JestAJester · 31-35, M
I won't say what nomination I came from. I was in it from birth. Its all I ever knew at the time. Thinking back I don't think I actually believe in it. It was just something we were suppose to do, something we were taught. Sort of how like we were taught about Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny. But with religion there were no other modes of thought presented to me. I didn't get out much, I was homeschooled, no friends. I had many questions for years that no one could answer and I wasn't well educated enough to articulate my thoughts and neither could I go to my parents about it. I was scolded by our preacher for things such as masturbation. He told me I was essentially violating girls in my mind. Thats a horrible thing to tell a teenager. I finally had a chance to go back to public school. It was there I started learning hard lessons in life but they helped me to grow. I began questioning more and more, slowly doubting my "faith". Waiting for answer from God but it never came. It wasn't until my first and best friend essentially betrayed me and relinquished our friendship. According to him he was plague with nightmares and became distraught over them. He assumed it was a message from God that he is living a sinful life and that he must changed his ways. He cursed everything he had a passion for. He was into video games, horror movies, and metal. None of which was inherently evil and neither did any of it exhibit evil, he was just overreacting. And he said to me that God came first in his life, that it didn't matter if I stayed or went away, as long as he had God, his life was rich. I didn't know how to handle that, I was devastated. Before that conversation he was already distancing himself from me. I decided to walk away and not once did we ever speak again. Not once did he ever make amends and rekindle our friendship. I cursed God and religion for taking away my friend. I went to a preacher in another branch shortly after. My father forced me. He was angry with me that I wouldn't attend church. He attempted to force an explanation out of me in my bedroom before hand. We sat there in awkward silence for what felt like hours. I refused to speak or even look at him. What could he possibly understand? We never had your typical father son bond. He was more like landlord or roommate to me. I never really felt an emotional connection with him. So he made me speak with the preacher and promised to drop the issue if I spoke with him, so I did. I was in there for probably 2 or 3 hours pouring my soul out. I don't remember what was said and I don't think the preacher said anything convincing enough for me to come back. He certainly did not have the answers I sought. And that was the last time I ever stepped inside of a church. No one from my church ever sought me out. The people whom I thought were my friends never called me or asked about me. I was easily forgotten. I was 18 at the time when I finally left. I burned both my bibles without regret. And for 14 years I have never looked back. For a long time I hated and cursed God and religion. The hate eventually turned into skepticism. I became a skeptic in many different forms, learning to question everything I've ever been told and never taking anything at face value. It wasn't until college when I took a philosophy class when I started asking the big questions and trying to find answers. I spoke with many Christians but they all gave the same archaic and empty answers. No foundation or evidence for their positions of faith. I decided I was an atheist. Nobody could give me a straight answer so I thought to myself how can something like God and the afterlife possibly exist if there is no explanation for it? How can people believe in something based purely on faith? A system of belief that is literally based on lack of evidence, don't believe me, look up the definition. I wasn't terribly fond of bible thumping Christians for a very long time and actively avoided them. It made me extremely uncomfortable and even angry sometimes. To this day I still search for answers. Not necessarily about God but what is the meaning of life? Is there a meaning? Is there a purpose? What is my purpose? And I fell into an existential crisis that was the basis of my depression and anxiety for many years all through college and after. In some ways I am still depressed and anxious about the future and my purpose but I have decided to work harder to achieve my goal. I have little to no direction on where I should go but I am still trying.
NerdyPotato · M
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Jokersswild · 22-25
@Diotrephes I hear you, and you're right. That’s also one of my points as well: when people say, "Thus saith the Lord," what they mean is, "Thus saith the writer who claimed God said it."
When it comes to Jesus, though, we have a bit more to go on. His words were heard by multiple witnesses, mainly the 12 disciples. The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are essentially four different historical accounts. If the early followers had conspired to invent the entire story, someone from that time would have exposed it. Christianity couldn’t have sprouted out of nowhere. And if Jesus didn't say those words, surely, the other disciples would have called out the writers of the Gospels.
Beyond the Bible, we also have first century sources like the Jewish historian Josephus. He wasn’t a Christian, so he had no reason to promote Jesus or Christianity, especially considering Christianity was seen as a rival to Judaism at the time. Then there’s the Roman historian Tacitus (non-Christian), who, in his Annals (116 AD), references Jesus’ trial under Pontius Pilate.
The Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD and the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero also confirm the presence and influence of the Christian movement in the first century.
We also have the Catacombs of Rome, like those of Priscilla and Callixtus, they contain Christian symbols and artwork.
I can understand if you don't believe Jesus walked on water or performed miracles, but the man existed.
When it comes to Jesus, though, we have a bit more to go on. His words were heard by multiple witnesses, mainly the 12 disciples. The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are essentially four different historical accounts. If the early followers had conspired to invent the entire story, someone from that time would have exposed it. Christianity couldn’t have sprouted out of nowhere. And if Jesus didn't say those words, surely, the other disciples would have called out the writers of the Gospels.
Beyond the Bible, we also have first century sources like the Jewish historian Josephus. He wasn’t a Christian, so he had no reason to promote Jesus or Christianity, especially considering Christianity was seen as a rival to Judaism at the time. Then there’s the Roman historian Tacitus (non-Christian), who, in his Annals (116 AD), references Jesus’ trial under Pontius Pilate.
The Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD and the persecution of Christians under Emperor Nero also confirm the presence and influence of the Christian movement in the first century.
We also have the Catacombs of Rome, like those of Priscilla and Callixtus, they contain Christian symbols and artwork.
I can understand if you don't believe Jesus walked on water or performed miracles, but the man existed.
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LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
@Jokersswild I agree there was almost certainly a man named Yeshua who was nailed to a piece of wood for saying how nice it would be if everyone was nicer to each other. It's just unfortunately he got tacked on to a religion full of all sorts of nastiness.
ArishMell · 70-79, M
I did not really "leave my religion". I wasn't brought up drowning in any religion, just a rather light Anglican background.
So having no reason particularly to escape intellectual and social suffocation, I simply stopped believing in God whan I was about twelve.
Although my views on religion generally have changed and developed with my increasing years of knowledge - including understanding that Anglicanism is not the only denomination of Christianity itself not the only religion - I have found no reason to be religious.
So having no reason particularly to escape intellectual and social suffocation, I simply stopped believing in God whan I was about twelve.
Although my views on religion generally have changed and developed with my increasing years of knowledge - including understanding that Anglicanism is not the only denomination of Christianity itself not the only religion - I have found no reason to be religious.
I wouldn't say leave.... but not trust people even more.
I see too many people preach one thing, and then do another... or like, make an odd exception where there should be no exceptions... they expect you to adjust for them or one group, but they won't adjust for others, or another group.
And often times, not using money they way they claim they're going to use the money... I don't trust others with money period.
I see too many people preach one thing, and then do another... or like, make an odd exception where there should be no exceptions... they expect you to adjust for them or one group, but they won't adjust for others, or another group.
And often times, not using money they way they claim they're going to use the money... I don't trust others with money period.
WandererTony · 56-60, M
I could never leave my religion. I became agnostic and my religion envelops even atheism.
I leaned towards Buddhism, and it was embraced within Hinduism.
I keep exploring, and yet stayed within the vast envelope of a pagan rooted philosophy that is erronously tagged as a religion 😐
I leaned towards Buddhism, and it was embraced within Hinduism.
I keep exploring, and yet stayed within the vast envelope of a pagan rooted philosophy that is erronously tagged as a religion 😐
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
@WandererTony And that's the beautiful thing about paganism, isn't it? At this point, if I were to try to use traditional labels to describe my faith, it would make the average person's head explode.
lonelyloner · 31-35, F
never feel the urge from inside and after started living away from family at teen lost practicing time and needs and with time it's gone from my attitude
Torsten · 36-40, M
Torsten · 36-40, M
@LordShadowfire hello again old friend.
You must have stopped believing in that or never fully believed in it in the first place?
Maybe im more on the radical side to religious faith cause i cant imagine going against mine. I am fully devoted to it and always have been. Raised that way which may have made it so where it was fully ingrained in me.
I cant imagine life without it or what purpose there would be.
Thats just my beliefs though. I dont judge those with different religious beliefs or no beliefs, i just dont understand it.
You must have stopped believing in that or never fully believed in it in the first place?
Maybe im more on the radical side to religious faith cause i cant imagine going against mine. I am fully devoted to it and always have been. Raised that way which may have made it so where it was fully ingrained in me.
I cant imagine life without it or what purpose there would be.
Thats just my beliefs though. I dont judge those with different religious beliefs or no beliefs, i just dont understand it.
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
@Torsten I've definitely seen too much stuff I can't explain to ever not believe in the paranormal. That includes gods and goddesses. What I will never believe in again, and maybe I never really believed in it, is a single overarching god who somehow knows everything that ever will happen, yet regretted making humans to the point where he flooded the world.
TheShanachie · 61-69, M
I never trusted being controlled by an out of date story book that is obviously utilized to manipulate society. I was forced to attend church by an overzealous set of Grandparents when I was staying at their place but luckily my parents knew the truth about that book and its manipulators.
thepeculiarpanda · 36-40, M
NerdyPotato · M
@meggie wow, I guess they missed the parts about love then. 😬
Adogslife · 61-69, M
I grew up non-practicing Protestant. Thus, I’ve never been indoctrinated. Religion scares me, as do sermons and churches, et al.
hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M
Evidence. My atheism was so badly shaken by the evidence I became a Christian. Christianity offered a much more coherent answer to how we got here than atheism ever could.
Jokersswild · 22-25
@Onryo Nothing is promised.
Ambroseguy80 · 56-60, M
You mean why did I stay?
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BarbossasHusband · 36-40, T
HumanEarth · F
Disbelief
PinkMoon · 26-30, F
Intro to philosophy
LordShadowfire · 46-50, M
I read the Bible clear through, cover to cover. That didn't do it, however. So I read it clear through again. This time, I started to notice some weird inconsistencies I couldn't explain. The third time reading through from cover to cover, I had a hell of a lot of questions.
The answers caused me to leave.
The answers caused me to leave.
faery · 31-35, F
I never had a religion
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shadowsoldier · 36-40, MNew
WolfGirlwh0r3 · 36-40, T
indifference to the basic tenants by those in authority
Musicman · 61-69, M
Nothing! I am going strong! 😊😊😊😊
Subsumedpat · 36-40, M
Mijn Moeder...
Frostcloud · F
[media=https://tiktok.com/7503270884115860779]
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