I am an recent Ex from Egypt. I am Egyptian. I grew up with very non practising parents, at 23 I needed to find God, and got bullshitted by different writers like Mostafa Mahmoud, and other Islamic thinkers as to why Islam was the answer to everything.
I followed, stopped drinking, behaved myself, quit the band, went to Mosque, struggled with Fajr (there were days and there were days), was a good devout zombie follower. Was surrounded at work with tons of salafi zombies too, so felt totally happy and safe in the comfort of zombie life. Just smooth sailing from here...
So those evil verses on killing non believers and ahl el ketab....Thats me not understanding the context or history
And those about meteors being God burning the Jinn with divine cruise missiles....Metaphorical
About a verse asking Mohamed to marry Zaids ex to show that men can marry the ex's of their ex adopted children...God knows better
and, and, and....And me: Sheep by choice.
I mean we exist= God Exists = Quran is right...Simple
Then, first I rejected some ahadith, them most, then all Sunnah, then became Quran Only Muslim, then once reading the verses on beating up your wife for disobedience...That did it...Had my dad laid a finger on my mom I would have killed him...
After then the whole unravelled as pure fiction..Words of a man or a group of people trying to mind control others. They're descendants are still doing it till today....
I am still sometime struggling with the concept of being faithless...I depended on God to do a lot things for me by wishing them..No more genie...I still think this is some spectacular spirit behind creation..But HE/IT is certainly not to be found in any book...
So, free at last...Scary to be out of the flock, but amazing to be able to have a free mind, and not being afraid to use it, thinking your thoughts can be seen !
Happy to know I am not alone and great to meet you all!