. It can also be very educational, and it’s a great way to learn about different countries and their history.
Traveling can be done both solo and with a group of friends. I’d recommend both. When you’re out there solo, you can really take your time and experience everything a place has to offer. You can go at your own pace. When you’re traveling with friends, you can create memories that will last a lifetime. Some of my fondest memories are from when me and a handful of guys took a trip together to some foreign land where none of us had ever been.
There’s just something about seeing the world that makes you realize how small and insignificant your problems can be. For example, I was still a Christian when I started traveling, and seeing other places outside of the United States absolutely destroyed my desire to give any kind of prayer requests at my weekly Bible study. Everything I was accustomed to praying for all just suddenly felt like “first world problems.”
Also, if you’re looking for love, there’s hardly a better way to find it than by going out and seeing the world. You never know who you’ll meet or where you’ll find him or her. If you grew up in a small religious town, then you might be accustomed to the “good, Christian girl.” You probably know the archetype. Well, there are near-infinite different “types” of women and/or men out there in the wider world. It might surprise you which one(s) you might be attracted to. Again, one major benefit of no longer being caught up in Church culture is that you no longer have to seek out a “good Christian girl” for the sole purpose of marriage. There are near-endless more possibilities than that.
Also, as I mentioned in my article Travel Will Help You Deconvert, if you’re still struggling with some lingering, leftover feelings that perhaps leaving religion is the wrong move and that the Christian god might still exist, travel is a perfect way to silence those doubts once and for all. When you start traveling and seeing first-hand how religion and belief systems are primarily concentrated by geographical region, you’ll quickly understand that one of the biggest contributors to your belief in Christianity was where in the world you happened to have been born.
Conclusion
These are three more positive, masculine hobbies for recently deconverted men. If you’re struggling after leaving your religion, give one (or all) of these potential hobbies a try. They can take your mind off the struggle of leaving your faith and help you find some joy in your post-religious life.