Visions and/or Visits to Hell

[SerenelyBlue]

2 hours ago, LostinParis said:

 

I'm sorry to hear that @SerenelyBlue, that really sucks. In what way did your Xtian life make your illness worse?

I have been shocked to realise that my husband has a distorted view of reality. He thinks invisible forces are controlling the world, with evil lurking around every corner.

LostinParis, in Christianity they tell you that there are angels, demons, the devil and the Holy Spirit fighting around us and in us.  There are many crazy things to be afraid of.  Christianity literally drives you crazier with all its unhealthy beliefs.  I am much more level headed now that I no longer believe, but I still have to take medication.

[LostinParis]

3 hours ago, mymistake said:

My battle was with depression and I was depressed for most of my life while I was Christian.  Things got a lot better about six months after becoming an atheist.  Though the transition was bumpy.  I'm just so free now that I don't have to worry about spiritual beings spying on me or demons planting thoughts in my head to trick me.  That dogma was crazy.

 

@mymistake I imagine that the belief of being under constant surveillance could create a feeling of low-level anxiety. The idea of an invisible war between two invisible kingdoms could contribute to feelings of powerlessness and depression. Xtianity has much to answer for.

[LostinParis]

1 hour ago, SerenelyBlue said:

LostinParis, in Christianity they tell you that there are angels, demons, the devil and the Holy Spirit fighting around us and in us.  There are many crazy things to be afraid of.  Christianity literally drives you crazier with all its unhealthy beliefs.  I am much more level headed now that I no longer believe, but I still have to take medication.

 

I take medication too, I'm bipolar II. No hallucinations yet, I was raised liberal Xtian. Perhaps if I had been raised fundamentalist I would be bipolar I.

(Sorry to make a joke, humour is some days the only thing that keeps me going)

[mymistake]

7 hours ago, LostinParis said:

 

@mymistake I imagine that the belief of being under constant surveillance could create a feeling of low-level anxiety. The idea of an invisible war between two invisible kingdoms could contribute to feelings of powerlessness and depression.  

 

Yep, and on a bad night I would be afraid to leave my bedroom because what if there was a demon in my living room.  I never thought to get counseling because I thought my fears were grounded in reality.  

[Joshpantera]

 

[Hierophant]

On 1/25/2018 at 3:53 PM, LostinParis said:

 

@mymistake I imagine that the belief of being under constant surveillance could create a feeling of low-level anxiety. The idea of an invisible war between two invisible kingdoms could contribute to feelings of powerlessness and depression. Xtianity has much to answer for.

I can attest to this. Nearly every day of my Christian experience was a day filled with anxiety, depression, and high-blood pressure. I constantly was afraid to think the wrong thing and if an intrusive thought passed through my mind, I would start to panic and attempt to block the thought out, which only made it worse. I am sure you have heard of the idea where someone tells you not to think of a pink elephant....then that is exactly what you do. Never found the "peace of Jesus" that was always promised.

[midniterider]

On 1/21/2018 at 4:02 AM, mymistake said:

So next time you hear a Christian threaten you with magic try to imagine a six year old kid shout "my dad is going to beat you up".  Really an eye roll is all it would deserve.

 

 

 

You could also speak some faux Latin and draw symbols in the air ... just for fun.

[midniterider]

1 hour ago, TinMan said:

I can attest to this. Nearly every day of my Christian experience was a day filled with anxiety, depression, and high-blood pressure. I constantly was afraid to think the wrong thing and if an intrusive thought passed through my mind, I would start to panic and attempt to block the thought out, which only made it worse. I am sure you have heard of the idea where someone tells you not to think of a pink elephant....then that is exactly what you do. Never found the "peace of Jesus" that was always promised.

 

I was a 'true believer' in Jesus but still, after the sermon about 'don't do this' and 'don't do that' ... when the pastor finished with, "And the truth will set you free!" , I always laughed inside because it was contradictory baloney. 

 

The end of Christianity for me was obsessive fear of thinking unauthorized thoughts. A wise new-age book I read said, "If you're doing something that makes you feel guilty, either stop doing it or continue doing it but drop the guilt." So I dropped the guilt (aka Jesus).

[Hierophant]

1 minute ago, midniterider said:

 

I was a 'true believer' in Jesus but still, after the sermon about 'don't do this' and 'don't do that' ... when the pastor finished with, "And the truth will set you free!" , I always laughed inside because it was contradictory baloney. 

 

The end of Christianity for me was obsessive fear of thinking unauthorized thoughts. A wise new-age book I read said, "If you're doing something that makes you feel guilty, either stop doing it or continue doing it but drop the guilt." So I dropped the guilt (aka Jesus).

 

Unauthorized thoughts....struggled with that for close to 15 years. I got to the point I just could not take it anymore. I just made a new post and I talk about that very idea and my disappointment Jesus was never there to help. I only felt judged, which just made it worse.

[Joshpantera]

1 hour ago, TinMan said:

 

Unauthorized thoughts....struggled with that for close to 15 years. I got to the point I just could not take it anymore. I just made a new post and I talk about that very idea and my disappointment Jesus was never there to help. I only felt judged, which just made it worse.

 

Grown adults playing a game of make believe, nothing more.