Request from a Christian.

[Dragonspride1995]

OP could you please repost your testimony,here in the forum on this thread if indeed it isnt copy/pasted all over the internet?

I think it's worth writing a book on the discord that religion creates amongst family and interpersonal relations. For instance when I deconverted, I had a lot of misconceptions thrown my way by my family that I think could be remedied by simple understanding and education. I'd have family members throw in preconceived nktions in their sentences to me like, "I know you think it's a crazy idea, but I think God has a plan for everyone and everything".
Looking through their eyes, they must think that I've concluded that they are indèed crazy for praying to themselves and believing in apropos of nothing! To be quite honest, I don't. But it's a really tough subject to bring up! I've had to reach out to them in other ways, like when I saw them watching that show Ghost Adventures, I sat down and watched it with them. Of course they couldnt help saying stuff like "I know you don't believe in ghosts but the documekted evidence these guys get.." -- and I'd have to stop them and ask them why I necessarily don't believe in ghosts if I don't believe in god? I'd tell them I don't know if ghosts are real or not, and I think ghost hunting would be fun, but I can't say they aren't, just like I can't say god isn't real either. I'm still actively seeking proof for both, and until I do then the jury's still out. I'm not going to condemn someone for believing in god, though. And I'm not going to take the bible or any other religious text at anything but face value: edited versions of ancient texts written at least a generation after the fact. 
As a matter of fact, Ghost Adventures to this day and hour and minute, is a bonding experience for me and my family because it's fun to get lost in possibly believing in the super natural. 

More intolerant family members like my brother, mentioned that I shouldn't come crawling to him when I'm a puke slathered corpse on the side of the highway (apparently he thought I had a drinking problem that was now uncontrolled without god in my life). For the record, I'm allergic to most alcohol and fight hard just to finish all of the drink I paid for on the rare occassions I get out to restaurants! 
He also said that he couldn't stajd being in the same room as non believers, and that my non belief was reason for why he couldn't come visit me. He also cited my mother, who is a Christian ad lesbian, as another sin he could not bear to be aro7nd, even on her death bed in the hospital having had a heart attack! 
I had a couson recently ditch her girlfriend of 4 years for frivolous violations, in turn removing this very kind heart from the life of her son, who looked at the girlfriend as his only parental role model since he'd been raised by her. "Dundee" was his father figure for the entirety of his 5yr old life, and now has zero contact allowed by his mother. She's taken back her doctrine based life as a Catholic, and the family albeit split half on her side halfsaying it's not right--is already washing off the stain as nothing ever having happened. I think thats the worst, when it comes to religionis the purposeful closing of one's eyes, ears, and mouth in matters that leave them conflicted in their beliefs. At least when I was a Christian, I believed the OT was irrelevant and I didnt judge people on how they lived their lives but rather focused on judging myself! No, that didn't go over very well and I'm now recovering mentally from the anxiety disorders that that caused. Luckily O did give up the ghost beliefs, in the emd, because now I don't go around my home thinking I'm being watched--and am fine being in the same room with my step sister, whose a witch! Had a lovely Christmas, I did. After I got my mom past the fact that I do celebrate my favorite holiday still.

Ayways theres so much more, I'll try to think of it and come back here. Hopefully you too come back and share your testimony!

I think I know the answer anyway but you are right that's off topic. As for prayer I don't care what anyone prays about, that's their business, but I don't appreciate it when they know I don't believe in that, that I think it's useless, and yet they still come up to me and tell me they will get their god to fix my body.
One; it may never work and I may never have children so even if I did believe and was naive enough that is just giving me false hope which isn't what I need. I need a friend to be supportive and realistic.
Two; 'you' sound conflicted when you say that because god is supposed to be all knowing and already has a plan. What good is a prayer then? Either he already made the decision to let me have kids or he already said no. Their pray shouldn't move anything in my favor. If I get enough of them does that tip the odds? Does he listen to just those prayers and not someone else's that can't have children also?
Three; It's rude, to me at least, to tell someone you are involving them in your religion. I know full well if I was someone that required sacrifice and chanting and I told my Christian coworker that I would sacrifice a fly in her name so she had better luck in whatever she was doing and I actually meant it she would go ballistic. Even if I said I would pray to Allah for her she would glare at me. I would love to see her reaction to me saying I was a Satanist and involving her name in my ceremonies.

1. You are right there is nothing that forces God to answer our prayers.
2. I have a argument for this, will only get into it if you ask.
3. Subjective, I have no worthwhile response.


Christians can't be touched by a demon or by the devil, (Take job for instance) but you are right she may have had a reaction toward that.

This is a book, written by a Christian, explaining to other Christians that their actions have had a negative effect that needs to be rectified. I had admitted I am a Christian, Therefore I have the biases as a Christian. Again, this book is not on theology, im not going off on some tangent of why you should believe. Heck I didn't even want to get into a theological discussion in the first place till you guys dragged it out of me.

I can't speak for your conversations with others, but I can speak for our own. You asked for examples of negative ways Christians treat others including Atheists  I gave you a huge list of examples, which you admonished but said is not true Christianity. At which point I made the statement that your inability to comprehend why your brethren do what they do is and should be, the heart of the problem in and with your book. The hypothetical one you haven't written yet. When posited for reasons why your "when in Israel" debunkery fails with words from the lips of Jesus, you threatened to leave. I think perhaps, you should sit and think on this a little. Go through my examples and ask yourself why they would do these things as Bible literalists , and feel justified in doing so? They themselves give biblical reasoning and quote bible verses. Ask your Christian community where they went wrong and you went right. Ask yourself what separates you from them? Because I guarantee what they'llsay on the matter. That you didn't read the book enough . Thats the point here, its not to drag you into a theological discussion about your own beliefs--its actually constructively aiding you in your plight to write a book with your stated goals, in the first place. A book which I personally don't think would be a bad idea! /

I just read through the entire thread to see what you were talking about. Your first post was a request, I posted my testimony and told a little bit more about my self to try to relate. The next I agreed with. Then you posted your mega thread. I agreed with everything, with a caveat of spanking.  After a few pages your next response was stupid and not well thought out. Basicly you said that Christians turn a blind eye on the sin of others. I commented on the fact that we have lines in place to fix these issues. And asked you to look into church discipline. Other then that We don't exactly broadcast to everyone on cable news that so and so did such and such. Your first post was excellent I even said so and asked for more detail so I can use it.

As for your mega post, it wasn't in the format im looking for, I even agreed with it but it doesn't help in the context of the book. I want personal testimonies of how Christians treat atheists, admonishment from families, disownment. etc etc. I am trying to make an emotional appeal to Christians showing them using their method (testimonies) that there is something wrong in the Church. A shotgun blast of Christians do everything wrong, crusades to the west borrow baptist church. Doesn't help anyone, and is off topic at best. Again I will state for the record, this is not meant to be an account for every evil done in the name of God. Asking me to do so is disguenuious at best.