(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?How did I "know"? Well, let's see:
Did you have some sort of affirmation that you were a Christian ?
I apologize if this has been asked before but I'm fairly new to atheist forums.
My parents were devout Catholics. I was "baptized" when I was a few days old. I was taken to church twice a week, and I walked around with black crap on my forehead every "Ash Wednesday". I went to Catholic school, and was an altar boy. I went to confession twice a week (and confessed all of my "sins", you know "fighting with my brother", "talking back to my mother", etc.) I said my penance prayers, and I knew how to work the Rosary beads. I went through "confirmation", and regularly "took communion". I was as christian as a christian can be.
However, as I am now an atheist (for the past 40 years or so), I suppose a genuine True Christian would say that I never actually was a christian, because I never "truly accepted Jesus in my heart".
"If there are gaps they are in our knowledge, not in things themselves." Chapman Cohen
"Shit-apples don't fall far from the shit-tree, Randy." Mr. Lahey
"Shit-apples don't fall far from the shit-tree, Randy." Mr. Lahey