Ex-Christians:

[Saint Frankenstein]

What/how does one worship or live with that type of religion? I have no idea. Just really sincerely wanting to know.

There are no inherent worship, prayers, rituals or special costumes. It just is.

When it comes to the Left Hand Path, you can practice ritual magick, meditation, yoga, etc. Whatever you believe will help you reach whatever goal you may have for yourself. But it's up to you. You are the personal god of your life, and it's all about your personal transformation.

Since I'm a Luciferian, I personally have a liking for various Pagan deities and concepts. I view them more as archetypes, though. No god has ever personally appeared to me, so I have no reason to believe in literal personal gods. That may change, though. We'll see.

 

[Ouroboros]

Oh, I am so sorry! It's horrible how something that happens so quickly can change the rest of your life. You sound very positive through it all.

We had our fair share of tough times, but it's all about how to work through it and come out in the end.

 

[nazz]

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...

Would you like to hear why I left orthodox Christianity?

 

[FranklinMichaelV.3]

Yup. My first re-evaluation resulted in complete rejection, but I'm finding a middle ground now, which I think is healthy. Only problem is that few really are at the same spot. I've found a bunch here on RF though, who are very similar in mind. A bit of an sporadic church...


I know. The only way I could handle it, and my family, was to leave the false idea of God, i.e. literalist Christianity.

After my realization, I didn't tell anyone. After a couple of months, I couldn't hold it in anymore but had to tell my wife. To my surprise and shock, she had lost her faith too. My kids same thing. She maintained, and still does, a belief in a God. She's not an atheist, but very secular theist/agnostic.


Very good. God can be very personal to us, if we want to, because we are all persons. We are gods. We talk to gods. We can be with gods. And it all comes together as God, personal and impersonal.

I just can't see an entity/personal God sitting (in an infinitely spiritual way ) in another dimension and plotting and scheming our lives. It's outdated, old fashioned, and even childish to me now to think like that.

I had gotten into a terrible car accident back in 2006 and came out fine, no scratches, nothing but just shaken up. My parents kept thanking God, all I could think about was how many people had not survived accidents and I could not see myself as divine intervention but just dumb luck.

 

[Ouroboros]

I had gotten into a terrible car accident back in 2006 and came out fine, no scratches, nothing but just shaken up. My parents kept thanking God, all I could think about was how many people had not survived accidents and I could not see myself as divine intervention but just dumb luck.

Yup.

It's a very strange concept, miracles. A plane crash, half of them dead, other half survive, it was a miracle by God that the survivors survived, and it was God's will the other ones died. It's fatalism in disguise. Whatever happens happens. Be happy when it's good. Accept it when it's bad.

 

[Sand Dancer]

Would you like to hear why I left orthodox Christianity?

Sure!

 

[nazz]

Well it all began when I left my fundamentalist church for the last and final time back in 1985. Really it began even before then with questions I could not find adequate answers for but that all came to a head in the late 80's. Before then I tried my darnedest to find answers compatible with my then faith. After that I began to look elsewhere.

I was disgusted and turned off with where evangelical Christianity in America had gone with all the political conservatism and ugly hatefulness I did not see as compatible with the teachings of Jesus. I also began to discover that the bible could not be the literal inerrant word of God as it had irreconcilable contradictions. I began to see that much of what the evangelical churches taught was not even in harmony with what the Bible said.

Later I had much discourse with knowledgeable Jews who convinced me that there was no way Judaism as taught in the Jewish Scriptures (Christian Old Testament) was compatible with New Testament Christianity. This included words that were mistranslated from the Jewish to Christian scriptures.

All of this ultimately led me to rejecting orthodox Christianity altogether and adopting a Gnostic outlook.

 

[Deva758]

I used to attend Baptist churches but I don't think I ever could again. Sad, isn't it, how things have been added in through the years that don't belong?

Yes, it is very sad how things are changed and added through history that just drags down whatever was true about the religion in the first place.

One thing was that they kept beating me over the head with creationism. That just doesn't fly with me. I could never accept it and in fact I think Christianity is fundamentally at odds with the modern world in ways that make its decline inevitable. Then there was the whole political angle-- I could go on but its probably not necessary.

I have been completely out of Christianity for over 10 years now, but still get nostalgic now and then for the old hymns and some of the sense of security that belief brought me when I was very young. Because I always took it seriously and I did believe.

But I have moved on, and nostalgia is not enough to bring me back. Not by a long shot.

 

[Mister_T]

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...

What made me leave was the country club mentality, how everyone had to be a carbon copy of the other in terms of thinking/acting/believing, strict Biblical literalism...which was only "literal" when it favored universal dogma of most Christian churches, placing themselves on a pedestal above non-believers/different religions, etc. Basically, not doing much of anything that Jesus would do.

Luckily I broke away from the mentality that you have to belong to a church and identify with certain religious groups in order to be in touch with God or whatever you'd like to call it. It was and still is very liberating in your view of the "big picture" so-to-speak.

 

[Ingledsva]

...

I found that to be true. It also surprises me. My parents are still, at age 80, in the same religion, doing the same Bible studies for 50 years, with the same interpretation. I used to think it was admirable to be so dedicated to something, and that I could never achieve that. Now, I think it is more honorable to question, learn and find out what else is out there.

This has always bothered me as well. From personal experience - I can tell you the problem is that their "Bible studies" generally aren't! They "usually" go in with pre-taught ideas and then just read the words - planting the pre-taught material on top - even if it makes no sense what so ever.

*

 

[Ingledsva]

...

I have been completely out of Christianity for over 10 years now, but still get nostalgic now and then for the old hymns and some of the sense of security that belief brought me when I was very young. Because I always took it seriously and I did believe.

But I have moved on, and nostalgia is not enough to bring me back. Not by a long shot.

Just sing them around the house like I do. I have a deep singing voice, and tend to sing songs like Swing Low Sweet Chariot, which always launches us into Porgy and Bess Broadway songs. LOL!

*

 

[sojourner]

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...

As a "spiritual ecologist," you should read Sallie McFague's The Body of God. You may find it interesting.

 

[Sand Dancer]

As a "spiritual ecologist," you should read Sallie McFague's The Body of God. You may find it interesting.

Thanks! I'll check it out!