SplashNebula Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Hello everyone. I have been an ex-Christian for two years. I left the church during my freshman year of college. Looking back, I can't believe how foolish I was. I did so many things that were against my nature in the name of "Christ". I was "saved" at a Christian school. I thought that was the best decision I had ever made. I was one of those kids that lived the life. I won two Christian character awards at school and participating in Bible teaching. I was in church every time the doors were open, I gave tearful confessions for my sins, and people considered me a role model. Christians like to use the Bible verse that says those who left the church were not real Christians in the first place. I consider that BS because I was one of the people that actually believed. I think a lot of people that leave the church were those that believed the most. The starting point of me leaving the church was around 2011 when I was diagnosed with depression. Everyone around me told me I was under demonic attack and that I should pray and go to church. One friend even told me to call an exorcist to the house. I finally decided to see a therapist and she diagnosed me with depression. She highly recommended that I take antidepressant medication. I was relectant at first. The church is not very big on psychology and is especially not very big on antidepressant medication. Read some of Jack Chick's tracts about psychiatry to get an idea on what the church thinks. There are a lot of Christians that believe psychiatry is a joke and that it is a tool by Satan to get people to leave the church. What they are really afraid of is that once people find a real cure to their problems, they will quit a coming to church. Low church attendance = less tithes. In the end, it is about money. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtify Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 Welcome SplashNebula! I think you are right that the church is concerned with people finding solutions to their problems elsewhere. After all, it is jesus that is the answer to all of our problems. Christopher Hitchens often pointed out that the church thrives on human misery. If more people were to be content in life, it would seem that less people would be compelled to seek out the help of the church. Psychiatry and Psychology are in direct competition with jesus. On the one hand, people are empowered to solve their own problems with the help of drugs and therapy. On the other, they are at the mercy of a divine being's will and timing; dependent on being healed. One thing that seems ironic to me is that christianity today has adopted many of the techniques of psychology as their own. These things used to be frowned upon, but now they are acceptable. For example, the 'self-esteem' pop. psychology movement was at first considered to be based in pride. Now it is the basis of many preacher's practice (for example, Joyce Meyers). Jesus wants you to love yourself, don't you know? You might be a worm, but you can still get up every morning and feel good about being a worm that has been redeemed! Anyway, welcome. I am glad you escaped! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
◊ crazyguy123 ◊ Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 I'm glad to hear that you're now free from Christianity. It sucks that the people in the church were doing everything they could to prevent you from getting actual help for your problems, but at least you no longer need to worry about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted April 28, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted April 28, 2014 Welcome, Splash. I certainly wish I had gotten out of christianity at your age and I wish I had gotten some counseling back then, too. Kudos to you for taking charge of your own life. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
francesco Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 welcome, yes you are right some churches afraid of losing money but in the core of that is that churches are afraid of losing control they want to control every aspect of your life with doctrines and dogmas in the name of god Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted April 28, 2014 Share Posted April 28, 2014 There are a lot of reasons for people going to church, but money is the one that keeps the churches alive. Without it, few people would go. Look at all of the things that have been done to commercialize churches in the past 20 to 30 years. Before, such things were unheard of. Welcome. You really are smart to have discovered the myth so early in life. bill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RipVanWinkle Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Splash: "What the Church is really afraid of....." I think the answer to this question as to most church leaders is : the truth. They sure try hard enough to conceal it. bill 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Overcame Faith Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Welcome to ExC, SplashNebula. I am so glad you did not listen to those misguided Christians who would have encouraged you not to seek treatment for your depression. I hope you are better now that you are being treated. I agree with you that the church is afraid that people will learn that they do not need the church!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreeThinkerNZ Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Welcome to Ex-C. I too have suffered from depression and found the church's approach unhelpful at best. I've been feeling much better since leaving xianity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DoubtingNate Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 It may or may not be about money; fear and control seems more likely. Ultimately the important thing is that you've sought help. You don't have to worry about them now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Super Moderator TheRedneckProfessor Posted April 29, 2014 Super Moderator Share Posted April 29, 2014 It may or may not be about money; fear and control seems more likely. Ultimately the important thing is that you've sought help. You don't have to worry about them now. I'd say money, fear, and control is the trinity most christians actually serve, wittingly or not. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amateur Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 I'm with you about the money. And welcome! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
themonkeyman Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Hello everyone. I have been an ex-Christian for two years. I left the church during my freshman year of college. Looking back, I can't believe how foolish I was. I did so many things that were against my nature in the name of "Christ". I was "saved" at a Christian school. I thought that was the best decision I had ever made. I was one of those kids that lived the life. I won two Christian character awards at school and participating in Bible teaching. I was in church every time the doors were open, I gave tearful confessions for my sins, and people considered me a role model. Christians like to use the Bible verse that says those who left the church were not real Christians in the first place. I consider that BS because I was one of the people that actually believed. I think a lot of people that leave the church were those that believed the most. The starting point of me leaving the church was around 2011 when I was diagnosed with depression. Everyone around me told me I was under demonic attack and that I should pray and go to church. One friend even told me to call an exorcist to the house. I finally decided to see a therapist and she diagnosed me with depression. She highly recommended that I take antidepressant medication. I was relectant at first. The church is not very big on psychology and is especially not very big on antidepressant medication. Read some of Jack Chick's tracts about psychiatry to get an idea on what the church thinks. There are a lot of Christians that believe psychiatry is a joke and that it is a tool by Satan to get people to leave the church. What they are really afraid of is that once people find a real cure to their problems, they will quit a coming to church. Low church attendance = less tithes. In the end, it is about money. I was told the same thing I went into a state of depression over religious topics and felt I was going to hell for my sins, However Christians said no its a Demon and yet others said it was the Holy Spirit testing me. Like seriously how the fuck can christians make two opposing statements. After that I realised it was all bull shit and left. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FreedomFighter Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 It may or may not be about money; fear and control seems more likely. Ultimately the important thing is that you've sought help. You don't have to worry about them now. I'd say money, fear, and control is the trinity most christians actually serve, wittingly or not. I would agree with you there about the money. The church I still attend seems to be getting increasingly money hungry. At most services they are trying to sell you a book or get you to go on some Christian camp/conference (which you have to pay for out of your own money). Peer pressure is used to sell these things and those who don't buy the book or attend the conference are seen as less of a Christian so there is the fear, guilt and control aspect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellinas Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 Welcome. Christianity tries to own the mind and therefore cannot accept its' own inability to foist divine wholeness and holiness on the mentality of converts. I shudder to think how much harm it has done. Congratulations on freedom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
par4dcourse Posted April 29, 2014 Share Posted April 29, 2014 The church is deadly afraid of thinking. And welcome to the playground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bfuddled Posted April 30, 2014 Share Posted April 30, 2014 I have always HATED the way the church responds to mental health issues. I'm about 6 weeks from graduating with my BS in Psychology and it didn't take me long into school before I knew that the whole "demon" idea is total BS. Just like people used to try to pray a demon out of people with epilepsy, they try to pray away depression/anxiety/etc now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverlandrut Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 I have always HATED the way the church responds to mental health issues. I'm about 6 weeks from graduating with my BS in Psychology and it didn't take me long into school before I knew that the whole "demon" idea is total BS. Just like people used to try to pray a demon out of people with epilepsy, they try to pray away depression/anxiety/etc now. I'm comfortable in my deconversion now. Up until recently, I've been saying that I'm fine with people believing what they want to, that I don't have a problem with people believing in Christianity. Well, when faith leads to bad advice that leads to unhealthy choices, I draw the line. I can't be okay with a belief system that keeps people from real help, not to mention the ones that are out right abusive. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Neverlandrut Posted May 2, 2014 Share Posted May 2, 2014 The other day, for instance, a Christian friend of mine (who does not yet know I'm not a Christian) told me about the day his daughter was born. His daughter had to be on oxygen for a while. After the oxygen was stopped, the nurses told him that she would have to stay in the NICU for 24 hours (I think that was the time frame) for observation. He responded, "No she isn't! You don't know my God!" This was his assertion that God was going to take care of her so she didn't need to stay. They actually did let them go early. Whether it was because of his objection, I'm not sure. That story is scary to me! I'm a respiratory therapist who frequently works in that same NICU. There are very good reasons they observe babies after they DC oxygen. They have to be sure the baby can hold his/her oxygen saturation without help. There are some who end up going back on it. It's possible that his daughter could have suffered an anoxic injury on the car ride home. Withholding medical care on religious grounds is just insanity to me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SplashNebula Posted May 6, 2014 Author Share Posted May 6, 2014 Hello everyone! Thank you all for the welcome! I am sorry I haven't been able to reply much sooner. I have two jobs so I'm very busy. I just want to stop by and thank everyone for the warm welcome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MitoXon Posted May 6, 2014 Share Posted May 6, 2014 I am glad that you are free from Christianity. It is actually you doing something for yourself that will make you better, not you praying. If you were to pray, and not get any medical attention, your condition will worsen... I remember I went to my friend's church, and my friend told the pastor I had severe depression and the pastor just prayed for me... It will not do anything. I never had depression. even if i had depression, praying will not suddenly cure it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SquareOne Posted May 11, 2014 Share Posted May 11, 2014 Welcome! Well done for being rid of all that Christian BS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Abrooks2007 Posted May 12, 2014 Share Posted May 12, 2014 "Low Church Attendance = low tithes. In the end, it is about money." INDEED. LOL. At St. Luke's Episcopal Church, towards the end of my attendance there, the money issue was getting more and more so that I was receiving harassing mass e mails at home. Given that the church was in an impoverished neighborhood, it was pissing me off more and more. Finally I broke and left. It's one of Christianity's many corruptions, which is ironic given that they preach against material wealth. LOL. Andrew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aries256 Posted May 13, 2014 Share Posted May 13, 2014 the church is afraid of losing its herd of propaganda damaged, zombie sheep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dutchie Posted May 16, 2014 Share Posted May 16, 2014 I have always HATED the way the church responds to mental health issues. I'm about 6 weeks from graduating with my BS in Psychology and it didn't take me long into school before I knew that the whole "demon" idea is total BS. Just like people used to try to pray a demon out of people with epilepsy, they try to pray away depression/anxiety/etc now. ´I'm comfortable in my deconversion now. Up until recently, I've been saying that I'm fine with people believing what they want to, that I don't have a problem with people believing in Christianity. Well, when faith leads to bad advice that leads to unhealthy choices, I draw the line. I can't be okay with a belief system that keeps people from real help, not to mention the ones that are out right abusive.´ Yes, the same here. There are so many more consequences that believers themselves, but also tolerant non-believers will never recognize. In that way we are in a unique position, because while we are no longer are indoctrinated in the group, we still know what is really going on there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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