sent in by Ryan As fortune would have it I was born into the Apostolic Christian church. Not a well-known church, it can be understood as one of the anabaptist churches--like the Amish--from the post-Reformation milieu. They are not bearded nor do they wear the "uniforms", but they forbid jewelry, including wedding rings, and allow no music in church, or dancing anywhere. Ditto movies, rock music, smoking...uh...you get the picture. My mother was a religious weakling and my father a drunk. He was not a member of that church so I had a bit of freedom to read paperbacks; things that would not have been permitted if both parents were xians. By 15 I had read things like Ayn Rand and Thoreau. This was the beginning of the end. I knew other ways besides religion, and I was bright, thus my conversion at 18 was damned. The poison they shoot in places like that become part of you--when they preach hell every time you're in church it runs in your blood. I'...

sent in by Ingeborg S. Nordén Not every ex-Christian becomes an atheist or agnostic instead; my own story is the "exception that proves the rule", judging by the other anti-testimonies I've seen on this site. If the webmaster doesn't mind hearing from converts to another theistic faith, I hope that my story will be of use to similar people visiting the Ex-Christian site (a direct link to my deconversion story appears below). P.S. My belief that gods exist should NOT be interpreted as an attempt to convert other readers; no belief system is the One True Way for the whole human race. Nor should it be interpreted as a wholesale rejection of logic and science: I believe that the gods gave me a brain and intended me to use it properly. The natural and the supernatural each have their place in life, IMO; holy texts and creation stories are mostly symbolic, not meant to be read as literal truth. Sex: Female URL: My WEBSITE City: ...

by a Lady Like a lot of African-Americans, I was born into the Christian Game via a Missionary Baptist Church that was a part of the Southern and National Baptist State Conventions among other local conference groups and for 19 years of my life, I was "saved" (which in actuality is "slaved"). All of my life I have been forced to go to church (or "assimilation pointe" as I call it) with my mother up until recently when I revealed to her from college on the other side of the country that I was Non-Religious, a Humanist. Of course like most cultic people, she became hesterical and my confession broke her heart into pieces. I mean, what can I say? She wanted me to be cultic ("religious" in sugarcoating terms), and have an easy life but that was not meant for me, that is not nor has ever been me, and that is not where my beliefs lie. My mother had me involved in everything from "Junior Missions, Junior Usher Board, Choirs, Sunday School, Vac...

By Chole’ Tiscornia After I made the decision as an adult to become a fundamentalist Christian I thought I had found “The Truth.” It was, I believed, the truth about life, about child rearing, about God and what he wants for all his Children. I thought the Bible was infallible and I sought to learn every part of it so that I could understand God, follow him forever, and help everyone I knew turn to him and have salvation. I did not expect to leave him. I did not expect to learn what I learned, but because I was always seeking “The Truth,” I let myself learn the truth. After eight years I found a different kind of truth. I am no longer a Christian for a great many reasons but for the sake of time I will try to render a complete yet brief explanation for my recent recovery from Christianity. The first reason I am no longer a Christian is because I have found none of the so-called prophecies in the Old Testament to be worthy of being called a Prophesy. I find nothing pro...

by T.L. Goble At a very young age I accepted Christianity as my religion. The reason for it was simple enough, yet also very complex. Christianity was all I knew and all I’ve ever been shown. There was no room for Buddha, Muhammed, Confucious or Zoroaster. As a matter of fact, even Catholicism was regarded as a deviation of God’s original plan. So I was thrust into my family tradition -- Protestant Fundamentalism and of the Baptist denomination. I grew up going to a church in the mountains North Georgia that was over one hundred years old and full of belligerent, backwoods preachers dressed in their ‘Sunday finest’ spewing and frothing at the mouth the horrors of Hellfire and brimstone while some lady carried on shouting and holding her hands up in the air waving them back and forth. A man would get up and lead the congregation in a few hymns and proceed to lead a group prayer that sounded like an incoherent rumble. At age 9, I felt a feeling I’d never felt (Christ...

