Jump to content
Goodbye Jesus

This Sheep has Wised up and left the Flock.


Guest GuitarHound

Recommended Posts

Guest GuitarHound

Hello to all,

 

Forgive my grammer and punctuation, I'm not eloquent in writing.

 

First off, I stumbled on this site doing a search on Dan Barker and found the link for his debate with Jason Whatshisface. Anyway, I find some of the testimonies posted here as hilarious...you guys rock!!!

 

Well, I guess I'll let ya'll know a little about myself. I became a Born-Again believer at age 21 and joined a Non-denominational Church basically in a quest for truth and the meaning of life. I went through the basic training all of us get...I remember before joining the church, I had a Humanities course in college and the Professor was doing a study on the Book of Job. He told us we all needed to bring a Bible to class at the next meeting so we could study the story. We studied the story and yes, I knew that the Christian God had made a "Deal" with the Devil over Job's Life...amazingly, I rationalized it away as being God's sovereign wisdom...I got involved in the Non-denominational Church, Baptized, music ministry(Guitar) and learned just about everything there's to know in becoming a mature Christian. However, I struggled with my Flesh and I would end up feeling guilty or that the "enemy" was attacking me...I related to the Apostle Paul "The Things I do I shouldn't be doing"...anyway, this constant struggle ended up in a major backslide.

 

After ten years went by, I "rededicated" myself to an Assembly of God Church in 2000. I guess I felt that the Rapture was close upon the Human race and I didn't want to miss the boat. I joined the First Sunday of 2000 and was asked to Play in their Praise band the following Sunday...I went and the Church was in the middle of some inner strife between the Pastor and elders...The Band was ready to perform and as soon as the Pastor got to the Podium all Hell broke loose...I saw 6 guys stand up out in the Congregation and started Shouting stuff at the Pastor...I saw one Usher get Punched in the Mouth...it was total Chaos...people and Children were Crying...the Pastor trying to calm the people and politely rebuking the men for their public outburst...what a scene. There was about 150 people and an off duty policeman in the congregation took them outside and told them if they returned he'd press charges.

 

Needless to say, I stayed on!!!...and for four long years I saw the "Christians" backbite each other, the Gossiping, the Cliques, the unfriendliness, and the Wacky sermons. I being a single handsome Hispanic guy inquired about a pretty female that was friends with the Pastors daughter...the Pastors daughter told me "oh she's beautiful and too young for you(25)...I can set you up with a Spanish girl I know, she's divorced and that way you can keep the Lineage"...huh??? Lineage!...I started to think, where did she get this line of thinking...no else but from home. That told me that it would be a Very cold day in Hell when a Hispanic man would marry the Pastors daughter or any man that wasn't Caucasian, Highly educated, a Fine Christian stud from prime stock, and of course a practicing member of an Assembly of God church...that told me they didn't believe in mixed racial marriages...oh it was OK for the congregational members to marry outside their race...but NOT for his daughter.

 

Like the old saying "The Fruit doesn't fall to Far from the Tree"...and of course if confronted about this issue he would probably say that he's just following the Bible...for we all know that God forbade the Jews from marrying outside their race...what a Moron. So, I refused to submit myself to a Bigoted closet racist and support his livelihood and Left the church last June of 2004. And during the time I was wrestling with this racial issue I was concerned about some errors I had found in the Bible.

 

I did a thorough search of inconsistencies and errors found in the Bible and was totally blown away by the facts. There's the one about Judas...did he hang himself or did he take a flying leap off a cliff? I asked a church member about this inconsistency and she said "well I don't see a contradiction...Judas hung himself and the tree broke and he fell on the rock splitting himself open" Ahhh, well then that explains things..NOT!!!

 

The problem with Christians is that they have been told "Lean NOT unto your own understanding" So when a so called Inconsistency appears..they reason it away. If God's word is inerrant, and he spoke or told the Gospel writers to write down the "Factual Truth" then why doesn't the scripture harmonize?...in Judas case...Both scripture passages should say the same thing...He hung himself, and the weight of his body broke the limb and he fell and split himself wide open. Case closed...another one describing Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus...the men that are with him "HEARD" a voice...and in another scripture passage the men "DID NOT HEAR" the voice...HELLO!!!

