13 replies to this topic

[sjessen]

Hi All,

Well, I've wanted to write since I was a kid. I've done some writing in school mainly, but haven't gotten around to writing something lately. I think I have finally melded my writing voice and a subject I am passionate about. I am even working on another subject too! Anyway, special thanks to AnnaNymity for her encouragement and help. This piece and the other are dedicated to her. (The other is a surprise) Hope you enjoy. This is just the introduction. I may expound on it, but I wanted Anna to be able to read this especially. I am open to constructive criticism as I intend to publish this. Thanks!

Questioning Christianity

< For Anna >

It is neither seemly nor acceptable in today's society to question, much less abandon, Christianity, so I write these words now with much trepidation. The mores against questioning this established religion are especially strong if once you have accepted the religion as your own. To defect is unthinkable. Yet it does happen. In fact, it happened to me and I would like to share my story.

Why? Why don’t I just keep my thoughts to myself? Why do I share my story? The most important reason is that I, and others, have discovered that Christianity is a harmful thought-system and it needs to be exposed for the danger that it is. Also, I want to add my voice to those who have gone before me; those who have dissented and written about their exodus without malice or derision regarding their former faith. For there are many, mainly atheist, writings that are so callous in tone as to turn off a searcher in their quest for answers.*

It is my hope to reach you who are questioning Christianity yourself, as well as those who are devout, in hopes that my story will resonate with you and will expose the threat I see in the Christian mind-set.

Ten years ago I never thought I would be writing something like this, for I was a Bible-believing, born again Christian. I believed it all. I accepted the Bible literally and believed in Jesus for the salvation of my soul and was grateful for his sacrifice for me on the cross. I was an avid churchgoer and put my time and talents into serving the Lord. I was a praise-and-worship singer and I participated in Vacation Bible School whole-heartedly as a true believer. I dedicated my life to Christ and Christianity. My house is still decorated with remnants of my former faith, which I left eight years ago.

I say this to hopefully convince you that I was genuine in my belief and I loved and pursued the Lord with an open heart and with all my heart. Because of my genuine reverence for the church and the faith when I was a Christian, this turnaround has been tumultuous and no words can adequately explain the loss and pain I have gone through in this transition to being an ex-Christian. But I will attempt in this writing to convey some of what I have experienced to the best of my ability.

I cannot thank you enough, gentle reader, for your consideration of my words and your sharing of my experiences. I will not attempt to de-convert you. I will only expose you to what I have seen so that you can make up your own mind. I can say this without compunction, for I do believe the Bible is correct in stating that the truth shall set you free. However, one must observe the truth with a clear, rational and open mind; the truth is obscured and not visible to the clouded, deluded and closed mind. As Thomas Paine said in The Age of Reason, “To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” My hope is that you will approach this material with full use of your reasoning faculties and consider what I have to say objectively.

Blessings


* I am not an atheist. I believe in God. I do not believe, however, in the God of the Bible. I will endeavor to expound on the distinction within this text.

© 2012 Sharon Jessen

Edited by sjessen, 09 July 2012 - 04:00 PM.

[ficino]

Good start, looking forward to it, Sharon!

[sjessen]

Good start, looking forward to it, Sharon!

Thanks ficino!

[Carolorado]

Great topic and excellent writing! Only one small suggestion. I remember something my English teacher said long ago: when you open a formal piece avoid using the word 'I' as your first word, but you can use it in the first sentence, just redo the line to say the same thing. She said that when a reader sees it, they assume 'I' is all about my opinion. I know this is very nit picky, but you have a great story. Make current Xians believe it is about them, too, because it is! I know this is so important to you, so please take this as a constructive idea to consider. I hope you write a phenomenal best seller. Good luck!

[sjessen]

Great topic and excellent writing! Only one small suggestion. I remember something my English teacher said long ago: when you open a formal piece avoid using the word 'I' as your first word, but you can use it in the first sentence, just redo the line to say the same thing. She said that when a reader sees it, they assume 'I' is all about my opinion. I know this is very nit picky, but you have a great story. Make current Xians believe it is about them, too, because it is! I know this is so important to you, so please take this as a constructive idea to consider. I hope you write a phenomenal best seller. Good luck!

Thanks so much for the tip! I will rework that sentence. Thanks, also, for the support. I really appreciate it!

LATER: Okay, I reworked it. What do you think?

LATER STILL: Oh yeah, I like that a LOT better. Thank you Carolorado!

Edited by sjessen, 09 July 2012 - 03:52 PM.

