Have you lost anything because of your belief in Jesus/the bible/Christianity?

[quinntar]

On 10/8/2017 at 5:56 AM, Burnedout said:

I lost virtually nothing when I left and gained some sanity.  Just don't make the assumption that everything clinical or scientific is correct either.  They are both at times, full of scheisters.  Use your own head, your own reasoning, and just because they have some kind of a 'D' by their name doesn't mean they are any more honest or correct than some one with the title  of Pastor, priest, minister, etc. Not to lump all in the same broad brush, as I am still close friends with some Christian friends and even know several decent folks with a PhD.  

You do gain more when you've left Christianity, but it sure does feel like you're losing a whole world when your leaving it.

[◊ DestinyTurtle ◊]

I lost my childhood... but I think I'm winning back a kind of childhood as an adult, every now and then!

[Anushka]

12 hours ago, DestinyTurtle said:

I lost my childhood... but I think I'm winning back a kind of childhood as an adult, every now and then!

 

[mymistake]

I can't even begin to imagine how things would have turned out differently for me if I hadn't spent the first 30 years trying to live a Godly life.

[RealityCheck]

I lost 10 years of my life and countless opportunities.  I was so distracted by Christianity that it affected my performance in college, jobs, etc.  The "Jesus will take care of everything" mentality was akin to being high on a drug, it killed all motivation.  I lost my self esteem as well, that took years to rebuild after the fact.

I count myself fortunate though.  Some people are trapped in this loop for decades.  Some are born into it.  Some go from cradle to grave not knowing a single moment of true mental freedom.

[ebibl]

In 1999, I lost about everything leaving Christianity because I had made it everything to me up to that point in my life. Many people make the mistake of throwing out the Bible when they leave Christianity because they don't understand it or it's value. 2 Thes. 2 says that THE WORD shall send people strong delusion who have no love of the truth. And Jesus said in Matt. 13:44, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. Luke 17:21 kjv says the kingdom of heaven is within us. The Bible is like a treasure map to all that lies within us. 

 

So let me share something with you in this hostile environment that might give you some hope. In the end the love of most will grow cold.

 

I understand that the human brain is the tree of life mentioned in Genesis. For out of the skull does it not resemble a tree. And without it we would be dead. Jesus Christ is the word right (John 1)? And the brain is the temple the word. Remember also, that Jesus was crucified at Golgotha PLACE OF THE SKULL. Notice too that when seeking the mind of Christ or understanding your way will be blocked with Thorns and thistles and that Jesus said he is (the way the truth and the life). When God banished man from the garden (as the story goes) he put a flaming sword and mighty angles to guard the way to the tree of life. If the tree of life is the human brain then notice too the crown of thorns symbolism around Christ head. Looks an awful lot like a freeze frame of a sword that spins everywhichway. 

 

Deu. 30:14-15 says the word is very near you. See I have set before you this day life and good, death and evil. This clearly shows the two sides of the word or the Bible that must be rightly divided to find the truth. I hope some of this helped but will leave you with this. Jesus said wide is the way that leads to destruction and many are those that go by it. But narrow is the way that leads to life and few there be that find it. If you hold out a quarter in you hand you will see polarity for what it is. Tell me then, which side of the coin is the wide side that leads to destruction, heads or tails, life or death, good or evil, light or darkness, Satan or Jesus, etc. etc. etc.? Neither right? They are both wide. The world will tell you to flip the coin and choose sides like there is only two options. But does it not take 3 dimensions to have 1 coin? Now turn the coin on it's edge and you will find the narrow path Jesus spoke of. It is found inside the illusion of duality. Confirmation of this illusion is found in Isaiah when the Bible reads "I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create evil. I the LORD do all these things." God or the Word in the Bible plays both sides. To some the Bible is the savior of life unto life and to other the Savior of death unto death.

 

Which will it be to you? Which will it be to this community? 

 

Three things cannot long be hidden. The sun, the moon and the truth. If you look at the moon which side will you take the light side or the dark side. The truth is either way you choose you end up picking a dead star. Both are flawed. The true light is the sun which makes their polarity possible. Never take sides until they both agree as one. Because in truth there is no controversy or confusion. Hope that helps.

[disillusioned]

1 hour ago, ebibl said:

 

 

 

 

 

Hope that helps.

 

It does not.

