Hi My Name Is Aaron And Im A Christian How Are You Today/nite/morning/afternoon?

[Destinyjesus3000]

Thanks bro, i'm a bit nervous about the wedding but i think it will be great! and my apologies if you feel i try to convert, that's never my intent, because i feel people can only convert themselves. i cant change anyone no more than i can fly. I feel only God can change, and i am not above that, so i would never try to do what only God can do. perhaps there is misunderstandings in my approaches, i'm learning how to do it in a way that's not offensive, and if i have not been successful in that, i truly apologize, i am confused tho, i am told not to use the bible, but the bible is part of my fiber being. its like telling a math teacher to solve a calculus problem without using math or to read a specific book without having that book to read from. : ( Truth be told I used to be an nonbeliever myself and i had a lot of resentment, after the reading the bible, i was transformed. 80% of my friends are atheists and we get along fine, we discuss here and there, but i never want and try to hurt convert, offend anyone, No to try and be a light for people in darkness or guide for the blind, acting all high and mighty, the bible tells me the humble and meek will inherit the earth and the prideful will fall. So when i speak with my friends i try to be respectful as much i can and they are with me. Hope you have a good day brother, im trying to read all the posts, its 40 vs 1. its going to be hard to respond to everyone, im trying to do it piece by piece, and answer rebuttals at the same time from a previous post lol my brain hurts, time for bed. Night all

[midniterider]

Thanks bro, i'm a bit nervous about the wedding but i think it will be great! and my apologies if you feel i try to convert, that's never my intent, because i feel people can only convert themselves. i cant change anyone no more than i can fly. I feel only God can change, and i am not above that, so i would never try to do what only God can do. perhaps there is misunderstandings in my approaches, i'm learning how to do it in a way that's not offensive, and if i have not been successful in that, i truly apologize, i am confused tho, i am told not to use the bible, but the bible is part of my fiber being. its like telling a math teacher to solve a calculus problem without using math or to read a specific book without having that book to read from. : ( Truth be told I used to be an nonbeliever myself and i had a lot of resentment, after the reading the bible, i was transformed. 80% of my friends are atheists and we get along fine, we discuss here and there, but i never want and try to hurt convert, offend anyone, No to try and be a light for people in darkness or guide for the blind, acting all high and mighty, the bible tells me the humble and meek will inherit the earth and the prideful will fall. So when i speak with my friends i try to be respectful as much i can and they are with me. Hope you have a good day brother, im trying to read all the posts, its 40 vs 1. its going to be hard to respond to everyone, im trying to do it piece by piece, and answer rebuttals at the same time from a previous post lol my brain hurts, time for bed. Night all

 

Telling a Christian to not use the bible is like telling him to.....think for himself.

[London]

heh thanks for the advice bro, i got another one "Those without a vision will always return to the past"

Or is it, those with vision leave christianity in the past.

 

or "those with a bad attitude are like a flat tire, unless you change it, you wont go anywhere"

 

And since christianity is a really, really bad attitude, it will only hold you back.

[London]

Truth be told I used to be an nonbeliever myself and i had a lot of resentment, after the reading the bible, i was transformed. 80% of my friends are atheists and we get along fine, we discuss here and there,

 

So DJ, your life was not happy and you found jesus to use as a bandaid? Whatever "broke" inside, didn't get fixed by jesus. Obsessing on religion and avoiding the real issue won't work. Whatever "broke" is still there waiting to be fixed. Jesus is not the way to fixing it, jesus is always used to "stuff it down" and avoid the feelings and solutions. Where ever that resentment came from, it's still there, festering into something even more unhappy.

 

You needed a way to control an unhappy situation and christianity offered you that promise. But the promise is a lie, that's what the cult does to hook you in. Jesus won't fix your problems, he's not your friend, he never existed.

 

I suggest you spend some time here reading like crazy. You will see how many people have been, and are still, harmed by xianity. Read all the debate threads to really learn about your god.

 

You haven't been saved DJ, you have become a member of the longest running cult in the history of the world. That's worse than giving your soul to satan.

[♦ ficino ♦]

i am confused tho, i am told not to use the bible, but the bible is part of my fiber being. its like telling a math teacher to solve a calculus problem without using math or to read a specific book without having that book to read from. :

 

Hello Destiny, all the best with planning for your wedding! A happy task even if it can be stressful.

 

I don't think your analogy exactly works, heh heh. In discussions about the bible, of course everyone has to use the bible. The question is, about what does the bible offer evidence? There's a big difference between using it as evidence of what the writers believed or wanted to portray, and on a wider scale, as evidence of what their communities believed, versus using it as evidence about God or to back up scientific claims.

