Former Pentecostal Christian

[formerbaptist]

I am a former Pentecostal Christian. I went to church Sunday mornings and nights, Wednesdays, Fridays for youth group, and Saturdays if anything else was going on. We prayed before dinner. We prayed before sleep. We prayed an hour daily at times to get closer to our god. I read the Bible all the time (through Christian eyes, though). I preached in my church. I was a youth leader. I even went to a bible institute to become a pastor one day. Everything I was, everything I said, everything about me was faith.

Then I felt disappointed at the bible institute for so many unfair things that happened. I stopped going to church for two years, when I finally couldn't take it anymore and decided to do something about it, since I wanted to go back again. I thought that the best way to get my spiritual strength back was to read the Bible. I decided to make time for it every day, and I did. This time something was different. I had been away from church so long, that all of my reading was done through my eyes and nobody else this time. I was reading with reason, not with faith.

I noticed so many mean things coming from a god who was supposed to be full of love and compassion. I noticed injustice, not justice. I noticed murders in the name of God. I noticed contradictions. I also noticed how stupid I began to feel to believe that it was actually the word of God, when I myself wouldn't do certain things that he asked of me in that book. For example, to kill a loved one if he tried to make you worship idols. I wouldn't kill a loved one. So... did I not REALLY believe that it was the word of God?

I came out one day to my brother as an atheist (worried sick about his reaction). It turned out he had been an atheist for the past year. My sister talks to me as though I was sick and going to die any time soon. I see pity and a sort of mistrust in her eyes. As though my supposed sickness could stick. I am glad I am out. I feel free. I can now raise my two kids in peace. I didn't get an awesome free early years, but I still have the rest of my life ahead of me and I have my two kids to raise in a way I wish I would have been. They will get to go to prom. They will get to listen to "secular" music. It sounds funny, but hey, I didn't get that!

I am proud to step away from religion. You know what? It was soooo hard. I felt nostalgic. I felt scared. I felt alone at first and often almost prayed about it because I wanted to talk to somebody about my feelings, but I was so trained to pray that it was almost natural. Then I would catch myself and be like, "oh, duh." And I just laugh at myself. At first my mom and dad felt terrible. They looked as though a child of their own died. Now they are following my tracks. They're smart. They'll get there.

I am a 28 year old person who wished I found out sooner that most of what she knew was false, but I am desperately happy I found out now, while I still have time to live some more in reality. I've been atheist for two years. Thank me. (if you've ever been christian you get it. They usually end saying thank the lord or something. So, thank me. ugh, I killed it! lol)

As you know, we have quite a bit in common. Thanks for sharing your story. As I mentioned, I am still am in the whole de conversion process. I assume my dad will be the same as your parents when he finds out.

[rexbeccarox]

Welcome!

[Something completely different]

Guten Abend

[Fruity]

Thank you everybody for your kind words! I have to get the hang of this site in order to respond in the right place lol. I will be looking around and I can already tell there's a lot of cool peeps around here! Somebody asked how it was that I accepted atheism, since what I told is mostly how I turned away from godly teachings. Understanding that the Bible was nonsense was only the beginning. That helped me use my reason instead of faith. After that questions began to emerge about his existence. I could write so much on that, but I think it will come up little by little in the forums. I am so excited to finally have a place to talk about it with people who don't answer things like the following: "Can you see God? Of course not. Can you touch him? No. It doesn't mean there is no god. Can you see your brain? no. Can you touch it? No. But you have one."
I got this one today from a friend. yeah...

[Minimalist]

I'll touch her brain for her...where's my hatchet?

[Simon Moon]

Welcome aboard!

Not sure if you are aware of these organizations -

http://www.clergyproject.org/

http://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/

Not that you need them, but you may know others that may. Or you may be interested in contributing your experiences and knowledge.

[fr0d0]

Welcome and congratulations on freeing yourself from the brainwashing

[Finn]

Actually, yes, you can see your brain (just need an MRI), and your doctor can touch it during surgery. Brains are demonstrable, detectable, so is the wind (another favorite analogy from evangelicals), but gods are not.

[fr0d0]

Actually, yes, you can see your brain (just need an MRI), and your doctor can touch it during surgery. Brains are demonstrable, detectable, so is the wind (another favorite analogy from evangelicals), but gods are not.

And once you establish that, you can move on.

[KichigaiNeko]