 

I saw so many conflicting stuff that I said this cannot be divinely inspired...it is MAN MADE. One great book that started me down the path of reason is a book titled "Deceptions and Myths of the Bible"by Lloyd Grayham"

 

I've read other books like "The Jesus Mysteries", Hebrew Myths, and have done countless web searches and all I can say I have been enlightened to the fact that early church fathers suppressed the Truth from the Gnostics and burned the great Library of Alexandria...and conjuring a Mythical God man...I found it amazing that of all the historians living in the presumed time of Jesus...no one bothered to write about him. Not even about the Earth becoming dark during the resurrection, the Earthquake, the Zombies that walked around for 40 days after his resurrection...a Church lady from my former church said..well what about Josephus...he wrote about him...I researched that...and that small paragraph is considered a Fraudulent addition to his works...also there's 14 other different Jesus's in his works!...and I always thought is was a name above ALL names...it turns out it was common and the name Joe.

 

I'm still searching and where I am right now is this "There might have been a Jesus and that yet has to be proven, and I find it hard that no one bothered to write down his exact birthday, we know Aristotle's, Plato's, Krishna's, Joesphus's, Ceasars, Nero's, everybody but Jesus. Here we have the greatest God man who ever set foot on this planet and NO one bothered to write down his birthday... Preachers take a wild ass guess... 4 to 6 BC...take your pick. That's not factual. The 18 missing years...some say he went to India...well I would assume there would be written record of Miracles he performed there...I find it odd that he said" Why do you Marvel at these things, Greater things you shall do"..I've yet to see a Preacher walk on water or feed 5000 hungry people.

 

And to top it off we are ALL products of incest. How lovely...yes old Drunken Noah and his Family. Oh I forgot incest was Ok back then because the Blood was pure. I wonder why God didn't get it right the first time...he Made man and then became disgusted with their continual sinning...so he Killed everybody except for 8 people and then they screwed each others brains out and repopulated the Earth...and didn't produce anything better. So, I don't buy this stuff anymore. I'm not like the rest of the herd that follow blindly, don't question, and keep their heads in the sand. I've strayed from the Flock and on a quest for Truth.

 

I now lean more towards metaphysics and that there's a Creative Force with Universal Laws in place. So I currently don't consider myself an Atheist, maybe a Gnostic(Knower) or Truth Seeker. Thanks to All of you for reading my story.

 

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello to all, ..........

 

 

Welcome GuitarHound. Thanks for sharing your story, I believe you will feel at home here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And to top it off we are ALL products of incest. How lovely...yes old Drunken Noah and his Family. Oh I forgot incest was Ok back then because the Blood was pure. I wonder why God didn't get it right the first time...he Made man and then became disgusted with their continual sinning...so he Killed everybody except for 8 people and then they screwed each others brains out and repopulated the Earth...and didn't produce anything better. So, I don't buy this stuff anymore. I'm not like the rest of the herd that follow blindly, don't question, and keep their heads in the sand. I've strayed from the Flock and on a quest for Truth.

 

haha, that made me laugh. I enjoyed your story--welcome ! :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome Dan!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for your story Dan.

 

I'm sure you'll find much here to assist you on your journey of truth.

 

Welcome.

 

PR

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I wish at the church I attend the preacher would fight the ushers, I'm an atheist but I still go to church cause my parents make me. Welcome.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome!! I am former AG and know a few that are so bull-headed that I can envision them getting into a fight. But I've never seen one like you described and I probably would have laughed my head off!

 

Keep learning young padiwan. Soon your powers will be great!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guitarhound,

 

I loved reading your testimony. Keep on keepin on. :)

 

GiantBear

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Geez. You know, I almost wish that had happened in my old church back when I was taking self-defense classes. Glad to see you here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome, Dan.

 

If it were nothing more than that supercilious butter-wouldn't-melt-in-their-ass racism, it's enough. But you found even more reason to leave. Good for you. Glad you're here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest GuitarHound

Thanks guys for the kind welcome.

 

As far as the Fiasco in the Church is concerned, it caused a major split and the whole town heard about that fateful Sunday morning. All I could think when all that was happening was...geesh, I've been away from Church for ten years and this is Christianity?...I hope no one gets up here and touches my guitar...

 

After the rowdy bunch left...the Music Minister and some members came immediately to me and apologized...they were so embarrassed...The ex-elders sued the Church for their Tithes they had given the church over the years they were in membership...they finally dropped the lawsuit. It was the most pathetic public display of inconsideration and disrespect I've ever witnessed.

 

Why I stayed four years after that I don't know...I guess I had to let this all run it's course. Toward the end I saw them as they truly are...Hypocrites putting on the face of Holiness and purity. I hold No animosity towards any of them and wish them the best, but I can't submit myself to their authority. Nor I agree with the Pastors interpretations of the Bible. And No one there wants to discuss the hard questions.

 

I'm evolving to a higher understanding of how things are.

 

Dan

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Evolve away!

 

People here have evolved into every manner of critter.

 

This is a good place to do it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.