Guest WAVESFORFUN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 What is the reason or reasons why you left the Christian faith? This is for research so please feel free to expound with as many reasons as it takes to explain your personal story of why. I could go back and read old posts but would rather have it fresh. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 (Just a little note. You meant a Poll, not a Pole. Santa Claus lives at the North Pole, but a survey is usually called a Poll. Unless the survey is conducted in an exotic dance night club, where the pole got yet another meaning...) I left the Christian faith because my belief in it slowly faded away over a long time. The doubt was increasing, and I couldn't find anything that would help me subdue it. I finally prayed to God to help me, I asked him to give me faith or do something, whatever he wanted, just so I could restore my belief... but it was quiet. Nothing happened. And I'm still waiting. And a couple of times over the years Christians have challenged me to pray to God again, and I have accepted those challenges, and prayed, and yet... nothing. I even was in a prayer meeting, and prayed with them, even spoke, and pretended to pray to Jesus, did all the things I used to do, and I didn't feel anything. But the other ones in the group thought my prayer was really encouraging and deep, or whatever. Weird. They're filled with the Holy Spirit, and God didn't even bother to tell them I was faking? I still speak in tongues too, if I want to. One thing I have noticed over the years is that I have come to a better understanding of my own life, and I have better goals, and more meaning to what I do. And I know why I should do a good thing and not do the bad thing now, instead of just obeying some magical sky-daddy who never speaks to you. If God exists, he doesn't really bother to do much to prove his existence, does he? Maybe he does for you, which means he likes to have favorites, and that's sad, really, since I was Christian for 30 years and wanted to become a missionary. Maybe, if God exists, God wants me to be a non-believer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ephymeris Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 It all started with my disenchantment with my church. I felt betrayed by my church and I left it. I tried to continue being a christian without a church. My deconversion was fueled by the following realizations through my own personal study and attempts to cling to my christianity post church: 1. Bible is nonsensical. During my deconversion, I was still trying to be christian just without a church. I continued to read the bible and pray but once I did this without apologetics propaganda I couldn't overlook it's contradictory messages and bizarre form of history. I read "The Harlot by the Side of the Road" which pointed out more glaring nonsense. 2. Church is a lie. It's full of insincere people who want to be at a country club and who don't follow or know the religious text they claim is the absolute word of god. Plus I've found showy christians are usually crappy people. 3. God's absense in my life. No difference in my life since I stopped praying. No feeling that god was present even when I was super zealous. God doesn't answer prayer. the end. 4. The sham that is evangelical, charismatic christianity. This includes the time a charismatic preacher hit me in the head repeatedly trying to get me to fall down, when I knew I wasn't moved to fall down and writhe on the ground I tried to tell him this. His response: he pushed me in the head super hard and told me to "shut up and fall". Also includes the time I was in a crisis of doubt, beginning to deconvert, looking for answers and a charismatic preacher misinterpreted my distress and prophesied over me. She told me to leave my abusive boyfriend cuz that was my problem. Super wrong. 5. The bible contradicts my own moral values. For example, I'm not cool with rape, incest, misogyny, or condemning others for not believing in the one true god. I find these things repulsive and I don't want to be part of any god who advocates these behaviors. That's it in a nutshell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Me and Jesus had a good thing going. Then one day he said he wanted to meet other people. Where, where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I searched the world over, And thought I found true love. You met another and Phht! you were gone. Haven't seen him since. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I could go back and read old posts but would rather have it fresh. Long story summed-up shortly: For me, christianity always was primarily a social thing (this one, called Jesus, is a god role model for human behavior, so try to be a bit like him whenever you can). Some years ago I started reading my way down a list of books that not too many people read, to learn what they are really all about. Among them, somewhere between hitler's infamous Mein Kampf and the equally infamous Malleus Maleficarum, was the Poetic Edda. I wasn't even done with the 2nd page of the Edda when I was overwhelmed by a "home at last!" feeling out of the clear blue sky. Technically, one has to say that I changed my religion a few days later (when I joined the ranks of the Asatruar). Perhaps more realistically, one could say that I really became religious at that day. All this happened, and still happens, in Germany... where mainstream protestant christianity is a very liberal/moderate thing that would throw most US-style morontheists into a hissy fit. Just so that you understand the context properly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creepy Doll Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I started to question more and more after a lifetime of watching people preach one thing and do another. I got divorced and realized quickly how quickly you can have the door slammed on you and be on the outside looking in. I stopped being so afraid of open-minded people and learned a lot from them. I read the bible cover to cover without blinders on and without glossing things over and realized it was full of lies and bullshit. And finally, I realized I was needlessly