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Showing posts from April, 2020

Christian Apologist Puffs Up Testimony

By Edward T. Babinski ~ JOSH MCDOWELL’S TIMELINE OF PUFFING UP HIS TESTIMONY DECADE AFTER DECADE A film came out in 2012 portraying Josh McDowell as having traveled the world in search of evidence to refute Christianity. Unable to do so, he reluctantly converted. The film was titled, Undaunted . McDowell converted in 1959, so let’s start by comparing his earliest written testimonies of his conversion with the expanded multi-part series he composed 39 years later, and again, 48 years later. In the first edition of Evidence That Demands a Verdict McDowell's testimony was titled, "I've Got a Satisfied Mind," while in the second edition he rewrote and lengthened it, and titled it, "He Changed My Life.” Based on those two early versions of his testimony in two of his earliest apologetic works, and based on the date McDowell himself supplies for his conversion he converted when he was a mere sophomore at an unimpressive community college and he convert

We're Going to the Chapel of Love

By Cerberus ~ E arly on, (I was 24 my girlfriend was 22) we two lifelong Catholics schooled in the Parish together, wanted to get married. We imagined standing before our priest some quiet weekday — just us and our parents along with whoever the Law and church required. We quickly found out that eight months minimum of "Marriage Education" would be required first. Remember that we were not unknowns here. Upon hearing that (the 8 months...), I abruptly stood, thanked the father for his time, and we left. I told my girlfriend that as far as I was concerned, a justice of the peace would do just fine. We were married within a week. I have never been back there (to that church) since. They showed me then and there it wasn't about God, but rather about the control of people and most importantly, the control of people's wallets. I anticipate going there for my Father's funeral mass, but that is in respect for him, not for his church.

Attack of the Condescending Christian

By MTC ~ G otquestions.org , is a popular website for those with questions about the Bible, God, etc. They act "holy and godly" on their website, but watch out! Be warned, this is a lengthy post. LOL To start, here is a message I sent to gotquestions.org : "Hello! As indicated, I'd like to share a few issues regarding the Bible and common answers, including those found on your website. A common theme in Christianity, and that your ministry endorses, is male headship in the church and the home. Supposedly women aren't inferior, less intelligent or capable, etc. Yet God reserves leadership in the church and home for men only. One of your pages says, "Sexism is the abuse of these roles, not the existence of these roles." Yeah, that makes a lot of sense! *sarcasm* And gee, just maybe the existence of these roles, along with the "fact" that they're given by God himself, is exactly why they get abused and taken advantage of. After all,

The Summer Camp Analogy

By Michael Runyan ~ I magine there is a summer camp with lots of children. It is a typical one-week affair with a staff of administrators. On the first day, a child finds a letter that states, “On the third day I will arrive at the camp. Every child who paints a star on their forehead will be taken to an amusement park while those who don’t will stay behind and spend all day cleaning the camp.”  It is signed ‘Bob.’ Nobody knows who Bob is, assuming he is a real person, or whether he or someone else wrote the letter. Most of the children dismiss this as a prank and take no note of its requirement. In fact, they later find other letters signed by other names making similar promises. However, a few kids, who somehow believe ‘Bob’s’ letter is possibly true while the others are fake, paint the star ‘just in case.’ Sure enough Bob shows up on the third day and takes them to an amusement park. The disgruntled remainder, many of whom followed the directions of other (now to be shown

Filling the Void

By Whitney ~ L eaving the church, my faith and my belief in the Christianity that was once the essence of my every understanding, has brought many freedoms to my life. It has afforded me the space to see people for who they are; not the sins they commit. It has opened my mind to new ideas; allowed me to question the unquestionable. In these almost five years of non adherence to religion, I have been able to build an ever evolving worldview piece by piece. So much of that process has been filled with child like wonder as I begin to see life and all the things that inhabit it from a new, sometimes formerly forbidden, vantage point. The compassion and gentleness and awe that has been cultivated in my heart through hours of discussion with others and sometimes a glass (or two) of whiskey has surpassed the fears I once had when I first started on this uncharted path. I think I would be giving myself and my story a disservice if I said this new enlightenment hasn’t come at a cost...