Why did you leave Christianity?

[It Aint Necessarily So]

You are ignorant of the concept of heaven.

Heaven means whatever any individual wants it to mean.

Satan, the source of temptation and evil, isn't allowed in heaven without God's specific permission. Further, Satan and all of his followers will be in hell, forever separated from heaven.

Who do I thank for waiting to confine Satan to hell after first unleashing him on earth? Whose idea was it to let Satan continue to exist and to have unfettered access to humanity for millennia?

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

"People" in heaven have willingly forfeited the right to do or think anything evil. No one gets into heaven without total holiness. This is why Jesus died on the cross - so that He became sin for us while we were given His righteousness. This is the gift of God, totally from His grace alone, no one can earn it. We are given "new bodies" in heaven incapable of sin because we chose this of our own free will.

Christians willingly accept Christ's sacrifice and have repented of all sin. Christians want very much to sin no more and will attain God's righteousness. God will create a new heaven and a new Earth and the former things, including evil and sin, will pass away. (See Revelation)

Why should anybody believe that?

Why do you? Do you have a reason? Do you require one?

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

God doesn't want robots serving him. God desires worshippers who love Him. This is why He gave us free will.

Sounds pretty selfish given the consequences for mankind.

If God wants to be loved, let him show himself and be lovable. That's what I would do. How would you handle that? Hide while letting gratuitous suffering continue, or present yourself and be a hero?

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

So what remains of "you" the person full of thoughts, both evil and good, memories of things said and done both evil and good?

Apparently, you become that robot we keep hearing that God has no interest in.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

Satan and his minions are at present confined to the vicinity of the earth, awaiting the time when they will be thrown into a deep prison of complete inactivity

An interesting and disconcerting strategy. Shouldn't Satan be allowed into heaven to continue tempting man? Why change that policy?

 

[columbus]

You are ignorant of the concept of heaven. In heaven the only ones who live there are spirits, like the angels are spiritual in nature. Most of the temptations here will not be there and Satan, the source of temptation and evil, isn't allowed in heaven without God's specific permission. Further, Satan and all of his followers will be in hell, forever separated from heaven.

This is the kind of unsupported, irrational, assertion that made me realize that Christianity is fiction.
I was born and raised in a very Christian home, with 12 years of Christian education, and people kept saying things like this.
So I eventually realized that they were making it up as they went along, and Christianity had nothing to do with reality. Jesus Christ, Superman, King Arthur, and Santa Claus all had one major thing in common. There is no reason to think that they exist, in any meaningful sense, except for there are people who want them to exist.
I prefer reality.
Tom

 

[Twilight Hue]

born into Christianity you are kind of scarred for life, you'll never get completely rid of it. I left it for Hinduism, then certain western philosophers and now I am kind of going back to it again, thanks to discovering Christian mystics, suddenly everything makes more sense now. I still wouldn't consider myself a Christian though anymore, I like some of their philosophy, I'm more a philosophical guy anyway that's what interests me in religions not the ceremonical stuff etc ...

I was never "scarred for life" but I think I understand where you are coming from.

Christianity has an allure brought about by its fraternal structure through a conceived "crisis" giving people a brothers in arms type of sensation.

I never regretted leaving Christianity personally,. in fact, it helped immensely in comparing things for which people want things to be, verses the actual way that things are.

Whenever I look back personally, it's mainly for reminiscent and analytical reasons.

Christianity is really so bizarre, that it's kind of fascinating as to how I even believed in something so detached and unrealistic in the first place. Like in cases of love, religion can be blind too until a time arises when the absurdities filter through, and you take notice of those things.

 

[Milton Platt]

For all the ex-Christians on here, I'm curious as to why you left your religion. This is, by no means, meant to attack Christians for their beliefs. I'm just curious, that's all.

I'm perhaps an outlyer, but I never was in the Christian camp, or religious camp in general because it seemed to conflict with what we actually knew about reality.

 

[Hella Jingles]

To be honest I left because of what some youtubers said.

I used to watch The Amazing Atheist, I still watch Sargon, Logicked, and Armoured Skeptic, and Aron Ra.
I allowed their views to seep into my mindset as I watched each video, but I realized the Anti-Theist me wasn't the true me.

