Peacefulpete: I've noticed the same thing about some of the posters on JWD. They do seem to reinterpret, reshape and philosophize Christianity into something that bears little resemblance to early Christianity. I wonder if by this process Christianity will eventually become so amorphous and diluted that it will fade from history, and become little more than a relic of an ancient past.
scout575
JoinedPosts by scout575
-
21
"I am Finally Free."
by scout575 in"i read everything i could get my hands on, from secular scholarship to apologists, hoping and praying that christianity was the truth.
i had no choice but to come to the logical conclusion that christianity was untrue.
i actually went around for a while thinking i would go to hell because i no longer believe in jesus.'.
-
-
-
21
"I am Finally Free."
by scout575 in"i read everything i could get my hands on, from secular scholarship to apologists, hoping and praying that christianity was the truth.
i had no choice but to come to the logical conclusion that christianity was untrue.
i actually went around for a while thinking i would go to hell because i no longer believe in jesus.'.
-
-
scout575
Aniron: Many of the people on the ex-Christian message boards used to feel the same way as you do now. They speak about how they used to feel that they they 'belong to Christ'. They changed their minds. Notice the following quotes from them:
"I spent less than 10 years as a born again Christian. I am angry at myself for succumbing to such ignorance."
"It is the testimonies of those who have walked away from the insanity that should be shouted from the rooftops."
"Angry at myself for being bamboozled.'
"All the abuses and absurdities I witnessed in the evangelical church."
"They promise you 'joy unspeakable and full of glory' - it doesn't happen, the whole thing is a sham."
"Deep disgust that that I was naive enough to be brainwashed by religious nonsense for so long."
"I am still furious that I was lied to for years.'
"Stunned at how bitter and angry I am."
"All the emotional and spiritual abuse that I suffered."
"Power hungry control freaks."
"All of my abuse issues with Christianity."
"I am supposed to be saved but I am numb. I just want to breathe but the weight is crushing me."
"Sometimes it hurts all the time."
'Another part of me was always terrified that something bad would happen to me- that God would punish me."
"It represented prison."
"Chained and shackled."
"Could it get any worse?"
Of course, not all the ex-Christian posters on the message boards feel this way. Some of them say that they enjoyed their lives as Christians, but that they left because they discovered that they were believing in myths. If you google 'leaving Christianity' there are a wealth of ex-Christian resources that can help you to see why so many Christians are becoming disillusioned with their faith and leaving. They also reveal the happy and satisfying lives they are now living apart from Christianity.
-
21
"I am Finally Free."
by scout575 in"i read everything i could get my hands on, from secular scholarship to apologists, hoping and praying that christianity was the truth.
i had no choice but to come to the logical conclusion that christianity was untrue.
i actually went around for a while thinking i would go to hell because i no longer believe in jesus.'.
-
-
scout575
"I read everything I could get my hands on, from secular scholarship to apologists, hoping and praying that Christianity was the truth. I had no choice but to come to the logical conclusion that Christianity was untrue. I actually went around for a while thinking I would go to hell because I no longer believe in Jesus.'
"It has been 5 years since my quest to find the truth. I am more confident in my unbelief than I ever was in my faith. I have more freedom, less guilt, and I am more at peace and more comfortable with who I am. I am finally free."
If you are a Jehovah's Witness considering joining a church, maybe the above quotation from an ex-Christian message board will prompt you to thoroughly research Christianity BEFORE joining rather than after.
-
Scriptures You Will Not Hear at the 23-04-06 Church Sermon
by scout575 in"take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living god.
" ( hebrews 3:12 ).
"if any man love not the lord jesus christ, let him be anathema maranatha.
-
scout575
"Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an EVIL heart of UNBELIEF, in DEPARTING from the living God." ( Hebrews 3:12 )
"If any man LOVE NOT the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be ANATHEMA Maranatha." ( 1 Corinthians 16:22 )
"For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: Whose end is DESTRUCTION, whose God is their belly, and whose glory is their shame, who mind earthly things." ( Philippians 3:19 )
These verses reveal the contempt in which the NT holds those who abandon Christianity, viewing them as evil, cursed, and awaiting execution.
-
1
"Sick of all the fear and the lies."
by scout575 in"how i lost my faith?
i dunno - it happened by degrees.
i think it wasn't a sudden anti-epiphany.
-
-
scout575
"How I lost my faith? I dunno - it happened by degrees. I think it wasn't a sudden anti-epiphany. perhaps I got sick of all the fear and the lies. I can say that losing Jesus gave me more freedom than finding him ever did, and I know that I can be a good person without having Jesus in my life, in fact a better person."
The above quote, taken from an ex-Christian message board, is from a woman in her mid forties, who is an ex-member of a charismatic church. Her feelings reflect those of countless other ex-Christians on ex-Christian message boards, who come from denominations ranging from liberal to strict fundamentlist.