[AnnaNymity]

I just got my first chance to read this, and my very first response is that I'm honored that you would dedicate it to me. <blushes> <curtsies>

My next response would be. . .

Yeeehhaaw!! I knew that you had this in ya girl!!
My final response would be that I love the logical analysis, clarity, patience, and kindness that you're obviously basing the presentation of your hypothesis upon.

My favorite line though, would have to be, "To defect is unthinkable." That's because, in that short four-word sentence, you define all of the overwhelming capability that any type of mind-control technique--especially a shame-based religion like christianity-- has to decimate an individual's autonomy, and their ability to simply think for themselves..

That short sentence also describes not only the way that we are branded by others, when we dare to leave the fold as disloyal apostate "defectors."

It also clarifies the label that we personally have to learn to reject, in order to finally find peace within ourselves.

I can't wait to see the rest!

Anna the Honored

[sjessen]

My revised beginning and the start of one of the chapters. I'm thinking of making all the "chapters" questions I had about Christianity and how the answers I came up with those questions led me out of Christianity. Doing this 'cause it's called Questioning Christianity. Okay, here it is:

Questioning Christianity

For Anna, my dear online friend, who encouraged me to write.

You live and write with style and grace and humor.

I will always remember you.

Many Thanks!

It is neither seemly nor acceptable in today's society to question, much less renounce, Christianity, so I write these words now with much trepidation. The mores against questioning Christianity are especially strong if once you have accepted the religion as your own. To criticize is shameful. To defect is unthinkable. Yet it does happen. In fact it happened to me, and so begins my story.

Why do I share my story? Why don’t I just keep my thoughts to myself? Even if it is all a fairy tale, what’s the harm if it brings people comfort? The most important reason I relate my experiences here is that I, and many others like me, have discovered that Christianity is not a benign belief, but rather a harmful thought-system, and we feel it needs to be exposed for the danger that it is. Another reason for sharing my story is that I want to add my voice to those who have gone before me, those who have dissented and written about their exodus without malice or derision regarding their former faith. For there are many ex-Christian writings–mainly atheist–that are so callous in tone as to turn off a searcher in their quest for answers*. My desire is to be kindly and respectfully open with you who are questioning Christianity, as well as those who are devout, in hopes that the answers I have found through my quest will resonate with you and will expose the threat I see in the Christian mind-set.

Ten years ago I never thought I would be writing something like this, for I was a Bible-believing, born again Christian. I believed it all. I accepted the Bible literally and believed in Jesus for the salvation of my soul and was grateful for his sacrifice for me on the cross. I was an avid churchgoer and put my time and talents into serving the Lord. I was a praise-and-worship singer and I participated in Vacation Bible School whole-heartedly. I dedicated my life to Christ and Christianity. My house is still decorated with remnants of my former faith, which I left eight years ago (in 2004).

I say this to hopefully convince you that I was genuine in my belief and I loved and pursued the Lord with an open heart and with all my heart. Because of my genuine reverence for the church and the faith when I was a Christian, this turnaround has been tumultuous to say the least and no words can adequately explain the struggle I have gone through and the loss I have experienced in this transition to being an ex-Christian. But I will attempt in this writing to convey what I have experienced and why to the best of my ability.

I cannot thank you enough, gentle reader, for your consideration of my words and your sharing of my experiences. I will not attempt to de-convert you. I will only expose you to what I have seen so that you may make up your own mind. I say this without compunction, for I do believe the Bible is correct in stating that the truth shall set you free. However, one must observe the truth with a clear, rational, and open mind; the truth is obscured and not visible to the clouded, deluded, and closed mind. As Thomas Paine wrote in The Age of Reason, “To argue with a person who has renounced the use of reason is like administering medicine to the dead.” My hope is that you will approach this material with full use of your reasoning faculties and consider what I have to say objectively.

* I am not an atheist. I believe in God. I do not believe, however, in the God of the Bible. I will endeavor to expound on the distinction within this text.

© 2012 | Sharon Jessen

All Rights Reserved

Why Would a Loving God Create Hell?

Hell was a place I wanted to avoid; but at the age of eight, I was destined for the eternal flames of that fearful abyss. At least, that was what the preacher at our church said. I was convinced I had to do something about this terrible predicament I was in, and I felt an oppressive urgency to take action to avoid the punishment God was going to subject me to: I had to ask Jesus to forgive me and come into my life and be my savior.

It all began with an eraser. Erasers were a peculiar interest of mine as a young girl at Thousand Oaks Elementary School. It was the early 1970’s and I was carefree, roaming the streets near our home in southern California on my green Schwinn bicycle that sported a banana seat, white plastic basket with flowers, and green sparkly streamers cascading from the handlebars. We lived in a cul-de-sac and knew all the neighbors. The other kids and I played games together, like kick-the-can and hopscotch. It was a great way to grow up.

