Just could not get into the so called holy spirit
sent in by Andre Harris
My name is Andre, and I am a recovering christian.
My last fix was in 1994. I was 18 years old. Y'know what? I'll come back to that, Let's start from the beginning. It was 1992. I was 16 years old. And just like any other 16 year old, I was into to girls, big time. So since I had practically grown up in the church I knew that this where the girls were. But after about a month or so, I actually started to enjoy going there. It wasnt about the girls, it wasn't about the free meal and the annual Labor Day picnics after church (although that was a plus, and the picnics were the bomb!!! LOL), it wasn't even about the holy ghost. What I enjoyed was the fellowship. See, Revival Tabernacle is a church where the congregation was made up of people of all walks of life. Doctors, Lawyers, Rich People, Poor people, Black, or White. There has even been instances where police officers and the very criminals that they arrested stood hand in hand as brothers or sisters. I found this to be fascinating. Little did I know that it was all a big act.
My horror story begins in the summer of 1993. Revival Tabernacle had this program where teens would come from all over the country, just to witness to the locals of Highland Park, Michigan (smack dab in the middle of Detroit). I guess you can call it a missions trip. This particular year there was a team from Bismarck North Dakota, and since I lived in the area and knew it very well. And besides I guess it also helped that I was 6'0 and 220, and I guess they thought the "big black guy" would make a good bodyguard. Now my little sister and I quickly made friends with the group from Bismarck. But according to the "Branch DiLenas"...er I mean Revival Tab., there was a unspoken rule, interaction of any kind that did not involve witnessing, praying (up to but not limited to praise and worship), speaking in tongues or anything that didnt include god or jesus was frowned upon. In so many words, they didnt want the ghetto black folks corrupting our kids and didn't want them to talke that 'gangsta' mentality back to the heartland. But oh well, you live and you learn. And wouldn't you know it, after that incident, I remained faithful, although to this day, I still don't know why.
The day I deconverted was ironically three days after I got baptized in water. See after my water baptism, I was supposed to be filled with the holy ghost. I don't see how, but in theory one is supposed to start speaking in toungues by repeating "hallay-looya" or "thank you jesus" ad-nauseum. I asked one of the deacons this and he promptly rebuked me, calling me a heathen and told me, and I quote: "You don't ever EVER as long as you live question god" Which my response was oh well I don't think that this something I want to be a part of. And I have not stepped foot in a church since 1994, and don't plan on ever going ever again.
City: Highland Park
Country: USA
How old were you when you became a christian? 16
How old were you when you ceased being a christian? 18
What labels, if any would you apply to yourself now?
Why did you become a christian? Was talked into it.
Why did you deconvert? I asked too many questions
Email Address: angry_black_guy at sprynet.com
My name is Andre, and I am a recovering christian.
My last fix was in 1994. I was 18 years old. Y'know what? I'll come back to that, Let's start from the beginning. It was 1992. I was 16 years old. And just like any other 16 year old, I was into to girls, big time. So since I had practically grown up in the church I knew that this where the girls were. But after about a month or so, I actually started to enjoy going there. It wasnt about the girls, it wasn't about the free meal and the annual Labor Day picnics after church (although that was a plus, and the picnics were the bomb!!! LOL), it wasn't even about the holy ghost. What I enjoyed was the fellowship. See, Revival Tabernacle is a church where the congregation was made up of people of all walks of life. Doctors, Lawyers, Rich People, Poor people, Black, or White. There has even been instances where police officers and the very criminals that they arrested stood hand in hand as brothers or sisters. I found this to be fascinating. Little did I know that it was all a big act.
My horror story begins in the summer of 1993. Revival Tabernacle had this program where teens would come from all over the country, just to witness to the locals of Highland Park, Michigan (smack dab in the middle of Detroit). I guess you can call it a missions trip. This particular year there was a team from Bismarck North Dakota, and since I lived in the area and knew it very well. And besides I guess it also helped that I was 6'0 and 220, and I guess they thought the "big black guy" would make a good bodyguard. Now my little sister and I quickly made friends with the group from Bismarck. But according to the "Branch DiLenas"...er I mean Revival Tab., there was a unspoken rule, interaction of any kind that did not involve witnessing, praying (up to but not limited to praise and worship), speaking in tongues or anything that didnt include god or jesus was frowned upon. In so many words, they didnt want the ghetto black folks corrupting our kids and didn't want them to talke that 'gangsta' mentality back to the heartland. But oh well, you live and you learn. And wouldn't you know it, after that incident, I remained faithful, although to this day, I still don't know why.
The day I deconverted was ironically three days after I got baptized in water. See after my water baptism, I was supposed to be filled with the holy ghost. I don't see how, but in theory one is supposed to start speaking in toungues by repeating "hallay-looya" or "thank you jesus" ad-nauseum. I asked one of the deacons this and he promptly rebuked me, calling me a heathen and told me, and I quote: "You don't ever EVER as long as you live question god" Which my response was oh well I don't think that this something I want to be a part of. And I have not stepped foot in a church since 1994, and don't plan on ever going ever again.
City: Highland Park
Country: USA
How old were you when you became a christian? 16
How old were you when you ceased being a christian? 18
What labels, if any would you apply to yourself now?
Why did you become a christian? Was talked into it.
Why did you deconvert? I asked too many questions
Email Address: angry_black_guy at sprynet.com