u/Dramatic_Path3858

I just rescued my dog yesterday and I’m honestly obsessed with him already.

The rescue estimates he’s around 3 months old and he was already neutered, picked up as a stray. But I’m starting to think he might be a bit older and just really small. He has all of his adult teeth (they look pretty new), and he doesn’t really have that chaotic young puppy energy. He’s actually pretty calm and observant.

Because of that, I’m guessing he may have spent more time on his own than we initially thought. He’s not aggressive at all, just cautious. He’s definitely skittish, but still curious. Once he realizes something is safe, he warms up pretty quickly.

We have an older, calmer dog at home who I think will help a lot, and overall I’m not too worried about building his confidence long-term. He seems like a great candidate for that.

There are just two things I want to get ahead of:

1. He barks at certain people when they approach him, especially if he’s unsure. It doesn’t seem aggressive, more like fear or “please don’t come closer.”
2. On walks, he’ll frequently stop, sit, or try to hide. I completely understand why, since everything is new and probably overwhelming, but I’m not sure how to handle it without accidentally teaching him that he gets to control the walk by stopping.

I want to build his confidence without scaring him more. He’s so sensitive right now that I don’t even feel right using a firm correction.

Any advice on working through these kinds of fear-based behaviors, especially this early on? Would love to hear from anyone who’s raised a shy or formerly stray pup.

I just rescued my dog yesterday and I’m honestly obsessed with him already.

The rescue estimates he’s around 3 months old and he was already neutered, picked up as a stray. But I’m starting to think he might be a bit older and just really small. He has all of his adult teeth (they look pretty new), and he doesn’t really have that chaotic young puppy energy. He’s actually pretty calm and observant.

Because of that, I’m guessing he may have spent more time on his own than we initially thought. He’s not aggressive at all, just cautious. He’s definitely skittish, but still curious. Once he realizes something is safe, he warms up pretty quickly.

We have an older, calmer dog at home who I think will help a lot, and overall I’m not too worried about building his confidence long-term. He seems like a great candidate for that.

There are just two things I want to get ahead of:

1. He barks at certain people when they approach him, especially if he’s unsure. It doesn’t seem aggressive, more like fear or “please don’t come closer.”
2. On walks, he’ll frequently stop, sit, or try to hide. I completely understand why, since everything is new and probably overwhelming, but I’m not sure how to handle it without accidentally teaching him that he gets to control the walk by stopping.

I want to build his confidence without scaring him more. He’s so sensitive right now that I don’t even feel right using a firm correction.

Any advice on working through these kinds of fear-based behaviors, especially this early on? Would love to hear from anyone who’s raised a shy or formerly stray pup.

I believe in God. I do not believe in organized religion.

And before people immediately assume I am an atheist or “angry at God,” that is not the case at all. I fully believe there is something greater than humanity. I just do not believe that thing requires a church, a hierarchy, a holy book, or human authority figures speaking on its behalf.

To me, God is existence itself. Consciousness. Nature. Life and death. Good and evil. Energy. Creation. I do not believe God is a man in the sky demanding obedience and worship.

What I cannot understand is organized religion and the way people surrender themselves to it completely.

Specifically Christianity, because that is what I am surrounded by in the southern United States. People are raised being told that a book written thousands of years ago, translated countless times, edited repeatedly, and interpreted differently by thousands of denominations is the flawless and absolute truth of existence. Not symbolic truth. Literal truth. Perfect truth.

And people build their entire identities around it.

Their morality, sexuality, relationships, politics, purpose, worldview, and sense of self become attached to obedience toward something they were told not to question.

That is the part I genuinely cannot conceptualize.

Because from my perspective, organized religion often sounds less like spirituality and more like submission. “Give your life to God.” “Deny yourself.” “Follow.” “Obey.” “Trust authority over your own understanding.” Whether that authority is scripture, a pastor, a husband, a church, or whoever claims to speak for God.

Why would an all powerful creator want obedience instead of authenticity?

Why would a loving God create human beings with curiosity, individuality, critical thinking, and emotional depth only to demand that they suppress those things in favor of devotion?

And why is questioning treated like rebellion?

This is one of the biggest issues I have with religion. The moment you begin asking difficult questions, many believers become deeply uncomfortable or defensive. If something is truly the absolute truth, why should questioning it be threatening?

The Bible itself contains contradictions, historical inconsistencies, morally questionable passages, scientific inaccuracies, and teachings that have constantly evolved based on culture and interpretation. Entire books were removed or excluded by human beings. Different denominations disagree on major theological issues while all claiming divine truth. Yet somehow people are expected to treat it as unquestionable perfection.

