By Chucky Jesus

I'm both an ex-Christian and an atheist. I almost don't think of myself as ex-anything any more, because my deconversion was so long ago; I'm 53 now and I gave up on Christianity by the time I was 18. Since then there's been one thing about Christianity in the back of my mind -- this notion of "worship." I suppose if I thought about it at all, it was in reaction to a question which is often posed to freethinkers by theists, "So, what do you worship?"

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A pastor described by police as charismatic and controlling pleaded guilty Wednesday to numerous counts of child rape and molestation involving five young girls in Kitsap County

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By Doc Mike

In the wake of the tornadoes that recently ravaged the Southern US, I am once again amazed by the ability of Christians to justify and excuse their god for the evil in the world and praise him for the things that turn out positive. What's worse, they sometimes claim that their "omnipotent" god is not even responsible for the bad things!

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By Linda Stanton

The re-awakening of atheism in America is going to make for some very interesting times. Leaders of the Christian Right have spent years trying to cast themselves as the voiceless victims in a secular society, but the scapegoating is over. (Want to talk marginalized? How many atheists have there ever been in Congress or the White House?)

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By Valerie Tarico

Recently a fellow traveler asked me how he could explain to his children the changes that he is going through. I realized, as I wrote out some thoughts for him, that I had never shared these same thoughts with my own family members who have grieved and feared for my soul. If they could understand the following, perhaps they might worry less:

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A Decatur pastor faces at least 25 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated sexual battery and child molestation of his 15-year-old foster child, authorities said.

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Some think so! See http://barackobamaantichrist.blogspot.com/.

Here's what an article in the New York Sun had to say:

Let us start by saying that hope is good, political involvement is to be applauded, and young people are not all shallow sheep, flocking to the latest hip thing, be it a tattoo, tongue stud, iPod, or, ahem, presidential candidate...

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Just thinking of Bro. Jeff.

Time for church.

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Daniel C. Dennett, philosophy professor and co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies at Tufts University, offers a unique perspective on the role of philosophy in the cognitive and behavioral sciences.

Dennett is known for his research on the mind and consciousness, relating philosophy to the scientific study of the brain, evolution and artificial intelligence.

Click here for books by Dennett.

(Click here to view Dennet speaking at Tuft's University)

I got this email that told me Jesus loves me...

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PROSPEROUS pastor Benny Hinn flew into Brisbane a multimillionaire. He left, 28 hours and three shows later, an estimated $800,000 richer.

The Queensland capital was a goldmine for the flamboyant televangelist who left with cash, cheques and the bank account and credit card details of more than 50,000 Australians fans.

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Last week we talked about this program that was to be airing in the UK, and we saw some short clips.

This week the entire program is available for non-UKers on YouTube.

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By Massimo Pigliucci, Ph.D.

I’m not making this up, I swear. “Answers in Genesis,” the same nonsensical outlet that has given us Ken Ham’s “Creation Museum,” recently launched a “peer reviewed” “technical” journal, called, of course, “Answers Research Journal.” The idea, we learn from the “About” section of the journal’s web page, is to provide an outlet for “interdisciplinary scientific and other relevant research from the perspective of the recent Creation and the global Flood within a biblical framework.” See, apparently “there has been a pressing need for such a journal,” because “people want to know they can trust what is published on the Internet,” and they “can give you absolute assurance that the papers we will be publishing in Answers Research Journal are of the highest scientific and theological standard.” Of course, a high theological standard is a bit of an oxymoron, but let’s not quibble on the details.

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"No believer will find his faith shaken by evidence that is evidence only in the light of assumptions he does not share and considers flatly wrong." -- Stanley Fish

A recent debate held at the University of Waterloo, sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ and the Atheists, Agnostics and Free Thinkers Society of Waterloo.

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A hilarious clip from Eddie Izzard's Dressed to Kill.

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Dr. Winell discusses with Rich Sanchez of "Out in the Open" the shooting attack on New Life Church in Colorado Springs by Matthew Murray. She says many are hurt and angry about religious abuse, because some churches teach toxic ideas and are all about conformity and fear.

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A re-post of a great piece by Rabid Ape.

