By Cassandra Brandt ~ I was told from further back than I can remember, that belief in God and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ would save my soul. Not unlike three quarters of the American population, my parents raised me on the Bible and in church. My faith was a huge part of my life which I didn’t know to question until it was so much a part of me I was terrified to let go. I was born belonging to the evangelical Christians whose customs and beliefs were a bit crazy to the outsider or apostate’s eye. As a child I grew up used to seeing respectable adults in their Sunday best flopping around on the floor “slain by the spirit”, jumping and shouting prophecies and praying in “tongues”👅. My first Bible was a red hardcover comic strip Bible with awesome illustrations. I loved how the paper smelled. I read those stories over and over and over. I loved the Old Testament stories about Joshua and the Wall of Jericho, Moses and the plagues; I knew all the New Testament parable

By Webmdave ~ P eople with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) display a pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration, a lack of empathy, a heightened sense of self-importance, believe they are unique or “special,” and demonstrate an inability to take responsibility for their actions. I have experienced – up close – the abusive behavior these individuals are capable of inflicting on those around them. The biblical God is the ultimate example of these unhealthy traits. He believes the universe exists solely to worship him, and his vision of heaven revolves around constant adoration. Revelation 4:11 : “You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.” Narcissists tend to devalue or attack those who threaten their self-image. The God of the Bible displays this tendency by punishing all who stray from His worship and condemning all unbelievers to eternal damnation. Romans 1:18

By Webmdave ~ I grew up in the 1960’s in what I thought was a normal stable family, nicely accessorized with a father who went to work every day (at short-term, low-paying jobs) and a mother who stayed home to keep house. Over time I came to realize my father suffered from a learning disability coupled with a disturbingly explosive temper. Today he might be diagnosed as having lower cognitive and emotional quotients. My mother’s intelligence was at or above average, but her personality was heavily seasoned with many of the symptoms of Narcissistic personality disorder . Although fiercely committed to their marriage vows (divorce was a big taboo for them), the tenuous poverty-level lifestyle was frequently accented by shouting, fighting, and hitting – a routinely colorful attribute for our normal, “stable" family. Early on I opted to cope with the stressful atmosphere by wetting the bed and playing with matches.  At about 11 years old something changed. My grandmother invited

By Webmdave  ~ diversity, equity and inclusion: noun A set of values and related policies and practices focused on establishing a group culture of equitable and inclusive treatment and on attracting and retaining a diverse group of participants, including people who have historically been excluded or discriminated against — Merriam-Webster D iversity, equity and inclusion are among the political clarion calls of our modern culture. I read an article today about how the original Star Trek series received criticism for including no female speaking parts in an episode entitled “ The Devil in the Dark ." In the 60’s, Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek was experimenting with all kinds of possible futuristic scenarios while promoting going beyond current cultural boundaries, but apparently sometimes fell short. Diversity, equity and inclusion has been on the forefront of the minds in the media, politics and the wider culture for quite some time.  The word diversity can rattle some

By Pinkbunion ~    H ello, guys. It's been 4 years since my first post here, which detailed the start of my deconversion, which was on July 2022. So, now, 2 years on from that post, I'm going to give an update. Currently, I am very happy with where I am right now. I have remained agnostic since that 2022 post. I haven't changed much in being agnostic, except that I always change between being an agnostic atheist or spiritual agnostic on different days. I want to remain agnostic because I just want to learn about different belief systems and religions, take whats good in them and discard the things that aren't true or are not beneficial. 

By Raul ~    T his is my first article ever posting on this site. So, if you are reading this, please don't criticize it too much. Thank you. One main Christian belief is that Jesus conquered death through his resurrection. This however contradicts passages in the bible that state god created death himself. Let's have a look at some of them. Genesis 3:19: In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

by WizenedSage ~    Thanks to Carl S. for the idea. W hen the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door, this is what I wish I had said… Men lie. We have all lied; most of us many, many times. In fact, lying among humans is so common that there are currently at least 700 different creator deities worshipped in the world today. TODAY! So, when we come across a wild or outrageous religious claim, shouldn’t we always ask, did someone lie? And isn’t that the most likely, almost certain truth of the matter, EVERY TIME?   

By Carl S ~ I 've known my relative and his family for over 25 years now. I decided to share something with him in an email: "I woke up at 5 a.m. with a very peaceful and comforting thought. I don't know if there's an actual Heaven or Hell (no one does), but it doesn't matter because after I'm dead. there won't be a 'me' to experience either one."  (You can imagine the responses to that.) Later on,  "This particular Carl you think you know, will be dead, and won't experience Hell, Heaven, Paradise, Reincarnation, or any other 'afterlives' ignorant men have created." Once again I was chided with his repetitive – over 25 years – interpretation of Pascal's Wager,  "If I'm wrong, I've lost nothing; if you're wrong, you've lost everything."  (WTF?). I told him, “That's ridiculous.”  I knew all the good he'd done, so I couldn't think he wasted his life if he didn't bet on belie

By Webmdave ~ Animals often strike us as passionate machines -- Eric Hoffer, Reflections on the Human Condition A s scientific advancements unveil the mysteries of the universe, it becomes increasingly evident that everything appears to operate mechanistically. Atoms, molecules, stars, planets, cells, and biological systems are fundamentally mechanical. If the existence of a supernatural, invisible soul within my body is negated, then it is undeniable that I too am a machine. Complex machines, including self-programming ones, remain machines nonetheless. Some individuals may contend that life forms are fundamentally distinct from inanimate objects, despite both being composed of atoms and molecules. However, a closer examination reveals that this distinction is tenuous.