My idyllic world turned topsy-turvy, however, the day I spotted Anthony LastName’s eraser in class. It was a blue, chunky eraser. The corners were rounded off where he had used it and I fell in love with it. I wanted it. I wanted it really bad. So I devised a plan and one day while everyone was out of the room but me, I stole Anthony’s big, blue eraser.

Of course Anthony noticed his loss right away and the other kids couldn’t help but observe that I had suddenly acquired an eraser that was exceptionally similar-looking to the missing item. All of a sudden I was the suspect.

“This eraser is mine!” I declared indignantly, holding the object of contention in my hand. The others didn’t seem convinced.

That was it. The deed had been done and there was no taking it back. With that very act, I was condemned. Not only had I stolen something violating the eighth commandment, but I also lied about stealing and now I was doubly guilty.

This transgression weighed heavily on my mind until the day when I was supposed to meet my family in the gigantic, new sanctuary after Sunday school. We got separated and I ended up sitting alone near the front of the church surrounded by strangers. I was scared. The preacher started talking about sin and hell. He seemed to be talking right to me! All I could think of was that blue eraser I had stolen. The preacher made an altar call as we sang the closing hymn. I tried to sing, but tears filled my eyes. People started walking to the front of the church. I wanted to go with them, but I was afraid and ashamed. Then I thought, Okay, if one more person goes up, so will I. Someone did and so I put down my hymnal, went forward and kneeled at the altar.

My parents, though quite surprised to see me up front, were relieved to finally know where I was. I was relieved to see them too and I started to cry as I confessed what I had done. Dad smiled and consoled me with a hug. Good-natured and always affable, he seemed a bit amused by my tragic plight. He asked if I understood what I was getting into. I said I did, and with that my salvation was arranged. I confessed Jesus as my savior, was immersed in the new baptistery, got a New Living translation Bible from the church with my name written in it, and that was it. I was saved and I didn’t have to worry about hell ever again…or so I thought.



That's what I have so far.

Anna, my Angel

YOU'RE THE BEST!

Let's Celebrate, Girl!

Edited by sjessen, 12 July 2012 - 09:11 AM.

[sjessen]

What were some of the questions you guys had about Christianity that lead you away from it?

[Overcame Faith]

What were some of the questions you guys had about Christianity that lead you away from it?

I like what you have written so far.

Here are a few questions:

How can it be that I am charged with the sin of Adam (original sin) when I had absolutely nothing to do with what Adam allegedly did?

Why would god orchestrate the human sacrifice of Jesus when in the OT he condemned the practice of human sacrifice?

Why don't the Jews recognize Jesus as the Messiah if his Messiahship is as clear as Christians claim?

Why is there such a wide variation in the interpretation of the scriptures among Christians (with thousands of different denominations each with a different interpretation) if understanding the Bible has such eternal consequences?

How can belief or faith be one of the key requirements for salvation when there are people who have never heard of Jesus and thus they are incapable of belief?

Why would god go through such an elaborate scheme of sending his son to be crucified and die as an atonement before he would forgive sins when, as an all powerful being, he could simply forgive sins without the atoning death of Jesus?

Why does god allow starving children in Africa when he could so easily feed everyone?

Why has no one ever moved a mountain through faith when Jesus said that people with faith could do so?

Why aren't we given everything we ask for in prayer in Jesus' name when Jesus promised that would happen?

Why are there contradictions and inconsistencies in the Bible (and the four gospels in particular) if the Bible is the infallable word of god as many Christians claim?

These are a few of the many questions that bothered me.

[sjessen]

What were some of the questions you guys had about Christianity that lead you away from it?

I like what you have written so far.

Here are a few questions:

How can it be that I am charged with the sin of Adam (original sin) when I had absolutely nothing to do with what Adam allegedly did?

Why would god orchestrate the human sacrifice of Jesus when in the OT he condemned the practice of human sacrifice?

Why don't the Jews recognize Jesus as the Messiah if his Messiahship is as clear as Christians claim?

Why is there such a wide variation in the interpretation of the scriptures among Christians (with thousands of different denominations each with a different interpretation) if understanding the Bible has such eternal consequences?

How can belief or faith be one of the key requirements for salvation when there are people who have never heard of Jesus and thus they are incapable of belief?

Why would god go through such an elaborate scheme of sending his son to be crucified and die as an atonement before he would forgive sins when, as an all powerful being, he could simply forgive sins without the atoning death of Jesus?

