What Is One Thing That You Would Have Told To Your Predeconverted Self?

[Guest Valk0010]

Basically this thread is supposed to be about, if you had one shot to tell something to your christian self, what would it be.

 

Me, i would have told my believing self, to learn more about what is or isn't a argument, and to avoid committing sharpshooter fallacies about the biblical miracles. Just see the big picture when examining Christianity.

 

So what is the one religion related thing you wish you could have told your believing self?

[mcdaddy]

Trust your instincts, grasshopper.

[sarahlee]

I'd tell myself that I am right to want facts, regardless of what the pastor says (he actually told me I didn't need any facts to believe).

[silentknight]

Don't be afraid. Their scorn and pity cannot harm you.

[Positivist]

The feeling of knowing is not the same thing as actually knowing.

[jackbauer]

Looking back at my fundie days, I wonder if anything would have convinced me that I was being conned. I had gone through all the arguements, but there was always an apologetic answer to that question. Particularly pascal's wager, which had me convinced that life was meaningless without God. Not to mention all that paranoia and mind games that come along with Christianity.

 

The best thing I could have told myself was not to fall for trick reasoning. Fundies can come up with clever arguements for God, but at best, they only disprove a strawman arguement against God. If the only reason I'm in it is for fear and guilt, than I'm in it for the wrong reasons. Though I could have easily convinced myself that it was all part of some divine test.

[GardenerGal]

To have just loved people despite their beliefs or flaws, and not because I thought I had the secret to making their life worth living.

[Leith]

Read more books.

[freeasabird]

Why does Bill and Ted come to mind?

[silentknight]

"Woah..."

[Overcame Faith]

I would tell myself to read the following passages very carefully and without your Christian prejudices:

 

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b] and then to the Twelve.

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-5

 

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. ² So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

 

Matthew 27:1-5

 

²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

 

“‘May his place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in it,’^[e]

and,

 

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’^[f]

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

 

Acts 1:20-26

[roadrunner]

psssst. ....its all fake.

[flockoff]

I'd give myself a list of winning lottery numbers. What's everyone talking about religion for?

 

Oh, you said it has to be religion related.

 

Okay, the lottery numbers were from god.

 

No? Damn.

 

Great question.

 

... partly because there's an interesting choice here. Do I evangelize deconversion to my past self, since it would arguably be rightful to do so and I of course know what might actually have worked? Or do I just give advice on how to live better despite being Christian, as others have posted? I wish I could honestly go with the latter, because there are more important matters in life than god or no god, but it was hurting me too much.

 

I'd tell him (me?) to read up on predestination and the arguments supporting it, then think honestly and rationally about god's character after reading this offensive copout:

 

13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.

 

14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.

 

15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

 

16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

 

17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.

 

18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

 

19 Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

 

20 Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?

 

21 Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

 

- Romans 9:13-21

 

Of course this is a gamble, since having this experience at an earlier time in another context might not have the same effect, possibly even resulting in me still being a believer today. I don't know if I'd have been ready before I was 25. But it's still hard to think of a time when that experience wouldn't have slapped me into reality.

[Zephie]

Keep your favorite books, movies, music, etc. Don't let other's opinions affect what you like.

[Mike D]

Trust your instincts, grasshopper.

 

This.

[JoeCoastie]

Nobody knows anything about God. All those people who claim to know are just kooks with delusions of grandeur. You don't have to listen to them. Their words are empty. Now go forth and get laid!

[norton65ca]

run forrest run...

[Denyoz]

There is no such thing as "God's will", so do what YOU want.

[par4dcourse]

The Powerball Numbers on 2/18/12 will be........

[MerryG]

It's all just lies made up to control people through fear.

[Positivist]

That feeling we call "a lack of peace" about something? That's just your intuition asking for more information to help it feel better about making a particular decision. It is NOT the Holy Spirit.

 

Gawd. The things I did and did not do because of that.

[Guest Babylonian Dream]

I had to think hard about this one, there's so much I could've said. Though one thing that stands out is this,

 

"If God really cared whether or not you believed in him, especially if he's going to reward or punish you eternally for it he cares so much, wouldn't he just come to you in person and tell you so? Why wouldn't he?"

 

I would've deconverted much much earlier had I gone back and said that to myself.

[mcdaddy]

I would tell myself to read the following passages very carefully and without your Christian prejudices:

 

³ For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance^[a]: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that he appeared to Cephas,^[b] and then to the Twelve.

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-5

 

27 Early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people made their plans how to have Jesus executed. ² So they bound him, led him away and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.”

“What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”

⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

 

Matthew 27:1-5

 

²⁰ “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:

 

“‘May his place be deserted;

let there be no one to dwell in it,’^[e]

and,

 

“‘May another take his place of leadership.’^[f]

²¹ Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, ²² beginning from John’s baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection.”

²³ So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. ²⁴ Then they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen ²⁵ to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” ²⁶ Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

 

Acts 1:20-26

 

Connect the dots for me.

[MrsRoper]

Sex isn't a sin. There is no sin.

[TheBluegrassSkeptic]

Proteins. On. Asteroids. I was always more swayed by the science side of things than the moral.