I dealt with a lot of “what if I’m making a huge mistake” kind of feelings when I first left the LDS church; lots of internal debates regarding Pascal’s Wager. The thought of dying only to find out that I had made a huge mistake and would be eternally miserable filled me with dread and uncertainty. Regardless, I believed I was doing the right thing by leaving the LDS church and exploring spirituality more on my own terms.
Eventually I stumbled upon this quote, and it was life changing.
Frankly, if God is more concerned about things like temple attendance, drinking coffee, or paying tithing, fuck God. That is such a petty thing to be concerned about in the grand scheme of things. If God is really that pedantic, I don’t want to spend much time with them. The concept of whether or not I wanted to spend time with a being like that was novel to me.
This quote allowed me to put that Pascal-dread aside and continue exploring my spirituality. I have held several opinions over the years, but I have gravitated more towards a Pantheistic/Panentheistic outlook of God. I don’t think that the Divine cares about things like temple attendance, drinking coffee, or paying tithing. I think God is most concerned about trying your best to treat yourself, others, and the earth well.