(October 19, 2015 at 5:55 pm)Jaxxie1181 Wrote: Hello, everyone! I'm Jenn and I'm from Atlanta. I have just recently come to terms with my atheism. I tried so hard, even after "coming out" as a Christian de-convert, to pick some sort of religious practice. Even if you're a theistic Pagan people seem to accept that far more readily than if you say you don't believe in any deities. My family knows I am not a Christian, but only my husband knows I'm an atheist (he is one as well). I suppose I've always known. I desperately wanted to believe. I was raised a deacon's daughter in the Baptist church. I knew all about the good 'ol King James Bible, wearing ankle-length dresses to church, that science is evil, that Christian Contemporary Music is satanic, because it sounds like rock and roll. My husband and I were ridiculed for not wanting children (we each have sons from previous marriages, but we chose not to have kids together) and told "children are a heritage from the Lord". All through the years, no matter how much scripture I memories, no matter how many Sandi Patty songs I sang as solos, no matter how readily my public prayers flowed or how many areas of ministry I was involved in I never felt anything. Sure, I said "the sinner's prayer" as a young teen when a boy I wanted to date told me he wouldn't date a non-believer.
Coming to terms with my lack of faith in Christianity was immensely difficult, since my father is now an ordained minister and pastor of a church. I received quite the fair share of ridicule for it. Eventually the shock wore off and things settled down. Coming to terms with my atheism, on a personal level, was like a weight being lifted from my shoulders. It allowed me to finally be true to myself. It was the only thing that ever made sense to me.
In my spare time I dance. I take two classes a week and love it. I am so happy to find this forum and look forward to being a part of the discussions here.
Ok, there's a lot of sheer nuttery you were exposed to as a child, but the bit about contemporary Christian music being Satanic is arguably true -- though certainly not because it sounds like rock and roll because it doesn't. It's just fucking awful and causes me to want to hurt people. Pure evil.
