It wasn't easy for me to face the reality that I'd been lied to

[webmdave]

Sent in by Mary R

 

I was raised a Catholic, and later during my teen years converted to Christianity. After many years of being a devout Christian, I started to suspect that something was wrong with many of the teachings that Christian leaders had been teaching in their churches and Sunday schools for so many years. For the first time in my Christian life a feeling of mistrust and doubt arose within me when I started to question the virginal birth of Jesus or Jesus himself being God—to me, that formula didn't make sense anymore—after I learned that the concept of Gods impregnating humans to have physical sons is pure mythology. The belief in earth-born gods or "demi-gods" (called Sons of the Gods) and their coming into the world by human birth (gods impregnating humans) was prevalent among the heathen long prior to the era of Christianity.

 

I also discovered that the sayings of Jesus (in the New Testament) are not original. In fact, his sayings or teachings are a body of work called the "Logia Ieosou," etc., and can be found scattered throughout the literature, both Jewish and Pagan, that preceded Jesus' purported advent.

 

It wasn't easy for me to face the reality that I'd been lied to.

 

Years and years of lies and fairy tales needed to be washed away. I took courage and began to study the origin of religions, comparative mythology, Ancient history and other subjects related to it. It was then when my eyes were opened and I could see the truth that had been hidden from me for so many years.

 

In my in-depth study of Scripture and Ancient religions, I came to realize that every system of beliefs has its own retold old myths and related rituals and that what I had been taught as the "true doctrine" is simply an interpretation based on the same old mythology that has been around for thousands of years—in disguise of different names but basically the same, from the past to present.

 

When we learn of Ancient pagan religions we can recognize that Christianity is little more than the combination of related pagan beliefs which have been organized into a complex whole religion (the one we know today). There are numerous instances in the Bible where the influence of mythology and Ancient pagan thought is quite blatant. But the fact that everyone had always told me that that whole book was the inspired word of God, made me fearful to even infer that it really wasn't. There was a time when I could remember being afraid to admit that Jesus wasn't God or some type of divine thing/entity—what if I was wrong? Would God be upset at me for renouncing him? (obviously I was very confused).

 

Gods are invented by people to explain unknown things. You hear the same type stories just over and over. Which one is the true one? Ra, Zeus, El, Yahweh, Jove, Jupiter, Allah, Hunah Ku, Anshar, Anu or Brahma? I'm sure that every religion would dare to say that their god/God is the true one and that the others are just idols invented by men.

 

(Here are some external links in case you want to know a List of deities: www.godchecker.com; www.pantheon.org; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deities)

 

Every pre-Christianity religion (Osirian, Hinduism, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Islam, and others), and Christianity as well, have their own texts (bibles), books that were put together by men influenced by their 'imagination.' And it was men who gave a mystical interpretation to their legends, myths, and fables that were passed down from early generations.

 

Religions, also, and their related rituals were invented by men. Every country or region of the world have their own; this control by religion has its origin in the oldest religions of ancient civilizations.

 

We all have seen that the most horrible crimes in history have been committed in the name of religion. When I read and learned of the dark side of it, I realized that religion has been nothing but a forcible 'taking over' of human thoughts, emotions, and feelings... (a persuasive way of intimidation and manipulation for the purpose of controlling masses of people by irrational promises, fear and guilt). In my opinion, that's not the best choice for a rational, thinking person.

 

Being a rational human being, living a moral life, loving our family, being good to our neighbors, to those who are in need, teaching our children to make sensible, reasonable, logical, realistic, and wise decisions in their lives is what I think are the best choices in life, and therefore, should be our commitment.

 

To monitor comments posted to this topic, use .http://exchristian.net/testimonies/2007/07...ce-reality.html

[Guest CerebralHypertrophy]

Hey,

 

I agree with what you are saying. You've done the study and have realized how much nonsense Christianity is, when looked at in a rational perspective. It may be important to note, though, that you most likely were not "lied to." I thought that way, when I first rejected Christianity, but understand now that its only lying if they know what the truth is. Pastors, theologians, lay people, parents, etc...very few of them are "lying," they are brainwashed themselves and think they are preaching truth. It is sad that many people are still in the dark and can't see that the whole thing is not feasible. Yet, to call them liars is to say that they are purposefully deceiving others about the matter.

[R. S. Martin]

Sent in by Mary R

 

I was raised a Catholic, and later during my teen years converted to Christianity.

 

I'm not sure why you say you to "converted to Christianity" if you were born and raised Catholic. While some Christian sects do not accept Catholics as Christian, Roman Catholics identify as Christians and therefore ARE Christians.

 

For the first time in my Christian life a feeling of mistrust and doubt arose within me when I started to question the virginal birth of Jesus or Jesus himself being Godâ€"to me, that formula didn't make sense anymoreâ€"after I learned that the concept of Gods impregnating humans to have physical sons is pure mythology. The belief in earth-born gods or "demi-gods" (called Sons of the Gods) and their coming into the world by human birth (gods impregnating humans) was prevalent among the heathen long prior to the era of Christianity.

