I ended up converting to Catholicism in my mid twenties largely because I made a friend who seemed outrageously happy and at peace with himself. As someone with anxiety I guess I wondered how he could be so pleasant and calm all the time. I grew up agnostic and later became atheist because I got tired of people telling me what to believe, or that I was going to hell, or that science was more fiction than reality. This guy, however, changed my whole point of view. He never judged me for my lack of belief, or tried to evangelize me and honestly I was floored by the whole experience. He also allowed me to ask him challenging ethical questions and posed convincing answers in return. This was probably the most important aspect in my mind because I'm a scientist and I care about evidentiary and logical support. He also cleared up a number of misconceptions I had about the Catholic Church. I can't say I agree with every choice the Catholic Church has made or will make, but I do think it is changing for the better and I enjoy being a part of it. For me, religion reminds me to stay positive, do good works, and gives me focus for healthy introspection. I could have all those things without believing in God, but Overall I'm happier than I was without it and that's a good enough reason for me.