Beyond that, organized religion has historically been used as a tool for power, control, and manipulation just as often as it has been used for good. Religion has justified war, sexism, homophobia, shame, abuse, colonialism, social control, political influence, financial exploitation, and moral superiority for centuries. People use religion to judge others while excusing themselves. Churches pressure struggling people for money while leaders gain wealth and influence. Parents disown children over doctrine. Entire communities divide people into “saved” and “unsaved,” “worthy” and “unworthy.”

And despite all of this, questioning religion is often treated as more offensive than the actual harm religion has caused.

I understand religion gives many people comfort, hope, structure, and community. I am not denying that. But I do not understand why spirituality has to involve surrendering yourself to authority and suppressing independent thought.

I think many people cannot imagine a God without rules, hierarchy, identity, punishment, and organized systems attached to it.

But personally, I do not believe we were created simply to obey.

I think we were created to experience life. To love, create, connect, question, evolve, fail, learn, and become fully ourselves.

Not just follow.

Why do you want to follow, why not expand your mind?

Okay, this may fit better somewhere else, but I genuinely want to hear people’s perspectives on this because religion has always fascinated me, especially as someone who believes in God, but not organized religion.

And before anyone assumes otherwise: I’m not “anti-God.” I absolutely believe there is something bigger than us. I just don’t believe that thing needs a name, a body, a book, a church, or a hierarchy. To me, God is everything and nothing all at once (nature, people, love, pain, energy, life, death, good, evil, consciousness itself.) I don’t think God is a man sitting in the sky demanding obedience. I think existence itself is divine.

What I genuinely cannot wrap my head around is organized religion, specifically the way people devote their entire identity, morality, and purpose to stories written thousands of years ago, rewritten repeatedly, translated across countless languages, interpreted differently by every denomination, and then presented as unquestionable fact.

Using Christianity as the example, since that’s what I’m surrounded by in the southern U.S: people are told a single book is the absolute, perfect truth of existence. No flaws. No contradictions. No room for questioning. And somehow the expectation is that you should dedicate your entire life to it, your thoughts, your behavior, your relationships, your sexuality, your money, your time, even your sense of self.

And people want to.

That’s the part my brain genuinely struggles to understand.

Because stripped down, what I often hear is: “Give your life to someone else. Submit yourself. Follow. Obey. Don’t trust your own instincts, trust the authority above you.”

Whether that authority is God, a pastor, a church, your husband, your father, or whoever claims to speak “for” God.

Why would a loving God want blind devotion instead of authentic living? Why would the creator of humanity want people to suppress themselves, fear questioning, and dedicate their entire existence to proving loyalty?

And the second you ask questions, people get defensive. Not even angry sometimes, but genuinely uncomfortable. Like questioning the logic behind it is itself offensive.

But if something is truly absolute truth, shouldn’t it be able to withstand questioning?

That’s what fascinates me most. Not even the religion itself, but the psychology behind belief. I went to church recently for a friend’s birthday, and the pastor talked about the Bible as literal perfection, the flawless word of God, and everyone around me accepted it completely. I sat there honestly enthralled. I wasn’t mocking anyone. I genuinely wanted to understand how someone’s brain fully accepts that as undeniable truth without questioning the obvious inconsistencies, historical edits, contradictions, or the fact that human beings decided what books were even included in the Bible to begin with.

And beyond that, organized religion has historically been used for so much harm alongside the good. People use it to judge others, shame people, control women, justify hatred, feel morally superior, gain political power, manipulate vulnerable people, demand money, excuse abuse, and divide people into “worthy” and “unworthy.” Entire systems of power have hidden behind religion for centuries.

That doesn’t mean religion can’t help people. I know it gives many people comfort, hope, community, structure, and purpose. I respect that completely. But I don’t understand why belief so often has to come packaged with obedience, fear, hierarchy, and the rejection of independent thought.

I’ve honestly come to terms with the fact that many people cannot conceptualize a God without a story, a face, a set of hard rules, or a religion attached to it. But I don’t think a higher power would create human beings just to spend their lives following instructions and proving devotion.

I think if God exists, we were put here to experience life, to love, connect, learn, create, question, evolve, and become ourselves.

Not just follow.

genuinely want rebuttal and conversation from this. I'm again, NOT anti-God or a HATER of religion, it honestly just fascinates me more than I can explain that peoples brains work this way.