 

It's in the Bible, too. See Genesis 6:1-4. I never understood this passage. But what you say helps me make sense of it.

 

I also discovered that the sayings of Jesus (in the New Testament) are not original. In fact, his sayings or teachings are a body of work called the "Logia Ieosou," etc., and can be found scattered throughout the literature, both Jewish and Pagan, that preceded Jesus' purported advent.

 

Iesou is Greek for Jesus. You spelled it slightly different but I think it's supposed to be the same name. Logia means words. Thus, "Logia Ieosou" probably means "The Words/Teachings of Jesus."

 

It wasn't easy for me to face the reality that I'd been lied to.

 

Years and years of lies and fairy tales needed to be washed away. I took courage and began to study the origin of religions, comparative mythology, Ancient history and other subjects related to it. It was then when my eyes were opened and I could see the truth that had been hidden from me for so many years.

 

In my in-depth study of Scripture and Ancient religions, I came to realize that every system of beliefs has its own retold old myths and related rituals and that what I had been taught as the "true doctrine" is simply an interpretation based on the same old mythology that has been around for thousands of yearsâ€"in disguise of different names but basically the same, from the past to present.

 

When we learn of Ancient pagan religions we can recognize that Christianity is little more than the combination of related pagan beliefs which have been organized into a complex whole religion (the one we know today). There are numerous instances in the Bible where the influence of mythology and Ancient pagan thought is quite blatant. But the fact that everyone had always told me that that whole book was the inspired word of God, made me fearful to even infer that it really wasn't.

 

I hear ya! There are questions one daren't ask, even in the depths of one's own heart. But those of us who are driven to seek personal integrity cannot ignore those questions forever. To profess "I believe" something that makes no sense in one's own mind is to lie. That is how it appears to me. And you have taken the stand no longer to lie.

 

There was a time when I could remember being afraid to admit that Jesus wasn't God or some type of divine thing/entityâ€"what if I was wrong? Would God be upset at me for renouncing him? (obviously I was very confused).

 

I don't think you were any more confused than have been most of us here. The confusion is so painful one is driven to seek release.

Gods are invented by people to explain unknown things. You hear the same type stories just over and over. Which one is the true one? Ra, Zeus, El, Yahweh, Jove, Jupiter, Allah, Hunah Ku, Anshar, Anu or Brahma? I'm sure that every religion would dare to say that their god/God is the true one and that the others are just idols invented by men.

 

I'm reading up on Charles Hodge and his philosophy and theology. He was the "father of fundamentalism." The book I'm reading compares his philosophy/theology with that of others in his day. There are things Hodge glosses over as "self-evident truths," among which is the concept that the existence of God cannot be questioned.

 

(Here are some external links in case you want to know a List of deities: www.godchecker.com; www.pantheon.org; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deities)

 

Every pre-Christianity religion (Osirian, Hinduism, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Islam,

 

Islam is not pre-Christian. It started in about 600 AD. It is the newest of the Abrahamic religions, which are in order of age: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

 

Being a rational human being, living a moral life, loving our family, being good to our neighbors, to those who are in need, teaching our children to make sensible, reasonable, logical, realistic, and wise decisions in their lives is what I think are the best choices in life, and therefore, should be our commitment.

 

Agreed, so long as we don't become dogmatic in this. Maybe religion means a lot to one of our kids.

[R. S. Martin]

Hey,

 

I agree with what you are saying. You've done the study and have realized how much nonsense Christianity is, when looked at in a rational perspective. It may be important to note, though, that you most likely were not "lied to." I thought that way, when I first rejected Christianity, but understand now that its only lying if they know what the truth is. Pastors, theologians, lay people, parents, etc...very few of them are "lying," they are brainwashed themselves and think they are preaching truth. It is sad that many people are still in the dark and can't see that the whole thing is not feasible. Yet, to call them liars is to say that they are purposefully deceiving others about the matter.

 

Cerebral, I've been told this before. What does not wash with me is that these people have the opportunity to check out the truthfulness of the blanket statements they are being taught and pass on. They taught me that anyone outside our community was evil and selfish, etc. It was so easy to prove them wrong. They were lying. They read the headlines in the daily newspaper and said this applies to society at large.

 

Yet they were doing business with mainstream financial institutions, called on the protection of law enforcement officers when their homes were broken into, used healthcare facilities that are run by "outsiders." It should be mentioned that they forbid education beyond Grade 8, which means they have no healthcare professionals in their own community, nor financial and law-enforcement institutions.

 

They expect that their young people are safe on the road at all hours of the night. Yet they claim outsiders are totally given over to evil. The discrepancies are so enormous that I call it either out-right lies or voluntary and willing ignorance. It's a selling out of truthfulness for a superstition. How is that not lying?