A 17 Year Old Ex Christian Who Attends Church Every Sunday

[Guest Religion Loather]

Ok, I am 17 and have recently stopped believing, I grew up Christian and my parents still got my baptism certificate and candle and comfirmation candle and everything.

 

I basically stopped believing because, I just did, I realized it was all a bunch of hogwash.

 

Anyway, I cannot tell my parents or relatives I don't believe, My church is a church that only believes in the bible and it takes the enitre bible literally, and actually, he just had a sermon on how churches are turning away from the bible and he almost started to cry when he was basically ranting on how stupid everyone but themselves are. My parents say God's good earth and sinful human nature and a ton of other things, they just can't say earth or human nature It is very hard to talk to them about anything, and ex christians who have very strong religious parents and family will probably understand why I will never be able to tell them I stopped believing.

 

But anyway, attending church as a non believer is a lot different, and sometimes makes me want to start uncontrollably laughing from all the nonsense, but sometimes, I will sit there and try to start believing in it again, but by the end of every service, I am like "SERIOUSLY, this is all stupid"

The week after I stopped believing and I went, I really lost it when he called the children up to the front for the mini children sermon, and he started talking about how god is all loving and powerful and perfect, and then started talking about homeless people in a desert who were starving(why would an all loving and all powerful God would make people be homeless in the middle of a barren desert with nothing there is beyond me), and since they were starving and there is nothing there, God made it rain bread, and they were teaching that as a FACTUAL story, and the pastor and everyone there believes that really happened, and they all lap it up and it is actually quite scary. I wanted to start laughing at how ridiculous it was I had to get up and go into the bathroom.

[Guest Religion Loather]

I also should add, when my little sister came back, she asked if that was true, and my dad said "O ya, God USED to do that stuff all the time"

and that is exactly how he said it, he USED to perform big miracles, why isn't he doing it anymore? Anyone explain why? If I ask my church or parents they say something like "Maybe there is no reason for him to do something like that" or some other confusing ignorant answer...

[movingon]

I'm a little older than you, but I can understand where you're coming from. I've made an effort to not go to church at all so I don't have to worry about guilt attacks and other such nonsense. I almost always work sundays anyway, and if not i go somewhere and pretend I worked that day or something. I just can't stand setting foot in that building. My parents also don't know of my deconversion and I plan to keep it from them as long as possible. Considering I'm dating a non-christian (such a horrible thing you know) I'm soon it will come out sooner or later with hole unequally yoked lectures. Still, that said. I know how are it is to basically live a lie at home, but yet not be able to force yourself to believe. Hope it gets better for you soon!

[Shyone]

I also should add, when my little sister came back, she asked if that was true, and my dad said "O ya, God USED to do that stuff all the time"

and that is exactly how he said it, he USED to perform big miracles, why isn't he doing it anymore? Anyone explain why? If I ask my church or parents they say something like "Maybe there is no reason for him to do something like that" or some other confusing ignorant answer...

Welcome to the forum! Obviously, all of us at some point decided it was all bunk, but for different reasons. It sounds like your is the most logical in the sense that simply on it's own merit it is silly hogwash.

 

The story about the bread is obviously the Manna from Heaven story. Scientificly minded believers have tried to explain this as some kind of plant material blown by the wind (I don't care enough to look it up). Is that a miracle, or luck?

 

Some believers these days, when you ask them about why miracles don't happen will reply, "Oh, but they do!" They then proceed to tell you about someone faith-healed, or some kid that survived a plane accident, or just the rain, sun, plants, or the fact that we have what we need to live comfortably (not counting that others provide the food and other basic needs - and not counting the ones that are starving or dying of disease elsewhere).

 

After considering miracles, it occurs to me that stories of miracles are not believable, but even when something is rare or unusual it doesn't mean that goddidit.

 

It will be tough if you have to live a lie, and there are many others that have similar problems. In the threads in this forum there is a lot of wisdom - the human kind.

[hereticzero]

I also should add, when my little sister came back, she asked if that was true, and my dad said "O ya, God USED to do that stuff all the time"

and that is exactly how he said it, he USED to perform big miracles, why isn't he doing it anymore? Anyone explain why? If I ask my church or parents they say something like "Maybe there is no reason for him to do something like that" or some other confusing ignorant answer...

My dad has been a So. Baptist preacher for over 50 years and he claims the same, that is God used to perform miracles but because there are no more apostles, there are no more miracles. I haven't been able to make him understand that miracles don't happen because they never did--what kind of a sick bastard for a god would create a well, at Bethesda, and then have everyone lay around it in the off-chance one of them will be the first to jump into the well when an angel stirs the waters, of course the paralyzed will never get healed. Trying to get Christians to see the futility of their faith is pointless. It is like leading a horse to water. It will not drink unless it is thirsty. Christians will never question their faith unless they are thirsty for the truth. Blind obedience to whatever they are told is better than thinking for one's self.

[ShallowByThyGame]

Are you applying for college? Try to find a big city far away...you will not regret claiming your independence.

[Guest Religion Loather]

Yes, it was the Manna. Except he told it in a simple way for the mini children sermon, more or less homeless starving people then god made it rain bread.

[Guest I Love Dog]

Yes, it was the Manna. Except he told it in a simple way for the mini children sermon, more or less homeless starving people then god made it rain bread.

 

I would ask any church minister why god did it then, with the manna from heaven, and why he isn't doing it now, when there are 20 million chidren starving to death each year, Worldwide.

[★ Citsonga ★]

My church... takes the enitre bible literally

 

Honestly, I have to seriously doubt that. Even the most literal of believers that I've known don't take everything in the bible literally. For example, does your church believe that the Bible references about God's wings mean that he actually has wings?

[Midnight-mindwanderings]

You may not feel able to come out to your family now, but when you earn your independence from them through college or just moving out, you may feel emboldened to take that step. I didn't think I could ever tell my parents (I deconvered at 16) but after I moved out I no longer made any pretenses about my changing beliefs. I mean, when you move out you'll stop going to church right? You'll probably date non christians, eventually possibly have kids and you will want the freedom do to that honestly. Plus if your family is that bad you probably will have some pent up frustration and almost want the conflict. I'm 22 now and I will admit that I get satisfaction from my poking at my ultra conservative christian dad. These things are just a few reasons why being 18 is so much better than 17.

 

Anyway welcome to the forums. I relate to your desire to laugh out loud about the sermons you hear. I totally cracked up in the middle of a few services when I still had to go. Actually I was first able to get out of church while still living with my mom by getting a job and requesting to work during church hours. So you could try that if its a possibility (I understand that this isn't the easiest job market).

[Gandolph]

Any questions about god or the bible clearly mean that you doubt, which means the devil is at work in your heart. Well that often ends up being the direct or implied message that they give you. And that all because you have refused to shut your brain off like they all have. Jim Jones had a bible and said he was of God. His followers knew that the bible says to never question God. Jim Jones claimed to have truth from God. Most followers never questioned, just as they had been taught. Jim Jones told them to drink cyanide Cool Aide. They did. They died. And then they were no longer able to spread the word of the love of god. They were taught not to question just like you and I were. Always, always question! The bible should be required to stand to reason. It simply and obviously does not!

 

I tried to believe again for many years. Oops, I left my brain on. A brain that supposedly came from god. Yikes Dude!

 

Gandolph

[Oldblackfox24]

I know how you feel. I still go to church to. Basically i just sit there and refute everything or try to. Besides it is like being behind enemy lines kind of.