Don't get me wrong. I still very much enjoy these youtubers (Minus TJ Kirk. Little too toxic for me). In fact I enjoy Aron Ra the most. It all falls in line with the fact that I can disagree with something somebody says and still enjoy their videos. I agree with most of what they say, which is why I'm a "Secular" Odinist. I can explain that in detail in a private conversation, along with Jameism, but this is why I left the church.

Honestly I've come to despise the corporation that is Christianity. Many Christians (Single members of the church) Are very nice people. Sure like every religion they have extremists, but none of the old people at my church would hurt a fly unless they fell on one.
Christianity isn't the exact corporation that Scientology is, but I can promise you my mother has given at least $200,000 to the Communion plate, in my lif time alone. This would vary for families of different class, fluctuating from middle to upper class that is. But churches make habits of raking in so much money.

I can't follow a religion that calls money the source of evil despite relying on it so heavily. Even if you want to argue that the money is need to keep churches running, you're basically saying it's okay to ignore our morals for a moment to get something done.

Odin doesn't want that of us. To Odin a man IS his morals and the deeds done with those morals, not the prayers and money he gives.

Put basically going full Anti-Theist opened my eyes to the crimes of the church. Then I spent a long time contemplating who I was and I saw I didn't want to be some edgy religion hater. I stay out of Christianity now because I don't agree with it and I'm not going to pretend to follow Capital G God just because my family wants me too, for the same reason I'm a secular Odinist because I don't believe outright in Gods but unlike many of the youtubers I watch I'll adhere to the words of Odin because he speaks some serious wisdom. I'm my own person finally. I chose Odin, I chose to be secular while choosing Odin. I choose not to enter the church. I choose not to waste potential millions of dollars to a God I don't agree with. It's really that simple.

 

[DavidFirth]

So what remains of "you" the person full of thoughts, both evil and good, memories of things said and done both evil and good? Is it even "you" anymore? Consider this; Christians believe there is no unhappiness in heaven, but if "I" get to heaven knowing that people I love are suffering in hell, I'm not going to be happy. If the "thing" in heaven that used to be me is happy, then it isn't me anymore is it? It is a facsimile of me, an eternal happy robot that has had independent thought and memory wiped out of its memory banks. So why should I care about going to heaven, because it won't be me anymore, correct? I'll be a 'new creation', from what you say an eternally joyous android?

No trick questions David, I've never heard satisfactory answers to those questions, that's all. I think the idea of eternal bliss, or eternal conscious torment are deeply flawed concepts, I don't think they are even coherent. Interested to hear how you join the dots yourself.

The Revelation says that God will wipe away all tears from our eyes. What that means exactly I do not know but I believe He will. I know that I will be filled with joy in heaven. I even have joy while here on Earth.

I don't want to be the "sinful" me. I want to be holy, like God is holy. All Christians are undergoing a transformation into being holy. Without holiness no one can enter into heaven.

It will still be you. A holy, healthy joyful you. All you need do is believe in the Gospel and all of God's promises are available to you.

 

[DavidFirth]

I encourage each person to read the Bible carefully for themselves, trusting in God to provide the answers to the hard questions in His time. He has answered many of mine. I can only testify of my own spiritual adventure in Christ.

God made you a unique individual for a very good purpose. Try to discover what that purpose is and pursue it. This is the way to true happiness.

 

[It Aint Necessarily So]

God made you a unique individual for a very good purpose. Try to discover what that purpose is and pursue it. This is the way to true happiness.

What do you have to say to the person who is happy outside of that belief system? What is the incentive to enter it? Promises that cannot be verified and need not be kept aren't enticing. I would need to see a reason in this life.

One of the benefits of this message board activity is the opportunity to interact with many Christians and get a sense of how their faith affects them. Shouldn't we be seeing some type of excellence in the believers if they are connected to the creator of the universe and have access to His advice? Shouldn't they be smarter, kinder, happier, more serene, more jovial, or in some other way better off than unbelievers going through life using only their internal moral compass and reasoning faculty? Shouldn't they people that others are drawn to - people that others want to be like and to be with more than other kinds of people? I see a set of people with no apparent benefit from believing. Belief may be giving them hope or purpose, but that wouldn't make them better people, just more comfortable.

