Raised in a Christian family: Not really. Father a humanist, Mother a liberal Christian. Religion not given much importance in our household.
Denomination when converted to Christianity: church of Christ.
Other Denominations: Mennonite Brethren, Baptist, Church of the Nazarene, Alliance Church.
Departure date: mid 1980's
Other spiritual paths explored: Wicca, Unitarian Universalism, Feminist Spirituality
Current beliefs: Atheist Humanist
Introductions
Moderator: Moderators
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McCulloch
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- Posts: 24063
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2005 9:10 pm
- Location: Toronto, ON, CA
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Introductions
Post #1Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good.
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
First Epistle to the Church of the Thessalonians
The truth will make you free.
Gospel of John
Santa
Post #11McCulloch,
Your Does Not Believe in Santa forum is one that I have been contemplating. I've always thought it was fun for kids to think these things for awhile. At best maybe they can learn first hand how a large group of people can conspire to make you believe anything. However, I concede that I have been wrong about other things in the past so I may be wrong about this as well.
I will follow the discussion on this topic and consider all points of view.
Your Does Not Believe in Santa forum is one that I have been contemplating. I've always thought it was fun for kids to think these things for awhile. At best maybe they can learn first hand how a large group of people can conspire to make you believe anything. However, I concede that I have been wrong about other things in the past so I may be wrong about this as well.
I will follow the discussion on this topic and consider all points of view.
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k-nug
- Site Supporter
- Posts: 228
- Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2004 12:38 am
- Location: Panama City Beach, Florida
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Post #12
My father passed away when I was 5, we moved from Italy (US army brat) to Pennsylvania, where my mother in a weakened state of mind (she was only 28, my father was 27 when he died) was visited by 2 Mormon missionaries. At 8 I was baptized a Mormon and even went to the temple., I never really wanted to go, even though at the end most of my local extended family was Mormon. I moved out on my own and thought I would look for the 'answers to life' 
and find them in my 20's. Long story short, I thought I found God, I read the bible (well the NT) start to finish, and got saved as an Assembly of God christian. This is a full gospel sect, so the next step of course was the Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
I thought that this was the most important step I would ever take in my spiritual life. I did not do this at church, I did it in my apartment, alone. I had studied the bible like I have never studied anything, wanting to be worthy in God's eyes for this tremendous gift. I prayed for and thought I had received, the gift of the Holy Spirit. I was beyond overjoyed. I was as committed as one could be I guess. I had absolutely no doubt that Jesus was real, that I was saved, and that I was going to heaven.
Due to conflicts in the Bible, the lack of any two-way communication from God, a picture I saw once of the different denominations of Christianity, a lack of consistency with all things God related, and a hot girl, over a period of 2 years I was finally able to declare my freedom from the Great White Lie.
Funny thing is, even after rejecting the Holy Spirit and all things God related as garbage, I still can 'speak in tongues'. I still do it every once in a while. It's kind of like a reality check. Makes me laugh.
and find them in my 20's. Long story short, I thought I found God, I read the bible (well the NT) start to finish, and got saved as an Assembly of God christian. This is a full gospel sect, so the next step of course was the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. I thought that this was the most important step I would ever take in my spiritual life. I did not do this at church, I did it in my apartment, alone. I had studied the bible like I have never studied anything, wanting to be worthy in God's eyes for this tremendous gift. I prayed for and thought I had received, the gift of the Holy Spirit. I was beyond overjoyed. I was as committed as one could be I guess. I had absolutely no doubt that Jesus was real, that I was saved, and that I was going to heaven.
Due to conflicts in the Bible, the lack of any two-way communication from God, a picture I saw once of the different denominations of Christianity, a lack of consistency with all things God related, and a hot girl, over a period of 2 years I was finally able to declare my freedom from the Great White Lie.
Funny thing is, even after rejecting the Holy Spirit and all things God related as garbage, I still can 'speak in tongues'. I still do it every once in a while. It's kind of like a reality check. Makes me laugh.
My version of Genesis.
At first there was symmetry. Then something broke.
At first there was symmetry. Then something broke.
