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Goodbye Jesus

Doggone Indoctrination


OnceConvinced

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I was brought up in a Christian home. I've been an ex-Christian now for 8 years (now 47 years old). Now consider myself atheist and consider Christianity to be ridiculous now. I consider it to be full of deluded people living in a fantasy world. I see nothing supernatural in this world. Everything now I believe has natural causes.

 

Now to the point...

 

I was clearing out junk from my drawers and cupboards the other day and came across my old tatty bible which I got as a gift when I was 16 years old. I of course treasured it as a Christian. Now it is dust covered, the cover is almost off. I have used it as a reference source including writing messy scrawls in it and point out some of the ludicrous and horrific stuff. However I rarely look at it at all now because I find it easier  just to use the internet if looking for specific references.

 

My problem is I picked it up and considered throwing it into the recycling along with all my other rubbish. However I really struggled with that. It was like I was considering throwing away something sacred, which I know is ludicrous, because it's just stuff written by ignorant man from thousands of years ago, most of which has been shown to be false.

 

Even as a Christian, when replacing a bible with a new one, I would never be able to destroy the old one. I would give it away - to someone who hasn't got one, or to a second hand store.

 

I know that there is nothing special about this ridiculous work of fiction in my drawer. To say it's the word of God is a complete joke and there's no doubt about that, however that ingrained indoctrination still seems to be taking an effect on me, making it difficult for me to dispose of it. It deserves to be thrown out but I found myself making excuses to keep it. eg It was given to me as a gift from my parents, it has sentimental value, I might want to refer to it when not online, I may want to read some more and critique it by scrawling more comments in it.

 

I know that if I just throw it out, I'm not going to be struck by lightening or cursed by God or anything stupid like that. It's just a book. I also know that no god is trying to influence me to keep it either, because that's pure fantasy. I know it's simply the indoctrination that is affecting me, (Just like the fear of hell can still have an effect on an Ex-c)

 

Yet I still have it in my drawer and it's probably never going to be used again.

 

Have other people here had problems like this? Did you find it difficult to dispose of your bible? Do you still have it? Could you just throw it in the rubbish?

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OnceConvinced,

 

I actually trashed my only bible this past Friday night. A similar thought crossed my mind that maybe it would be better to donate it to a library, but at the same time, I wouldn't want anyone to have a tool of indoctrination on account of me. So, I threw it out.

I think of the bible book as a source of addiction. Just as an alcoholic gets rid of all drinks in the house to avoid having immediate access, I got rid of the bible, so that I would not have it within reach to go back into devotion mode.

 

If you want to make reference to something in the bible, it's online. Throw that thing in the rubbish. :)

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I think you hit the nail on the head with the sentimental value. That's what is keeping you from throwing it away. There is no harm in keeping it, but if you throw it away you'll have to deal with the feelings of loss and regret because you disposed of something that has sentimental value to you. That said, I think you should throw it out. You're done with the Christian phase of your life, and there are many resources online to look up scripture or related stuff. But, if you dispose of that Bible, of course you lose all of your notes. It's up to you. There are pros and cons just like with any decision. I will be beseeching the Lard in your behalf, asking that He will send His Holy Spook to magically help you make this glorious decision. Glory!

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I would say the only reason to keep it would be for sentimental value since it is from your parents. If for some reason you can get over that reason and you have other things from them to remind you of their love then I would say dispose of it. I threw away my Bibles even one from my Brother because I no longer had a valid need for them nor any desire whatsoever to read them. I do not regret that action in any form or fashion. I suppose it is like an addict getting rid of the thing that is controlling their life. Another way to look at it is your Christian life was a past life and now that it doesn't control you it is time to fully move on.

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While reading your post I flashed back to the scene in The Chamber of Secrets when Harry Potter stabs Tom Riddle's diary with the serpent's tooth. That would be a cool way to get rid of it!

 

Actually, I still have mine, too. I got rid of all my other spiritual stuff but kept that for sentimental reasons.

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For sentimental reasons, I kept a small bible that was given to me as a gift. I also kept a tiny little book of scriptures for children, because I loved it when I was young, as well as a christian bookmark my mum gave me. I know I'll never take the bible seriously ever again, and sometimes I feel pressured to donate or dispose of what religious paraphernalia I have left, but I'm not going to do it. Sure, I may no longer care for the religion, but there are some memories I don't wish to part with smile.png

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Have other people here had problems like this? Did you find it difficult to dispose of your bible? Do you still have it? Could you just throw it in the rubbish?

Yes I had the same problem.  When deconverting I tore up a Bible!  I was reading Joshua and was so sickened by it, I took the radical step of tearing it up.

 

I have kept one small Christian book though for sentimental purposes as its over 30 years old. But I have no Bibles in the house.

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It's a symbol of your total identity, one of the things that made you what you are today. It is still useful for reference, if you should ever need to argue theology. Bibles are usually very nicely constructed and finished books, a thing of beauty if you will. I still have mine, and all my reference works and concordances as well.

 

That said, there are those who had a painful and emotional experience with religion who might be better off with having no reminders around the house.

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