Don't you agree that if the Christian religion is the true religion and its god the true god, that those studying Christianity and worshiping the Christian god should be noticeably better off for it? Isn't that the witness that would persuade or at least entice?

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

I encourage each person to read the Bible carefully for themselves, trusting in God to provide the answers to the hard questions in His time.

And when people have done this? Wait wait; we're not doing it right, right? We're not patient enough? So just keep pretending and denying oneself for an absentee god and an empty promise.

Give me a break.

It's people like the above that was another reason I left and remain away from christianity; pure, unbridled desperation to convert to and keep people that they don't know (or really care about) in their religion for non-specific reasons outside herd mentality. No thank you.

 

[Desert Snake]

And when people have done this? Wait wait; we're not doing it right, right? We're not patient enough? So just keep pretending and denying oneself for an absentee god and an empty promise.

Give me a break.

It's people like the above that was another reason I left and remain away from christianity; pure, unbridled desperation to convert to and keep people that they don't know (or really care about) in their religion for non-specific reasons outside herd mentality. No thank you.

Are you sure it isn't just a different herd?

 

[The Kilted Heathen]

Are you sure it isn't just a different herd?

Quite sure.

 

[David1967]

For all the ex-Christians on here, I'm curious as to why you left your religion. This is, by no means, meant to attack Christians for their beliefs. I'm just curious, that's all.

I've left the fundamentalist brand of Christianity. I found it too hateful and arrogant to represent Christ. But deny Christ? No, I will not.

 

[McBell]

For all the ex-Christians on here, I'm curious as to why you left your religion. This is, by no means, meant to attack Christians for their beliefs. I'm just curious, that's all.

Mainly because I disagree with the way so many Christians interpret the Bible.

For example:

1. The Onan story is not about masturbation
2. Judge Not lest ye be judged is not a command to not judge
3. Adam and Eve is not about marriage

 

[McBell]

This is the kind of unsupported, irrational, assertion that made me realize that Christianity is fiction.
I was born and raised in a very Christian home, with 12 years of Christian education, and people kept saying things like this.
So I eventually realized that they were making it up as they went along, and Christianity had nothing to do with reality. Jesus Christ, Superman, King Arthur, and Santa Claus all had one major thing in common. There is no reason to think that they exist, in any meaningful sense, except for there are people who want them to exist.
I prefer reality.
Tom

Things like this hav epushed me to start asking "Will the real Christianity PLEASE stand up?"
The more Christians I hear the more I wonder which version is the "real" Christianity.

 

[DanielR]

I was never "scarred for life" but I think I understand where you are coming from.

Christianity has an allure brought about by its fraternal structure through a conceived "crisis" giving people a brothers in arms type of sensation.

I never regretted leaving Christianity personally,. in fact, it helped immensely in comparing things for which people want things to be, verses the actual way that things are.

Whenever I look back personally, it's mainly for reminiscent and analytical reasons.

Christianity is really so bizarre, that it's kind of fascinating as to how I even believed in something so detached and unrealistic in the first place. Like in cases of love, religion can be blind too until a time arises when the absurdities filter through, and you take notice of those things.

with me I always feel paranoid about God, like he is watching me and judging me no matter what I do. For example when I was studying Advaita I always felt like god was gonna punish me. It's a very unhealthy relationship.

I don't know if I'll ever escape Christianity's fangs, even my current interest in Neoplatonism seems like a compromise. Oh well

 

[Katzpur]

It has been really interesting reading the posts on this thread, some excellent posts ladies and gentlemen, so much has resonated for me as an ex-Christian I doff my cap. It is a tribute to the power of indoctrination that I find myself slightly surprised that ex LDS and ex Jehovah's Witnesses are on a thread about leaving Christianity. You weren't real Christians like me, has nobody ever explained that to you?

Enough times that if I had a nickel for every one of them, I'd never want for anything ever again. I just figure my being "Christian" or not is a matter between me and God, not a matter between me and some random Mormon-hater on an internet forum.