"i Am No Longer A Believer Because..."

[Moxie]

I could not wrap around my mind how Christians could mistreat other people and then claim "but God is a forgiving God". I mean, how can they live with themselves knowing they just leave this huge wake of pain behind them and then talk about "Jesus paid my sin debt"????

 

WTF????

[Midnight-mindwanderings]

I grew up knowing the bible really well. My church emphasized full bible reading as soon as one could read. So as a child I believed that what the bible said was the way the world worked. It didn't take me too long through my teenage years to understand that it wasn't the way the world worked at all.

 

One thing I never was able to fully accept was that unbelievers go to hell. As a child I figured I'd understand it better when I got older. And of course I did . I truly only tried to be a light to the world, a friend to those who needed it, giving whatever I could of myself to make life better for others. And not believing in the bible god only made that easier.

 

Its a very strange alternate reality that Christians live in. One I never actually inhabited with them.

[Blink]

Some of my main reasons:

 

The amount of disagreement between sects of Christianity.

 

If 1.2 billion Muslims can be wrong, then so can 2.6 billion Christians.

 

The Old Testament is batshit insane.

[Brought None]

My Summary:

 

• 
   
  
• Coming to the realization I was gay in an anti-gay environment and church. (still rebuilding any sense of self cause of that)
  
• The amount of biblical division not just in other sects but my own church.
  
• Noticing all the contradictions the Bible sported and how it's for an against everything at the same time.
  
• The hypocrisy and total backstabbing my church excelled in.
  
• How much the church structure is built to control people and every fascist of their lives.
  
• The demonetization of people and cultures outside the church and the extent people took it.
  
• How people in the church only listened to sermons and never really read or researched the bible.
  
• The amount of false information the church proliferates and refuses to correct even when they are proven incorrect.
  
• How much the bible copies from other older mythical stories and religions.
  

 

That's a few at least.

[hereticzero]

While I was a fundy minister, several people told me to take more in depth classes. So I did and I learned more about Christian history and so-called biblical history, and when I was done, I did not like what i found. I began to read the Bible critically and that eventually led me to determine there is not enough evidence for me to tell people they had to believe in Jesus or God or the Bible for salvation. A lot of things lead up to my deconversion.

[peaceatlast]

The short version is that I did a thorough study of the bible and it does not stand up to any objective, academic study, or even just common sense!

 

other major events for me were:

 

- realising that people of different beliefs were just as convinced that god was on their side as a young teen

- seeing the complete hypocrisy of the church,too many contradictions and abuses of people

- the first time I saw a baby being born (18 years) I knew that original sin was a lie, that was a major turning point as without original sin, the scriptures are irrelevant, lifechanging!

- spending a year studying the bible and reading secular properly researched history of religion

[PK!]

My deconversion was a rare "I suddenly no longer believe" deconversion. I got into apologetics and I found it to be pretty lame. In turn, I decided to read some secular material that it just made a hell of a lot more sense to me. One day I just said to myself "Christianity is bullshit", and it's been an exciting journey of discovery ever since.

[Reprobate]

A long story, but I basically got sick of christians.

[nightcomeson]

Does anyone realize that the YHWH is actually the feminine of YHW?

 

I don't recall hearing that. If true, then don't tell YHWH about it, 'cause he may ejacolate on you for your blasphemy!

Well -h is a feminine ending for a noun. And yhw is a god that appears in the historical record in Egypt for a god of the Shasu

 

...which would be fine if YHWH was a noun. Unfortunately for your case, it takes the form of a verb, based an old form of "He is." There are plenty of other verbs that end with heh, including chet-yod-heh, "to live" and bet-nun-heh, "to build."

 

Yod - First person singular masculine prefix.

Heh-Vav-Heh - Though to be an old form that provided the basis of Classical Hebrew's Heh-Yod-Heh (Hayah), "to be."

 

Old Hebrew lessons rearing up again...

[nightcomeson]

Oh, the topic!

 

Short version: It took five years to realize that miracles didn't happen. It took an additional two to realize they weren't even necessary.

[LibChrist]

The two props that got kicked out from under my traditional, "orthodox" Christian faith, which caused it to collapse:

 

1. After struggling with my sexuality for years and feeling so incredibly guilty and shameful about it, I realized that practically all Christians are as "hypocritical" as I was--which led me to the realization that, in a sense, none of us is hypocritical. Human sexuality is the way it is, and you can't deny it, even if you believe something else to be true. A lot of Christians are still suffering because they genuinely believe human nature is, or at least can be, something other than what it is. I feel for them. Others are true hypocrites, trying to repress their "flocks," while at the same time secretly living a natural sex life--and even using modern methods to escape the consequences of their sex lives. (I'm thinking especially of anti-choice Christians who have abortions themselves when they don't want to bring a child to term.) When I realized that what traditional Christianity teaches about sex is wrong and that so much hypocrisy exists in the church, I accepted myself and my sexuality. Then I got to work on crafting a spiritual framework which accepts real human sexuality.

