A burden is lifted
Sent in by Warin
Well, my name is Warin and I've been raised Christian from birth. Every Sunday we went to church, we learned about how God is in heaven and he's always watching us, protecting us, and loving us. And some day when we die, we go to a golden city of light. But if you're bad, you go to hell and burn for all eternity. It made me feel good as a young child about the Heaven aspect of religion, but the hell part always left me a bit uneasy. I wondered why a God who loves his children would send the naughty ones to a bit of fire and brimstone.
There were also other things that made me uneasy, like how Abraham had to kill his son. The Bible always taught that no man was to take another’s life, but God ordered him to do just that. Now I've always been a bright young man, and it didn't take long for me to see that the Bible has many gaps in logic. When I entered junior high, I took an interest in the rest of the world, and saw that while we here in America have it pretty good, the rest of the world was slowly slipping into the jaws of decay. I wondered why God would let his children suffer like this; why He wouldn't save them. Still in the grip of religion, I went to the church for answers. Much to my dismay, they quoted the Bible for me and prayed. With no answers, no relief, and no one to turn to, I began to stray away from the church.
The church had been my crutch for so long, I never knew how to walk on my own. I felt alone and ashamed. I was always taught that God was the only way and light, and now my world felt dark — like I was a bad person for my lack of faith. I finally confessed my atheist beliefs to a close friend. I expected shock and a hoard of questions, but instead he started laughing. He told me that just because I didn't believe in God, that doesn’t mean I have no direction.
He was right. In fact, without the restraints of my religious beliefs, my mind was free to explore the rest of the world around me. It allowed me to accept people for who they are, and not judge them about their religion, sexual preference, race, or lifestyle.
This all took place between 7th grade and junior year of high school.
Although all my friends now know, my mother still doesn’t know I don't believe in her God. I was sitting with her a while back and during our conversation she mentioned that atheism was spreading like a disease across the world. I disagree. It's not a disease, because there's nothing wrong with it. It doesn't need to be cured or quelled. It's nothing more than a world of scared little people finally trying to walk without the help of a non-existent God. We are like children with training wheels on our bikes; we balance, but eventually fall down on the helpful wheels on either side of us. But we're learning, and soon we won't need training wheels at all.
And we'll only keep growing and learning from there...
With my mind set loose, I see that atheism isn't the only option I had to choose from. I'm only 17, so my journey is far from over. I still believe that humans have a presence in them that cannot be explained or killed, that all things have a certain oneness, and that we are all linked somehow. But I will not believe that if you don't live your life a certain way, or believe in a certain concept, you will be sent to a place like hell.
Don't be afraid to believe in what you believe in. If you must have faith, have faith not in God or the afterlife, but in your fellow man. That's who we are, and that's who we need to help.
Northbrook
Illinois
U.S.
Joined: Born Into It
Left: 17
Was: Christian
Now: Idealist/Agnostic
Converted because: Born into it
De-converted because: Common sense and reality sunk in
Well, my name is Warin and I've been raised Christian from birth. Every Sunday we went to church, we learned about how God is in heaven and he's always watching us, protecting us, and loving us. And some day when we die, we go to a golden city of light. But if you're bad, you go to hell and burn for all eternity. It made me feel good as a young child about the Heaven aspect of religion, but the hell part always left me a bit uneasy. I wondered why a God who loves his children would send the naughty ones to a bit of fire and brimstone.
There were also other things that made me uneasy, like how Abraham had to kill his son. The Bible always taught that no man was to take another’s life, but God ordered him to do just that. Now I've always been a bright young man, and it didn't take long for me to see that the Bible has many gaps in logic. When I entered junior high, I took an interest in the rest of the world, and saw that while we here in America have it pretty good, the rest of the world was slowly slipping into the jaws of decay. I wondered why God would let his children suffer like this; why He wouldn't save them. Still in the grip of religion, I went to the church for answers. Much to my dismay, they quoted the Bible for me and prayed. With no answers, no relief, and no one to turn to, I began to stray away from the church.
The church had been my crutch for so long, I never knew how to walk on my own. I felt alone and ashamed. I was always taught that God was the only way and light, and now my world felt dark — like I was a bad person for my lack of faith. I finally confessed my atheist beliefs to a close friend. I expected shock and a hoard of questions, but instead he started laughing. He told me that just because I didn't believe in God, that doesn’t mean I have no direction.
He was right. In fact, without the restraints of my religious beliefs, my mind was free to explore the rest of the world around me. It allowed me to accept people for who they are, and not judge them about their religion, sexual preference, race, or lifestyle.
