Hi everyone. As the subject says, I came to see the errors in christianity and escaped from that prison. I was raised in the church and as an adult was a member of one for many years. I searched for peace and joy and the light burden that christianity promised but was only weighed down with it's dogma. I have a background of study in human behavior. Particularly in criminal thinking and attitudes. The religion of christianity shares many thinking errors in common with abusers rapists and thieves and it preys on the weak. Some of those thought process that it shares with criminals are black and white thinking, closed thinking, superior self image, power and control, possessive attitudes. It manipulates and deceives to gain power over its adherents. They think that everyone else's opinion's and beliefs are worthless and last but not least, they view themselves as unique.
My experience as being an insider of the church is one of seeing leaders lie cheat and commit adultery. Emotional abuse of people sucked into their "counseling" vortex. Christianity is a scourge on the world and peoples lives. I knew one person who committed suicide as a result of biblical counseling.
I've been working thru the stages of grief in regard to a complete and total transformation of not only my world view, but also the loss of my friends. That said, it is good to be free of it all. I am not sure where I fall as far as belief in the supernatural but I do know the universe is a wondrous place and love to ponder it's mysteries.
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Welcome Sirk!
welcome to the light side
Hello, I can't say how much I relate. I was kicked out of a church 5 months ago and have since started to question the mind game. It's an excruciating process probably similar to leaving a cult. It's so deceptive, because sometimes these churches can be so positive. At first I blamed myself, then I blamed others, and now I'm closer to blaming the Bible. It's nobodies fault, just a need in some people's psyche.
Sorry man. I know how painful and confusing it is. If you are in 'the club' at church it's a little different. If you think about it, the modern church hierarchy is just an evolution from wearing letterman jackets to wearing the bible. It's a clicky popularity contest disguised as righteousness. Arrogant self righteous assholes with an excuse to be assholes and take your money to put their kids thru college while you dutifully sit in their pews and fill their offering plate and pretend to be like them...but you're not....you're a better human being.
Welcome Sirk. Glad to have you here.
sirk, Just because as you state that you have and know others with these bad experiences doesn`t necessarily have reason to leave christianity all together. Don`t forget the old creed look not on our sins but on your church that you founded dear Jesus. Just because these things are going on around you doesn`t mean you should take your focus off of jesus Christ.Please persevere, don`t give up. Didn`t Jesus warn us christians to continue on during rough times. He said that these things would happen, but blessed are the ones who fight on to the end.
Make no mistake. I am grateful for my experience. I'm also grateful that I was smart enough to see the folly around me. When I think of that conrgegation I see people in clown outfits pretending with their friends cuz it feels good. You seem nice. But the dogma you subscribe too is the real wolf in sheeps clothing.
Sirk what you don`t see yourself is coming right back at you, Tell me do you sin? and of course the answer is yes so why are you standing there judging your fellow christians. The pastor and elders will deal with the rest of the congregation your job is to praise jesus and support his church.with your time talents and finances, that is what where being called to do.Seek after the virtues read the psalms also the beatitudes and the fruits of the spirit, concentrate on what`s above, stop looking at everybody else.
Jesus probably never even existed. The reality is you worship an allegory of ancient mans calendar. You worship the sun! And you're not even a farmer. Lol
Most scholars attest that J esus lived, no i am from the city people like richard carrier and robert m. price believe that Jesus was a myth, but there opinion isn`t accept universally by critical scholarship. they are soundly rejected.
oh contrair. You are just parroting apologetics talking points. If Jesus did what was claimed in Roman occupied lands you can be sure they would have recorded it. It was all made up and made to fool you. And it worked! Whoever authored the NT probably had the OT memorized...so it was a breeze for them to give you your "fulfilled" prophecy.
Does anyone remember the book about the Columbine girl? "She said yes". It was about the girl who was asked if she believed in god and then Dylan Klebold shot her. The book sold thousands of copies and then was proven to be false. To this day, even in the age of the internet, people still perpetuate the myth as fact and the book still sells. Those same people will tell me that the new testament written decades after the supposed events happened, gives us an honest accurate depiction of a man that there isn't even any definitive historical prood existed. The bible is exactly like the book, She Said Yes. A mythical story perpetuated by fools and thieves.