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A re-post of one of Pat Condell's best.

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Sent in by Kyle

I was raised in confusion. My mother, a devoted Southern Baptist, demanded that I attend church services every Wednesday night. On the weekends; however, I lived with my father, a devoted Southerner. Although some might think that these two worlds could peacefully coincide, nothing is farther from the truth.

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Two girls sing about the benefits of saving it for the Lord! Written by Katie Goodman & Soren Kisel. Staring Katie Goodman & Sallie Sills. Edited by Aaron Brown. Directed by Ryan Stumpe.

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Sent in by Jenni

I was raised in your average moderate Christian home. My parents, who are nondenominational Christians, brought me up to believe in Jesus Christ, but left me up for my own interpretation of the Bible. We never attended church regularly, as they didn't agree with many of the beliefs and values of fundamentalist Christians. On times when we did attend a church service, I was left in a youth group room, where I was told that Jesus Christ was coming soon, and we'd better prepare immediately for his return. I usually never understood what the youth pastors were ever talking about.

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Sent in by Amy

I used to be a devout practicing Christian. It didn't take long before I realized that Christians are basically no different than anyone who isn't a Christian. People are still just people no matter what. The problem that I personally found in Christianity was that the people I had in my life who claimed Christianity took it to a whole different level. I found my life being controlled and manipulated all "in the name of God," and the pastor made decisions that directed how my life went while saying that he had been ordained by God to do so and that I would be going against the Lord if I refused to comply. It wasn't too long before I escaped that torturous environment.

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Controversial Southern Baptist Pastor Wiley Drake has again urged his followers to pray for the deaths of staff members at Americans United for Separation of Church and State.

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...in only five minutes.

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HOUSTON — A youth minister who confessed to the unsolved 1994 killing of a convenience store clerk is being widely forgiven by worshipers at his former church who say they admire his courage to finally surrender to police.

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From Brother Jeff

I wrote the following in 2003 for posting to my original religionisbullshit.com website. I am sharing it again now in an attempt to relate what happened to me when I pulled a successful site off the web and suffered a reconversion to my former beliefs. Thankfully I recovered and am now seeking to mend any broken bridges that occurred as a result of that time period.

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In this presidential campaign season, Democrats and Republicans alike have declared their religious faith. They do it, in part, because they believe it wins political points. After all, the latest Harris polls show somewhere between 73 and 80 percent of Americans believe in God. But what about the rest?

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From L.E.B.

I was only a Christian for a few years, of my own choosing, and I am glad my parents were a-religious. They didn't brainwash us to anything except treat other people nicely. I did the same with my own kids and though sometimes I worry they don't "fit in," they all know how to think logically.

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The Rev. Gregory Clarke, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, checked in to a federal penitentiary in Atlanta around 8 a.m. Friday morning to begin serving a 21-month sentence for tax fraud.

Clarke walked into prison wearing a Crimson Tide jacket and baseball cap. He made the journey on a chartered bus, accompanied by about 50 church members. Other church members and supporters followed in vehicles.

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By xrayman

Most of my life I have been very superstitious. Just the thought of an upcoming Friday the 13th made me very anxious. Anything with the number 13 made me very nervous. I would avoid black cats, walking under ladders, and of course a broken mirror caused me great distress. I had lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. The same was true for colors. Along with all my superstitions I also suffered from extreme obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) which is superstition gone mad.

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Sent in by Nick

My first doubts began when I was 8 or 9, wondering why I never saw the god I was learning about in Sunday School, while he seemed to put in so many appearances in biblical times. Was he really watching our every action from up there in the sky and jotting it all down to be used against us on Judgment Day?

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Posted by xandermac

I still can't believe this happened! I'll try to explain as brief as possible.
My husband works right across the street. I've been out of work and money is tight. Our thermostat went out and my husbands supervisor used to be a heating and air conditioning guy so Blue(my husband) asked him if he would take a look at it. He came over yesterday at lunch and I was sitting here just signing on to EXC. He stopped by my computer and was telling me that he had just gotten a new computer and how he loved it and he noticed what I was reading and asked "What's E christian"? He didn't notice the X because it's the same color as the coffee beans. I hesitantly explained that it said exchristian and he stepped back like I had shot him. "EX" he said, "you mean backsliders?"Well not really I said.