[NEWsong]

and my apologies if you feel i try to convert, that's never my intent, because i feel people can only convert themselves. i cant change anyone no more than i can fly. I feel only God can change, and i am not above that, so i would never try to do what only God can do. perhaps there is misunderstandings in my approaches, i'm learning how to do it in a way that's not offensive, and if i have not been successful in that, i truly apologize,

 

HI DJ; just had to stop in and say that I see you making a truly valiant attempt to NOT convert us to your way of thinking.

 

This is EX christian.com...we are EX christians not Atheists per se, a person can be an atheist and had never "believed in god or jesus" at all. I am an EX christian of over 25 years. I know the DEEP ins and outs of WHY I became a christian and WHY I COULD NO LONGER BELIEVE.

 

When I was a christian and my brother asked me WHY, I did not read to him out of the bible. I told him about my faith and why I believed as I once did. That is all that we are asking you to do. To "use the bible" is to stay in the christian box that we have chosen to come out of. We will not go back in, if you would like to talk with us, you need to "come out and play" or you can choose to stay in your "box", but we don't play "in there" anymore. We finally believe that we CAN and are allowed to think for ourselves...keep talking and THINKING. This is a GREAT place to learn all the things about yourself and life that you have been running from...I know, when I came here, I "knew" that I was no longer a christian but I had only ONE other (husband) to talk to about this. We understand YOUR struggle MUCH MORE than you understand what our struggle USED TO BE...

[Realist]

after the reading the bible, i was transformed.

 

... yes, books do transform people! Hitler did that with his ideas and a book Mein Kampf pre WW2! Both Hitler's book and the bible contain vile messages!

[Antlerman]

i am confused tho, i am told not to use the bible, but the bible is part of my fiber being. its like telling a math teacher to solve a calculus problem without using math or to read a specific book without having that book to read from. :

The difference between math and the Bible is that anyone qualified to do the math will come up with the same results. Can you honestly claim this is true with the Bible too? Math is not at all the same as interpreting literature. You don't have 38,000 different math denominations differing in their understanding of planetary orbits, as you do with Christian sects.

 

So what I would enjoy seeing is you speaking from something you can cite with some authority. Speak of your own thoughts, experiences, and views, and dialog with those who have theirs. You of course can talk about your faith in the Bible, but it does no good to cite it as an authority, such as a math equation, because not one person here accepts it on faith as an authority as you do. It would be like me quoting the Bhagavad Gita to you to argue my point instead of that being my own personal thoughts. You can of course cite the Bible as a source of inspiration for you personally, but that does not make it an authority over how others should think. Do you see the difference?

 

That said, you cite your life changing when you came to have faith in Jesus. I don't doubt that it may have. It's a favorite verse of mine when Jesus said to the woman who touched the hem of his garment, "Your faith has made you whole". It is something inside of you that through an object of faith for you allowed that to have a face in your life. It was your inner self that you allowed yourself to see, through the vehicle of an object of faith. Understanding that, you recognize there are many objects of faith in the world that do the same thing for other people. What you need to hear is where people are at in their lives, the changes that have occurred for them and recognize your own self, that own light in yourself, in them too - regardless of the object of their faith. Do you know that becoming an atheist may actually be a necessary and good healing for people?

 

Ponder that, and open the eyes and ears of your heart first. Then, look at your Bible and see what it says.

[Akheia]

i think it will be great! and my apologies if you feel i try to convert, that's never my intent, because i feel people can only convert themselves. i cant change anyone no more than i can fly. I feel only God can change, and i am not above that, so i would never try to do what only God can do. perhaps there is misunderstandings in my approaches, i'm learning how to do it in a way that's not offensive, and if i have not been successful in that, i truly apologize,

So--I must ask--why are you actually here, if not to convert people and not to actually grow and learn? And do you realize that some men talk exactly like this to get into women's panties? It made me laugh to see you actually try that tired old line in fundie-speak: "I'm just going to lay down next to you while we're stark naked. If sex happens, it's totally not anybody's fault, but hey, I can't help if you happen to get rowdy while we're there." You're doing the exact same thing. If you don't want a conversion or to learn, one must ask WTF you're doing laying down naked here.

 

i am confused tho, i am told not to use the bible, but the bible is part of my fiber being. its like telling a math teacher to solve a calculus problem without using math or to read a specific book without having that book to read from.

