? A Question For All Former Christians Who Fell Away ?

[YahDough]

This is a question addressed only to former Christians who have left the faith.

Why did you become a Christian?
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[KenRU]

[Replying to post 219 by Divine Insight]

Perhaps when YahDough cut and paste from his Creationist site, he never read what it contained. It's tough to imagine (comical actually) that Yah would think that one of the world's leading evolutionary biologist believes his own field has been debunked.

-all the best

[OnceConvinced]

Children who are indoctrinated into Christianity from birth, without a born again experience of their own can get false understanding of who Christ is and what He requires. So it become much easier to "shake Him off" than carry the cross He asks us to.

I would say that if you are indoctrinated into Christianity, then being born again would be taught to you as something you need to do. It certainly was for me. Going to Sunday school I was always taught that you must be born again. And being a gullible child, believing everything your parents and Sunday School teachers are telling you, you will believe it without question and you will sincerely go through the religious ritual of the sinner's prayer and thus be born again. I doubt there are many small indoctrinated children who have NOT gone through that process and done it because it was expected of them and they wanted to please the adults and also God.

For me and many others like me, it was a sincere act. Did I fully understand what I was doing? Maybe not, which is why I rededicated my life to God as a teenager. It wasn't until I was 16 when I finally got water baptized. My parents wanted to make sure I fully understood it all before I did get baptized.

[OnceConvinced]

Children who are indoctrinated into Christianity from birth, without a born again experience of their own can get false understanding of who Christ is and what He requires. So it become much easier to "shake Him off" than carry the cross He asks us to.

I would argue the opposite. Being born into something that your whole life, family friends, and everything around you revolves is much harder than a person who converts. The shame you go through when you have come to the conclusion that your deeply held beliefs are incorrect is much harder when you have to face your family and friends, your wife, your kids. So to put it frankly, the decision for the one born into the faith is much harder and that causes the doubter to have to really investigate as to not ruin the life that they share with so many fellow believers.

So true! I have been an Ex-Christian now for 8 years but the majority of my friends and family don't realize this. I have kept it under my hat. I know that I would be shunned by many while being made a target of evangelism by others. I am very cautious about who I reveal it to. Even my mother still preaches at me as if I am still believer, but just a slightly slack one for no longer going to church. If my mother knew the full truth, she would be nagging and nagging at me, preaching and preaching. We would get into some major arguments and just piss each other off. She would also be heartbroken too.

Why would I put her or me through that?

BTW, great to see you are still around Nickman!

[Nickman]

Children who are indoctrinated into Christianity from birth, without a born again experience of their own can get false understanding of who Christ is and what He requires. So it become much easier to "shake Him off" than carry the cross He asks us to.

I would argue the opposite. Being born into something that your whole life, family friends, and everything around you revolves is much harder than a person who converts. The shame you go through when you have come to the conclusion that your deeply held beliefs are incorrect is much harder when you have to face your family and friends, your wife, your kids. So to put it frankly, the decision for the one born into the faith is much harder and that causes the doubter to have to really investigate as to not ruin the life that they share with so many fellow believers.

So true! I have been an Ex-Christian now for 8 years but the majority of my friends and family don't realize this. I have kept it under my hat. I know that I would be shunned by many while being made a target of evangelism by others. I am very cautious about who I reveal it to. Even my mother still preaches at me as if I am still believer, but just a slightly slack one for no longer going to church. If my mother knew the full truth, she would be nagging and nagging at me, preaching and preaching. We would get into some major arguments and just piss each other off. She would also be heartbroken too.

Why would I put her or me through that?

BTW, great to see you are still around Nickman!

Thanks, I took a break for a bit, but always have that itch to debate. It is a great outlet.

It is tough making that decision. I was stupid and came out immediately and ruined a marriage, even though it probably wouldn't have lasted if I came out more cautiously. Being married to someone so devoted that they don't care about facts even when provided to them would never last.

