Friday, February 24, 2012
The joy of de-conversion
OK, I started this blog because I am a former ordained Christian minister who has since taken an atheistic stance. Aside from a collection of personal disappointments, I have found the truth of the Bible to be untenable on many counts. Let me start out by asking this: why is it that when Christians hear that I have "lost my faith" they feel sorry for me, as if I am worthy of pity? Either that, or I get sent off to hell as a recalcitrant defector. The truth of the matter is, I am much happier this way! Why can't they just accept that without judging me?
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(For some reason Blogger won't pick up my username, which is ToonForever)
ReplyDeleteBecause you've given up life for death, heaven for hell, purity for sin, love for hate, and so on.
That's the sort of stuff they told me - and tell me still.
"That makes me so sad!"
"I'll pray for you."
"God's just waiting for you to turn around."
"He still loves you, even if you don't love him."
"You've rejected the free gift of god."
Dude, the hits will keep on coming. But you see clearly. You will be able to understand where they're coming from, and you'll see what you know now, too - what power there is in being able to understand both sides of the conversation. Remember that they can't do that. To accept validity of your position is to break their world view, to destroy their carefully constructed universe where they get to rule and reign with Christ while the goats burn in hell.
They may not see it that way, but a perusal of my blog will give you even more of the picture.
Welcome to reality, man - it's a great place, even though it's full of pain.
Yeah, why is it that goats get such a bad rap. (I think of the Cake song "Sheep Go to Heaven, Goats Go to Hell".) I always thought goats were cool animals, and if I had a rural home I would like to own one.
DeleteOne guy I used to work with who was uber born-again (to the point where he made the sign of the cross when I mentioned the TV show Charmed - I have a thing for Alyssa Milano) had the audacity to tell me, "Wow, God is really gonna use you when you finally come back to him. He's got an amazing plan for you!"
"Why can't they just accept that without judging me?"
ReplyDeleteBecause you make them doubt too and they can't handle that! They'll try to convert a Muslim -- or a Jew -- but you scare them.
Somehow that gives me a measure of satisfaction. It amazes me the lengths believers will go to sometimes to avoid situations or questions that might cause doubt. Almost like free inquiry is a sin. If you have to work that hard to protect your faith is it really a gift of grace?
Delete“One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back.”
Delete–– Carl Sagan
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ReplyDeleteCan anyone recommend a book dealing with the many aspects of Christianity borrowed from earlier, pagan religions? I've read little snippets here and there but I'd like to study the issue in greater depth. Seems to me this would make a crippling critique of the Gospel.
ReplyDelete#1 is http://www.pocm.info/
DeleteIt's a great site with a lot of information.
Also
http://www.jesusneverexisted.com/
http://infidels.org/
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/marshall_gauvin/
... for "Did Jesus Christ Really Live?"
http://www.positiveatheism.org/hist/rmsbrg00.htm
... for "The Christ" by John E. Remsberg
Read those before buying other books.
Hi! Just read your article at exchristian.net. This is what I discovered, and I would like to write about it a little bit more: Christians need to gather, they need to hear all those "truths" over and over again, they need to hear the testimonies of others in order to "grow" in their faith. What? Grow indeed? Not at all!!! They would have no faith at all if they didn't. What kind of faith this is? They must listen to other Christians, they read Christian books all the time, they read the Bible every day.. why? not to lose their faith. That's ridiculous! They need to tell you they're sorry for you, or that you go to hell, because they need to reassure themselves over and over. It's not about you at all. It's about their own insecurity. That's all :)
ReplyDeleteVery well said! I can't help thinking about an ostrich sticking its head in the sand. The only way they can hold onto their faith is to avoid looking at anything that might jeopardize it. Which is just about anything not geared toward a Christian audience!
DeleteThere's no book I cannot read, no viewpoint I cannot listen to.
DeleteTheists? Not at all. The RCC has had a prohibited list for centuries and other religions copy this practice willingly.
Read your story and your blog. I can't say that I have a similar story, but I will say that when I was a minister I struggled with my faith as those who was in the ministry with me acted unlike someone who holds their god in high regard. I'm logical by nature and faith itself was a stretch for me, the more I studied the scripture the more I lost my faith. The bible is the worst thing you could read if you are a christian. The funny part is that I have become an embarrassment to some of my family to the point they would lie to my old congregation and say that I'm still preaching the gospel. Which one of us do you think is misguided?
ReplyDelete