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Samuel Boutwell is a seven-year-old preacher. He takes his vocation to save sinners from rotting in eternal hell extremely seriously...

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by Lee Salisbury

A recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota shows that atheists are more distrusted and despised than any other minority and that an atheist is the last person for whom Americans would vote in a presidential election. “Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians” all ranked higher than atheists in public acceptability. Furthermore, Americans are “least willing to allow their children to marry” atheists.

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For some reason, pro-life Christians think their God is against abortion and baby-killing. I don't get it! There are lots of examples to the contrary in the Bible. I mean, who has killed more babies than the Christian God? Have you read these passages?

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...about certain tenacious trolls?

Take the poll and leave a comment.

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The secularization of American public education has bred a nation of devout religious illiterates.

By Patrick Grumley and Matt Leighton

While it seems to be a growing trend for religious enthusiasts to claim that secular, and even atheist, ideologies are hugging the public square, evangelicalism seems to have more than just outlived the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. To date, Christianity has been the self-proclaimed founder of American morality. More recently however, Jesus and the divinely inspired have found competition at the book store by atheist authors such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins on the subject of morality and divinity. This dichotomy of ideals has fostered the public war between the religious and secular State, much to the amusement of European onlookers...

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By writerdd of Skepchick.com

…but I’m not any more.

Every once in a while I get an email or a comment accusing me of being a liar, saying it’s impossible for me to once have been a “real” Christian and now to be an atheist. Of course, the people who are so sure of my history have never met me and certainly didn’t know me in my past life as a Christian. Even so, their assuredness that what I’ve said cannot possibly be true always makes me think...

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A former Oral Roberts University accountant revised his lawsuit on Thursday to allege that more than $1 billion annually was funneled through the university, possibly to individual regents.

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Sent in by Sandra

I was raised by my great-grandmother who during my early years taught the small children in the Mormon church we went to. I was a sickly child so she often read the lessons aloud. So I was reading "Little House on the Prairie" when I was five years old. At the age of eight I was reading from the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible. I was a voracious reader. The library was my favorite playground and curiosity my playmate. And I had questions by the bucketful. I would read the Old Testament and would feel really confused, so around the age of nine I started pestering Mama with many "Why does the Bible say...?" and "Why do we (Mormons) believe...?" Now here is the answer she gave that put my feet down the path of not accepting vague answers. She looked me square in the eyes and simply replied "I don't know." And then we would look stuff up together.

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The 31-year-old music director of Bethel AME, a high-profile West Baltimore church, has been accused of rape and child abuse in a case involving a 13-year-old girl who is a member of the congregation, according to city police and church officials.

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What's funny about war, poverty, ignorance, bigotry, neo-conservatism, homophobia, greed, lust and fear? Ask Roy Zimmerman. He's been writing satirical songs for twenty years.

The Los Angeles Times says, "Zimmerman displays a lacerating wit and keen awareness of society's foibles that bring to mind a latter-day Tom Lehrer."

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It’s a kid’s paradise! Living Stones Church in Alvin, Texas, makes their summer camp an experience that kids will never forget.

“They go home and their parents say, ‘They’re so positive now. They believe they can do anything, and [there's a] change in schoolwork.' It’s just amazing.” -- CBN.com

ALVIN — A teacher at a Brazoria County private school has been charged after allegations she had a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old student in an isolated Friendswood area in December.

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From the dark Hades of Greek Mythology to the fire-and-brimstone visions of fundamentalist thunderers, Hell has long held a particular grip over the human imagination. HELL: THE DEVIL'S DOMAIN travels the world to peer into the darkest depths of this eternal fascination.

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I've been thinking about what would happen if Mike Huckabee won the Presidency and really did change the Constitution to "God's Laws". One thing for sure, the rock business would get a big boost!

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By Bob Patterson

Debating fundamentalists is difficult because the battle involves differing weapons.The atheists uses logic while the fundies use emotion. There is almost no quick way to convince someone their long held emotions are incorrect. One way or another, the result is usually sticking their fingers in their ears and singing, "La La la la -- I don't want to hear you," or some other similar way to tell you to get lost. Testing emotions will usually invoke anger, as well. At least online debating has some advantage in that you don't have to withstand a shouting contest.

