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Ex-Christians:

Sand Dancer

Crazy Cat Lady
I would love to know why you left Christianity. My reason is because it's too exclusive and the idea of it seems divisive, not to mention it makes God sound cruel. And then there's the validity of the Bible...
 

tumbleweed41

Resident Liberal Hippie
When I was a Deacon and Youth Leader in a Southern Baptist church, I felt it was my responsibility to really understand the Bible. I spent most of my free time studying and researching, and the more I read and studied, the less it made any logical sense. After a long internal struggle, and lots of prayer, I came to the decision that revealed revelation and dogma were of no use to me. I left Christianity and have never looked back.
And I have never felt better.
 

Infinitum

Possessed Bookworm
I had plenty of reasons, a major one being that my experience of how the world spiritually works was in conflict with what Christianity teaches. When I became disillusioned with the part of Christianity I had been brought up with, I studied the history of Christianity and monotheism for a while and concluded there was nothing there for me. Traditionally Christianity claims to be the one true and eternal religion, but I had started to become sceptical of that long before I officially left. That still leaves Judaism to fall back to, but I had no proof of a personal god being somewhere out there and studying the history of Judaism made it clear to me there was nothing to find anyway. So I pursued the path I was genuinely drawn to, not the one I had been brought up with.
 

MysticSang'ha

Big Squishy Hugger
Premium Member
I would love to know why you left Christianity. My reason is because it's too exclusive and the idea of it seems divisive, not to mention it makes God sound cruel. And then there's the validity of the Bible...

I simply do not agree with it. When I came to that realization that I don't agree with the conclusions about the doctrine by the vast majority of self-identified Christians, I also came to the realization that it would be ineffective and burdensome to continue to identify as one.

Of course, 20 some-odd years ago, I wasn't quite thinking that way. At 22, I was more like, "Jesus the only way? Show me why with the followers and I'll reconsider. For now, I'm out."

Years of contemplating my journey from where I came from helped me to appreciate certain parts of the culture and the poetry that I have read from the doctrine. Found Buddhism and it healed a lot of past anger and loneliness I felt when I was a Christian, so I was able to forgive the past. But now, ask me my journey for why I left Buddhism, and I'll give you another story. ;)
 

Infinitum

Possessed Bookworm
When I was a Deacon and Youth Leader in a Southern Baptist church, I felt it was my responsibility to really understand the Bible. I spent most of my free time studying and researching, and the more I read and studied, the less it made any logical sense. After a long internal struggle, and lots of prayer, I came to the decision that revealed revelation and dogma were of no use to me. I left Christianity and have never looked back.
And I have never felt better.
I can relate to this. I studied the Bible a lot as well and kept annoying people with pointing out inconsistencies in their interpretations. Christians attach a lot of meaning to passages that have nothing to do with what they claim them to say. At worst I found out people deliberately misread the stories to fit them into their restricted view. (One example I found especially amusing is the story of Noah and the flood. If you read it word to word you'll find a completely different narrative from the one you're told to believe.)
 

dyanaprajna2011

Dharmapala
I could go on and on about why I left Christianity, but I'll try to keep it to a few main points.

1. The Christian idea of God is not logical. Furthermore, the Christian God seemed, to me, if it exists, as someone cruel and dictator-like.
2. The Bible contains too many errors, contradictions, historical and scientific inaccuracies, and just other mundane nonsense to be of any spiritual value.
3. The person of Jesus, as presented in the Gospels, didn't seem to me to be historical.
4. The Christian idea of salvation seemed to me to be very superficial and artificial. Not only that, the rationale behind it, from God's perspective, seemed illogical and unnecessary.
5. Christian history is full of things that I couldn't accept. The early church, from the end of Acts to the first council of Nicea, seemed simply unreal. The history of the church from then to the Reformation is full of nonsense: greed, power-plays, murder and other such atrocities. The history of the Reformation to today is pretty much full of the same. For a religion that claims to be 'loving', it's more full of hatred and murder than any other religion, with the possible exception of Islam.
6. The division of the church is a big problem. If the Bible is the sole rule of faith, and is self-interpreting, and means only one thing, then why so many churches? There are over 30,000 different denominations, each with their own interpretation of the Bible, which is supposedly self-interpreting.

There's just a few of the many reasons why I left Christianity, but there are many, many more, but most are just details on these main themes.
 

Sha'irullah

رسول الآلهة
As a kid I was indoctrinated into Christianity like most youth in America are. I was far to calm and carefree to hold the hatred in my heart of other people such as gays and non believers.
I was hated as a kid because never wanted to fit in and my Christian parents promoted this. It was truly abuse to be honest considering that their mindset was hellbent on disgust and animosity towards others. All of in which could be supported Biblically

It was not until I was a teenager in which I embarked on my own path and actually studied Christianity only to find out it was complete and utter nonsense. I was always analytical and could hear a person out so I could never be swayed by lunacy no matter how much forceful brainwashing was applied.