Why does god allow starving children in Africa when he could so easily feed everyone?

Why has no one ever moved a mountain through faith when Jesus said that people with faith could do so?

Why aren't we given everything we ask for in prayer in Jesus' name when Jesus promised that would happen?

Why are there contradictions and inconsistencies in the Bible (and the four gospels in particular) if the Bible is the infallable word of god as many Christians claim?

These are a few of the many questions that bothered me.

Thanks a million Overcame! I was nodding my head and saying "YES" as I read your list. This will help me a lot!

I really relate to your question about faith/belief. I kept wondering as I was questioning things, why does what I believe make any difference? I couldn't quite fathom that!

[Overcame Faith]

Thanks a million Overcame! I was nodding my head and saying "YES" as I read your list. This will help me a lot!

I really relate to your question about faith/belief. I kept wondering as I was questioning things, why does what I believe make any difference? I couldn't quite fathom that!

Glad to be of service for such a "righteous" cause.

The issue of belief is a big one and I did a lot of thinking about that. Some denominations try to get around the problems associated with a requirement for belief by invoking such theological musings as predistination so people who will go to heaven and avoid hell are determined even before they are born. Of course, predistination brings with it its own major problems like the fact that a certain number of people through no fault of their own are predestined to hell and there is nothing that they (or their Jesus) can do about their unfortunate fate.

For those who adhere to the belief requirement like the denomination I grew up in, this requirement evokes numerous problems. To me the biggest problem is the question of what happens to babies when they die? According to the scriptures, they are guilty of original sin so they like everyone else are sinful people. Yet, they are incapable of expressing belief in Jesus or of repenting of their sin. Thus, though Christians almost never admit it, there is but one inevitable answer. Babies who die must go to hell according to these Christians' own interpretation of the scriptures.

Of course, neither babies (nor anyone else) will go to hell since hell does not exist.

[AnnaNymity]

That-is-beautiful.

The only problem that I had with it, is that it touched me deeply--and I wish that I could go back and protect that little girl. In short: if you ever try to tell me again that you "aren't really a writer," I will simply laugh in your face!

It's truly ironic, that you were stuck in the situation that you were. Because my big transgression happened when I was five years old: I stole a kazoo . The thing must have been worth about a dollar, and I took it from a friend of my mother's, while we were at his house for visit.

I was so horribly guilt-ridden, that I told my mother what I had done as soon as we got home. She simply loaded us all back into the car. When we arrived back at this man's house, my mom made me go in and return the kazoo, and apologize.

Because my mother's only teaching to me about spirituality and religion had quite literally been to tell me only one six-word sentence that, "God is everywhere, and in everything," her response to my transgression was to dump an hour of pseudo-psychoanalysis on my head for about an hour.

The end result of that was that I still not only felt incredibly guilty, but also began to feel my first stirrings of hatred for Sigmund Freud! LOL

Wow. An eraser, and a kazoo. The two of us were certainly hard-core felons, weren't we? And if you're from Thousand Oaks, then you were close enough to Oxnard and L. A. to know what the other kids around us were up to, and it certainly wasn't stealing an eraser, or a kazoo! (I distinctly remember my step-sister stealing entire six-packs of beer, by the time she was ten.)

I can't wait to see how this expands. Just do me a favor, and don't hurry just 'cause of me. I'll keep working hard to stick around as long as possible--you take your time and enjoy yourself as you're fashioning your craft, 'cause this sucker certainly is good!

[sjessen]

OMG, I'm abandoning this project, but will tell the story another way...as a romance! I'm so excited!!! A woman rejects Christianity and she falls in love with a minister and he with her. I'm so excited. Lots to work on! I like this idea much better. Don't know if anyplace would actually accept it being about an ex-Christian, but who knows. May just self-publish. Gotta write it now! Already am mocking up the characters and starting on a plot. I bought some books on how to write romance, so that should help. Now if I could quit playing Draw Something! But it is much too fun!

[AnnaNymity]

OMG, I'm abandoning this project, but will tell the story another way...as a romance! I'm so excited!!! A woman rejects Christianity and she falls in love with a minister and he with her. I'm so excited. Lots to work on! I like this idea much better. Don't know if anyplace would actually accept it being about an ex-Christian, but who knows. May just self-publish. Gotta write it now! Already am mocking up the characters and starting on a plot. I bought some books on how to write romance, so that should help. Now if I could quit playing Draw Something! But it is much too fun!

Ooooh! I like it, I like it!

Now, I'm SO curious! LOL