For those who have lost your Christian Faith

[Smilin]

Have you lost it here as a member or before joining?

The longer I've staid here, the deeper the wedge that
has been driven between myself and what I once believed.

Any other perspectives, comments, or stories to share?

Understand, I search daily for spiritual truth. Yet my
experience here has not been a positive reinforcement
for my returning to the Christian faith for a variety of
reasons.

Any others feel the same out there?

 

[crystalpc]

Have you lost it here as a member or before joining?

The longer I've staid here, the deeper the wedge that
has been driven between myself and what I once believed.

Any other perspectives, comments, or stories to share?

Understand, I search daily for spiritual truth. Yet my
experience here has not been a positive reinforcement
for my returning to the Christian faith for a variety of
reasons.

Any others feel the same out there?

Were you ever a Christian? The definition follower of Jesus Christ, who believes the Gospel as it was handed down to the church through the apostles.
Remember to follow someone you have to read what he did, said, and what is said about him by those who were eyewitnesses, and do it.

 

[gaijin178]

I was a Christian at one time....left maybe 8 years ago. When I came to this site, I came to learn. I have learned a lot and continue to learn. I also have learned that I will never be a Christian again. That is not the path that I would like to take. I do however, support anyone's path as long as it is sincere and that it is the right path for them. So I am in favor of someone changing to Christianity or away from Christianity...as long as it is best for them. It was best for me to leave Christianity and lead a different path.

 

[prayerposition17]

Never believed in a God persay, to fantastical. Coming here was my friends idea to make me convert to christianity. Not that I'm complaining but it really didnt work. Strived me more away from the faith.

 

[Lavis Knight]

Have you lost it here as a member or before joining?

The longer I've staid here, the deeper the wedge that
has been driven between myself and what I once believed.

Any other perspectives, comments, or stories to share?

Understand, I search daily for spiritual truth. Yet my
experience here has not been a positive reinforcement
for my returning to the Christian faith for a variety of
reasons.

Any others feel the same out there?

I only began actively seeking God once i lost it, and soon after i found myself on Christian message boards. I used to think that i could find God in like a few weeks tops than i would be Christian or other religion again... but it's been over a year and things seem only more hopeless.

What about you Smilin? Iv'e never really known what you believe in. Care to share ^^ i would always like to learn more, i mean if the TOS allows it if not maybe you can pm me?

Thanks ^__^

-Lavis

 

[crystalpc]

I only began actively seeking God once i lost it, and soon after i found myself on Christian message boards. I used to think that i could find God in like a few weeks tops than i would be Christian or other religion again... but it's been over a year and things seem only more hopeless.

What about you Smilin? Iv'e never really known what you believe in. Care to share ^^ i would always like to learn more, i mean if the TOS allows it if not maybe you can pm me?

Thanks ^__^

-Lavis

Are you looking to christians, or to Christ. Jesus said unless a man be born again he will in no wise see the kingdom of God. We are not to follow human beings, in only that they follow Jesus.

 

[Smilin]

What about you Smilin? Iv'e never really known what you believe in. Care to share ^^ i would always like to learn more, i mean if the TOS allows it if not maybe you can pm me?

Thanks ^__^

-Lavis

I started to study the heritage of my Father's side. He is full-blooded
Tsalagi (Cherokee), I am half-blooded. Many questions in my life
were answered when I began to study, adapt, and follow the teachings
of my ancestors. A once proud, peaceful, spiritual nation. Now,
scattered to the winds as leaves in the Fall. Now I walk the Red Road.
The Spirit of the Wolf is my guide, for I descended from the Wolf Clan
of the Cherokee and by tradition it is my spiritual guide through life.
Most of what I've experienced few would believe or just wave away
as conincidence. Yet, what the Tsalagi traditionalists have taught
me during my communion with them explains much. IOW, the
ancient beliefs, traditions suit me and bring me comfort.

