F A O Theland. Why I Dont Believe

[nailit]

In the Christian God.
Theland, you are always extorting ABers to 'look it up' with regards to the Bible and Christianity. And you seem to have a distorted view of non-believers. I would ask YOU to consider why people (like me) reject the Bible.
As a teenager, I became an evangelical Christian, of the born again variety. In my early 20's I seriously began to question my faith. I was an avid reader and read everything that I could get my hands on regard the Bible, apologetics, church history, Biblical archaeology, Bible commentaries etc. However over time I had to accept that my faith was based on nothing except a bunch of ancient, contradictory manuscripts. I questioned what was been preached from the pulpit. Hell, I questioned everything!
I prayed that if the Bible was the word of God that he would show me, unequivocally, that it was. He didn't. I left.
I am not a non believer because I want to sin
I am not a non believer because I'm in rebellion
I am not a non believer because Ive had bad experiences of church
I am not a non believer because I choose to be
I am a non believer in the Christian God because that's where my questioning led me.
Now at 52, I wonder just how I ever believed such junk as found in the Bible.
The Bible insults my Intelligence, My moral code, My sense of justice.
Do I have all the answers to life's big questions? No. Why would I be so arrogant as to think I did? But because humans know so little, that doesn't mean that we should go running to some ancient manuscripts written by bronze age, desert dwelling goat herders in the middle east thousands of years ago for answers.

Seriously Theland, take a break from You Tube evangelists and open your mind a bit. Question a little. (maybe even try to answer some of the questions put to you by fellow ABers without feeling persecuted)

[Spungle]

Hello Nailit, how has your life worked out since your rejected Christianity? When you turned your back on the Lord who loved you enough to die for you, have you gone on to live a fulfilling life with happiness, peace and no regrets? Or perhaps you are still fruitlessly trying to prove to yourself that God doesn't exist?

[nailit]

Spungle
//how has your life worked out since your rejected Christianity?//
A bit crap actually. Much the same way that it would have turned out anyway with or without christianity'
//When you turned your back on the Lord who loved you enough to die for you, have you gone on to live a fulfilling life with happiness, peace and no regrets?//
There is no Lord who has died for me (or if he did, he hasn't let it be known to me) and I havnt turned my back on him, anymore than I have turned my back on Krishna.
//Or perhaps you are still fruitlessly trying to prove to yourself that God doesn't exist? //
Or perhaps fruitlessly trying to prove that that God DOES exist?

[MallyJ]

I was brought up in the christian faith...I rejected it totally when I reached 16ish because it made absolutely no sense to me. The more I thought about religion it seemed very much to me as a method of frightening people into accepting their lot without questioning it. Many of the religions seem to me to want to keep people in their , often lower, social positions being exploited by the wealthy without question...the promise being heaven or paradise or whatever it is called when they are dead. The comment from spungle is interesting....Yes I have lived a fulfilling life...mainly helping people to improve their lot, Am I happy and at peace? Yes I am. I am not still trying to prove to myself that god doesn't exist....no..I know there is no god. Isn't it a shame that some people with religion hate (or seem to hate) those without one? Says more about their faith and them than anything else.

[Mamyalynne]

My view has always been whether you have faith or you don't just live a good, kind and honest life.

I never feel the need to sing it from the rooftops, I've seen what squabbling it brings.

[nailit]

// Isn't it a shame that some people with religion hate (or seem to hate) those without one? Says more about their faith and them than anything else//
Well said Mally.
Reading the posts of the religious on here makes me ashamed that I once shared their belief system. (and came out with the same cr ap)

[Mamyalynne]

Boot is sometimes on t'other foot too.

[Voltage]

I've always believed religion is in your head thankfully for me it's not in mine nor will it ever be... but if it's in yours good luck to your beliefs

[naomi24]

Spungle, //how has your life worked out since your rejected Christianity?//

I know that question wasn't aimed at me, but nevertheless I'd like to answer it. No complaints here since I rejected Christianity. I actually feel very sorry for the man Jesus - I do think he existed. Never in the course of history has a man's name been so misused and so shamefully abused - and all in the cause of massaging human egos.

As for Jesus loving Nailit enough to die for him, what sort of mentality devises a scheme whereby he plans to be tortured and killed in order to save the faithful from …himself. If God were on trial here on earth we would lock him up in a secure psychiatric unit and throw away the key.

[nailit]

Spath, sorry mate, But what the hell are you on about?

[andy-hughes]

As Lucifer said in the film Angel Heart - "There is just enough religion in the world to make men hate each other, but not quite enough to make them love each other."

You can't really say more than that.

[naomi24]

Good question, Nailit.

[nailit]

Naomi...
God killing himself, in order to save us from himself, from a hell that he made himself....

[nailit]

or something like that. The bible isn't really clear on the subject...

[MallyJ]

Naomi .. brilliant....made me chuckle!

[-Talbot-]

I think the first time I ever thought about religion was when I was about 8. I thought it was bonkers then and still do.
Just posting this because I was watching it just before I spotted nailit's thread.




Bonkers!

[nailit]

Theland, just on the off chance that you read this thread (not that I expect you to answer)
Please explain how I am supposed to somehow 'believe' when I honestly cant?
How can I believe in my heart what my mind rejects?
And why am I dammed to hell for following my intellect?

[naomi24]

MallyJ, Welll..... ;o)

[mibn2cweus]

It's never easy coming to grips with the realisation that you've devoted much of your life to playing on the wrong team. This requires no less courage when those all around you condemn you for daring to question what they've been telling you since before you've learned to reason for yourself.