 

2. After point #1 above, I was just a really liberal Christian. Then I heard about Higher Criticism and other modern approaches to the Bible. I suddenly realized I had been reading the Bible through a pair of spectacles which I didn't realize were even perched on my nose. When those "spectacles" fell off, I couldn't take the Bible seriously any more.

[Jiyuu2010]

It all came to pieces for me bit by bit. It started with watching clips of non-Christians' arguments on youtube. Everyone from Christopher Hitchens to Laci Green (gogreen18) . I came across these videos looking for sermon clips or gospel songs. They addressed issues about my religion that I had never considered before, such as the ever-popular "why won't God heal amputees" question and all of the like. Through exposure to these arguments, their strength, and the sheer lack of strength of the apologists' counterarguments (if they even posed one) led me to begin to question my beliefs.

 

Being a college student away from home for the first time, I was exposed to many new people with worldviews I had never even considered before. I met real people on real terms. This showed me that people of other religions weren't heathens. gays weren't sex-obsessed monsters, and atheists weren't immoral simply because they didn't share my belief in God. By the end of my sophomore year, I had close friends who belonged to every one of those groups and was becoming increasingly uncomfortable in church as the pastor proceeded to spew hate seasoned with niceties from the pulpit. Every time a piece of legislation was passed that gave the glbt community more rights, he would get on his soapbox and attack them with the whole, "what is this country coming to" rant. He was also big on "traditional gender roles" which never sat right with me. I'm big on equality, and I don't see why a woman is any less qualified to lead simply because of her plumbing. Moreover, I don't see marriage and relationships as a lead/follow situation; both parties should walk side by side, each being a leader in his or her own way.

 

I tried to rationalize all of the issues with Christianity: All of the atrocities of the past and of today and all of the pure ignorance that seemed to permeate every area of church life. But I simply couldn't. I couldn't keep calling the bible the inspired, inerrent and infallable word of God when it endorsed slavery, racism, sexism, genocide, etc. I couldn't remain part of a group that ignored and danced around said issues while condemning outsiders simply for being who they were born to be. I just couldn't do it anymore. So instead of becoming (or continuing to be) the type of Christian who cherry picks parts of the bible to obey while keeping the title of those who take the book, the whole book, and nothing but the book as absolute truth, I accepted it all for what it was and abandoned the title altogether.

 

I guess you could say I went through a deconversion of the heart rather than of the head, meaning it was the moral failures or the Bible and Christianity that caused me to reject it .

[Guest Valk0010]

I was shown, how almost every detail I can recall from christian, in one or more amount is found in tons of other religions and histories.

is that a reason to leave it? that is called verification.

try writing something like

http://www.investigate islam.com/x_muslim.htm

that would console the ex-christians

Your links the shits, and read, the OP. It was asking, what was your reason, and that was my original reason.

 

Btw, you sound like a christian, you just broke forum rules, christians aren't allowed to post in this section.

 

Btw, you don't know me, prick, how dare you say, that is just called verification.

[Guest Valk0010]

 

maybe writing something like that will console the ex-christians but this is so weak

 

Got any better, waiting to here it???

 

I am beginning to think your a troll, as its called.

[Guest Valk0010]

This section is not for christians, try the lions den, or the coliseum, those are the spots christian can post in if they want to dicuss something related to christianity in a non current events since(for that try the news section).

 

Yeah but no christian would recognize the validity of another religion, and also, if its found in another untrue religion, you really can't argue for your own.

 

EDIT: The statement about christians not being allowed to post in this part of this site, is not a arguement, it is just a statement of what the forum rules are.

[Guest Valk0010]

Also since you seem to have a hard time, differing between a statement of forum rules and arguement.

 

I direct you to this thread, think of it as a sounding board for you.

 

Try away

http://www.ex-christian.net/index.php?/topic/39797-prochristian-a-challenge-prove-christianity/page__pid__583465#entry583465

[Bro]

Apart from the original posted by Valk00101, perhaps the mods could delete or move the last couple of threads?

 

They don't really add anything to the topic.

[renoliz]

Apart from the original posted by Valk00101, perhaps the mods could delete or move the last couple of threads?

 

They don't really add anything to the topic.

 

I so agree with you. That goober totally broke into my thoughts about the topic at hand. This is a great question and I am loving the answers.

[renoliz]

My number one reason for leaving the church is the lies and exagerations from the pulpit and in the field of apologetics. I thought God = Truth. So, why the lies and exagerations on American History, science, so many topics? Pastor Butthead [and other pastors do this, as well] lied about his personal life. Said he and his wife never argued a single time in all their marriage. I knew for a fact they had just had a big fight earlier in the month. If God is so great there should be no lying and no exagerating needed. I never have liked a liar.

