RoodAwakening Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Welcome to the site - and to your new world view! Everything these guys have said to you so far is good, solid advice - not much more to add. We've all been through this wilderness of the mind, and the worst part for me was wondering whether I was wrong to not believe, and also whether or not I'd be sent straight to hell if I got hit by a bus during my time of doubt. Nothing like a bit of childhood brainwashing to make life easier . . . but then I realized that any deity who would create a hell as described in the bible and willingly send people to it was a lunatic and not worth my time in the first place. Good luck, and definitely keep reading and searching - you'll find your place! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeCycle Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Bart Ehrman has actually been on my to read for a long time. Maybe I'll have to check out Misquoting Jesus sometime soon. Stephen Hawking has some good stuff. A Brief History of Time is a classic. It doesn't focus on religion, but if you're just interested in astronomy it's quite good. The Grand Design focuses more on why Hawking is an atheist. I've only read parts of it, but I've spoken to several people who have read and enjoyed it. Also, check out talkorigins.org. Some very good stuff there on evolution. Thank you again! I will add that to my list. I've been watching a lot of debates lately of Religion vs Science and I am finding myself understanding and agreeing far more with the Science perspective. So it is definitely helping for sure. Because, as you'll find, religion is nothing but claims. Science is claims backed by evidence for those claims. Religion is just one extraordinary claim after another with no extraordinary evidence to support it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LifeCycle Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Also, (sorry for the million replies), if anyone has some interesting books that they enjoyed about the science vs. religion concept, I would love to get the titles! I've been looking at the list of books recommended on this site, but I'm also more so looking for the hard scientific evidence comparing the two of them. Thank you for the tips! Deconverted!!!! By Seth Andrews! You'll love it! It's the story of his loss of faith as a Christian DJ for a popular Christian radio station. It's an easy, entertaining read. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eXcelInferno Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Welcome to Ex-C and thanks for sharing! Your story really resonates with me, it's exactly what I went through! Having a non-Christian boyfriend and then learning all the science behind everything... I too realized how psychological Christianity is and how it messes with your head. Confirmation bias, self-fulfilling prophecy, you name it. I'd like to share with you a couple things I read that really helped me, they are posted on this very site! From the blog posts of mfrunyan, prepare yourself... "391 Reasons Christianity is False"! http://www.kyroot.com/ I also found Why Oh, Oh Why Didn't I Take The Blue Pill?-- My Painful Exodus From Christianity by Salemite to be very informative. She lists the reasons why she deconverted and they very much echo my own. Thanks to these people for their resources! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deidre Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Welcome, and I like your intro. There are many layers to this onion. For some, they peel the layers away quickly and the deconversion process is not as methodical as it can be for some others. (like me) It can take time to process everything...and you might go through periods of anger, sadness...and even a relapse, where you think that Christianity is right and true. None of that is 'abnormal.' Different things may trigger you to want to return to Christianity, and all I can say is...experience the process and let it move through you. It's a little like mourning the loss of a loved one. Christianity was a great comfort to me most of my life, and when I left it, I felt naked, in a sense. I eventually concluded that atheism made the most sense, but 'departed' from that briefly, struggling to see if there is a god, and maybe it's just not the Christian 'version.' But, the winding road led back to here, atheism again, and I realize that Christianity and religion in general, is as you say a coping mechanism not just for dealing with death, etc but also trying to make sense of the mysteries of the universe. May you find comfort here as you go through your journey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
★ Citsonga ★ Posted April 19, 2015 Share Posted April 19, 2015 Also, (sorry for the million replies), if anyone has some interesting books that they enjoyed about the science vs. religion concept, I would love to get the titles! For those who were raised with creationism, I think one of the best books you can start with is Jerry Coyne's Why Evolution Is True. By the way, welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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