This all took place between 7th grade and junior year of high school.
Although all my friends now know, my mother still doesn’t know I don't believe in her God. I was sitting with her a while back and during our conversation she mentioned that atheism was spreading like a disease across the world. I disagree. It's not a disease, because there's nothing wrong with it. It doesn't need to be cured or quelled. It's nothing more than a world of scared little people finally trying to walk without the help of a non-existent God. We are like children with training wheels on our bikes; we balance, but eventually fall down on the helpful wheels on either side of us. But we're learning, and soon we won't need training wheels at all.
And we'll only keep growing and learning from there...
With my mind set loose, I see that atheism isn't the only option I had to choose from. I'm only 17, so my journey is far from over. I still believe that humans have a presence in them that cannot be explained or killed, that all things have a certain oneness, and that we are all linked somehow. But I will not believe that if you don't live your life a certain way, or believe in a certain concept, you will be sent to a place like hell.
Don't be afraid to believe in what you believe in. If you must have faith, have faith not in God or the afterlife, but in your fellow man. That's who we are, and that's who we need to help.
Northbrook
Illinois
U.S.
Joined: Born Into It
Left: 17
Was: Christian
Now: Idealist/Agnostic
Converted because: Born into it
De-converted because: Common sense and reality sunk in
Comments
Suffering in the world, when not directly caused by religion, is encouraged by it, through its teachings of predestination of souls, manifest destiny, and the divine right of leaders. Those teachings interfere with the concept that we are personally responsibile for what happens in the world, that we can change outcomes through the choices we make, personally and politically.
The only thing that will break the cycle of sufferning is the political power of educated, courageous individuals who are unafraid of the priests (or their gods), and unconvinced of the divine right of the leaders who contract with them to achieve a supposed manifest destiny.
I'm sorry that you didn't have your questions answered. I teach 17 year olds in high school. I know that they have questions. An honest question deserves an honest answer. I have taught religion for a number of years and have experience with some of your questions. It's interesting to me that you have concluded there is not God at such a young age. One question for you. Isn't it possible, that there is evidence for God that you don't know about?
Chan
Yes. So since you evidently already HAVE this evidence, give it up. Waiting.
I would also claim that continued faith requires some sort of psychological addiction.
So I would be really curious to know what an "honest answer" is to chan, although I certain of the type of honesty mentioned.
Gotta keep 'em hooked, don't we?
Don't forget that whole "fear of hell" angle, can't be a good xtian without it!
Chan wrote.........”An honest question deserves an honest answer.”..........
Herein “lies” the problem! ALL religions are self defeating and based on human ignorance and fear! Chan, when it comes to religion, I believe that you believe that you think you know the truth. This is why you think you can offer truthful answers. The truth is your truth is based on lies and a weak-minded and frightened human imagination. Therefore you can not offer any truth at all! Honesty can only be based in truth.
If and only when a proven god or a higher intelligence can stand and be rationally recognized, then you should adamantly maintain and advise others that the only truth is that gods do not exist! Anything else defines you as a feeble minded, illiterate, irrational, and scared little peon.
As with others, I too will be patiently awaiting your evidence. I won’t be holding my breath.
Warin went to church, he spoke to christian advisors, he asked for guidance; your god had a golden opportunity to reveal himself and his evidence to Warin and he flipped him off.
Boomslang pegged it. If you had any real evidence you would have provided it. Instead, you did what persons of your ilk aways do - you accused Warin of not adequately studying the problem.
Thats the way it works, isn't it? You make them feel guilty and insecure, that they aren't good enough because they haven't found the "right' answer.
You don't have any real evidence. You just want Warin to get so caught up in looking for some that he'll stop asking the questions.
I too was raised in a Christian home, but left when I finished school and am now at Uni.
I'm now 22, and over the past year have changed my perspective on life dramatically. I suppose this is a good side-effect of the Internet for people in our generation. Basically ALL my family and friends are christians who see me as "falling away". In a previous generation, it must have been much harder to connect with like-minded people.
Hope your journey is an interesting one. Have fun reading all the works of the great thinkers, and don't be scared of other points of view.
"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd" -Voltaire
Congrats at seeing the truth about Christianity at a young age and taking action. I saw the truth at a young age, but sat around hoping the truth would change back to what I wanted it be so I would not have to tell friends and family that Christianity is crap.
I really don't think chan can answer your questions in a meaningful way... Most of the questions that Christians cannot answer are answered something like this... "When you get to heaven, God will give you all the answers." Or... "We cannot understand the mind of God, so just accept {{whatever it maybe}}." And many other worthless answers.
Good Luck,
Dave