 

A very close second is the way women are treated in the church. We are so devalued. The originator of sin, the fools who talked to the snake. Men are the head of the household. Men are the authority in the church. Women are equal to men in the eyes of God but we are different [read less than.] We have a supporting role. Those damn women's seminars where they so try to tell you to submit, submit, submit. That is so unhealthy. And it leads to women being abused by their husbands.

 

The sexuality issues. Homos are hellbound. If a man sees any part of a woman's body they will lust uncontrollably. I say "keep it in your pants." Guys should be responsible for their perversions, not women. Not that everything sexual is perverted, which the church basically believes as well. Sexuality in this country is all screwed up because of the Bible.

[relentless]

This! Though, lamentably, it only really started getting through to me after I was well on my way to deconversion. As a Christian, I rebuked it and sent it to my Youth Pastor with no response.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRCEr2JlqPw

 

 

 

More specifically, the bit where he discusses free will and birth. He argues that God purposefully predestines people for Hell simply by allowing them to be born and giving them experiences that shape and cultivate their rebellion against him. A rebellion that notably would not have existed had God not created it and given the potential for one to live in it.

[Mister Pappy]

I am no longer a "Believer" because I no longer believe. I do not intend that statement do be a trivial answer to a serious question - on the contrary - I says everything. The stipulation for salvation is belief.

 

Romans 10:9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 

The key here is that we must believe in our hearts, but belief is not a choice - either on does or does not believe. A person can choose to ignore his belief (his heart), but what he or she truly believes isn't a choice. Try making yourself believe in something you do not believe. It is impossible - therefore, salvation is impossible for those who do not believe the story. It really is as simple as that for me.

I would like to add that I am very glad that I no longer believe in lots of things - the Tooth Fairy, Santa Clause, the Devil, the Christian God, and etc... Once upon a time, I believed in them all. It was fun while it lasted, but I have outgrown those things and now believe things which are much more conducive to growth and fulfilled living.

[★ Citsonga ★]

The key here is that we must believe in our hearts, but believe is not a choice - either on does or does not believe. A person can choose to ignore his belief (his heart), but what he or she truly believes isn't a choice. Try making yourself believe in something you do not believe. It is impossible - therefore, salvation is impossible for those who do not believe the story. It really is as simple as that for me.

 

It's the same for me and a host of others. I never chose to believe, I was indoctrinated. I never chose to stop believing, the evidence piled up against it.

 

I wouldn't say that it's impossible for anyone to choose belief, though. For those who haven't looked deeply into the subject and/or aren't 100% convinced either way, it may be possible to choose which belief to hold. I can't, though, because I've seen way too many problems with the bible for it to be the perfect word of gawd that christians claim it is.

[OnceConvinced]

The evidence against the existance of the bible God was just too overwhelming and the so-called word of God was obviously that of ignorant men.

[Thackerie]

My Summary:

 

• ...
  
• How much the church structure is built to control people and every fascist of their lives...
  

 

And how Christianity appeals to the inner fascist?

(Sorry. Don't mean to pick on you. I know it's a typo ("facet" is the word you meant). I just thought it was funny because Christianity of the conservative variety and Fascism do have much in common.)

 

 

Anyway, as to the topic:

 

1. Never could bring myself to actually believe all the supernatural mumbo-jumbo, though, Lord doesn't know, I tried.

 

2. Studied the history of the Bible.

 

3. Noticed that Christianity of the conservative variety and Fascism have much in common.

[☆ TexasFreethinker ☆]

For me it started with the realization that the bible had errors. I was brought up to believe the bible was the perfect word of a god. When I began studying more about the bible outside the "approved" texts of my church, I learned the bible was not perfect.

 

I also realized that very sincere christians are unable to agree on some of the most basic beliefs. If sincere people read the same bible and talk to the same god yet get significantly different answers that's a big red flag. Of course each group claims to be the only set of "true christians", but can give no other reason for the differences in belief.

 

The fact that prayer never worked as promised also caused me to question christianity. The bible is very clear that if a few sincere christians pray for something it will happen. I think it's weird that christians pray for health for those who are sick, yet studies show no big difference (if any difference at all) between the health of those prayed for and those who are not. It's also strange that all the claims of prayer resulting in healing are for ailments that the body can cure on its own. Why is there NEVER an answered prayer to restore a limb for an amputee? Show me a leg that is gone one moment and restored the next after a christian prayers to his god and you'll get my attention. Maybe the christian god is limited in the type of prayer he can approve.

 

The biggest reason I'm not a christian is the problem of evil. Most christians claim their god is all powerful and all good. Yet, horrible things happen to innocent people all the time without the christian god's intervention. How many little girls and boys are sexually abused every day around the world (often by christian leaders)? A god who can stop that yet doesn't is evil. A god who can't stop that is not the all powerful god christians claim to worship. It sure appears that there is no all-good, all-powerful god in existence.