I see nothing wrong in listing other scholars and my fellow apologist, Tell me and answer one question that I have and here it goes how did the church start? how did it arise from a group of men to now over 2 billion people world wide? About your critique on prophecy everything that jesus stated in matthew 26 to 28 is being lived out today, Make no doubt about it SIRK.
constantine started your church. And a broken clock is right twice a day.
Do yourself a favor and shut off your confirmation bias for a moment and do a good study on how ancient man kept track of time, and seasons. You'll find the similarities between astrology and the story of christ hard to ignore.
Out of all the possible reasons one could find to stop believing the Bible, the one that got to me was that the Biblical writers all reference fanciful tales of the OT as literal events. Including Jesus. I would have been less skeptical if there was no corroboration by other authors.
Welcome Sirk
The journey to reason is a long one, that only you can make. You have to remove the shackles of religion and embrace life without a god and religion. Atheist Republic is a place that Atheist can support each other.
It occurred to me today that as I sit...I am an atheist. I actually even sorta like the sound of it. Sirk the atheist. On my way home tonight I saw the pastor of the church I used to attend driving. And he was TEXTING!! I think jesus is sad for him. I wonder if he will ask for forgiveness for breaking the law.
I'm curious, how did this church of yours present itself? Did they teach somehow that texting while driving is okay? Or that lying, cheating and committing adultery is okay? Did they somehow imply that the church is perfect with no immoral people in its hierarchy?
@JoC: "Did they somehow imply that the church is perfect with no immoral people in its hierarchy?"
LOL. Christian clergy need an 11th Commandment for their sheep. "Thou shalt do what I say, not what I do."
It's just your typical evan church. Led by jocks who traded in their letterman jackets for jackets of righteousness and bully people from a different angle.
Actually, we don't need an 11th commandment. That's actually taught in the Bible.
Matthew 23:1-3
"Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice."
So we really don't need an 11th commandment for that.
@JoC "That's actually taught in the Bible"
LOL. Holy hypocrites!
The Bible does warn against hypocrites especially hypocrites who are in positions of authority. My dad's been telling me this since I was a kid coz he'd tell me things that he himself didn't do. It doesn't take away from the truth of what he said if he's a hypocrite.
How did I get two disagreements on my op on an atheist forum? Lol
And the less you pretend to actually know, the more mysterious it becomes. The more mysterious it becomes, the more there is to be fascinated about and the more there is to try and discover.
And the less you pretend to actually know, the more mysterious it becomes. The more mysterious it becomes, the more there is to be fascinated about and the more there is to try and discover.
Welcome Sirk
devout christian - "Most scholars attest that J esus lived, no i am from the city people like richard carrier and robert m. price believe that Jesus was a myth, but there opinion isn`t accept universally by critical scholarship. they are soundly rejected."
You are in the habit of making sweeping claims and assertions with no plausible qualifications of them (proof) in the form of credible sources. You are basically throwing your weight of opinion around as if it has an underlying factual basis to ground it in.
For instance, your "most scholars" are most likely drawn from your normal reading which would be from "scholars" of theology. These crackpots would, of course, be making claims on the bible because no other source exists to draw from. That alone is self-incriminating of a fraud upon you where it is known that notable scholars of theology agree that no archeological record exists corroborating any of the biblical claims, most damaging being the lack of historicity of the man named Jesus.
You are tolerated here without the credibility Frosted Flakes have towards nutrition.
Hi Sirk
Welcome to Atheist Republic, I am sure you will spend many hours on this forum, it is a great place to interact with likeminded people.
I can relate to your story and I wish you all the best while on this journey, it is immensely satisfying and fulfilling. You will find the odd babble basher or jesus freak arguing with you but that is part of the fun. I haven't been able to work out why they come here, all I can think is that they are insecure in their own beliefs. Get the popcorn, sit down and enjoy the show, it is very entertaining to see what they come up with, a lot like standup comedy. You probably know this already but life without an imaginary god and religion is incredible. You will appreciate the world for what it is and enjoy every day of the one life you have to live.
Sirk, the Atheist, have to admit it does have a nice ring to it!
Welcome buddy!
Cheers.
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