[ebibl]

Hey guys, this is what I mean by a this community being a hostile environment. It appears like none of you even want understanding but would rather just put up a fist to the God of christianity and say @#$% you! I know because I've done this and been there. And if your doing this chances are your doing it because you have seen all the injustice and hypocrisy in the Christian god: thou shall not murder and God slays half the people in the bible, and apparently God is not the author of confusion and yet by his own admission he confused our language and then has the nerve to say "Who is this throwing into confusion" 

So stop judging me for just a second and try to hear what I'm am saying. I'm trying to help you see the Bible in a different light.

You asked if I believe in the Christian God. The answer to that is overwhelmingly no. The Christian God has been completely made up by pastors collectively around the world. I don't believe in any of their external god, external christ, external heaven because that is not even what the Bible says. 

You ask if I've left Christianity? Yes and can never and will never go back to it. I have gone to end of the yellow brick road in the last 20 years and seen the vengeful piece of shit God of christianity for what he really is and will never bow down down to Jesus Christ if the streets of his external heaven is paved with the souls of hell. #$%% him.

So stop trying to dismiss the understanding I am trying to help someone with just because you think I'm Christian. Said plainly I am antichrist. 

The Bible is an out and out lie but everything in it is true once you break through the contradictions to see the truth for what it is. 

HE WHO LOOKS OUTSIDE DREAMS. HE WHO LOOKS INSIDE AWAKENS.

Good luck

 

[ebibl]

Hey Ann, thanks for your concern about my mental health. I'm obviously bipolar and have been for the last 19 years. I was diagnosed right about I left christianity because that leaving behind of such a fear based religion split me in two so to speak. I'll have you know I suffered from mania for 7 years until 2006 when I finally got my grip on it. I have not had a manic episode in 12 years and do all I can to manage my illness.

That said trust me I know how devastating leaving christianity can be for some of us and was only try to help. 

But I'm sure someone in this community will take offence to what I'm saying here so I digress.

 

[ebibl]

Hey thanks Ann! Super appreciate it. I'm ok. Sorry if I came across badly and raised unnecessary concern. Have a great day.

[buffettphan]

1 hour ago, ebibl said:

... I'm trying to help you see the Bible in a different light...

 

...So stop trying to dismiss the understanding I am trying to help someone with just because you think I'm Christian. Said plainly I am antichrist...

 

...The Bible is an out and out lie but everything in it is true once you break through the contradictions to see the truth for what it is... 

 

 

 

Have you been here before, perhaps under another username?  Your take on christinsanity sounds awfully familiar.   But then again, we get lots of people coming here with their own version/interpretation of the bible and they all say they have The Truth and want to help us find it.   Just a heads up---if you plan to advocate for the belief in the bible in any form or Jesus Christ, do so in the Lion's Den.   Thank you.

[ebibl]

Sure thing my friend. Thx!

[disillusioned]

1 hour ago, ebibl said:

Hey guys, this is what I mean by a this community being a hostile environment. It appears like none of you even want understanding but would rather just put up a fist to the God of christianity and say @#$% you! I know because I've done this and been there. And if your doing this chances are your doing it because you have seen all the injustice and hypocrisy in the Christian god: thou shall not murder and God slays half the people in the bible, and apparently God is not the author of confusion and yet by his own admission he confused our language and then has the nerve to say "Who is this throwing into confusion" 

So stop judging me for just a second and try to hear what I'm am saying. I'm trying to help you see the Bible in a different light.

You asked if I believe in the Christian God. The answer to that is overwhelmingly no. The Christian God has been completely made up by pastors collectively around the world. I don't believe in any of their external god, external christ, external heaven because that is not even what the Bible says. 

You ask if I've left Christianity? Yes and can never and will never go back to it. I have gone to end of the yellow brick road in the last 20 years and seen the vengeful piece of shit God of christianity for what he really is and will never bow down down to Jesus Christ if the streets of his external heaven is paved with the souls of hell. #$%% him.

So stop trying to dismiss the understanding I am trying to help someone with just because you think I'm Christian. Said plainly I am antichrist. 

The Bible is an out and out lie but everything in it is true once you break through the contradictions to see the truth for what it is. 

HE WHO LOOKS OUTSIDE DREAMS. HE WHO LOOKS INSIDE AWAKENS.

Good luck

 

 

ebible,

 

I can't speak for everyone here, but speaking for myself, let me assure you that I'm not hostile towards you or anyone else here. There is no fist shaking going on. There is no judgement coming from me. By all means stay, and throw ideas around with the rest of us. I'm for understanding, and I think that it can be furthered through respectful dialogue, especially amongst those who have differing viewpoints and experiences.

