New Ager to Christian to Atheist

[Davka]

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?

I'm not talking about translations like the NIV, KJV, NASB, Darby's, etc. etc. I'm talking about pastors reading some passage from the OT, then saying "the Hebrew word for 'storage space' here is makhsan, and it means 'the place where your arrows are kept.'" Or some similar totally made-up nonsense that reveals the pastor's inability to distinguish between etymology and interpretation.

Or the classic NT passage where Jesus says 'whatsoever you bind on Earth is bound in Heaven,' and all the "prayer warriors" who learned from their pastor to say 'i bind you, satan!'

Ignorant stuff like that.

...but since you asked, I find the NIV to be the most readable, and the NASB to be the most accurate. I prefer to use multiple translations alongside the original if I'm trying to discern the original intent of the author.

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?

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.

I am fully aware of this interpretation (which is far more in accord with OT Judaism), and embracing it kept me from rejecting the faith for many years. It also got me in trouble with the Hellfire & Brimstone crowd, but that's another story.

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.

No, it's not. A child born in rural China has almost zero chance of ever hearing the Gospel, let alone accepting it.

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.

It's alot more than "simply a doctrine." It was a cornerstone of the faith for most of the past 2000 years, and it's a teaching that alienates and disgusts both Jews and Muslims. It's also nonsensical.

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.

Nothing. It means a lot in relation to the people who preach scripture, though.

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?

They probably are. A localized flood in the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates is the most plausible. But that's not what the Bible - or the Church - teaches.

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.

That's "toe the line." Keep questioning, there may be hope for you yet.

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.

Nope. I've been an atheist for nearly 10 years now, and I have repeatedly asked "god' to show me if I'm wrong. So far - nothing. Once you open your eyes, you can't unsee what you've seen, no matter how scary it might be.

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?'

Ever heard of testimony?