(July 9, 2017 at 5:44 pm)Jesster Wrote: You clearly weren't ever a TRUE Christian if you were able to stop believing (for those who weren't always atheists).
Yes and that particular circular reasoning / impertinence is unfortunately taught explicitly in scripture. "You were never truly one of us, because True Believers never stop believing". I was about as dedicated and involved and devoted and, frankly, acclaimed a Christian as any. But as soon as I left the faith, "you were never one of us" is all I ever heard.
I think the popularity of this nonsense claim lies in the fact that it staves of the fear that there could possibly be legitimate doubts, that doubt could even be a virtue rather than a vice. When I was a a believer, I knew at some level, like all believers do, that all you have to do is pull out some little stick and the whole tower of religious faith collapses.