Although many Christians don't become 'sick of all the fear and the lies', quotes such is the one above, might give pause for thought to JWs considering swapping Jehovah for Jesus.
-
9
"It has messed me up so badly."
by scout575 in"christianity has made my life a living hell.
it has messed me up so badly, and i haven't been able to see it until now.
i look at all of my family and i really do pity them.
-
-
scout575
Narkissos: I listened to a radio program the other day saying that 500,000 Brits are now living in France. An Estate Agent pointed out that 80% of Brits who move to France, move back to Britain within 2 years ( no offence ;-). The advice given to people considering moving to France was: DO YOUR RESEARCH CAREFULLY before you take on something as life-changing as emigrating.
It seemed to me, at the time, that one very important part of that research would be to talk to people who had emigrated and then returned, and ask them why they felt that had to move back to Britain. This would then put them in a much more enlightened position before making the decision whether to emigrate or not.
The religious parallels to this are clear: If someone were considering becoming a JW, they would do well to read the postings on JWD before they made their decision whether to become a JW or not. Similarly, if a JW ( possibly one secretly reading my post, but having missed my offering last week ) were considering joining another Christian church, they would do well to read ex-Christian websites and message boards, before making their decision. Maybe then they would decide that Christian 'medication' of any brand is best left on the shelf.
-
9
"It has messed me up so badly."
by scout575 in"christianity has made my life a living hell.
it has messed me up so badly, and i haven't been able to see it until now.
i look at all of my family and i really do pity them.
-
-
scout575
"Christianity has made my life a living hell. It has messed me up so badly, and I haven't been able to see it until now. I look at all of my family and I really do pity them. I still believe in a high power, but I choose to believe that god ( whether it be male, female or some force ) is bigger than any dogma, church, or set of rules written by a bunch of men thousands of years ago."
The above quote is from an ex-Christian website. The author is a former member af an evangelical Baptist church, in his mid-twenties. His sentiments reflect those of many others on the site, who come from denominations from right across the Christian spectrum. How paradoxical that a religion claiming divine origin, should 'mess up' so many of its members.
-
6
Scriptures You Will Not Hear at the 9-04-06 Church Sermon
by scout575 in"he that despised moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of god, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?
for we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, i will recompense, saith the lord.
and again, the lord shall judge his people.
-
-
scout575
Honesty: Living in the U.K means I've heard sermons from none of the people that you mention. The sermons that I listen to are from British clergymen/women, from many of the different strands of Christianity in Britain - Catholic, Methodist, Anglican, Evangelical, Baptist etc. I listen to these sermons every morning from mon-sat, and have been doing so for many years ( some days they are given by Sikh and Moslem speakers ) and so I am very familiar with the content of Christian sermons in Britain.
I wonder if you are similarly familiar with the content of ex-Christian websites and message boards? If you aren't, maybe I can return the favour, and suggest to you that you research them? They give a fascinating insight into what made many genuine, heartfelt Christians abandon a faith, with which they had become increasingly disillusioned. But more than that, they show how these people went on to live happy lives apart from Christianity.
-
6
Scriptures You Will Not Hear at the 9-04-06 Church Sermon
by scout575 in"he that despised moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of god, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?
for we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, i will recompense, saith the lord.
and again, the lord shall judge his people.
-
-
scout575
SallySue: I have been listening to daily sermons, mostly by Christian ministers, on the radio for many years. This means I have heard literally hundreds of sermons, from Christian ministers from many different 'brands' of Christianity. Of course, I'm not really claiming that the above texts are never used, simply that they are seldom used because they portray the unsavoury side of Christianity. It is this 'ugly face' of Christianity that has led many Christians ( who were also not living in a 'misinformed bubble' ) to walk away from Christianity. Their websites and message boards make for some very eye-opening reading.
-
6
Scriptures You Will Not Hear at the 9-04-06 Church Sermon
by scout575 in"he that despised moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the son of god, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace?
for we know him that hath said, vengeance belongeth unto me, i will recompense, saith the lord.
and again, the lord shall judge his people.
-
-
scout575
"He that despised Moses' law DIED WITHOUT MERCY under two or three witnesses: Of how much SORER PUNISHMENT, suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the spirit of grace? For we know him that hath said, VENGEANCE BELONGETH UNTO ME, I WILL RECOMPENSE, saith the Lord. And again, THE LORD SHALL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE. It is a FEARFUL THING to fall into the hands of the living God." ( Hebrews 10:28-31 )
"But there were also false prophets also among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves SWIFT DESTRUCTION." ( 2 Peter 2:1 )
"As also in all his ( Paul's-verse 15 ) epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own DESTRUCTION." ( 2 Peter 3:16 )
The above New Testament warnings are clear: Any Christian who dares to defy Christian orthodoxy will be executed. Is it any wonder that many ex-Christians refer to Christianity as, The Cult?