Here's a good start for you in your path to learning: STOP USING ANALOGIES. You're not good at them, and given that I've heard other Christians try this particular chestnut, I've got to think that you heard some preacher say this, or read it somewhere, and didn't analyze it critically before immediately adding it to your very weak arsenal of apologetics, so if you did get it from someone else, STOP PARROTING STUPID SHIT. Whoever came up with this "analogy" had no earthly clue what math actually is. Mathematics and Christianity can only be compared in statements that involve phrases like "Totally unlike Christianity, mathematics..."

 

What we're asking is that if you try to assert something is the unvarnished truth, the facts, the honest way the universe works, you do it with objectivity. Math and science are objective by their very nature; they don't care if a Hindu, an atheist, a pagan, or a Christian are doing the work, because the final product would be the same regardless. Your subjective experience with a very flawed mythology book doesn't count as the facts with people who know the Bible is riddled with historical issues and morality problems. If you want to assert that Christianity is the one truth faith, you're going to have to do it with facts that anybody could arrive at, using methods that anybody could use and that faith has no impact on whatsoever. The problem is, people have been trying to do this for centuries without success, and I doubt that you (no offense) are going to be the magic Christian who's going to manage the stunt considering you don't even understand the fundamental difference between your Bible and a math book. But the good news is that if you hang around here, you'll learn it, and far more. So I'm glad you're here, if you're sincerely wanting the truth. You'll definitely want to figure this out before your wedding, that's for sure

[mymistake]

perhaps there is misunderstandings in my approaches, i'm learning how to do it in a way that's not offensive, and if i have not been successful in that, i truly apologize, i am confused tho, i am told not to use the bible, but the bible is part of my fiber being.

 

Use the Bible as much as you like when you are not here. That gives you hundreds of hours to use your Bible every week. It's just a fact that if you use your Bible here you will offend ex-Christians.

 

its like telling a math teacher to solve a calculus problem without using math or to read a specific book without having that book to read from.

 

Not really.

 

: ( Truth be told I used to be an nonbeliever myself and i had a lot of resentment, after the reading the bible, i was transformed. 80% of my friends are atheists and we get along fine, we discuss here and there, but i never want and try to hurt convert, offend anyone, No to try and be a light for people in darkness or guide for the blind, acting all high and mighty, the bible tells me the humble and meek will inherit the earth and the prideful will fall. So when i speak with my friends i try to be respectful as much i can and they are with me.

 

If you set aside the religious stuff you will find you have friends here too. (Though I must warn you to stay out of the political threads or whichever side happens to be the "other side" will shower you with profanity. We got a couple of regulars on every side of the political view who's only purpose is to shower profanity on political opposition.)

 

Hope you have a good day brother, im trying to read all the posts, its 40 vs 1. its going to be hard to respond to everyone, im trying to do it piece by piece, and answer rebuttals at the same time from a previous post lol my brain hurts, time for bed. Night all

 

It would be better for all involved if you wouldn't do all that work. If you do post rebuttals they will result in more of the same and even more work for you to do. Instead you can agree to disagree. This is simply recognizing that nobody is going to change their mind so you want to talk about other things.

[Paine]

FRESH MEAT!!!! WOOOOT!

 

WELCOME, little man.

 

***licks chops***

[Paine]

i am confused tho, i am told not to use the bible, but the bible is part of my fiber being. its like telling a math teacher to solve a calculus problem without using math or to read a specific book without having that book to read from. :

The difference between math and the Bible is that anyone qualified to do the math will come up with the same results. Can you honestly claim this is true with the Bible too? Math is not at all the same as interpreting literature. You don't have 38,000 different math denominations differing in their understanding of planetary orbits, as you do with Christian sects.

 

So what I would enjoy seeing is you speaking from something you can cite with some authority. Speak of your own thoughts, experiences, and views, and dialog with those who have theirs. You of course can talk about your faith in the Bible, but it does no good to cite it as an authority, such as a math equation, because not one person here accepts it on faith as an authority as you do. It would be like me quoting the Bhagavad Gita to you to argue my point instead of that being my own personal thoughts. You can of course cite the Bible as a source of inspiration for you personally, but that does not make it an authority over how others should think. Do you see the difference?

 

That said, you cite your life changing when you came to have faith in Jesus. I don't doubt that it may have. It's a favorite verse of mine when Jesus said to the woman who touched the hem of his garment, "Your faith has made you whole". It is something inside of you that through an object of faith for you allowed that to have a face in your life. It was your inner self that you allowed yourself to see, through the vehicle of an object of faith. Understanding that, you recognize there are many objects of faith in the world that do the same thing for other people. What you need to hear is where people are at in their lives, the changes that have occurred for them and recognize your own self, that own light in yourself, in them too - regardless of the object of their faith. Do you know that becoming an atheist may actually be a necessary and good healing for people?