 

But the thing is, you didn't come here and ask for dialogue. You have declared that you have insights, which the rest of us lack. That you have understanding about the true nature of the Bible, and the true nature of Jesus Christ, which the rest of us lack. It seems, from your posts so far, that you feel you've had some kind of revelation into the deeper meaning of these things, and everyone else's understanding is inferior. Ok. Maybe you're right. But my experiences dictate that those who claim to have special knowledge usually don't, especially when the topic about which the special knowledge is claimed is religious in nature.

 

Your claims about the true nature of the Bible so far have been largely incomprehensible. If you seriously want to have dialogue about this, then please tell me, what is it that makes you think that your "understanding" of the Bible is the correct one? What evidence is this claim based on?

[◊ DestinyTurtle ◊]

8 hours ago, ebibl said:

Which will it be to you? Which will it be to this community? 

 

Believe it or not I know exactly where you are coming from. I think it might help you to relax and stick around and listen to people, and the way they speak. I don't think this environment is hostile towards you, but don't be surprised if you get a few raised eyebrows when you take on what is perceived as a preachy tone. In truth, you probably don't even realize you're taking on this tone, because you were surrounded by people who constantly communicated in this tone (via Christianity). You'll realized you've internalized a lot more of Christianity than you realized even long after you openly deconverted (I think it can take decades - hey, look at me, being all preachy. lol). 

 

That being said deconverting definitely gave me a different insight on my bible, which feels to me now as closer to any "true" meaning of the bible than what Christians espouse. You might find buddhist and hindu texts to contain surprisingly wise insights and hidden meanings as well. It's ok to think about these new angles and insights, but don't expect people to necessarily agree with you or be persuaded by you. When you grow up around Christians you are usually surrounded by people who crave validation and philosophical agreement, so it's easy to internalize this behavior and unconsciously approach the act of persuasion as the end-all and be-all of conversations. It's not. Don't worry. People not being persuaded does not mean these people dislike you (well, maybe some, because the internet has many trolls, but don't worry about them).

 

Hope that helps (if not, sorry!)

[LostinParis]

But now old friends they’re acting strange

They shake their heads, they say I’ve changed

Well something’s lost but something’s gained

In living everyday

~ Joni Mitchell

[midniterider]

On 5/20/2018 at 4:37 AM, ebibl said:

The Bible is an out and out lie but everything in it is true once you break through the contradictions to see the truth for what it is.

 

 

2+2 = 5 ....but also 17

[Astreja]

On 5/20/2018 at 3:29 AM, ebibl said:

To some the Bible is the savior of life unto life and to other the Savior of death unto death.

 

Which will it be to you? Which will it be to this community? 

 

What you have there, ebibl, is the logical fallacy of false dichotomy.  To me, the Bible is not a "savior" at all.  It's an old book translated from languages that I don't speak, from cultures I never lived in, dispensing unoriginal advice in a heavy-handed manner.

 

Oh, and it's also a mishmash of fiction, unscientific crap, and faux history.

 

In a word... useless.

[Anushka]

Bible = Buy Bull 

[Aries256]

I lost a lot of time, and money when I believed in the great bullshit. 

[NeverHealed52Years]

On ‎4‎/‎3‎/‎2018 at 10:32 AM, BlindFaith said:

I'd also like to have the $100,000+ in tithes and offerings I gave over the years back...

Me Too ! I could have helped thousands of people by giving it to Food Banks, Homeless Shelters, my own family (I also gave to them but much smaller amounts then I gave to Xian ministries. Damm. Boy was I stupid)

[Lerk]

2 hours ago, NeverHealed52Years said:

Me Too ! I could have helped thousands of people by giving it to Food Banks, Homeless Shelters, my own family (I also gave to them but much smaller amounts then I gave to Xian ministries. Damm. Boy was I stupid)

 

Back in the early 2000s I was giving $150/week to my church, which was almost exactly the amount I was going in the hole every week. I chose that amount at some point based on my income, and the feeling that I hadn't really ever contributed as much as perhaps I should have. It was an expensive time in my life, as we had just bought a more expensive house, and the first of my two kids started driving. (Car insurance for 16 year old boys is expensive!) I did this through both sons' high school years and into their college years (which were even more expensive!). I didn't necessarily believe that I would somehow get back more than I put in, but I did believe when I started that I would at least get my money back. NOPE!

 

The only debt I have now is a house note and car notes, but I came just shy of $100,000 of credit card debt before I reversed the problem. It took a cash-out refi on the house and a big pay increase at work (which, at the time, I stupidly credited to the god instead of to the good people who took care of me).