By Lorena

“Mice appear to empathize with pain in other critters they're familiar with, a capacity previously thought to exist only in higher primates.

When mice saw others they knew showing pain, they responded with signs of empathy, such as staying close by, according to a new study (http://www.cbc.ca/story/science/national/2006/06/29/mice-empathy.html).”

This proves it: mice are more compassionate than Christians.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

“I AM TOO A CHRISTIAN,” MY HUSBAND, BRIAN, ARGUED WHEN I FIRST MET him. “I come from a Christian family. I sang in the choir as a kid. I was raised Presbyterian.” “You are not a Christian,” I repeated in a withering tone. “You’re a bleedin’ agnostic. You don’t even know what ‘being a Christian’ means.” He was wounded. I was astounded. The word “Christian” means a lot of different things to different people.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by David

As a young man this Christian doctrine was forced on me like it was forced on many others. I was lead to believe that if you did not bow down to Jesus that you would forever burn in hell. But, they did not explain that while Jesus may have lived at some point that his teachings were twisted by other men and then in order to stay in a position of power over others they made these magical stories of Jesus walking on water and being raised from the dead. They have forced fed this crap onto us for far to long.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

A pastor was arrested in Cocoa Florida on charges he forced a member of his congregation to have sex. Police said the victim, a member of the congregation, believed the pastor to be her "spiritual advisor."

Police arrested 43-year-old Jesse French, the pastor of the Solid Life Ministries-Church of Disciples in Rockledge, Florida, on 10 counts of sexual battery and 15 counts of lewd and lascivious to a member of his congregation.

(Click here for more...)

by Jeff the Ubergeek

In recent years there has been a tremendous rise in public awareness of clergy misconduct, primarily sexual. The scandals involving the Catholic clergy are perhaps the best known because of the media exposure. Indeed, with the media focusing almost exclusively the aforementioned scandals to the point of nausea, an obvious question comes to mind; does this problem affect any Protestant denominations?

(Click here for more...)

from Marlene Winell

Greetings to all of you helping people recover from religious damage,

Keep up the good work. As a therapist working with clients in this area, I know that people need all the support they can get. (If you don't know me yet, I've attached a brief bio at the end of this letter.)

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Lynn D. Ellis

I will not submit to the intimidation of those who claim any theories, ideas, or philosophies about the nature of reality are exclusively their own institutionalized domain - whether theological or quasi scientific.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Cindy

I was raised in a strict Southern Baptist family. Being Baptists they of course had very stanch views on everything, nothing escaped the judging eyes of their religion. Not even my personal issues were safe from their prying eyes. As a result I gladly strayed from the church and my views changed dramatically.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

I feel so hurt and angry right now. I guess I could take just so much 'crap' from people during a time when I was down. My husband died unexpectedly when my children were only little.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

First of all, I'd like to give thanks to you for your trouble to run this site.

I'm a Korean woman who're very interested in the Christianity.

In Korea, we have 10 million of Christians, and some of them are very weird and lunatic.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Lisa

I'm so glad to have found this site. I'm at that newly-deconverted, lonely stage; although husband of 27 years and two teenage children deconverted with me. Turns out the kids were having more questions than I was. We were even "elite" Christians - "come-outers" who left the organized church system in favor of home meetings - where the "Spirit" flowed freely and no person was in charge.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

Multiple felony and misdemeanor charges were filed Thursday, June 22nd against 67-year-old Rev. Xavier Ochoa-Perez, an assistant pastor at St. Francis Solano Catholic Church in Sonoma. Unfortunately, Ochoa may have fled the country.

The complaint filed by the Sonoma County District Attorney’s office alleges that Ochoa engaged in lewd conduct with three boys over a period from 1988 to the present. The boys ranged in age from 12 to 16 at the time the abuse occurred.

(Click here for more...)

Detectives of the Hartford Connecticut Police Department's Juvenile Investigative Division today arrested Modesto Reyes, 52, of Ellsworth Street, Hartford, for the sexual assault of an eleven-year-old female. Reyes is a Pastor at the Iglesia De Dios "Cristo Te Llama" church at 889 Broad Street, Hartford.

(Click here for more...)

A Slippery Rock Township PA minister accused of downloading and sending child pornography over the Internet will face trial.

District Judge James Reed yesterday dismissed 11 felony charges against Robert D. Schmidtberger, 51, of Rose Point Road, at his preliminary hearing, but held 187 felonies against the pastor for court.

(Click here for more...)

A Tyrone GA youth pastor was arrested by Peachtree City police on Wednesday after making arrangements on the Internet to meet what he thought was a 14-year-old girl for sex.

Pastor Robert Kyle Amerson of the Abundant Life Worship Center in Tyrone was arrested at his home in Fairburn by Peachtree City police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

(Click here for more...)

If you're like most of us, you probably have trouble differentiating Jesus from a homeless person.

It's easy to become confused between the two, so a new tool has been developed to help you hone your skills in telling the difference.

(Click here for more...)

James Tabor, chair of religious studies at UNC-Charlotte, offers a bold and sometimes speculative interpretation of the historical Jesus and his family in his new book, The Jesus Dynasty : The Hidden History of Jesus, His Royal Family, and the Birth of Christianity.

