New Ager to Christian to Atheist

[Drich]

But there were problems. For one thing, I kept hearing pastors using completely wrong translations of the Hebrew Bible. Not just off by a little bit, but totally off-base interpretations that made no sense at all.

Which translation did they use and which one did you?

At the same time, I was having problems with Christian doctrine. Hell, for example – why would a loving God condemn the vast majority of His children to eternal torment?

You have to understand 'christian' doctrine is not the same as what the bible says on a lot of different topics. for example: The bible never makes the claim God is Omni-benevolent/ALL Loving. Matter of fact the bible says there are those in whom God Hates. It is a short list but never the less it is there.

The second issue is that "Hell" according to the bible is eternal torment for Satan. Meaning Satan is the only one the bible tells us that will burn in Hell forever. The rest of us are eventually consumed by the Hell fire. That is why so many time Christ refers to "Destruction in Hell" or the 2nd Death.

Especially when the only thing they had really done was to be born in the “wrong” culture, to the “wrong” parents.

That's a myth. Being born to a specific brand of 'Christianity' seems to make it harder to find Jesus than being born outside the faith. Because more often than not kids growing up serving the faith of their fathers rather than the God of the bible.

Or the Trinity, which is nowhere in Scripture.

Agreed, it is simply a doctrine that describes/sums up the mentionings of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.

Or the fact that, by taking a strong Republican political stance, the Evangelical Church is needlessly alienating half the country.

no idea what this means in relation to scripture.

And I kept on studying. And discovered that eternal torment was not accepted by many of the Church Fathers.

Because it is not supported in the scriptures.

And that the RCC had gone so far as to insert passages into the Gospels to support the Trinity.

They insert a lot of stuff into the bible. Hence the difference between a religious understanding and one that is biblically based. (This is what I mean by faith of their fathers and why it is so hard for a kid born into the church to find The God of the Bible)

And that numerous Biblical stories appear to be retellings of earlier stories, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. And the more I learned, the more questions I had for my pastors.

Why can't these (The bible and the 11th tablet of the epic of Gilga) be confirming one actual event?

I got kicked out of a few churches for asking these questions.

Welcome to the club. I took 1 thess 5:21 to heart and questioned EVERYTHING. not just the questionable but the foundational as well. Those who simply wish to tow the line of their Father's religions don't like those type of questions.

Well, really for rejecting the answers, which were at odds with empirical textual evidence. When I showed my sources to pastors, they tended to get red-faced and tell me I should submit to my elders.

When I was told that I suggested that the elders 'submit to the written word of God.'

Then one day at a church picnic, I had a sudden epiphany. All the information I had made perfect sense if I accepted one simple concept: There is no God, it’s just a bunch of stories that help people feel better about their own mortality.

So you like the preachers you blasted have something in common. That you have it right, and their can't be any other explaination deeper than your current understanding.

This scared the piss out of me. I was going to lose my salvation, I was going to Hell, I was unworthy. But at the same time, I figured that if there is a God, He’s big enough to handle some tough questions.

Indeed, and all we need do is Ask, Seek and Knock for the consule of the Holy Spirit to have those questions answered.

So I kept probing. And once I had thought “there is no God,” I couldn’t un-think it. After 18 years, I had finally come down from that Hawaiian acid trip.

I use to think, their was no God. did so for some time. "Funny thing, God, Showed up."
(Someone tell the summer queen I'm quoting forrest gump now.)

It took the better part of a year, but I gradually went from terror at losing my faith to peace with reality. Yes, some day I will die, and that’s the end. But I’m satisfied with right here, right now. And I’m no longer tormented by my “sinful” thoughts, or suppressing my humanity in the name of godliness.

In 2005 I took the leap and declared myself an Atheist. And I’ve never looked back. Life is good, now that the cognitive dissonance is over.

May the FSM be with you.

If that's true, then what's the need for the 'cliff notes?'