 

Ponder that, and open the eyes and ears of your heart first. Then, look at your Bible and see what it says.

 

I think I can add nothing further.

 

But you better believe I will be back for the IN DEPTH AND CIRCULAR response he is sure to dish......

 

***poor guy***

[Destinyjesus3000]

well thanks for the inspiration i will post a new topic about how i was an unbeliever and came to Christianty a personal story when i get the chance. I used to be just like you guys. happy without God. I only had resentment becuase i got hurt just as many of you have, there many reasons people change, But i was an unbeliever by logically reading the bible, many things didnt make sense and people couldnt give me answers. again ill go in detail when i share my testimony.

 

But this topic i have already promised to address questions and that i will do if i am to be a man of my word. Im here for the long haul, im here to help myself grow and broaden my view and communication skills. This is how i know prayer works, this website is an answer to my prayer, God opened up a way for me to see more truth througth he bible by being able to see different views and doing a personal bible study to answer the "WHYS" i look forward to continue here. I prayed for this exact thing, and it happened. I use the bible as authority because it works. Furthermore i will get in discussion later but the bible has real life people in it, kings, nations, in history books that correspond with some of the things in the bible. Before i disregard the bible, i would have to discredit history. When i catch up on posts i will tap into that part.

[Akheia]

well thanks for the inspiration i will post a new topic about how i was an unbeliever and came to Christianty a personal story when i get the chance. I used to be just like you guys. happy without God. I only had resentment becuase i got hurt just as many of you have, there many reasons people change,

I think you got lost somewhere, champ. You're looking for a Christian board where you can share your subjective, absolutely proof-less "testimony" to people who actually need a bolster for their subjective, proof-less faith. I can't speak for everybody, but I don't give two flying shits rubbed together till they catch fire about why yet another gullible person became a Christian. Your Bible makes a lot of claims that simply aren't factual--nothing you say about how you somehow cobbled a belief together out of it thanks to societal pressure and a willingness to buy whatever snake oil some preacher peddled at an ignorant kid completely lacking in critical thinking skills is going to matter in the face of the Bible's inaccuracies and moral failures.

 

So instead of being deliberately provocative in missing the point of this entire site, why don't you start by taking up one of the many questions people have posed to you? You keep avoiding those questions and skirting them. Don't think we don't notice. If you keep avoiding those hard questions, I'm going to have to assume you're just trolling.

[blackpudd1n]

Before i disregard the bible, i would have to discredit history.

 

Unfortunately, History discredited the bible.

 

I think it's time you met Evid3nc3. he has made a series of YouTube videos about his life as a christian and his deconversion, and all the reasons his deconversion happened. I think you'd do well to watch the series, because you still seem to have some uninformed ideas about us as ex-christians.

 

the series can be found here:

 

http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/why-i-am-no-longer-a-christian/

[MrsRoper]

 

Unfortunately, History discredited the bible.

 

 

Fortunately, History discredited the bible!

[blackpudd1n]

Unfortunately, History discredited the bible.

 

 

Fortunately, History discredited the bible!

 

Well, fortunately for us, unfortunately for christians!

[Antlerman]

I used to be just like you guys. happy without God.

I think you should recognize that most here are not 'happy without God" (as you understand God), but in fact happier. That will be your greatest challenge to explain, if your way of understanding is somehow THE way of understanding.

 

I use the bible as authority because it works.

For you, in your current understanding. For others, with their understanding it fails to do for them what it does for you. You will need to explain how that is. That will be your greatest challenge; to see through the eyes of another.

 

Furthermore i will get in discussion later but the bible has real life people in it, kings, nations, in history books that correspond with some of the things in the bible.

So do the people in Homer's Odyssey. That doesn't make it a record of historical facts. It also contains not-so-historical figures, such as donkey's speaking human languages, snakes that talk human tongues, birds with seven eyes, and other such mythological creatures use in mythology. You err in reading it literally.

 

Before i disregard the bible, i would have to discredit history. When i catch up on posts i will tap into that part.

Why do you have to disregard the Bible if it isn't factual history? Why do you treat it other than what it was for people 2000 years ago? They didn't approach it with the modern mindset you do. You err in how you read it. You err in your all-or-nothing mindset.

[sdelsolray]

well thanks for the inspiration i will post a new topic about how i was an unbeliever and came to Christianty a personal story when i get the chance. I used to be just like you guys. happy without God. I only had resentment becuase i got hurt just as many of you have, there many reasons people change, But i was an unbeliever by logically reading the bible, many things didnt make sense and people couldnt give me answers. again ill go in detail when i share my testimony.

