I Have Recently Left Christianity.

[Thunder 34]

In November I left Christianity. I think you can look through my posts and see the testimonial I posted. But in like one or two days I reconverted. Some reasons are that my mother basically scared me back into it and I still felt some kind of "conviction" telling me to go back. Well, I have deconverted again, little over a week ago. This time for different ,and better, reasons.

 

In November I left mostly because of some article I read about the prophecys of Jesus and how they werent really prophecys and yada yada yada. I have left this time ,not because of some article, but by myself. I decided to look at myself, my freinds and family, and the past of Christianity and everything. I saw how hypocritical Christianity and myself and everyone who claimed to be a "Christian" was. I saw how it is just a big sham and how unreal it is. That isn't the only reason but it sure is the main one.

 

Right now I am some kind of Agnostic. Sometimes leaning toward Atheism and othertimes Deism.

 

During the last few months I was a Christian I was really depressed. I looked at how screwed up my freinds and the world was. For example, drugs and sex. I would sit and cry at how my friends and the world was so messed up. Like how my freinds are so young but are already involved with things like drugs and sex. I would cry at how a God could let the world be this way. "Why wont he help us? and "Why wont he help me?"

 

During the first week I was happier. I wasnt so upset at the things I useto be upset about. My friends could say they got drunk and had sex and I wouldnt give a hell. I just stopped caring. But now I am starting to get upset and sad about those things again. Not as bad as I useto be, but it is staring to sad me again some.

[Taphophilia]

Hi Thunder,

 

I think a lot of the problem is that Christianity isn't realistic, they say don't do it, abstain. This only sets people up to go overboard because they have never been taught to be responsible or set limits for their behavior. The difference in us, non-christians, is that we understand that it's not realistic to set standards of behavior that will only cause people to rebel and go overboard. Responsibility and consequences for your actions are your own, not the free ticket out of them that Christianity gives you.

 

Taph

[Thurisaz]

During the first week I was happier. I wasnt so upset at the things I useto be upset about. My friends could say they got drunk and had sex and I wouldnt give a hell. I just stopped caring. But now I am starting to get upset and sad about those things again. Not as bad as I useto be, but it is staring to sad me again some.

 

Leaving the brainwashing (whether religious "sex ist a sin!!!1!!!!" or societal "Having sex outside of marriage is not decent!!!!11!!" or whatever) is never easy. Many have tried to leave and were not successful the first time they tried. The more you were conditioned into the nonsense the harder the stuff is to get out of your head. But it's not impossible.

I can't offer that much help (I guess) because I never was one of those brainwashed fundies myself... but if I can do anything for you please let me know

 

That said, greetings from Germany

[Lycorth]

Welcome

 

Indeed, the strict abstinence Xianity enforces only ends up causing bigger problems down the road. As Taphie said, many Xians aren't taught to be responsible, so when they finally get tired of forbidding things to themselves, they overindulge to compensate. It's natural human behavior, and that can get one into trouble.

 

Xianity ends up causing more problems than it claims to solve.

[Piprus]

Well, I have deconverted again, little over a week ago. This time for different ,and better, reasons.

...Looks like you're fence-sitting a bit here, Thunder. No biggie. Not unusual. Take things a day at a time, use your mighty mind, and you'll get to your comfort level. And (hint) it probably won't be with fundie xianity, that's a view that's absolutely incompatible with anything remotely realistic as far as a world view is concerned. Live life and enjoy it. We'll be here to be a sounding board.

[MrSpooky]

In my experience it seems like the first thing that really gets most people to deconvert is emotional motivation. They realize the world of Christianity isn't as ideal as they thought, ideals are crushed, illusions are dispelled and the stark, horrifying truth of their religion comes to light. And it isn't pretty.

 

This is the easy track, really, and with good reason. It takes time, effort, and an open mind to look critically at the philosophical problems of the existence of God, something that few convicted believers have when it comes to the other side.

 

The emotional shock is the first step, the intellectual is the next if they really want to explore a critical look at God's existence.

 

Atheism isn't all about criticizing evangelists for their stubbornness or their occasional outright stupidity. The solid core of it is a strong understanding of epistemology and metaphysics that underlie what makes one perspective on God's (non)existence true and the other false. From there things get a lot easier, and much more stable.

[bluewizard]

Hey, your first few months of leving Christianity will no doubt be hard, even on your jounrney as one in your first years of it you'll have bumps in the road that'll makle yout hin k what if,, like weird paranormal stories that would proive Chrsiotan ity is true if it's true for me, but I trust science more than religion and know the Bible is truly fucked up that I just don't think about things like that or try not to and do and educate myself so I can be as comfortabl;e as I can in being an atheist and hopefully in a few years all the what-ifs I have every once in a while will quiot but the what=ifs haven't stopped me from believing that God doesn't exist.

[DarthOkkata]

In November I left Christianity. I think you can look through my posts and see the testimonial I posted. But in like one or two days I reconverted. Some reasons are that my mother basically scared me back into it and I still felt some kind of "conviction" telling me to go back. Well, I have deconverted again, little over a week ago. This time for different ,and better, reasons.

 

In November I left mostly because of some article I read about the prophecys of Jesus and how they werent really prophecys and yada yada yada. I have left this time ,not because of some article, but by myself. I decided to look at myself, my freinds and family, and the past of Christianity and everything. I saw how hypocritical Christianity and myself and everyone who claimed to be a "Christian" was. I saw how it is just a big sham and how unreal it is. That isn't the only reason but it sure is the main one.

 

Right now I am some kind of Agnostic. Sometimes leaning toward Atheism and othertimes Deism.

 

During the last few months I was a Christian I was really depressed. I looked at how screwed up my freinds and the world was. For example, drugs and sex. I would sit and cry at how my friends and the world was so messed up. Like how my freinds are so young but are already involved with things like drugs and sex. I would cry at how a God could let the world be this way. "Why wont he help us? and "Why wont he help me?"

 

During the first week I was happier. I wasnt so upset at the things I useto be upset about. My friends could say they got drunk and had sex and I wouldnt give a hell. I just stopped caring. But now I am starting to get upset and sad about those things again. Not as bad as I useto be, but it is staring to sad me again some.

 

One of the best quotes I ever read about Agnostisism is from Sir Douglas Adams. His writings, particularly an interview he did with a magazine called American Athiest which can be found in the book 'The Salmon of Doubt', did a lot to help me kick my doubts and wishy washyness on the subject of being an Athiest myself. I am now proud of that fact, and will voice it to anyone.

 

Here's the quote.

 

People will then often say “But surely it’s better to remain an Agnostic just in case?” This, to me, suggests such a level of silliness and muddle that I usually edge out of the conversation rather than get sucked into it. (If it turns out that I’ve been wrong all along, and there is in fact a god, and if it further turned out that this kind of legalistic, cross-your-fingers-behind-your-back, Clintonian hair-splitting impressed him, then I think I would chose not to worship him anyway.)

 

The article is worth checking out, here's a link to the whole interview if you or someone else is so inclined to read it. I highly reccomend it.

 

http://www.americanatheist.org/win98-99/T2/silverman.html

 

Mr. Adams, Bill Mahr, Pen and Teller [Their showtime show Bullshit in particular] and a miriad of other voices helped me on my path to stability and comfort with my descision.

 

Make no mistake, it's something I came to on my own, but words of encouragement, and voices who were wiling to speak out the things I was already thinking helped pave the road I had to take to speak openly about the beliefs I held for years in silence. We need more voices, more people willing to stand up and say.

 

This, is stupid. You have a neurological disorder, and you need to be stopped.