Post #13
I was raised in the Southern Baptist religion, although I never formally joined a church until after high school. I've also attended churches from the Assembly of God, Christian and Missionary Alliance, and Foursquare denominations.
I started drifting away from religion when I saw some of the rampant hypocrisy going on, and although I admire some Christians for having the guts to stick with it, these days I'm more of an agnostic than anything else.
I started drifting away from religion when I saw some of the rampant hypocrisy going on, and although I admire some Christians for having the guts to stick with it, these days I'm more of an agnostic than anything else.
Post #14
My father is agnostic most likely boardering Atheist and my mom is a methodist Christian. I was raised the latter but never felt like I had to pick one over the other. The church I want to was very friendly and open-minded as are my parents. When I entered high school I started having a lot of questions about Christianity and I wasn't really getting any answers. I became agnostic for awhile then started studying buddhism a bit then paganism. I call myself Pagan now or "Buddha-Pagan" though my faith is really my own borrowing mostly from pagan and zen-buddhist philosophies as well as some from Native American, Alchemy, Chaos Magick... I still even follow many of the teachings of Christ such as love your neighbor and turn the other cheek(or at least I try to 
).
).Post #15
Raised in a Christian family by grandparents ...
Moved back with parents at age of 7 , they were not as religious .
Was into Christianity for a little while , became interested in mythology [Greek , Norse] .
Joined Satanism 5 years ago [nominal] .
I am naturally rebellious , so Christianity was definitely not for me .
Moved back with parents at age of 7 , they were not as religious .
Was into Christianity for a little while , became interested in mythology [Greek , Norse] .
Joined Satanism 5 years ago [nominal] .
I am naturally rebellious , so Christianity was definitely not for me .
entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem
Post #16
*Raised in a Christian family: No. Mother was an agnostic spiritualist, step-father was an agnostic Christian.
*Denomination when converted to Christianity: Free-Will Baptist
*Other denominations: Trinitarian Pentecostal, Southern Baptist, IFB (Independent Fundamentalist Baptist), Eastern Orthodox, United Methodist, I even looked into Mormonism
*Departure date: It's been ongoing now for the past three years
*Other spiritual paths explored: Buddhism, Wicca, Islam
*Current beliefs: agnostic fatalist
*Why I left: Where to begin? I realized that it was illogical and irrational to keep believing things that did not match up with reality. I also realized that Christianity was, for lack of a better phrase, "one big lie". I spent the better part of my life studying anything I could about Christianity. I studied it's history and theologies, the different denominational doctrines, I taught myself Greek and Hebrew, and the more I learned, the more I realized just how confused I was. I began to look into those things that detractors claim, but I was too indoctrinated to even think about. I realized that Christianity was more Pagan than anything else, with a hearty splash of Zoroastrianism, and had little to do with Judaism, from which it supposedly came. I realized that the Bible was full of errors, that apologists could not logically answer.
k-nug said:
*Denomination when converted to Christianity: Free-Will Baptist
*Other denominations: Trinitarian Pentecostal, Southern Baptist, IFB (Independent Fundamentalist Baptist), Eastern Orthodox, United Methodist, I even looked into Mormonism
*Departure date: It's been ongoing now for the past three years
*Other spiritual paths explored: Buddhism, Wicca, Islam
*Current beliefs: agnostic fatalist
*Why I left: Where to begin? I realized that it was illogical and irrational to keep believing things that did not match up with reality. I also realized that Christianity was, for lack of a better phrase, "one big lie". I spent the better part of my life studying anything I could about Christianity. I studied it's history and theologies, the different denominational doctrines, I taught myself Greek and Hebrew, and the more I learned, the more I realized just how confused I was. I began to look into those things that detractors claim, but I was too indoctrinated to even think about. I realized that Christianity was more Pagan than anything else, with a hearty splash of Zoroastrianism, and had little to do with Judaism, from which it supposedly came. I realized that the Bible was full of errors, that apologists could not logically answer.
k-nug said:
Yeah, me too. I freaked my wife out once doing it, about a year and a half after we got married. I thought it was funny. She didn't.Funny thing is, even after rejecting the Holy Spirit and all things God related as garbage, I still can 'speak in tongues'.