To the other inquiries:

Yes, I was a Christian. 15+ years; not counting the periods
I straid from the faith. Raised in a small, isolated community and
taught the fundamentalist POV's of the Christian religion. I broke
from that path when I began seeking answers to very tough
questions. Those questions that most Christians just 'accept'. That is not
my way, for I was given a very inquisitive and exploratory nature.


My inquiries are for other stories and lessons learned by
those who lost their Christian faith.

As I stated earlier, at times I wish I could return to
Christianity. Yet, from what I've witnessed of those
who are considered Christians.... I want no part of
those behaviors, actions, hate, and bigotry.

The footprints we leave behind, determines how we will
always be remembered.

 

[Smilin]

I only began actively seeking God once i lost it, and soon after i found myself on Christian message boards. I used to think that i could find God in like a few weeks tops than i would be Christian or other religion again... but it's been over a year and things seem only more hopeless.

So, how have the message boards affected you in your spiritual search?

 

[Zoot]

I had moved beyond Christianity before I started posting on Christian Forums, but I wouldn't say CF has driven any further wedge between me and those beliefs.

 

[MysteryProf]

I was already beyond all hope of returning to Christianity before I started posting on these boards -- but I'm here because the history and interpretation of the Bible and of the early Christians' work still fascinates me, so I like to talk about it.

 

[Dark_Lite]

Once again, it sounds like some people got shot by the fundie bullet.

I swear fundamentalist Christianity is probably one of the biggest deconverting tools, if not THE biggest.....

 

[crystalpc]

www.livingwaters.com

 

[ericf]

I lost my faith a long time before I found this site. I am not really sure if this site would help or hurt it.

 

[Amandine]

I didn't lose my faith. I finally found it. Christianity does nothing but lie about what the original Bible truly says. I trust it's Testament now about as much as I trust Mormonism.

Harsh words yes, but it's so hard to describe how I feel in light terms anymore.

 

[Cerridwen]

Hey~

Once again, it sounds like some people got shot by the fundie bullet.
I swear fundamentalist Christianity is probably one of the biggest deconverting tools, if not THE biggest.....

I completely agree with you, honey. One instance I remember in paritcular was being forced in high school to sit through a horrendously graphic anti-abortion video in YFC when I was 13.

I, like a few of the others here, began to lose my faith in Christianity when I started to have questions it had no answers for. I read the Bible, cover to cover, studied religiously(pardon the pun), & still couldn't make heads or tails of it. Since I've gotten older, I've formed my own more informed opinions as to what that book contains & the lack of actual truth behind it, but that's another thread.

I was born into a Christian family, was Christened at birth, & baptised when I was 8. I went to church every Sunday, sang in the choir, belonged to Youth Group & YFC, & went to Bible School every Summer. Where the problems came were when I began to question why we were expected to blindly follow everything we were taught without knowing for ourselves whether it was really true or not. My infintiely curious & analytical mind could not accept that, so I began to study on my own instead of just swallowing everything they fed me. The more I studied, the more Christianity fell apart for me. After much soul-searching, I finally came to tradtional Wicca. (not new-agey, fluffy, pink unicorn Wicca, either) It was like a "homecoming" of sorts for me, because it fit with what I felt already. It makes sense to me, & I've never been more at peace with myself or my spirituality.

As far as the forums go, I came here to try to help clear up the misinformation that seems to run so rampant in regards to my religion or those like mine, & to offer a difference of opinion on various topics that affect us all. Being here has definitely reinforced the fact that I'll never be Christian again, but it's also shown me that there are still some balanced & open minded Chrisitans out there. Those people, I have the utmost respect for. However their counterparts, the bigots & the fundies. I worry about, because their opinions, no matter how wrong they are, are dangerous. Their opinions & their false information get people killed, so I do my part to put a stop to it.

I think anyone who presumes to know what God thinks, or feels, or wants is very arrogant & misinformed indeed, & they should be ashamed of themselves. I don't think the Gods really care one way or another how we worship them, or even if we worship them at all. Since no one knows what the Gods "want" then no one has the authority to tell anyone else they are doing it wrong.

Love & Blessings, Cerridwen*

 

[vajradhara]

Namaste Smilin,

thank you for the post.