Like many scholars, Tabor emphasizes that we must understand Jesus in the context of first-century Judaism. After Jesus' death, his brother James took over the titular family dynasty. James championed a version of the faith quite different from Paul's, and, although James was more faithful to Jesus' original teachings, Paul's Christianity won.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Lena

It’s time I proclaim my atheism, as I once proclaimed my “salvation”.
Christianity came and went in my teens; I was greatly disappointed in
the church after receiving judgment from the elders and a pastor in the
church I attended.

The issue is far too sensitive for me to talk about (I made bad choices
because of previous abuse as a child. The judgment from those elders
was to not speak to me nor reply to my “hello”).

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Truth Seeker

I was born into fundamentalism. My mother was raised a Missionary Baptist in northeast Mississippi. For those of you who might not know anything about Baptist denominations, this particular “brand” of missionary Baptist is an off shoot of southern Baptist, with almost no discernable differences, other than being a touch more conservative and dogmatic. My mother made sure that my sister and I were in Sunday school and church every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, every Wednesday night, and pretty much every time the doors were opened. She taught Sunday school, and played the piano for the choir, and congregational singing. My father was raised a more “casual” Christian, being brought up in a much more conservative Methodist church. When I was about 10, and after years of praying and preaching on my mothers part, my father started going to church on a regular basis. And as a result, got saved and joined the church. He soon became a deacon, Sunday school teacher, and song/choir director. About a year after that, I too got saved and joined the church.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

Sent in by Ian

"…It's too bad that you're going to Hell…"

"…Hope you enjoy your special place in HELL…"

"…Hope you have an asbestos suit, cause you're going to HELL…"

It's 2:40 in the morning on June 16th, 2006. I'm sitting in front of my computer, my eyes weary, my legs sweaty, and my heart and mind heavy with anger.

What a lousy way to end your first day of being twenty years old.

(Click here for more...)

Kenyan evangelist Gilbert Deya, accused of child trafficking, faces deportation after his arrest in Scotland this week.

Mr Deya denies accusations that he ran a child trafficking ring on the pretext of praying for his followers to conceive via miraculous powers.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by SwissMiss

Firstly, I'd like to congratulate the owner of this Website for a very thought-provoking read and for providing this resource for people like me.

This is my "testimony":

I was born into a church-going family, my parents belonged to the Salvation Army but it was definitely more my father's "thing" than my mother's since she was always more rebellious by nature (she grew up in an incredibly strict Lutheran family) which makes my "conversion" all the more incongruous.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by AndrewT

I am at the Crossroads. I am about to make a turn, which will completely change my life in a new direction.

This new path, I take, has not been traversed by many, but I am willing to take the risks to see what awaits me.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

WATERLOO Iowa --- A former youth minister at a Waterloo church has been arrested for having sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl at the church.

Michael Raymond Ross, 28, of 1845 Easton Ave., was arrested for sexual exploitation by a counselor and simple assault for incidents that happened between November 2004 and November 2005.

(Click here for more...)

sent in by Derek

Well my story begins much like everyone else’s; I was brought up in a catholic church to begin with until I was about 11. Then one day my mother decided to take us to a Pentecostal church because she liked the atmosphere and the friendly nature of the people who went there. Unlike the Catholic Church we had previously attended.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

Excerpt from The Dark Side: How Evangelical Teachings Corrupt Love and Truth. Chapters of this book will be published one weekly on ex-Christian.net through 2006.

Faith of our fathers, holy faith! We will be true to thee till death.
—Frederick Faber

WHEN I FIRST STARTED HAVING MISGIVINGS ABOUT MY FAITH, I DID WHAT ANY GOOD Evangelical would: I prayed. I was fifteen at the time, earnest and devout; an eldest daughter with a caretaker’s heart and responsibilities; a good student surrounded by a good family, good friends, and a good church community. Even so, the cognitive changes that beset teenagers: increased ability to introspect, to think critically, and to envision the possible, were giving me trouble.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Jim

Thanks for the many, and extremely bright, people at this web site who take the time to encourage those who are struggling to see. Really see.

Just as a way of encouragement (if it in fact is), let me say I really bit into the apple. I have three theological degrees, all from very expensive schools, I am a Christian pastor, but now have no reason at all to believe. In other words, I now have a mid-life crisis the kind of which I never, ever envisioned.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Moses Kim

I was born a christian and went to church as long as I can remember and I still go to church, not because that I still have faith but because I don't want to cause trouble. Until my mid-twenties, I didn't have any feelings against christianity and there was time I participated in a lot of church activities. I really didn't think deeply about religion and didn't read much of the bible. The only bible story I knew was from church.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Deb

A thick Southern Baptist reference book and Bible study guide published in 1914 and belonging to an elderly relative had an honored place in our living room bookshelf when I was a child. It had the most fascinating drawings of floating cities, Jesus crusing around in the sky, men and angels wrestling, devils playing chess with humans (and their souls were the prize if they lost), and Armageddon. This was one of my mother's books, which I still have today.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Kevin

I don't want to mention which faith I belonged to or where I come from because believers might say my loss of faith was the result of practicing the wrong religion, so I would prefer they remain in the dark. Let me start by saying I didn't choose to be an Ex-Christian. It just happened. I tried to stop it but I couldn't. I tried hard to fight off the doubts and questions but I wasn't able.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

Hi Every One,

Very interesting site and I have been here quite a few times. It is a relief actually to find it.