repressing my sexuality all those years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker630 Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 It happened over a long stretch of time for me---years. But it began when I was a teenager, and more and more of the doctrines of the Catholic church were impressing me as bullshit. By the time I was 24 or 25 I had almost completely stopped attending mass. Neither I nor my wife attended any church at all until the kids started getting older, and I did about two years at a Methodist church. That didn't last either. When I was about 44-45 I knew I was an atheist for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WAVESFORFUN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 What is the reason or reasons why you left the Christian faith? This is for research so please feel free to expound with as many reasons as it takes to explain your personal story of why. I could go back and read old posts but would rather have it fresh. Thanks! Awesome stories. Keep them coming! One more thing I would love to touch on. How many of the Ex Christians had the born again experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WAVESFORFUN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I started to question more and more after a lifetime of watching people preach one thing and do another. I got divorced and realized quickly how quickly you can have the door slammed on you and be on the outside looking in. I stopped being so afraid of open-minded people and learned a lot from them. I read the bible cover to cover without blinders on and without glossing things over and realized it was full of lies and bullshit. And finally, I realized I was needlessly repressing my sexuality all those years. Thanks for sharing. Repressing sexuality is not just in the "christian faith" young jewsih people when packed into cattle cars to be shipped off to their prisons camps and deaths, cast off restraint right in those cars in front of the very people who would preach restraint. I have often seen that when people have lost their vision they cast off restraint. Very understandable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I repeat my question to you WAVES that I posted in the shoutbox. What is your research for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator florduh Posted May 21, 2009 Super Moderator Share Posted May 21, 2009 I think y'all have been had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKR Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Absolutely no proof of truth. Not a single word from god himself. I spent years praying and did not once hear from him. Bible is full of contradictions and scientific fallacies. Genesis stories are a joke and they contradict each other. The Bible speaks of a flat earth, the Lion being the most fierce animal, all animals being fearful of humans, the flood, etc. Loads of bullshit. All of the crazy shit about murdering your kids, family, neighbors, etc - all for ridiculous reasons. Stories about slaughtering men, women, children and animals of other cities, simply because god wanted the land for his people and/or because they worshiped another god. The book of Job. Nuff said. The Bible is based on bigotry, misogyny, scientific fallacies, contradictions, sexual repression, and pleasing a sadistic, egotistical, insecure piece of shit motherfucker who claims to love everyone but wants to torture anyone who doesn't kiss his ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
godsfavoritecolor Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I repeat my question to you WAVES that I posted in the shoutbox. What is your research for? My question too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I have often seen that when people have lost their vision they cast off restraint. Very understandable. Yes, this would jibe with your opinion that all ex-christians have " twisted car wrecks" for lives, as expressed in shoutbox. I don't take it personally, but I don't accept it either, and I won't let anyone here forget that you said it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AKR Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 OP, we don't care for people who have hidden agendas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 What is the reason or reasons why you left the Christian faith? This is for research so please feel free to expound with as many reasons as it takes to explain your personal story of why. I could go back and read old posts but would rather have it fresh. Thanks! Awesome stories. Keep them coming! One more thing I would love to touch on. How many of the Ex Christians had the born again experience? Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I have often seen that when people have lost their vision they cast off restraint. Very understandable. Yes, this would jibe with your opinion that all ex-christians have " twisted car wrecks" for lives, as expressed in shoutbox. I don't take it personally, but I don't accept it either, and I won't let anyone here forget that you said it. My life was a "twisted car wreck" before being "born again". After being "born again" my life became a "twisted car wreck" in a dense fog out of which came more wrecks. Now that I'm back to being just a "twisted car wreck", I'm much happier. As it is written, there's nothing so bad as what religion can't make worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I think y'all have been had. Ya, one has to wonder with the WAVESFORFUN handle. Kind of sounds like IAMATROLLHAHA. But then maybe its just a christian surfer dude. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Awesome stories. Keep them coming! One more thing I would love to touch on. How many of the Ex Christians had the born again experience? Born again experience? I had it... twice. First time when I became Christian, and the second time when I realized I didn't believe anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WAVESFORFUN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I have often seen that when people have lost their vision they cast off restraint. Very understandable. Yes, this would jibe with your opinion that all ex-christians have " twisted car wrecks" for lives, as expressed in shoutbox. I don't take it personally, but I don't accept it either, and I won't let anyone here forget that you said it. My life was a "twisted car wreck" before being "born again". After being "born again" my life became a "twisted car wreck" in a dense fog out of which came more wrecks. Now that I'm back to being just a "twisted car wreck", I'm much happier. As it is written, there's nothing so bad as what religion can't make worse. That is very true. My car wreak statement wasn't that far gone. As for what my research is for? At this point its a data collection. If I pic this topic to write a paper on it will be most useful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WAVESFORFUN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I have often seen that when people have lost their vision they cast off restraint. Very understandable. Yes, this would jibe with your opinion that all ex-christians have " twisted car wrecks" for lives, as expressed in shoutbox. I don't take it personally, but I don't accept it either, and I won't let anyone here forget that you said it. not sure how.....but its okay for you to try to connect it so that you can bring up something yo didn't like in an attempt to stick it in everyones elses craw. Good job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WAVESFORFUN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Me and Jesus had a good thing going. Then one day he said he wanted to meet other people. Where, where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I searched the world over, And thought I found true love. You met another and Phht! you were gone. Haven't seen him since. Seriously? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest WAVESFORFUN Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 It all started with my disenchantment with my church. I felt betrayed by my church and I left it. I tried to continue being a christian without a church. My deconversion was fueled by the following realizations through my own personal study and attempts to cling to my christianity post church: 1. Bible is nonsensical. During my deconversion, I was still trying to be christian just without a church. I continued to read the bible and pray but once I did this without apologetics propaganda I couldn't overlook it's contradictory messages and bizarre form of history. I read "The Harlot by the Side of the Road" which pointed out more glaring nonsense. 2. Church is a lie. It's full of insincere people who want to be at a country club and who don't follow or know the religious text they claim is the absolute word of god. Plus I've found showy christians are usually crappy people. 3. God's absense in my life. No difference in my life since I stopped praying. No feeling that god was present even when I was super zealous. God doesn't answer prayer. the end. 4. The sham that is evangelical, charismatic christianity. This includes the time a charismatic preacher hit me in the head repeatedly trying to get me to fall down, when I knew I wasn't moved to fall down and writhe on the ground I tried to tell him this. His response: he pushed me in the head super hard and told me to "shut up and fall". Also includes the time I was in a crisis of doubt, beginning to deconvert, looking for answers and a charismatic preacher misinterpreted my distress and prophesied over me. She told me to leave my abusive boyfriend cuz that was my problem. Super wrong. 5. The bible contradicts my own moral values. For example, I'm not cool with rape, incest, misogyny, or condemning others for not believing in the one true god. I find these things repulsive and I don't want to be part of any god who advocates these behaviors. That's it in a nutshell. did you ever have the born again experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loren Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 I could go back and read old posts but would rather have it fresh.Waves, whether you are lazy and deceitful or not, this certainly seems just plain lazy and deceitful. To the point where it's insulting. If all you wanted was what your original question asked for, you could easily have answers to all your general questions simply by spending some time and reading in Testimonies. You're perfectly welcome to continue this thread to your heart's content, but as you've noticed, several members have smelled something stinky about you already. What are we to think when you claim to have some sort of concern about our reasons for leaving, yet you don't want to take the time or put out the effort to go read in the forum which is dedicated to archiving YEARS worth of exactly the answers you're asking for? "I'd rather have it fresh"??? How fresh do you need? How about testimonies posted today? Or yesterday? That's not "fresh" enough for you? With the tremendous amount of diligent, difficult and emotionally wrenching work which so many members of this community have already done, the results of which can be found in Testimonies, the fact that you're willing to ask members to do even more for your sake when it would be so easy for you to have those very answers by just clicking a link tells us more than you may be comfortable with about the qualities of your character. Important note: While you are completely welcome to post all over this website, there are two fora where your input is unwelcome: Testimonies and Ex-Christian Life. I'd highly encourage you to read all you want in those, particularly in Testimonies, but please do not post there. Here's the link: Testimonies. Loren Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 Me and Jesus had a good thing going. Then one day he said he wanted to meet other people. Where, where, are you tonight? Why did you leave me here all alone? I searched the world over, And thought I found true love. You met another and Phht! you were gone. Haven't seen him since. Seriously? Seriously, but much redacted due to being old. I say look up the original story, but I haven't posted it since the first forum years ago. You haven't inspired me to do it over yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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