By Carl S. ~ T here are a few conclusions I've reached after dealing with religion and believers for some years now. One of them is that no one can get through to a believer whose mind is made up and doesn't give a damn about evidence. This is not a judgment call, nor something I wish believers to feel guilty about. It's merely a remark about my observations. It is not condemnation but a bewilderment in trying to understand how this condition persists. (And I'm not alone on this. Numerous social/psychological studies are still in progress trying to understand this state of mind.) I feel sadness observing the fear, however small, in the demeanor of the believer whenever beliefs are brought up. I've concluded that for those who have made up their minds, their minds are closed. To that extent, such a one is, according to one writer, “incapable of learning.” This is sad, and self-defeating, all the more so if it is a habit firmly reinforced. Another conclusion has...

By Ben Love ~ R ight from the get-go I'm in hot water. You can't write an article with a title like this an not have certain people among your readers be pissed off at you. So, before we begin, let us observe 3 caveats, shall we? 1. I share these thoughts not as definitive pronouncements for the absolute final word on truth but merely as ruminations that arose out of my own personal experience, my heart on the matter, the conclusions I have reached as an individual human, and a desire to simply share my point of view. Read this if you want, or don't read it if you don't want. No one is forcing you. 2. My motivation for doing this has more to do with my love for people rather than a desire to blast my enemies. (Christians will say that there is nothing loving about this article, but that is only because they take issue with it's conclusions---they themselves would be just as emphatic about their conclusions in their own articles, and they would call that lov...

By Ben Love ~ O kay, so, I have recently "come out," if you will, about being an atheist. This has been shocking to many of my friends because for so long I was heavily involved with evangelical Christianity . I have other blogs on here about my journey from belief to disbelief, which you can read if you want, or not if you don't want [shrugs], but what I want to talk about here is a pattern of messages I have received in response. To date, 13 different people have recommended to me that I check out the work of Lee Strobel , proclaiming that by doing so I will see the error of my ways. Let me state emphatically, once and for all, that I have done so, and done so exhaustively. During the course my research, I read everything Lee Strobel wrote, some of it more than once. I know my Christian friends will consider this the height of sacrilege, but since they feel so free to force him on me, I shall force my views of him right back. The fact is, Lee is a very clever ...

By Carl S ~ S hortly after I entered the monastery to begin a religion-driven life, the abbot told me to go into the church hallway and follow the Stations of the Cross . In Catholic churches today you still find the stations; they are plaques placed in a certain order on the walls depicting the sufferings Jesus is claimed to have endured starting from his sentencing on through his death. There are twelve of them. I was told at each and every step, (flagellation, crowning with thorns, dragging the cross, etc.), to say "And this was for me." (I was also later told that my "sins" put the nails through his hands.) It was some years later when I thought about this: it came to me that Jesus, according to the gospel texts, was executed not for me, but because he threatened the powers of the high priests and committed blasphemy, among other, say, political reasons. Besides, Christianity blamed the Jews for his death. Nevertheless, I was told he went through all of t...

By Anne R Keye ~ E very religion is going to hell according to every other religion and denomination . When your church says that you and only your denomination are going to be saved, be aware that the church around the corner from yours will say that your church has it all wrong! Your church is probably [Definitely] damned to hell and only their church and their chosen denomination has it right and is going to be saved. It is both amazing and laughable viewing the bizarre world of christianity at war with itself. In reality In a recent argument with a lady who was my best friend a few years ago I found myself in a similar situation where even as a non believer in any religion I found myself employing this. She asked me why I just couldn't try to believe anymore. She stood on her pedestal and was quite arrogant in her manner and she was snidely trying to hell wish me. She then tried the old “ Pascal's Wager ” trick. I in turn replied, "Well, what if you are wrong ...

By Carolyn Hyppolite ~ W hen I was a believer, I received a lot of positive attention for my excessive piety. My life was filled with hours of prayer, Bible study, frequent liturgical attendance, volunteering at pro-life “clinics,” evangelizing, etc. I even tried self-flagellation a few times. It was not a habit. I hate pain. Before you judge me too harshly. It has great precedence in the Western Tradition even in our times. John Paul II is said to have used it for penance. “You are a great servant for God,” They said. “It’s great to see such a young woman who loves God.” Now, that I have left. I confess I found all of this exhausting and unrewarding. You know that moment when you are sleepy and you place your head comfortably on a pillow and then you realize that you have not said your night prayers, and you get up and perform whatever ritual you do at that moment? I don’t have those moments. Instead, I have found myself relishing the fact that I don’t have to get up at this...

By Slave2Six ~ W hether you read Justin Martyr , Athanasius, Clement of Alexandria, Martin Luther , John Calvin or any other notable voice from either Orthodox or Protestant Christianity, one of the principal aspects that you will find is moral outrage at the behavior of those outside the faith. You will read any number of prognostications against those who are "shameful" or even accusations that people have lost their ability to feel shame at all. I am in agreement with the idea that "Shame is fear arising from the anticipation of blame" (John of Damascus) and "he who does not escape notice is wont to abstain from sins, on account of the shame of reproof" (Justin Martyr). Said another way, one whose actions are either known or likely to become known are far more likely to behave well than those who have no one to help them stay on a good path. I would even argue that shame can be a good thing, in a proper context. But to the Christian, shame ...

By Flame of the mist ~ I had already told my parents in either March or April that I had become Agnostic and left Christianity. However, I hadn't given the reasons, because it was hard to put it into words. Finally, I did this, which is the letter you see before you. Note: I did plagiarize a little from one of the people on exchristian.net, so I apologize about that. It was from one of the posts about the ten commandments. S tart of the letter: After thinking about it, I realized I needed to share with you how I came to be this way.You can share it with whomever you wish (family or friends). I do not want to argue, I just want to share. You can ask me to clarify something if you wish, but again, I'll probably not jump into an argument with you, if you start one. Here's my letter, enjoy! The Steps to Leaving Christianity *Everyone's story is different. Mine is especially unusual. 1. Found out that I had schizoaffective disorder. Cannot completely trust...

By Marlene Winell and Valerie Tarico ~  "I am 30 years old and I am struggling to find sanity. Between the Christian schools, homeschooling, the Christian group home (indoctrinating work camp) and different churches in different cities, I am a psychological, emotional and spiritual mess.” --A former Evangelical If a former believer says that Christianity made her depressed, obsessive, or post-traumatic, she is likely to be dismissed as an exaggerator. She might describe panic attacks about the rapture; moods that swung from ecstasy about God’s overwhelming love to suicidal self-loathing about repeated sins; or an obsession with sexual purity. A symptom like one of these clearly has a religious component, yet many people instinctively blame the victim. They will say that the wounded former believer was prone to anxiety or depression or obsession in the first place—that his Christianity somehow got corrupted by his predisposition to psychological problems. Or they will say ...