I n his article " There's No Such Thing As An Ex-Christian ," Pastor Ed Collins of the North Christian Church in  North Dighton, Massachusetts,  asserts that individuals who claim to have left the Christian faith were never truly Christians to begin with. He mocks those who claim to be ex-christian, apparently basing his opinion on the doctrine of eternal security, which suggests that once someone is genuinely "born again," they remain a child of God forever, no matter what. Therefore, according to Collins, anyone who departs from the faith was never "authentically" saved. While his perspective may align with some theological interpretations, the "You were never truly a Christian™" message fails to recognize that the broader Christian tradition encompasses a wide diversity of views on salvation, apostasy, and the nature of faith.  The concept of eternal security, usually associated with Reformed Theolog y (ex: Reformed Baptists,   Luthe...

By Webmdave ~ I n this "Enlightened Age" of grandiose megachurches, faith healers, flat earthers, laughing revivalists and campaigners for creationism, one paradox remains as alive as ever: folks who are absolutely convinced they possess a direct line to the Divine still manage to consider everyone else’s beliefs as wacky fanfiction. Yet, while demanding unflinching reverence for their own God—who coincidentally shares their political views, national identity, and taste in flags—they dismiss others' deities as silly, quaint or downright dangerous. It’s not just ethnocentrism—it’s a full-blown tribal loyalty test, where the entry fee is suspension of disbelief (for your own ancient myths) and gleeful derision (for everyone else's). “The oddity of other people’s religion is always more apparent than that of one’s own.” This quote, attributed to Anthropologist Pascal Boyer , can be found in summaries and paraphrased interpretations of his book Religion Explained...

by MTC ~ L et me start by saying, that I'm not having plans or intentions of taking my own life. That being said, I (39F) got really sick when I was 2 or 3 years old. Everyone everywhere was praying for me, because they thought I was going to die. It was during this time that I was diagnosed with autism. Even though I turned out to be higher-functioning, in several ways I practically got punished for having autism (even though I sure as heck didn't choose to have it), and my family had to endure their own challenges and obstacles as a result of my diagnosis, and I feel horrible for them. I also ended up being an "early bloomer," developing breasts at 10 and starting my period at 11. As silly as it may sound, to this very day having been an "early bloomer" is one of the major reasons I have to take anti-depressants and other similar medications. It was during my early teens when I learned about being sick in earlier childhood and everyone praying for me. I...