Jump to content
Goodbye Jesus

Hey There. I'm New, And Here's My Story.


BigVaden

Recommended Posts

Hey there. My name is Taylor and I am 21 years old, and I use to be a devout, church-going Christian. My family was as well, so much so that they put me in a private Christian school here in the DFW area which I attended for 5 years (6th-10th grades). This was all fine with me at the time, and still is - some of the friends I made and good memories I have I wouldn't trade for the world. But, that being said, I do acknowledge the fact that my recent realization of Agnosticism (no, I'm not Athiest, I'll explain later) is, in part, due to my attendance at that school.

Every day, it was a process starting with a prayer over the intercom, starting each class with a prayer, ending each class with a prayer, 4 "Bible" class days a week and 1 "Chapel" day per week. This place, as most Christian schools do, integrated the Christian way of thinking into absolutely everything. For lack of a better phrase, we had religion crammed down our throats 5 days a week, then at church on the weekends. To top it off, this place had a fire-and-brimstone way of teaching to it. Read your bibles or go to hell. Pray or go to hell. Devote your entire life to "Him" or go to hell.

For a large portion of the time I was there, I conformed and wanted to be just like all the other church kids at the place so I just believed whatever the pastor told me to. But towards the end of my time at that school I really started to question stuff. For example, is all this real or is the idea of structured religion just a standardized form of thinking to keep the general population in line that was thought up millinia ago? I still to this day have not difinitively answered this or many other questions for myself, but after growing up and experiencing more of the world and how things really work, and how people really are, I basically just decided to loose touch with the Christianity I had been born and bread into.

Today I consider myself Agnostic. I'm sure most of you already know very well what that means, but for the few that may not, it basically just means (or as I interpret it, anyway) you acknowledge that there very well could be a "creator" or god-figure entity but that firm belief structures, no matter how vehemently believed, are incorrect and no one will everknow who or what "god" is. Although this is the case, I still almost feel a sense of worry actually posting this out loud and letting people know how I feel about religion. That alone is a confusing thing because I want to break from that and feel good about what I think and what I believe, but Christianity has been so imbeaded into me for so long I still feel guilt for thinking otherwise.

I do understand that the majority of these forums (from what I have read anyway) are Athiest in nature. Although I am not, I do see a great deal in common between a lot of what I have read from you guys and myself.

Athiest, Agnostic, whatever the hell you want to label yourself, my general opinion is live as a good person, die a happy person, and if people remember more good things than bad about you after your gone, you did a good job.

I look foward to posting here and getting to know you guys :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Note: All Regularly Contributing Patrons enjoy Ex-Christian.net advertisement free.

Welcome to the forum!

 

For example, is all this real or is the idea of structured religion just a standardized form of thinking to keep the general population in line that was thought up millennia ago?

 

This is exactly what religion is, a form of crowd control. The more people they recruit, the more power they have over the masses, and the more they can have things go their way. I used to be an agnostic, then a mostly-atheist, and now I'm a full blown atheist. If you haven't read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, that will answer a lot of your questions. To put a twist on a a popular saying, people say "Why not?" about a "creator" and I say "Why?"

 

Atheist, Agnostic, whatever the hell you want to label yourself, my general opinion is live as a good person, die a happy person, and if people remember more good things than bad about you after your gone, you did a good job.

 

Exactly. Because that's the best job you can hope to do.

 

I hope you enjoy your stay here, and look forward to reading more from you!

 

Comanche

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Athiest, Agnostic, whatever the hell you want to label yourself, my general opinion is live as a good person, die a happy person, and if people remember more good things than bad about you after your gone, you did a good job.

I look foward to posting here and getting to know you guys :)

Very well said. Welcome. Looking forward to discussions with you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do understand that the majority of these forums (from what I have read anyway) are Athiest in nature. Although I am not, I do see a great deal in common between a lot of what I have read from you guys and myself.

Athiest, Agnostic, whatever the hell you want to label yourself, my general opinion is live as a good person, die a happy person, and if people remember more good things than bad about you after your gone, you did a good job.

 

Hey, I like your attitude, Big Vaden. Welcome and make the best of this one life you know you'll get.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Super Moderator

Welcome to Ex-C.

 

Sounds like you have a good grasp of reality already, and I hope you enjoy your stay here.

 

- Chris

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Athiest, Agnostic, whatever the hell you want to label yourself, my general opinion is live as a good person, die a happy person, and if people remember more good things than bad about you after your gone, you did a good job.

I look forward to posting here and getting to know you guys :)

 

I like that attitude! Welcome to Ex-C. I probably would have lost my faith sooner if I had attended Catholic school instead of public.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the warm welcome, guys. :)

 

P.S.- Crazycatlady, I swear your avatar just mezmorized me for a good 30 seconds.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hello and welcome Taylor/Big Vaden,

 

There are people with varying beliefs on this website. But most of us are former Christians.

 

My own path went from evangelical Christianity, to a more liberal form of Christianity, to deism and finally to agnosticism/atheism.

 

I think that if there is some type of superior power/force, he/she or it has clearly left us to our own devices. I utterly reject the portrayal of god as the narcissistic, schizophrenic monster of the Bible. That type of petty god who demands worship and threatens eternal punishment would be an affront to any higher power, if there is one. If human justice/reasoning eclipses the rationality of the god raised up as an object of worship, then clearly that god is a failed relic that is best left in the past.

 

Anyway, welcome to the forums. I hope you find this message board a place where you encounter plenty of good discussion.

 

All the best,

 

Alpha Centauri

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome BigVaden.

 

I agree with you. Follow your own path and be kind to others.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi BV, Welcome to the forums :) I love it when I get to hear from a fellow Texan. I spent most of my life in the DFW area and it seems that in that city people automatically assume that you are christian. I am so glad to hear that you are breaking away at a young age! It took me years to start questioning and now I say "the sooner the better!" Thanks for posting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi BV, Welcome to the forums :) I love it when I get to hear from a fellow Texan. I spent most of my life in the DFW area and it seems that in that city people automatically assume that you are christian.

 

That is very true. I'm posting this from work and I'm worried about a co-worker coming up behind me and seeing what site I'm on because of the Bible-belt attitude most people have around here. I would probably be akwardly avoided if they found out I wasn't religious.

 

Thanks for the welcome :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

P.S.- Crazycatlady, I swear your avatar just mezmorized me for a good 30 seconds.

 

How do you think I ended up with this as my avatar?!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Welcome!

 

I haven't been here all that long either, but boy, I am really enjoying myself. Plenty of areas to get in to trouble haha! I agree with your statement 100%! Enjoy your time and look forward to hearing more from you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi BV, Welcome to the forums :) I love it when I get to hear from a fellow Texan. I spent most of my life in the DFW area and it seems that in that city people automatically assume that you are christian.

 

That is very true. I'm posting this from work and I'm worried about a co-worker coming up behind me and seeing what site I'm on because of the Bible-belt attitude most people have around here. I would probably be akwardly avoided if they found out I wasn't religious.

 

Thanks for the welcome :)

 

Hello, fellow Texans!

 

I hear (read?) you both loud and clear. I work at a place that's traditionally not a bastion of religious people — a newsroom. However, there are quite a few people who work here with strong religious views — mostly Southern Baptist.

 

It seems like there are quite a few people who like to walk by and take a look at what's on the computer screen.

 

Fortunately, most of the bosses who work here are very open-minded and are not religious!

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.