[OnceConvinced]

It is tough making that decision. I was stupid and came out immediately and ruined a marriage, even though it probably wouldn't have lasted if I came out more cautiously. Being married to someone so devoted that they don't care about facts even when provided to them would never last.

I am currently in a relationship with a woman who claims to be a Christian, but she hates churches and would rather avoid the people in them. She sees them mainly as hypocrites. I don't see her as an "Active" Christian, but she gets upset if I give her any atheists arguments. She's the type who blocks her ears and doesn't even want to hear it. She just can't handle hearing anything that might shatter her beliefs. A very weak faith no doubt. So I just don't bother talking to her about religion. Avoids conflict.

It's a tough one. Many Christians really just don't understand how much of a big deal losing ones faith is. They probably never will unless it happens to them.

[Nickman]

It is tough making that decision. I was stupid and came out immediately and ruined a marriage, even though it probably wouldn't have lasted if I came out more cautiously. Being married to someone so devoted that they don't care about facts even when provided to them would never last.

I am currently in a relationship with a woman who claims to be a Christian, but she hates churches and would rather avoid the people in them. She sees them mainly as hypocrites. I don't see her as an "Active" Christian, but she gets upset if I give her any atheists arguments. She's the type who blocks her ears and doesn't even want to hear it. She just can't handle hearing anything that might shatter her beliefs. A very weak faith no doubt. So I just don't bother talking to her about religion. Avoids conflict.

It's a tough one. Many Christians really just don't understand how much of a big deal losing ones faith is. They probably never will unless it happens to them.

I am in the same boat. My girl is Catholic, but not very devout until the subject comes up. We rarely ever talk about it. Luckily she understands my position and I understand hers. She does her thing and I do mine. It works pretty good. I have even went to church with her on a few occasions just to show her I support her no matter what our differences may be.

[YahDough]

Evolution has a mountain of evidence to support its accuracy.

Ever hear of "making mountains out of mole hills?"
Creation has the (rhema) word of God to support its accuracy.

It would be more correct to say that creation has the word of those who claim to speak for God as support. Evolution has actual evidence.

The evidence of evolution is fabricated from false assumptions.

With Creation there is a starting point. Evolution can't even address the beginning point. Evolution theory just assumes the process.

It is correct that evolution does not address the starting point. It looks at what does exist: the diversity of living entities, and provides a process that explains it and that matches available evidence.

No. Evolution is just a wrong guess promoted by ungodly men to try to take the Creator God out of the picture.

Still, not knowing how life started does not disprove the fact that evolution occurs.

Yes it does. Without a "start point" there is nothing to "evolve."

Of course there was a starting point. The fact that we have yet to uncover all of the details of that starting point does not nullify what we have learned about the process since then.

The starting point was the "Beginning" of time. That's when the "paintbrush" of God went to work. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

[Divine Insight]

Evolution is just a wrong guess promoted by ungodly men to try to take the Creator God out of the picture.

Surely you don't seriously expect any rational individuals to accept the position you have just proposed here?

[YahDough]

Evolution is just a wrong guess promoted by ungodly men to try to take the Creator God out of the picture.

Surely you don't seriously expect any rational individuals to accept the position you have just proposed here?

I don't always know what to expect from "rational individuals". But I am learning to expect the ungodly ones to "rant" against and reject the Truth.

[Divine Insight]

I don't always know what to expect from "rational individuals".

I wouldn't question that claim in the least.

But I am learning to expect the ungodly ones to "rant" against and reject the Truth.

Well, before you label people as being "ungodly" I would suggest that you first provide some sort of rational evidence that the term has any meaning.

And obviously since I expect that you would be referencing this label to a particular "God" you should first provide rational evidence that the God exists.

Because let's not forget that many people who believe in God's that you don't believe in would no doubt label you to be an "ungodly" person as well.

For example Christians accuse Muslims as being "ungodly" and Muslims accuse Christians of being "ungodly". So ironically all believers in the Abrahamic religions are necessarily "ungodly" according to their own Abrahamic brothers.