By Michael Runyan ~ I t is common for various authorities to make predictions of future events as a means for society to prepare for such eventualities, such as, for example, the path of a hurricane, the arrival of cold or hot weather, rain, or snow, the prognosis and timing of recovery from various diseases, future economic activity levels, the growth of wildfires, tides and flooding levels, and harvesting amounts related to agriculture. In the Christian world, these predictions would not necessarily be amenable to observations of current conditions, an examination of past experience, or use of analytical models because the world would be continually subject to the whims of various supernatural agents, such as demons, angels, Satan, God (in three personages), or a multitude of saints (depending on the particular denomination). Answered prayers could also throw off any of these predictions. The success rate would be low and not improving over time. In a world governed by natura...

By Hannah ~ I was born to two twenty somethings who weren’t ready to have a baby at all. They found each other in a small Baptist Church, both coming from difficult lives. I think they bought the idea that Christianity increases your chances of a better life. Anyway,my first seven years were spent in dresses and skirts and we didn’t have Santa or the Easter bunny and we definitely didn’t trick or treat. It was a lonely, quiet early childhood and I didn’t fully trust any adult around me. Why would I, with so much focus on rebellion and disrespect and “me versus you” parenting. Age eight, I went to a tiny Christian school. It was more exciting than homeschooling with Abeka and Bob Jones textbooks. I lived my super sheltered life constantly hearing about people who weren’t saved, were going to hell, demons, more hell. We couldn’t even play pranks on April Fools because it was Atheist Day and pranks often involved lying. I towed the line, often couldn’t sleep at night from a...

By Shaolin ~ I don’t believe in hell. After studying the Bible thoroughly on the concept of hell and discovering that it has no consistent, cohesive description of this “place”, I concluded for myself with a high degree of certainty that it doesn’t exist. It saddens me that so many people, including atheists, are tormented daily by the very idea, thinking “what if?” So let’s suppose there is such a thing. Then there are questions that need to be asked: 1. What is it? Is it “outer darkness”? What is the outer darkness? Is it space? Is it a fiery pit under the earth? Is it a fiery pit in outer darkness (which makes no sense whatsoever)? Is it a physical place? Or is it a “spiritual” place of torment beyond time and space? One would think the imaginary God would think enough of us to explain this shit. The hell concept has more holes in it than the streets of Chicago. 2. What happens there? Do people just burn forever? For what intelligent reason? What burns? The “soul”? If the...

By Carl S ~ O ne thing about human beings is the fact too many of them refuse to grow up. This causes troubles for the majority of us. Those who want to keep their childhood religious fantasies still have the child's worldview “everything important relates to me.” They don't want to give up their conviction some benevolent, replacement father-spirit is watching over them, so everything will work out a-ok, no matter what befalls everyone and everything. They find comfort and strength in the company of others who also want to remain children. Growing up is hard to do. It is terribly hard when religious upbringings create the conditions for one's perpetual immaturity. When a child, one thinks as a child and believes what one's been told on faith as a child, but when it comes time to become an adult, one ought to put away the things of a child. Doubting and giving in to doubts is a sign of welcoming maturity. Growing up can be hard to do when one's chronological a...

By Carl S ~ “In the beginning was The Fungus... '” N ow, many raised to believe in the “spiritual” will find themselves perplexed or insulted by that idea. They are taught almost from infancy, that a Great Spirit or Creator beyond the constraints of physics brought the Universe into existence. They have no idea where that Spirit concept, living in Its own spiritual environment, originated from. Neither do they consider the possibility that the “spiritual, mystical, revelational, transcendental,” experiences, the foundations of religions, probably originated from the effects of psychedelics found around the world. Simply put, their effects on the brain. The more one investigates that idea, the more sense it makes. Indeed, one researcher said it's likely psychedelic plants have been used in religious ceremonies for seven thousand years. They are still used in religious ceremonies. (The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 or RFRA, is cited by the religious right as the...

