What de-conversion feels like

[Grizzly]

I support you to start a thread on this issue as I seem to be too blinded to see the truth you have seen.

I was speaking about the Holy Trinity. Outside of this belief, everyone believes that 1+1+1=3. But somehow when it comes to the trinity, Christians are supposed to believe otherwise.

 

[Grizzly]

Ive found it hard. I continue to find it hard. For me it wasnt a choice i made. Rather it was an accumulation of evidence against Christianity which lead to my faith evapourating.

Whilst it is liberating to know that hell doesnt await some people (possibly me included). It is distressing to realise that there is no omnipotent God in charge of things - making sure nothing catastrophic happens. I now feel very exposed and vulnerable. Any of my friends or family could suffer or die at any moment for no good reason. The universe is brutally arbitrary. I still havent come to terms with this.

There is a flip side to everything. For example, my brother suffers from schizophrenia. He remains a devout Christian, and he suffers greatly because he feels that God is punishing him for something he did (or didn't do). I see my brothers suffering as a result of a genetic defect, not the punishment of an all Loving God. If the universe is brutally arbitrary, then its may be easier to accept what happens rather that to try and divine some mysterious purpose of some silent God.

 

[savvy]

Ive found it hard. I continue to find it hard. For me it wasnt a choice i made. Rather it was an accumulation of evidence against Christianity which lead to my faith evapourating.

Whilst it is liberating to know that hell doesnt await some people (possibly me included). It is distressing to realise that there is no omnipotent God in charge of things - making sure nothing catastrophic happens. I now feel very exposed and vulnerable. Any of my friends or family could suffer or die at any moment for no good reason. The universe is brutally arbitrary. I still havent come to terms with this.

I find it easier to believe and find comfort in the fact that bad things happen as a course of nature, or random chance, rather than that there is a divine power purposely causing evil and suffering in the world. The God of most religions is capricious and untrustworthy. I'd take an arbitrary universe over a god any day.

 

[Osiris]

Nice quote Roark...

(Robert G. Ingersoll)

When I became convinced that the universe is natural, that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom. The walls of my prison crumbled and fell. The dungeon was flooded with light and all the bolts and bars and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf, or a slave. There was for me no master in all the wide world, not even in infinite space. I was free--free to think, to express my thoughts--free to live my own ideal, free to live for myself and those I loved, free to use all my faculties, all my senses, free to spread imagination's wings, free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope, free to judge and determine for myself . . . I was free! I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously faced all worlds.​

​

I have a feeling though, that christians will get the wrong idea when reading this. They will surely think that you disklike rules, you like doing whatever you want even if its morally wrong... and when you found out that god may just be a myth , you were free to do whatever you wanted without any concequences.



I will have to say that I really could relate to this... I have put thought into this before, and I would like to add that the feeling of freedom wasn't because I realized that God may be just a myth... when I think of it, I would really love for an all Loving Creator to exist (I don't know of anyone who wouldn't want him to exist, as long as he is not a tyrant like most religions make him up to be)... I feel that the freedom, the joy, free to guess, to dream and hope that you talk about in your quote - is about freedom from Christianity and Religion.

The imprisonment that you mentioned -- I could only relate it the readings of Nietzsche... were one does not adquire happiness by following the values of others; one can only find true happiness by following what one values. The way he put it was that, true values can only come from ourselves, any thing else would be false values (This is why many people think Nietzsche was a Nihilist). Christianity is other people's values, and when one de-converts the way you described, I would feel that it would only mean that one is free from the values of Christianity... which are false values... and one is now free, unrestricted to fully experience one's own values.

 

[TheListener]

I was speaking about the Holy Trinity. Outside of this belief, everyone believes that 1+1+1=3. But somehow when it comes to the trinity, Christians are supposed to believe otherwise.

If you try to apply empirical measurements on a being which exists outside of our senses & understanding of course you'll get such results.

 

[tkoman]

I was speaking about the Holy Trinity. Outside of this belief, everyone believes that 1+1+1=3. But somehow when it comes to the trinity, Christians are supposed to believe otherwise.

1x1x1=1

 

[Hairy Reasoner]

A simple google search will lead to tons of deconversion stories, in case anyone finds that sort of thing interesting. I know of a couple long, very detailed ones that are especially good. and well written, one, on "that other site," and this one: Faith Dissolved, what I am without you. Interesting because it is a series of journal entries recorded while the deconversion was in progress, which is pretty unusual. Most deconversion stories are only written down after the fact. This is the only one I know of like this, recorded as it happened, and it is a fantastic read.

 

[sc4s2cg]

It feels good to not be part of the misenlightened

Whoa..we agree on something!

G-d bless,
sc

 

[Osiris]

1x1x1=1

Jehova and Jesus and the Holy Spirit does not imply multiplication.

 

[TheListener]

Jehova and Jesus and the Holy Spirit does not imply multiplication.

Nor does it imply addition.

 

[sc4s2cg]

G-d bless,
sc

 

[Osiris]

1x1x1=1

Jehova and Jesus and the Holy Spirit does not imply multiplication.

But then... wouldn't multiplying 1's fail because that would mean that Zeus, Thor, Poseidon and other gods could be part of this circle : 1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x1x=1 .... which would prove the trinity wrong...

 

[Osiris]

Nor does it imply addition.

Actually, it does...
Here's a math problem:
In 2006, Jehova, Jesus and the Holy Spirit went to the movie theaters. They wanted to see "Rendezvous with Rama", but they wouldn't be able to see it unless they had tickets. Jehova was the father, he carried the money in his wallet; How many tickets would Jehova have to buy so that Jehova and Jesus and the Holy Spirit could go in and watch the movie together? (Note: Jehova, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are not allowed to use any kind of powers else they would be kicked out of the theater.)

 

[Natro]

snip



G-d bless,
sc

That doesn't make sense now if it said the Father is 1/3 of God the son was 1/3 of God and the Spirit was 1/3 of God then it would make sense. Right now gods at 300%.

 

[TheListener]

Very clever...

 

[Natro]

Very clever...

Yes yes I am

 

[pantsman52]

It feels like comming out from under a rock.

 

[70judge]

it is a very difficult thing to do. it is much easier to just go along and accept what you are told or just fake it. in my case the first 50 years of my life were spent as a baptist. my whole network was based on the church and friends from church. on top of that if you have a wife that is the emotional type and is still sold on the story it makes it even harder. i live in a lower educated part of the united states. in this part of the country almost everyone believes. it takes much more inner strength to oppose the constant indoctrination than just go along and fake it.

 

[Zoot]

I didn't have Ingersoll's euphoric experience. Realising that there was no God was losing a friend, even though imaginary, and pulled the ground out from under me.

 

[anunbeliever]

Another thing i found hard - still find hard - is the reaction of my Christian friends. They have been supportive, certainly. However, by me saying that i dont believe in Christianity, i am implicitly accusing them of being deluded. Those who practice spiritual gifts like tongues - well i'm effectively calling them a loon. Nothing is said, but they must feel it.