I never had to leave religion behind because I was brought up in a nonreligious family and went to church with friends just for the fun of it. I never believed there could be a God because it just seemed like Santa Claus no real proof that a person or entity could do the things claimed by religion so I guess I have been agnostic all my life and I don't seem to have problems other people do with religious people, I try not to talk about religion with them is the best way I've found.

Welcome to our little place and may you find joy and happiness in our little site. Just be yourself.

I left religion behind before I had any views.

they can anyway without religion

Having never been really, truly religious, I find my views have changed, but more by way of experience and maturity.

For example, when I stopped believing in God, I continued to struggle with other beliefs that had been formed by my religious upbringing: the nature and importance of forgiveness, and the "sinfulness" of expressing sexuality (particularly as a woman), among others.

Absolutely, yes. But it's not a one-way causation. Secularism didn't just change my views on social issues, psychology, politics, environment awareness, etc. My evolving beliefs and values in those areas also informed my transition away from religion.

I stopped believing and four years later changed my whole world view.

I find my views change regardless of my previously held beliefs given sufficient evidence. I was never religious, even as a young Catholic child I didn't believe in God. As I mature and learn I grow and hopefully become wiser despite being the ignorant fool that I am.

I never had religion, but my core belief system has stayed the same, but life has changed how I look at some of those core beliefs. I've always been a tolerant listener, but I am much better at looking at things through other people's eyes.

Of course and even before I left religion. The meaning of life (all life) is to evolve and for us humans that evolution means learning and, hopefully, changing one's views.

I found that being less beholden to my religious upbringing and structures of authority allowed me to think about issues through a different lens, perhaps a clearer lens, where I'm more skeptical but also more willing to hear other sides of an issue. It didn't happen overnight, and perhaps it's a bit of the chicken-and-egg dynamic, but I feel like I'm more open intellectually, less inclined to bow to authority, and less judgmental toward other people (e.g., adopted more of a live-and-let-live approach).