I had to justify my withdrawal from church before my catholic grandmother. She thought that I made my decision overheated and that those scandals in church (pedophiliac priests, e.a.) were the reason. I explained that it was a well-thought decision and that those scandals were not the reason. I explained that in my eyes the presence of religion is no guarantor for peace and wealth among people, quite the contrary is the case, several conflicts raise just because of the presence of religion, what I convict. Similarly, the absence of religion does not imply war, hate and despair. Just the way how people live with each other is what stabilizes society. I should have mentioned the United Nations, which provide such a basic framework independently from any religion.
She meant that one should just go out and look at the stars, maybe to wonder and postulate a god, but then the discussion declined. Maybe I’ll get another chance to explain that I was looking at the stars since I was young, and that I also wonder as a scientist, as this is the very essence of science. My idea to reject religion matured over the years. But I think I already did a good justification as she didn’t respond anymore.