By SHAOLIN ~ I n the make-believe world of christianity, Jesus is lauded as the greatest teacher, the wisest man that has ever walked the earth. Even more, a man without fault and worthy to be our "Lord and Savior", every knee will bow......yada, yada, yada. Christianity boasts that in this imaginary god's mind the family is the vital foundation of human life. The old testament consistently reveals, however, that god cares nothing about the family. It appears that even in the divine family the apple does not fall far from the tree. Jesus, the "son of god" is not all that family friendly himself. He might as well have been the Jim Jones of the new testament, no different than any other cult leader. There is sufficient evidence in the gospels to make this assertion. 1. Where in the gospels, particularly in the sermon on the mount, does Jesus say anything about the importance of the family? Forgiving your "brother", loving your "enemies"...

From Tricia ~ W e only leave Jesus because we were never committed to Him or were deceived, wanted to live our lives the way we want. Self idolatry -- it is the same and just what Satan wanted you serve and worship SELF but actuality this world. The FOOL has said in his heart there is no God. We have become blinded, caught up in lies by the god of this world You want to be hay and God says no, therefore He is wrong. No you are wrong. I is an abomination and God says you want your lust so He gives you a reprobate mind....the word of God is right. We are wrong, admit the truth even if you chose not to live it.

By D. Shafer ~ A s I move further away from my Christian beliefs and feel the freedom to question the unquestionable persona that was presented to me as God, I seem to stumble across what I call real and better truth. As I deconstruct the inner ideas about life that were forced upon me by the belief system I was conditioned in, I can see myself more realistically, and I discover that many of the dysfunctional thoughts and behaviors I exhibited were from a dysfunctional family in a dysfunctional world reinforced by a dysfunctional religion. As I face down the monster of criticism, judgment, anger, hate, and punishment (all the main qualities of an overbearing controlling dictator who cannot tolerate dissention) I find myself feeling more free and even more loved and loving. After leaving Christianity I could admit that my inner emotional complex was a mess. In the church I could not be honest when trying to appear to be without sin and avoid the resulting disgrace, so impossibl...

By Michael Runyan ~ T hose of us who have left Christianity are often challenged by Christian family and friends to state the reasons why. Without going into detail, there is an easy and effective way to explain why Christianity is definitely not true. It is done in four easy steps: Demons- if Christianity is true, then demons must exist. After all, dealing with demons was a big part of Jesus’s ministry. They should be an important and indisputable part of our lives, and, like mosquitoes, a pesky irritant if not a real threat. They should be causing many of our diseases and speaking back in our native language when challenged. There should be a branch of science that studies them. Nope, nada, none of this is true. Angels- if Christianity is true, then angels must exist. We should be encountering them often, seeing them as they take human form and as they make important pronouncements. They can even kill us if they so desire and they can brandish burning swords to keep us out o...

By Al Wm Johnson ~ T he history of most early religions formulated a dualistic split between spirit and body. This split put us above the Animal Kingdom. It made us superior to other creatures in Nature. This superiority of humans led to an anthropocentric view of humans. This dualistic split lead to the natural bodily instincts of humans as being inferior. This horrendous vilification, desecration, denigration, and contamination stance against human nature is due to a religious fear of human instincts. This anathematic fear led to the demonization and dehumanization of us as being sinners. For some virulent inflammatory religions there is the ugliness, cruelty, and abomination of the Doctrine of Original Sin ---> humans are corrupted by sin at birth. Isn’t there something unthinkable, repugnant, and drastically wrong to sanctimoniously preach babies are born sinful? Please, for one minute think about this ----> original sin is based on Adam and Eve disobeying God a...

From Mark ~ H i Guys, Thought I'd just give a little update since my last post. It's been over six years that I called it Quits. To be exact, 29 Aug 2012. Life has not been exactly rosy as I had expected back then, just because there was stuff to be worked out. But having said that, I felt I was more in control of my life although the road was dark and slippery at times. I felt I was more free and liberated to follow my own path, my own heart and gut, which while it might not to be everyone's liking, is actually what prayer and faith is all about. I still keep in touch with some friends from church as we are still friends, but sometimes I feel sick in the stomach when they start talking about how you must have more faith, pray more, fast more, tithe more, give more. Anyway, long story short, its been the best and most exhilarating six years I ever had. I am free. Thank You !!