by Jenna Caution - This is long! I was born into a very religious family. My mother is Catholic. She was a novice in a convent and was preparing to take final vows to become a nun when she decided that she wanted to have children someday and left. Her sister IS a nun who joined the convent at the age of 14 and is still there 50 years later. My father and his side of the family are Baptist Bible Thumpers. Lucky me, I got to fully experience both denominations. In addition to attending Catholic school and CCD, I also got to attend both Catholic Mass and Baptist Sunday services. Then I had Sunday school, Bible readings around the kitchen table after dinner each night, and the Baptist version of Girl Scouts (Pioneer Girls). Mom used to watch the PTL club when I was a child. She likes to tell the story that I would watch with her, and at the age of 2, I did as Jim and Tammy asked and invited Jesus into my heart. I truly cannot remember a time when I did not believe in God...

by Mitch Now that I’ve finally seen organized religion for what it really is I see why some ancient civilizations used to worship the sun. In comparison to the god of the bible it actually makes perfect sense. Of course the believers will say I’m crazy and this is utter blasphemy, but who cares. Unlike the bible god you can actually SEE the sun, and you can feel it's warm rays shining down on you. The sun also has a very direct and profound effect on us all. it provides heat, light, food, good weather a fair amount of the time, and gives us life! we couldn't live without it. And it's there without fail every single day no questions asked and unlike you know who makes no outrageous demands or threats. Now what more could you ask for in a higher power or supreme deity? if ya gotta worship something why not that? Religious zealots will say I’m trying to make a mockery of their beliefs, [I am no doubt that's the whole idea] and that god was the one who created the s...

submitted by Rob Humans needs are shelter, food, social life, spiritual life, financial life, mental health, love, faith. Conveniently there is a Christian church on almost every street corner in America as it would seem; and they all claim to be the only true way to balancing the human needs we all have. At early childhood I attended a evangelical church. The scheme that drew me to the church was that my neighborhood friends went to "Vacation Bible School." At about age 12 I seriously began to question my existence, human condition, and reality. I discovered "Newage," thought. I did this in parallel to Christianity. At about age 13 I went to confirmation camp, before becoming Baptized. At the camp I asked one of the pastors, about what the afterlife would be like. He mentioned that he would travel through a tunnel looking at loved ones forever! I dropped my jaw after hearing this statement, as I remembered the bible saying us Christian would live in ...

by d. mitchell I'll make this short and sweet. After several years of being force fed 'the gospel' I finally caved in at 15 and was submerged in the water and 'reborn'. I went along with it only because my mother and numerous church members insisted I had to. But I never truly understood things. The bible, the sermons, the complicated concepts of Christianity, none of it really made sense to me. and I was always made to feel I should accept it without question. But I've asked questions and I'm asking questions, and I've honestly had more answered here on this site than by any clergy I've ever spoken to. The bible is full of holes and without a doubt the most ridiculous book ever written. It's no more than the equivalent of Jewish mythology. And the similarities between it and other mythologies is amazing. How so many people let it take over their minds is incredible. A woman in church once told me "over 90% of the world ...

Well, a little back story: I grew up in the church, began to question it in jr. high..... and then a painful experience led me to believe for a fact there was a loving God somewhere. Well, here I am now disbelieving that due to one question. Is it Fate, or is it Free Will? You'd think of all the sources to this age-old question, the bible would have the answer. Yet, it can't make up its mind. Some verses point towards free will, others say fate. Now, I've argued with some Christians that say we have both... But that isn't logical. Fate and free will are two contradictory beliefs. You either have control of your actions or you don't..... One person suggested to me that if you follow God's will, then you are following fate. And if you are following your own, than your exercising free will. However, I countered this with Judas' story. Did he actually have the choice to not betray Jesus, since that is what God required? So, his disobeying God a...