Have you lost it here as a member or before joining?

before joining. the "internet" didn't exist as a medium for communication outside of some specialized research facilities

The longer I've staid here, the deeper the wedge that
has been driven between myself and what I once believed.

generally speaking, i agree. actually, what i've seen demonstrated quite clearly here is that there are at least three main "flavors" of Christian adherents... two of them make me glad that i'm not longer in the religion.. the other one gives me hope.

Understand, I search daily for spiritual truth. Yet my
experience here has not been a positive reinforcement
for my returning to the Christian faith for a variety of
reasons.

Any others feel the same out there?

absolutely agreed! i don't want to bash my Christian brethren and sistern, suffice it to say that i wish them all the best on their spiritual journey.

 

[Rae]

Have you lost it here as a member or before joining?

Long before. I didn't want to lose it, either. It hurt like blazes. But then the Gods found me, so I got over it. (To some degree...I still have major issues with Christianity, but I no longer want to be a Christian or cry over the loss of Christian mythos.)

The longer I've staid here, the deeper the wedge that has been driven between myself and what I once believed.

Amen, brother. Preach it.

my experience here has not been a positive reinforcement for my returning to the Christian faith

Indeed. As a new deconvert, myself, I took part in an e-mail list largely made up of atheists and agnostics. The two or three Christians on there were mean-spirited, unjustifiably nasty, and truly sad representatives of humanity. When I called one of them on it, as I felt (naively enough) that Christians should be an example of a better way of life, he sputtered that I didn't understand how hard it was having to deal with non-Christians. (I then reasonably replied that perhaps he should give up talking to them, as he definitely wasn't making a good case for himself as a person or his faith as a Christian. He didn't listen to me.)

I find no Christians on here who are Biblical inerrantists who make me sorry I've left Christianity, none who make me smile and wish there were more people like them in the world. I've found many liberal Christians who do. Currently, however, I'd rather eat rat poison than be a Biblical inerrantist again. I find their theology blasphemous and their treatment of their fellow human beings impolite at best. (And then they usually have the nerve to say that non-Christians get insulted by them because they're telling "the truth," not because of the constant insults they hurl at us ... grr ...)

Once again, it sounds like some people got shot by the fundie bullet.

I swear fundamentalist Christianity is probably one of the biggest deconverting tools, if not THE biggest.....

Indeed it is.

 

[Mephster]

Have you lost it here as a member or before joining?

The longer I've stayed here, the deeper the wedge that
has been driven between myself and what I once believed.

Any other perspectives, comments, or stories to share?

Understand, I search daily for spiritual truth. Yet my
experience here has not been a positive reinforcement
for my returning to the Christian faith for a variety of
reasons.

Any others feel the same out there?

To be bluntly and not-purposefully offensive, Christians (as a people) are not (as you say) "a positive reinforcement for my returning to the Christian faith." But there is tremendous merit and intelligence and wisdom and so forth in the theology and scriptures and writings of Christianity. Most Christians that I meet nowadays (online and IRL - in the States) are hell on earth. Most do not know their religion, cannot understand an historical timeline, have no ability with grappling with religious diversity, cannot argue in a logical fashion, resort to emotivist and hostile tactics, and have no concept of solid apologetical practice.

I "left my religion" gradually and quietly since 1998. Being on this particular website has only increased my research into Religion.

 

[Lavis Knight]

Are you looking to christians, or to Christ. Jesus said unless a man be born again he will in no wise see the kingdom of God. We are not to follow human beings, in only that they follow Jesus.

It's not as easy as that, if i could turn to God and get all my answers i would of had them a long time ago.

Jesus was part human being even though he was supposedly perfect and he also left the church in the hands of human beings, because i believe Jesus had faith in those who follow him because he loves them.. does that not speak to the fact that it should be possible to look at Christians and see the divine there?

 

[Lavis Knight]

So, how have the message boards affected you in your spiritual search?

Sigh i find it harder because i am exposed to so many worldviews.. i'm sorry if i am being depressive but the search for God seems hopeless.