 

But this topic i have already promised to address questions and that i will do if i am to be a man of my word. Im here for the long haul, im here to help myself grow and broaden my view and communication skills. This is how i know prayer works, this website is an answer to my prayer, God opened up a way for me to see more truth througth he bible by being able to see different views and doing a personal bible study to answer the "WHYS" i look forward to continue here. I prayed for this exact thing, and it happened. I use the bible as authority because it works. Furthermore i will get in discussion later but the bible has real life people in it, kings, nations, in history books that correspond with some of the things in the bible. Before i disregard the bible, i would have to discredit history. When i catch up on posts i will tap into that part.

 

In addition to your study of "cognitive dissonance", I suggest you study the terms "confirmation bias" and the "Dunning–Kruger effect".

[mymistake]

well thanks for the inspiration i will post a new topic about how i was an unbeliever and came to Christianty a personal story when i get the chance.

 

I really wish you wouldn't.

 

But this topic i have already promised to address questions and that i will do if i am to be a man of my word.

 

You also said you don't want to offend. Are you going to go back on your word in that respect and knowingly post what offends? The problem is that your word is already in conflict with itself. You either have to break your word by knowingly offending us or you have to break your word by letting this topic go.

 

Im here for the long haul, im here to help myself grow and broaden my view and communication skills. This is how i know prayer works, this website is an answer to my prayer, God opened up a way for me to see more truth througth he bible by being able to see different views and doing a personal bible study to answer the "WHYS" i look forward to continue here.

 

God did nothing. The people who have seen more truth are ex Christians.

 

I prayed for this exact thing, and it happened.

 

You must have prayed that God would show you that God does not exist.

 

I use the bible as authority because it works. Furthermore i will get in discussion later but the bible has real life people in it, kings, nations, in history books that correspond with some of the things in the bible. Before i disregard the bible, i would have to discredit history. When i catch up on posts i will tap into that part.

 

The Bible also has fictional creatures, fictional events, fictional people, fictional lands, political hate, racism, hatred against women, ignorance of science, ignorance of reality, ignorance of history and general misinformation. The Bible is no better or worse than any other religious work from antiquity. Does the Egyptian Book of the Dead work?

[MrsRoper]

Unfortunately, History discredited the bible.

 

 

Fortunately, History discredited the bible!

 

Well, fortunately for us, unfortunately for christians!

 

LOL! Well, I think it would be fortunate for them too, if they would just accept the past hundreds of years of historical-critical analysis that proves these aren't history books. They could really free themselves up to give up the dead study of apologetics, stop reinventing the wheel, give up verbal diuretics & and just focus on their personal subjective faith. Would be so much easier on them and those of us they like to torture with their ignorance of the facts of history.

[blackpudd1n]

Unfortunately, History discredited the bible.

 

 

Fortunately, History discredited the bible!

 

Well, fortunately for us, unfortunately for christians!

 

LOL! Well, I think it would be fortunate for them too, if they would just accept the past hundreds of years of historical-critical analysis that proves these aren't history books. They could really free themselves up to give up the dead study of apologetics, stop reinventing the wheel, give up verbal diuretics & and just focus on their personal subjective faith. Would be so much easier on them and those of us they like to torture with their ignorance of the facts of history.

 

Nice point

 

I wasn't thinking in that direction, I was going more along the lines of, "oh dear, at some point you're going to stumble on some history disproving the bible, and then what will you do?"

[centauri]

I use the bible as authority because it works.

In other words, it provides you with comfort and explains the unexplainable to you.

 

Furthermore i will get in discussion later but the bible has real life people in it, kings, nations, in history books that correspond with some of the things in the bible. Before i disregard the bible, i would have to discredit history.

The same can be said for the novel "Gone With The Wind".

[FeelHappy]

after the reading the bible, i was transformed.

 

... yes, books do transform people! Hitler did that with his ideas and a book Mein Kampf pre WW2! Both Hitler's book and the bible contain vile messages!

 

 

I wonder just how many of Hitler's ideas were actually the great protestant reformer's ideas (Martin Luther with his infamous book On the Jews and Their Lies).

 

Just look at how many of luther's ideas became hitlers, all christians should be ashamed of Luther (in my opinion):

http://en.wikipedia...._and_Their_Lies

[FeelHappy]

I don't think using the bible would be effective, but I can understand someone using it. I guess I'm an exception here, but if a christian wants to use his bible, then I'm okay with it. While he's at it, I would like him to explain some of the contradictions, the copying of stories from the Ancient Near East, the false authorship of some Pauline and Peter epistles, some of the copying errors, the completely wrong cosmology, the wrong information about the creation and age of the universe, god's cruelness in the old testament, ect (okay I'm starting to ramble).