Wanted my direction to make sense

[Minimalist]

Welcome aboard.

[smax]

Thanks for the warm welcome, people. I look forward to interacting with all of you.

[Fruity]

Welcome!

[smax]

Welcome smax.

Your story is a common one here on these forums.
I often tell religious people that if they like their religion - don't research it. Keep your knees on the ground, your eyes closed and your head up your butt. Some people just can't handle the truth.


Good to have you here.

100 percent true.

I've shared that same story with current Christians and they all come away feeling as if I lost something valuable.

I always tell them. In my life, I've gained nothing else that even comes close to the freedom and liberty of breaking away from religion's grip.

[Minimalist]

Indeed.

“There can be but little liberty on earth while men worship a tyrant in heaven.”
Robert Green Ingersoll

[Simon Moon]

Welcome aboard!

Eventually, I did in fact walk away, and I found it extremely liberating, as if a HUGE burden had finally been lifted.

Of course it was liberating! You no longer have to worry that you, relatives, friends or anyone would be destined to eternal torture for finite thought crimes.

[KichigaiNeko]

Well met again smax. I like to think that the whole responsibility thing has been resolved. You are no longer able to HONESTLY blame god/ satan for anything

[smax]

Well met again smax. I like to think that the whole responsibility thing has been resolved. You are no longer able to HONESTLY blame god/ satan for anything

True. And, this is the primary reason why I stand mostly opposed to organize religions altogher now.

While almost all religions preach and promote some basic moral good, they almost all promote some type of relative evil as well. In fact, many religious people are doing the world a huge favor by not carrying out the actual conviction and true practice of their religion. Because, if they were, the impact on society would be potentially devastating (see the dark ages, the crusades, the inquisition, the salem witch trials, etc., etc, etc.).

Fortunately, most religious people take their doctrines with a grain of salt. They somewhat practice the ones that are socially acceptable and not in conflict with their own personal interests while disregarding the ones that would actually challenge them to take rather harsh action against opposing forces of all kinds.

Unfortunately, some religious people are in fact religiously motivated and prepared to act on their doctrines and convictions, but they are a extremely small minority when considering the vast number of people who profess to believe in and serve some sort of god.

[Neo-Scholastic]

I was a Christian for about 25 years. I went to Church, studied the bible, and prayed often...I also found that his book was filled with contradictions, scientific impossibilities, and a lack of even the smallest degree of credibility. ... pretended to be a christian for several years while trying to come to grips with my gradually changing perspective. ...

Your story matches mine, except I kept searching until I found a theology that made sense of the Trinity etc. Then I became a Christian again. Hope you come back to God's side.

[smax]

I was a Christian for about 25 years. I went to Church, studied the bible, and prayed often...I also found that his book was filled with contradictions, scientific impossibilities, and a lack of even the smallest degree of credibility. ... pretended to be a christian for several years while trying to come to grips with my gradually changing perspective. ...

Your story matches mine, except I kept searching until I found a theology that made sense of the Trinity etc. Then I became a Christian again. Hope you come back to God's side.

Are you saying that the trinity was the only thing you had doubts about?