Once I truly new the kickers for Christianity and its unholy origins I just left, no contempt at all. It took me no more then a few days to do such actually. I did not feel regret nor confusion. Very easy for me.
 

William Patrick

New Member
I could go on and on about why I left Christianity, but I'll try to keep it to a few main points.

1. The Christian idea of God is not logical. Furthermore, the Christian God seemed, to me, if it exists, as someone cruel and dictator-like.
2. The Bible contains too many errors, contradictions, historical and scientific inaccuracies, and just other mundane nonsense to be of any spiritual value.
3. The person of Jesus, as presented in the Gospels, didn't seem to me to be historical.
4. The Christian idea of salvation seemed to me to be very superficial and artificial. Not only that, the rationale behind it, from God's perspective, seemed illogical and unnecessary.
5. Christian history is full of things that I couldn't accept. The early church, from the end of Acts to the first council of Nicea, seemed simply unreal. The history of the church from then to the Reformation is full of nonsense: greed, power-plays, murder and other such atrocities. The history of the Reformation to today is pretty much full of the same. For a religion that claims to be 'loving', it's more full of hatred and murder than any other religion, with the possible exception of Islam.
6. The division of the church is a big problem. If the Bible is the sole rule of faith, and is self-interpreting, and means only one thing, then why so many churches? There are over 30,000 different denominations, each with their own interpretation of the Bible, which is supposedly self-interpreting.

There's just a few of the many reasons why I left Christianity, but there are many, many more, but most are just details on these main themes.

I understand fully what you are saying. However, if we look at the life of Jesus Christ we see the true model of what Christianity should be.His teachings are the way. Jesus said by their fruit you will know them. Christianity has been perverted by the evil desires of men and that has been manifested in many of the immoral actions of individual who claim to be christian but are not really christian in their actions. I also believe that there are other paths to God besides Christianity. However some like radical Islam are not at all good paths. Believe that there is a loving God because God is love.
 

Sand Dancer

Crazy Cat Lady
A

Once I truly new the kickers for Christianity and its unholy origins I just left, no contempt at all. It took me no more then a few days to do such actually. I did not feel regret nor confusion. Very easy for me.

What's your view of Jesus? I can't find a negative to his teachings.
 

Sha'irullah

رسول الآلهة
What's your view of Jesus? I can't find a negative to his teachings.

My views on Jesus have always been that he was more of a deluded wandering individual who became beloved.

The teachings associated with him I would say are heavily false and only written in his name and have no correlation to the actual Jesus.

I find the teachings contradictory, random, often pointless and very bipolar. They portray meaning but then lose it with later teachings. The Gospels are indeed heavily confusing in most regards.
They are not theologically sound like the Tanakh or Qur'an
 

Ashoka

श्री कृष्णा शरणं मम
What's your view of Jesus? I can't find a negative to his teachings.

Luke 19:27: But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me.

Revelation 2:22-23: So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Matthew 13:10-15 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables. Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."
 
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Sand Dancer

Crazy Cat Lady
Luke 19:27: But those enemies of mine who did not want me to be king over them--bring them here and kill them in front of me.

Revelation 2:22-23: So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.

Matthew 13:10-15 The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables. Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:“‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people’s heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears,and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them."

Oh man...:(
 

StarryNightshade

Spiritually confused Jew
Premium Member
It was a combination of things.

1.) I didn't like how my parent's denomination (Southern Baptism) generally viewed science and evolution.

2.) It was around the time I temporarily became an anti-theist and viewed all religion as the same (so glad I outgrew that).

3.) I never really believed in the concept of hell to begin with; and eventually didn't believe in the virgin birth and Christ's divinity.

4.) I hated how it viewed other religions and even other Christian denominations. I couldn't go for a week or so without hearing how Catholics and Methodists were going to hell.
 

AmbiguousGuy

Well-Known Member
I would love to know why you left Christianity. My reason is because it's too exclusive and the idea of it seems divisive, not to mention it makes God sound cruel. And then there's the validity of the Bible...

I dropped (the Christian) God the day after I discovered that Santa wasn't real.
 

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
I would love to know why you left Christianity. My reason is because it's too exclusive and the idea of it seems divisive, not to mention it makes God sound cruel. And then there's the validity of the Bible...

It sounds like you're describing fairly conservative Christian beliefs. More liberal Christian beliefs may sit better with you.
 
All you have to do is read "Age Of Reason". That will explain it all. I have never read a christian rebuttal that even comes close to taking on Paine.
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
I would love to know why you left Christianity. My reason is because it's too exclusive and the idea of it seems divisive, not to mention it makes God sound cruel. And then there's the validity of the Bible...

It became too hard to reconcile within itself and with scientific discovery.
 
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