Why were you once a Christian?

[Amethyst]

Where can I find a Christian forum?

 

Use a search engine like Yahoo, or others have said, Google. It is really not that hard. Simply type the words christian forum into it and hit search like you would look for anything else on the Internet, or have you never used a search engine before?

[Ouroboros]

Christian Teens Forum

Christian Forums

Theology Web

[Mythra]

I SO don't give a shit anymore about what a fundy like Daniel thinks. Say I wasn't a true christian. I mean really. Who gives a rat's ass? The whole religion is so contrived and phony. How can you have a true believer in a false religion?

 

Brainwashed fuck.

[spamandham]

Why was I a Christian? Because I used to be stupid.

 

I still am, but not as much now.

[Vigile]

When I was a child my parents, friends and other family members led me to believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and god. Around 5 or 6 they relented on all but god.

 

From there the meme expanded as I was weekly and bi-weekly guilted and indoctrinated in the "faith" to the point that my paradigm filtered all worldly input through my stained glass goggles. Because no other tools were provided me I viewed my surroundings and my contacts with others in the binary terms of good and evil, right and wrong, and us and them.

 

Because of the swimmingly spectacular success of my indoctrinators I fully bought the notion that I was at the very base a rotten, stinking, filthy sinner whom god couldn't bear the presence of. As a result I fully embraced his disingenuous sacrifice as he offered to save me from himself. I felt great joy that I was one of the "chosen" who would spend an eternity in glory and I was equally distraught that others who were and were not close to me would not.

[Reach]

When I was a child my parents, friends and other family members led me to believe in Santa, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and god.  Around 5 or 6 they relented on all but god.

That's my story as well. When I was a child my parents, friends and other family members led me to believe in Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Easter Bunny and God/Jesus Christ. Around 5 or 6 they relented on all but the god and his son.

 

Daniel, you asked about finding a Christian forum. I was never a Baptist, but here's the largest Baptist forum in the world, with 12,885 members: BaptistBoard.com

[Checkmate]

Why was I a Christian?  Because I used to be stupid. 

 

I still am, but not as much now.

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What HE said. And double it.

[Kryten]

Daniel,

I became a Christian the for the EXACT SAME REASONS that people did 2000 years ago. I listened to someone who seemed believable, and they convinced me that the stories were true. I didn't see any evidence, I never saw any miracles, I simply TRUSTED in the people who were trying to convert me. Oh yeah, that is a slam at the MORONS that claim Christianity couldn't have started if the miracles and stories weren't true.

 

I then studied the bible and other Christian literature and was convinced it was all true, and would have given my life at that time for Jesus or any worthy Christ-based cause. I believed for 30 years until I started investigating the "bible codes" which led me down a path of discovery of the real truth. You would be in danger of doing the same by being here, except it appears you have no concept of how to do searches, which renders you impotent. If you are exposed to the truth, but choose to ignore it, then you are destined to remain in the dark and be a slave to the lie.

 

 

* * * * *

Jesus' TipOfTheDay... Don't forget you OWE God 10% of everything you have, and THEN the offerings start.

[SilentLoner]

Born and raised catholic. was threatened by the idea of hell and "god" in his old testament mood.

 

Fortunately I escaped. and eventually found this site.

[♦ nivek ♦]

What HE said.  And double it.

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Triple Dog Dare Stoopid still, but not as stoopid as I used to be..

 

kL

[pandora]

Daniel, after reading your claim that all (or most, I couldn't tell what you implication was) of us were false converts, I feel I must expound upon my conversion experience.

 

Not only did I cry for others, I cried for myself. It took me a while to believe that Jesus died for me too. I had truly repented (and still do, this is not a Christian concept).

 

If it takes such a dramatic experience to truly be "saved" then why do so many people not have this experience? And still call themselves Christian? And honestly, I dont think many on here would claim that they didn't have some moment of revelation where they finally thought Jesus and the Spirit were speaking to them.... I thought the Spirit would tell me who was Christian and who was not so that I could adjust my behaviour around them. I was usually right too... does this mean that the Spirit was actually speaking to me? No... it was just my own intuition. As for your experiences, I can't judge... but they aren't particularly convincing... feelings are not a good way to guide your chosen belief system. I encountered someone who claimed that all those in other religions who are extremely devout (including Ghandi) were not really loving God, just acting out of obligation. I find this notion ridiculous. I don't know why Christians claim that a person can only come to know God through Jesus specifically.

 

And besides, isn't God the only one who can decide who's experience is legitimate and not (from a Christian perspective)?

 

What would be your conclusion if you found that one of us was truly a Christian at some point? Would this challenge your own views? Are we still saved? Can God take away his salvation from an apostate like me? Are some of us just bad soil? I am really curious to know your view on this.

[Mike D]

why were you a Christian? 

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I was a Christian because as a child I was dragged to church every Sunday by my parents, like so many other children in America are. And instead of being allowed to be a kid and out playing on Sunday we are told to sit there with our mouths shut and learn about the ancient superstitions of primitive delusional sheepherders who had been dead for more than 2000 years.

 

Although I made an honest effort to accept the incoherent babblings of of my church, parents, and pastor as historical fact, eventually it came time to make the acquaintence of their invisible friends (i.e. Jesus, Holy Spirit, etc), at which time I decided what initially seemed harmless was now steering us off course and into uncharted waters of mental instability of which I had never experienced (at least for me at my young age).