Post #17
Raised in a Christian family: Yes, a very active non-denominational Christian family, my mother is a Children's Minister and my father is now one of the Church elders.
Denomination when converted to Christianity: Specifically none
Other Denominations: Lutheran/Presbyterian
Departure date: 2005 or thereabouts. It was a process that took a few years.
Other spiritual paths explored:
Current beliefs: Pagan Druid
Denomination when converted to Christianity: Specifically none
Other Denominations: Lutheran/Presbyterian
Departure date: 2005 or thereabouts. It was a process that took a few years.
Other spiritual paths explored:
Current beliefs: Pagan Druid
Post #18
I was raised evangelical so i had the whole speaking in tongues people prophesying etc. But one thing i had going for me was my dad he always was into science not that he had any formal education but he was a bright man. I suppose I left christianity by just not going to church. I still didnt really want to question it for fear of damnation. But eventually that wore thin and I realized there was just not enough there to merit belief at least not the belief that most christians blindly proclaim today.
My current belief is Agnostic.
My current belief is Agnostic.
Post #19
Raised in a Christian family: Yes.. Still am.. And I can't celebrate any Satanic holidays or do any rituals because I live in a Xian home. I live only with my mother. She is not TOO Christian/Spiritual, so I may be able to explain her my beliefs and to make her understand that Satanists aren't evil.
Denomination when converted to Christianity: Baptized Orthodox
Other Denominations: N/A
Departure date: 2008
Other spiritual paths explored: Spiritual Satanism
Current beliefs: Spiritual Satanist
I was never forced to go to church, but I kept going because I wanted so. I always prayed, but I never got the answer to my prayers, and I never got any help from "God" and the Nazarene.
As I said, I hope I will be able to admit my beliefs.
Denomination when converted to Christianity: Baptized Orthodox
Other Denominations: N/A
Departure date: 2008
Other spiritual paths explored: Spiritual Satanism
Current beliefs: Spiritual Satanist
I was never forced to go to church, but I kept going because I wanted so. I always prayed, but I never got the answer to my prayers, and I never got any help from "God" and the Nazarene.
As I said, I hope I will be able to admit my beliefs.
Post #20
Raised in a Christian family: Yes, an extremely religious family. My parents are leaders in their church and Christianity shapes every conversation and everything they do.
Denomination when converted to Christianity: "Non-denominational"
Other Denominations: None
Departure date: May 2009
Other spiritual paths explored: Unitarian Universalism, Buddhism, Wicca
Current beliefs: Agnostic and searching
Why I left: There was no tolerance for dissent or asking questions or having doubts. I was not "experiencing" God the way other people seemed to be experiencing him in their lives. I had a lot of guilt because I had these doubts and because I was (according to them) a horrible sinner for being bisexual. I started reading the Bible more carefully and questioning on my own and determined that I just didn't like what it had to say anymore. If God exists I expect that he/she/them is/are more open and accepting than what I experienced in this group and some others I visited. I can't contemplate a God that would punish people for not worshiping it according to a specific, narrow set of rules that can never be really confirmed as being the right ones until it's too late.
Denomination when converted to Christianity: "Non-denominational"
Other Denominations: None
Departure date: May 2009
Other spiritual paths explored: Unitarian Universalism, Buddhism, Wicca
Current beliefs: Agnostic and searching
Why I left: There was no tolerance for dissent or asking questions or having doubts. I was not "experiencing" God the way other people seemed to be experiencing him in their lives. I had a lot of guilt because I had these doubts and because I was (according to them) a horrible sinner for being bisexual. I started reading the Bible more carefully and questioning on my own and determined that I just didn't like what it had to say anymore. If God exists I expect that he/she/them is/are more open and accepting than what I experienced in this group and some others I visited. I can't contemplate a God that would punish people for not worshiping it according to a specific, narrow set of rules that can never be really confirmed as being the right ones until it's too late.
