ShackledNoMore Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 It was one year ago today that I made my first post on ex-christian.net. It had already been 21 years since I deconverted at the time (I had my 22nd anniversary of my "official" deconversion last month). I hoped that I might be able to offer something constructive. I felt a certain need for atonement for trying to "win souls" when I was a xian. I guess I still do, and causes for things such as freedom from religion and promoting science over dark ages religious thinking are the most near and dear to me. What I found was an impressive community. I found no scarcity of wisdom and insight. I read peoples thoughts, rants, questions, problems, issues, and I read horror stories about what xianity had unleashed on some, and the responses of sages, showing how fully they had examined things. I had my socks knocked off by members still in their teens who were light years ahead of me at that age. The way all manner of bullshit is challenged here, is something you don't see in general, and superficially, that almost makes us seem monolithic, but in reality, the differences between the members here and their opinions are very refreshing. So I just settled in as one voice in that community. I've challenged my sacred cows and examined things with thoughtfulness and reason to the best of my ability. I hope that I've offered something good, sound, helpful, or useful to someone, but for the most part, anything I've had to add was already here, in place from people who have walked the same sort of path as me. What kind of amazed me, is how much this site has given me. I considered myself a seasoned apostate, but I never had a community of people such as the ones here to exchange ideas with. I learned a great deal of insights that I had never thought of before. People mentioned a lot of thing I had never noticed. It rounded out the vacuum of (external) ideas opposing the xianity from which I had fled. Until ex-c, I had barely read anything from an atheist/freethinking/humanist/ex-christian perspective. Seriously. This site opened up a wealth of resources for me that I never knew existed. If only all of this had been available 20 years ago! In the year I've been here, I've seen people come and I've seen people go. I've seen people get what they need here and move on. I've seen people deal with their anger over being spiritually raped, I've seen some move on from being joe-apostate, to joe-ordinary guy who doesn't buy into the old xian bullcrap. I'm still happy here. After all these years I feel both well adjusted and outraged at what xianity did to me, to others, and to society. I feel like I have issues left over from xianity even now, but they're external and pragmatic, involving the consequences of being a skeptic in an xian pond--the self anguish of earlier times is long gone. Maybe I'll post about some of this in the next year. Thanks to all people of courage, of reason, and all who have been an inspiration here. I'm glad to have been here for the past year. It's meant a lot to me to be able to read your ideas and contribute mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Japedo Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Happy One year Shackled!! You have been a great inspiration to many of us here as well. It has been a lot brighter with you around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1_individual Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Happy Anniversary (22nd) Shackled. Maybe we could re-work the Happy Birthday song to commemorate ones re-birth into reality. As I read your post I started to feel encouraged that I might make it as well. It has been a messy and bumpy uphill road somewhat like the "Paris-Roubaix" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PR2005Crash.jpg) It's only been a few months for me now (my 2nd "attempt" to break free though) It is amazing the grip the the Xtain plague has had on me (and others as well.) According to many of them You and I would have become immoral axe-murdering, people-baking, Alcoholic, porn-addict, soul raping madman by now. It is nice to witness somebody's sensibility and morality post-Xtainity. Not that I know much about you personally, but from the tone of your writing, I can't imagine you to be anything near what fundies say one who left the faith would have become. Thanks for your insight. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more as well as good stuff from the other members here. I recently got "Leaving The Fold, by Marlene Winell. I'm working trough that now. I've also reserved "The Blind Watchmaker" from the Library. Does anybody have any other book/resource suggestions? "From the Middle east to the middle west, it's a world of superstition" Yours in Reality, Frank Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Very nice post Shack, And happy Ex-C-website-member-anniversary. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShackledNoMore Posted October 11, 2007 Author Share Posted October 11, 2007 Happy Anniversary (22nd) Shackled. Maybe we could re-work the Happy Birthday song to commemorate ones re-birth into reality. As I read your post I started to feel encouraged that I might make it as well. It has been a messy and bumpy uphill road somewhat like the "Paris-Roubaix" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PR2005Crash.jpg) It's only been a few months for me now (my 2nd "attempt" to break free though) It is amazing the grip the the Xtain plague has had on me (and others as well.) According to many of them You and I would have become immoral axe-murdering, people-baking, Alcoholic, porn-addict, soul raping madman by now. It is nice to witness somebody's sensibility and morality post-Xtainity. Not that I know much about you personally, but from the tone of your writing, I can't imagine you to be anything near what fundies say one who left the faith would have become. Thanks for your insight. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more as well as good stuff from the other members here. I recently got "Leaving The Fold, by Marlene Winell. I'm working trough that now. I've also reserved "The Blind Watchmaker" from the Library. Does anybody have any other book/resource suggestions? "From the Middle east to the middle west, it's a world of superstition" Yours in Reality, Frank Thanks! (And thanks to Japedo and Hans, too). I'm lucky to have a "official" anniversary of a re-birth into reality since like so many others, my deconversion was actually gradual, and involved an extended period of soul searching. What you mentioned about morality is another thing that you notice here (and elsewhere if you pay attention, rather than take for granted the constant message we hear from our surrounding society that it is xianity/religion that provides a grounding in morality). I for one, am every bit as moral as I ever was as a xain, and I see every evidence that that is widely the case. There was a time I used to marvel that I seemed to be a better "christian" than the christians. Now, relying on empirical observation rather than how loudly evangelicals tout morality, I simply expect hypocrisy from xians. A quick google also reveals a disproportionate percentage of xians to be incarcerated compared with atheists, and also a higher divorce rate among xians than atheists, the more zealous the sect, the higher the divorce rate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R. S. Martin Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 the more zealous the sect, the higher the divorce rate. Off-topic: It has also been observed by scholars that the stricter the sect the more likely it is to splinter. On-topic. SNM, I have been "greatly blessed" in having you on-board. I had no idea it's been that long since your deconversion. It's just over a year for me and it's been a seriously rough year for me. Somewhere along the line I became aware of your posts--generally they are like a refreshing drink--and after a few months I discovered that you joined after I did. Then I realized: That's why I didn't see you at first. I figured I was just a bit slow. Welcome to the forums, Frank! Your observation is correct so far as I can make out--the morality of people here is generally very high. In fact, it was because I saw how honest and kind nonreligious people were that I was able to deconvert altogether. People here are living evidence that there is life after religion--and often the life after religion is Life more Abundantly. I agree with SNM, often I feel we are better humans than Christians because they have so much to live up to. All we have to do is be the best humans we can. No imperceptible invisible Being to relate to or else. Another happy 22 to you SNM. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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