(November 8, 2012 at 9:38 am)Tnmusicman Wrote: I know a lot of atheists will say they are former Christians. How did you know you were a Christian ?? Did you participate in a ritual or say a prayer or go to confession?
Did you have some sort of affirmation that you were a Christian ?

It doesn't matter how legitimate our story is or how identical it is to yours.
It's never good enough. Ask Frohole, Dick, Godspile or any of our local christards ... we weren't REAL CHRISTIANS simply because they say so.

Why bother proving the legitimacy of our conviction to a religion that would rather see us burn anyway?

Nope. not playing.

I was raised a Catholic. I went to private Catholic School K through 6. I can't even say I regret that, because at last the classes were small, and they actually taught critical thinking alongside religion class. Which is super ironic, looking back now. I went to church twice a week. Once for kids mas (wednesdays), and of course Sundays with my mom.
I remember my first communion (I got a HORSE from my mom, though we already had 2). I fervently hoped to become a nun when I grew up, it really appealed to me, the thought of devoting my life to God and the poor. Now I just help the poor. I don't need God in order to be devoted to helping people (That was a liberating realization as an adult).

I went to bible camp 3 years running (ages 12, 13 and 14). I married in a Lutheran church, because I had not found a Catholic one I liked after moving to the big city, but Catholics accepted Lutheran marriages, and that was extremely important to me.

So yes, I completely believed up until I was about 20 or so, and considered myself a Christian, through and through. I told one of my old HS friends last year I was an atheist, and she told me that of all the people she even knew, she would have guessed that would happen to me the least, because I was so devout in my youth. My mom still refuses to accept it, and claims I'm just having a crisis of faith (for 10 + years...yep)
Although between 24 and 30 I did have serious doubts, I was what you might call a "fallen away" Catholic...otherwise known as deist. It wasn't like I was one day a believer, and the next day not. It came gradually. Basically, for years I knew it was pretty stupid, but refused to confront the issue, so I just held onto a vague belief in god, out of fear mostly I think.

(November 9, 2012 at 4:59 pm)Cinjin Wrote:

(November 8, 2012 at 9:38 am)Tnmusicman Wrote: I know a lot of atheists will say they are former Christians. How did you know you were a Christian ?? Did you participate in a ritual or say a prayer or go to confession?
Did you have some sort of affirmation that you were a Christian ?

It doesn't matter how legitimate our story is or how identical it is to yours.
It's never good enough. Ask Frohole, Dick, Godspile or any of our local christards ... we weren't REAL CHRISTIANS simply because they say so.

Why bother proving the legitimacy of our conviction to a religion that would rather see us burn anyway?

Nope. not playing.

Gee That's silly. If I claim I'm Elvis Presley, does that make me authentic?

(November 9, 2012 at 7:15 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: Gee That's silly. If I claim I'm Elvis Presley, does that make me authentic?

How stupid.

You and your kind are implying something more like that we are not real Elvis fans as if any of you immoral asshats have the objective authority to determine that anyone else's attempt at belief in Christ was insufficient.

I was baptized, I read the bible, I prayed to God, I did the wafer-wine communion thingy.

Granted, I was just doing what I was told to, so I'm not sure if it was ever actually in me.

(November 9, 2012 at 7:44 pm)Ryantology Wrote:

(November 9, 2012 at 7:15 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: Gee That's silly. If I claim I'm Elvis Presley, does that make me authentic?

How stupid.

You and your kind are implying something more like that we are not real Elvis fans as if any of you immoral asshats have the objective authority to determine that anyone else's attempt at belief in Christ was insufficient.

Nope, it's simply a fact that all claims are not valid. You may be too stupid or dishonest to recognize this fact, but it's obviously true.

(November 9, 2012 at 8:03 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: Nope, it's simply a fact that all claims are not valid. You may be too stupid or dishonest to recognize this fact, but it's obviously true.

That isn't even remotely what was in question. It's not a matter as to whether all claims are valid, durr, of course they aren't.

What was in question is whether some random asshat was qualified to judge which claims were valid.

You're welcome.

(November 9, 2012 at 8:27 pm)Cthulhu Dreaming Wrote:

(November 9, 2012 at 8:03 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: Nope, it's simply a fact that all claims are not valid. You may be too stupid or dishonest to recognize this fact, but it's obviously true.

That isn't even remotely what was in question. It's not a matter as to whether all claims are valid, durr, of course they aren't.

What was in question is whether some random asshat was qualified to judge which claims were valid.

You're welcome.

What makes your random ass-hat belief that 'somebody cannot judge another's claim' binding and valid?
A person is perfectly entitled to believe a claim is phony or inauthentic.

Do you not judge whether claims are valid? Then what the hell are you doing here contending for your position?

Duhhh! .....Hypocrite!

---

(November 9, 2012 at 7:44 pm)Ryantology Wrote:

(November 9, 2012 at 7:15 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: Gee That's silly. If I claim I'm Elvis Presley, does that make me authentic?

How stupid.

You and your kind are implying something more like that we are not real Elvis fans as if any of you immoral asshats have the objective authority to determine that anyone else's attempt at belief in Christ was insufficient.

No, I'm affirming that all claims are not valid and a person is perfectly entitled to question the validity of a claim. This should be obvious.

(November 9, 2012 at 8:03 pm)Truth Matters Wrote:

(November 9, 2012 at 7:44 pm)Ryantology Wrote: How stupid.

You and your kind are implying something more like that we are not real Elvis fans as if any of you immoral asshats have the objective authority to determine that anyone else's attempt at belief in Christ was insufficient.

Nope, it's simply a fact that all claims are not valid. You may be too stupid or dishonest to recognize this fact, but it's obviously true.

Oh, the irony. It burns, it burnzzzzz

(November 9, 2012 at 9:24 pm)Truth Matters Wrote: What makes your random ass-hat belief that 'somebody cannot judge another's claim' binding and valid?
A person is perfectly entitled to believe a claim is phony or inauthentic.

Do you not judge whether claims are valid? Then what the hell are you doing here contending for your position?

Duhhh! .....Hypocrite!

Tell you what, stick around for more than a day or two and see for yourself the standards that your brothers-in-Christ use to judge who is/was and who is/was not a True Christian ™ and we'll talk again.