 

Over time I was told that we needed these invisible friends to protect us against other invisible people who were "out to get us" (i.e. "devils", "demons", "angry gods", etc). Apparently if we summoned up these invisible friends (in a trancelike state called "prayer"), they would give us special powers to overcome our paranoid delusions and make the other beings "get lost".

 

Anyway to make a long story short, I tried to accept these absurdities as long as I possibly could, but eventually the paranoid delusions and hallucinations of others proved too trying on my own patience and well grounded sense of objective reality to further be bothered with it. And that's why I am here today

[specs appeal]

One more (copy & paste):

 

www.youthontherock.com/forum.php

 

And besides, isn't God the only one who can decide who's experience is legitimate and not (from a Christian perspective)?

 

That's what I remember hearing from Christians.

[qadeshet]

Why would they need to pin your thread Daniel?  There is a whole section filled with the hows and why's, it's called "Testimonies of Former Christians".

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Exactly. Is it too much trouble for Daniel to read our testimonies?

[Asuryan]

I repeat:

 

Google is your friend.

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I feel the urge to write it down:

 

STFW.

 

Ahh, now I feel better!

 

Seriously though, Daniel, why don't you read our extestimonies?

You could see how those nice scriptures clash and crash to pieces against the harshness of reality - or at least, how they did for us...

 

Try it, come on, you could even find it interesting!

[Poonis]

Just as simple or prolonged as you wish to explain... why were you a Christian?  What caused you to choose Christianity, or what was it about Christianity that converted you?

 

I think it would be fair to pin this one up next to, "Why do you remain Christian," but that's just what I think.

99880[/snapback]

 

When I died, I wanted to go to heaven, and not go to hell. You can probably guess my thoughts on heaven and hell now.

[BeccasStillSeeking]

I was technically born into it; my mother had me baptized Catholic but only went to church on holidays. But I was the one who decided to get obsessively devoted about it, for which I fear I may never be able to forgive myself. It was such a stupid mistake--and yes, I was a child, but it ended up doing far more harm than good.

 

I was in an abusive situation, and was also dealing with a lot of bullying at school because I was a little shy fat kid. I threw myself into the arms of the Church because I believed its lies. I was desperate to feel the "white light of God's love"; God was touted as all-forgiving and fair, not like my mortal parents. Supposedly, if I worked hard enough, God would love me, watch over me, offer comfort for my suffering...unlike my mother, whose love could not have been earned by the most perfect person in the world.

 

But I never felt God's love for myself, nor any sense of comfort, hope or peace, no matter how fervently I prayed. And the Catholic Church is not a loving or supportive place; nor was any other church I investigated in my twenty-year "search for God".

[Guest Latoque]

Just as simple or prolonged as you wish to explain... why were you a Christian?  What caused you to choose Christianity, or what was it about Christianity that converted you?

 

I think it would be fair to pin this one up next to, "Why do you remain Christian," but that's just what I think.

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I was issued Roman Catholicism by my family as an infant. I had nothing to say about it. I think Ingersoll had it right; a person's religion is largely a matter of geography. Had I been born in Scotland, I'd be Presbyterian, if in Sweeden or Norway, I'd be Lutheran--in both countries you are issued your religion at birth.

 

Had I been born in Iran or Saudi Arabia, I'd have been Muslim. Had I been born in Moscow I'd have been Russian Orthodox, and had I been born in India I'd be either Buddhist or Hindu.

 

I've never had a Christian of any stripe give me a good reason why I should believe their religion is any more "right" or correct or valid than any of the others around the world.

[Checkmate]

..............

I've never had a Christian of any stripe give me a good reason why I should believe their religion is  any more "right" or correct or valid than any of the others around the world.

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Truer words have never been spoken! Well said, Latoque. Thanks for your insight. Welcome to the forum.

 

 

 

I loved the "issued Roman Catholicism" line! "Issued". How correct!

[SkepticOfBible]

Christian Teens Forum

Christian Forums

Theology Web

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There now you the links

 

Please go ahead and do the experiment.

 

And please do show us the result. It should be a great eye opener for you

[Kalidasa]

I was christened at the age of 4 months. It was a downward slope from there on in.

[Purple]

I am with many here Daniel. You have already stated elsewhere that most of us, if not all could not be ex-christians. So I am inclined to believe this is not an honest question. If it is, I apologise. If you wish to read my story you can do so in the testimony section here is a link...

 

http://www.ex-christian.net/index.php?showtopic=2405

 

Unlike some here I do not fear your judgement of me, or you comments. Do not expect me to take any of your criticism of me seriously though, unless you earn the right to give me advice. You can even email me if ya wanna, purple4lab@hotmail.com, again though, be forewarned I do not take seriously the advice of people who have not been fire tested to be known to have my best interest at heart, knowledgeable and trust worthy.

[Guest vanesa]

I was baptized by the Lutheran © church but never was a believer. In their eyes, I never was fully a member of the church, a rogue youth perhaps.

[bluewizard]

I was raised but at a young age I always planned on converting to a cooler religion like Judaism.

[Bluesman]

Danial, Last week I was talking with a good friend of mine who happens to be a Captian in the Iraqi Army. Since religion is a big topic over here, the subject came up. He said that I was born a Christian, while he was born a Muslim. Now that just confirmed one of the issues that lead me away from Christainity - I was "born" into it. What if I'd been born somewhere else with a different religious belief? What if I'd been born to Athiest or even Satanist parents? Would I be that by default?

 

My Muslim friend believes it is God's will, that it is all god's will. But I don't buy it. Just having Christian parents who teach it does not make it right. There comes a time when we have to think for ourselves and make our own decisions. Which I did!!!!!