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Sent in by Wesley

When I was young, and I mean real young (five at the oldest), I had like pretty much most of us, no real concept of human mortality, meaning I did not know I was going to die one day. I mean, death was just not something I ever had to consider. No family members I had ever spent time with had died, so my parents had just not really explained the whole death thing to me.

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A Midlands church has lost $136,000. One of the people accused of taking it is the man who preaches every Sunday.

They're accused of doing one of the most deceptive things a church official could do. Church member Mary Sullivan says, "I was shocked."

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DURHAM N.C., -- At the home Robert Lee Adam Reaves rented in Durham, a Wake County Sheriff's Deputy guards the driveway.

Neighbors inquire about Reaves, a pastor charged with murder.

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Another live chat experiment.

Now with the ability to connect via audio and video.

Enjoy.

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By Bob Patterson

1: I don't believe in a god because I have yet to see, hear, or feel one. Neither have I seen any credible evidence that anyone else has.

2: I don't believe in your god because there are thousands of gods... What makes your god (out of 10,000 gods) the 'real' one? Ever notice that believers follow the religion of their parents?

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If you have a webcam and love ExChristian.Net, post your photo showing your support. It's free!

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Pat Condell remarks on the curse of monotheism.

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Former evangelical minister John W. Loftus would like to announce that his latest book — "Why I Became an Atheist" — will soon be released by Prometheus Books.

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By Colin

I have been floating around on this site for only a few months now, even though my own de-conversion happened more than 15 years ago. My wife is still a Christian (if a very lukewarm one) and I happened to read one of her magazines that a superheated fundamentalist Christian friend gave her. In this magazine, there was an article about this very site...

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By David Gleeson

Do atheists hate God?

No. Consider: Do you hate Santa Claus? Or Zeus and Poseidon? The fact is, atheists just don´t believe in "God" or gods. You can´t hate something you don't believe in.

Why don´t atheists believe in God?

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By Benjamin O'Donnell

A common criticism of the so-called “new atheists” (who I prefer to call the "new anti-dogmatists") is the "problem of morality": how, many religious critics ask, can we be good without God? Isn’t the fact that people are good, that people can tell good from evil, evidence for the existence of God? Even if God is a myth, isn’t He necessary to inspire people to acts of goodness and to keep them from falling into immorality? And in any case, don’t we get our morals from our religious traditions?

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Miami-Dade Police say Pastor Gaston Smith used your tax dollars for his own personal vacations, grant money that was supposed to go to the low-income community he has spent years serving, but Friday a new name that is already involved in scandal came up in the investigation.

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A Scott County Pastor has been charged with stealing $900 from his church.

Pastor Joe Moran, of Stamping Ground Baptist Church, was arraigned this month on theft charges. He pleaded not guilty.

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By Enjjpt

Let me get this straight...

God made man perfect in His own image. Then God put the perfect man and woman in a perfect garden to live for all eternity. God put a bunch of trees in the garden and declared one off-limits. Since man was made perfect in the image of God, he would be incapable of doing anything evil or wrong, he was perfect just like God. But since God is all-knowing, he knew even before He made the off-limits tree that Man would partake of it, and thus He is guilty of setting Man up for failure. This is no different from an adult placing a tray full of cupcakes in the middle of a room full of toddlers and telling them not to eat them and then getting angry when they do. No parent would expect children who know no better to obey such a command, because they understand the nature of children.

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It isn't easy being godless online.

For the third time in three years, what may be the largest group of organized atheists in the world is struggling to stay on MySpace, said a Cleveland State University assistant professor who founded the site for nonbelievers.

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Sent in by Norm

“When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood.” 1 Corinthians 13:11-12.

When Christian acquaintances learn that I am a former fundamentalist that became an atheist, their shocked response is, “What horrible trauma did you suffer at the hands of some evil person to cause you to lose your faith?” This is expressed with an expression of a combination of fascination and horror, as if they were looking at a poisonous snake.

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