I am still caught in the web of Christianity, but am convinced it to be untrue. I just wanted to call out really, to some people that understand.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Mike

I've been doing some thinking lately about the meaning of life. A pretty heady subject, to be sure. Most xians seem to feel that a life without a god is a life without meaning. But the mindset that life's meaning comes only from subservience to a god figure seems utterly bleak to me. What kind of meaning would my life have if I believed that I was placed on Earth, along with everyone else, to serve the ego of some mysterious supernatural superbeing? Should I be happy to be the plaything of such a god, to be used and abused as he sees fit? Can a life be said to have true meaning if everything is predetermined by an omniscient deity? Wouldn't that just be play-acting?

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

A lion attacked a 45-year-old Ukrainian after he used a rope to climb down into an enclosure with four lions.

Witnesses said the man told them that he believed God would not allow the lions to hurt him.

(Click here for more...)

Christianity is not about loving or serving the Creator of the universe. It is not about gratitude for creation, or even the supposed gift of either temporal or eternal life. Christianity is not about loving your fellow man, or giving to the poor. It is not about compassion. Christianity is, pure and simple, about avoiding hell.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

Seattle author and psychologist challenges the foundational beliefs of the Religious Right.

Most Evangelical Christians earnestly strive to worship the God of Love and Truth. But a belief that the Bible is literally perfect puts them in the odd position of defending falsehood, bigotry and even violence.

What do Evangelicals teach? How are these teachings distorted? How do they contradict humanity's shared moral core, including the highest values of Christianity itself?

Psychologist Valerie Tarico is a graduate of Wheaton College, bastion of Evangelical education. As a young adult, secure in the confidence that "all truth is God's truth," Dr. Tarico committed to follow her questions wherever they might lead. Ultimately they led her out of Evangelicalism. The Dark Side examines the moral and rational contradictions that caused her fundamentalist worldview to crumble. In their place it offers perspectives that are compatible with love, logic, and the quest for truth.

Available at: independent bookstores and www.lulu.com/content/220355 * Deas Press $16.95 978-1-4116-9125-4

A Nation Under God?

Several newly released books call attention to the rising social impact of Christian fundamentalism: American Theocracy by Kevin Phillips, Kingdom Coming by Michelle Goldberg, With God on Their Side by Esther Kaplan, and God Willing by David Domke. The Dark Side complements their political analysis with a thoughtful, accessible critique of the core beliefs that drive Evangelicals and other Christian fundamentalists.

About the Author:

Raised in a staunch fundamentalist family, Valerie Tarico attended Wheaton College, where the Billy Graham Center houses a museum dedicated to the history of American Evangelicalism. She obtained a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Iowa before completing postdoctoral studies at the University of Washington. Now a psychotherapist in Seattle, Dr. Tarico calls upon her scientific training, professional experience, and background as a born-again Evangelical as she examines crucial questions about faith, facts, and compassion. Her essays about society, faith, and family life can be found at www.spaces.msn.com/awaypoint/.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian exchristian ex-tian extian

sent in by Richard

Long ago I can remember a place in my life when I was happy and content with who I was and what my life was all about. I can remember having the warm, peaceful feeling in my life that religions of all forms promise when they tell you that they have something surreal and otherworldly to offer. I can remember, as a child being ecstatic to wake up and go to church because of Jesus what I could learn to be more like him. That was then, when troubles seemed to be a world away and life was truly an adventure.

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

sent in by Greydon Square

1 + 1 will never equal 3

I just spent the entire day (a Sunday I might add) arguing with my ex-girlfriend and my brother’s current girlfriend about their so-called God of the impossible. This fight went the entire 12 rounds ranging all over the ring from Free will, to the self contradiction of God's omnipotence, and even to the concept of God creating everything, and i have one simple question...WAS I REALLY LIKE THAT?

(Click here for more...)

Technorati tags: ex-Christian | exchristian | ex-tian | extian

By Lorena

During my recent European trip, I visited more cathedrals and churches than I care to remember. When I was touring the places, I often wished I'd had a computer to type the multiple thoughts that crossed my mind. One recurring thought was how people choose to worship those they perceive as holy, instead of imitating them.

(Click here for more...)

Authorities were looking for a Statesville NC pastor Thursday who was charged this week with sexually assaulting minors.

The Iredell County Sheriff's Office has three warrants pending against Carl Edward Nixon, 64, charging him with taking indecent liberties with minors, said Detective Sgt. Bill Hamby.

(Click here for more...)

Holy images have been popping up all over... A grilled cheese sandwich with the image of the Virgin Mary sold for over 17-hundred dollars on Ebay.

- JesusPan is made from durable steel and topped with a non-stick coating.

- JesusPan is perfect for holiday meals

- Jesus Pan has been featured on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno!

(Click here for more...)