Still feel trapped

[goodnews]

Congratulations for comeing out of Babylon, Trying to forget the lies and contradictions you have bean indoctrinated with by learning new lies and contradictions will seem sweet at first, but afterwards leave a bitter taste in your mouth. These contradictions ie: { doctrins of men } is what you have come to realized are lies ! How do you know if you have found the truth, until you know what these lies are ? ps: your falling away is scriptual and all part of Gods salvation plan , but its not what you think ?

[Minimalist]

I still feel trapped in the morals of christianity.

What "morals" are those? Because there is no group with a bigger chasm between what is written and what they do.

[Cinjin]

I still feel trapped in the morals of christianity.

This statement makes no sense. How do morals "trap" a person? Which morals do you feel trapped by? Because if you feel trapped by not being able to kill, rape or steal from someone than you may actually be more of a sociopath than an atheist. If you feel trapped in a sense that you shouldn't listen to rock music or go to the bar to have a few drinks than you are misinformed, as those are NOT morals.

It's only been a few weeks since I finally realized the truth, but how do I rid myself of these values that have been branded in me?

You need to be far more specific. What values do you wish to be rid of??? I hate to be the one to break this to you pal, but everyone needs values. Take care of your children. Don't cheat on your wife. Help those in need. Don't threaten or steal for financial gain. These are all good values to live by. Your statements make me think that you don't really know what atheism actually is. You don't become an atheist to live a life of selfish indulgence. Yes, some people do, but if that's why you left the church, you might as well go back. Atheists have no book to justify all their atrocities; christians do ... and they do it often. You would be better served to remain a christian if you're wishing to rid yourself of values.

I still don't feel free. I don't want to believe anymore at all. I don't believe but it's like "god" is still there nagging in the back if my head.

I think you should stay in the church. It sounds like you're one of those people who is eventually going to return to that god anyway. For many people raised under the iron hand of christian slavery the imprinting is too strong to overcome and eventually they give in to their fear and self-loathing. I recommend finding a more liberal sect of christianity and embracing a life of christian hypocrisy. See catfish for advice on that.

[Cinjin]

I'm kind of bummed out on this one. I was genuinely hoping that our author would clarify his moral dilemmas and we could discuss this odd duality of his.

Alas, there are few threads anymore that truly interest me and this was one of the few. In truth, this is a last ditch effort to bring him around.

[Consilius]

One of the perks of being an ex-Christian atheist is keeping whatever out of Christianity you think is worth keeping and discarding the rest.

Funny. When Christians do that, they're bad Christians, but atheists pick and choose and then turn on the place where these morals came from.

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I think you should realise that you never got your morals from Christianity in the first place. No Christian does. If you did, you would promote slavery, rape, genocide etc...

To say the Bible supports slavery would mean you're on the side of the slave-dealers of the 19th century…as I remember, slavery was started by Christians and also ENDED by Christians. Not to mention that the slavers bought slaves out of materialistic desire, and not REALLY out of religious obligation. THAT part was a defense.
As far as that goes, I don't recall God saying "Thou shalt kill and rape indiscriminately…"

Many christians do not understand how morals came to be and so think atheists have non, this is not true. You don't need a God or a religion to tell you not to harm other people or kill or rape. Society and your own experiences teach you morals

That secular values exist outside religion is acutally a compliment to Christianity!
Many of moral values were enforced by, and some created by, religion. What we believe to be right or wrong comes from the impact of religion on society, so integrated into our belief systems that we don't even need to label it "God's Commandments". God is so deep into morality that we don't need to be inside his 'holy place' before we know that stealing is wrong.
Turn the other cheek? The meek will become great? All these are morals coming from Christ…not to mention "all men are…CREATED equal". Egalitarianism comes from religious doctrine.

[Bad Wolf]

No but Moses told people to kill and rape and he was acting on the word of God. Its strange how you can justify slavery just because you say there was no religious obligation. Which is completely false.

There is an evolutionary theory as to how morals came about which you have completely ignored.
All this rubbish about it being so deeply integrated into society is false, you are delusional

[Consilius]

No but Moses told people to kill and rape and he was acting on the word of God. Its strange how you can justify slavery just because you say there was no religious obligation. Which is completely false.

There is an evolutionary theory as to how morals came about which you have completely ignored.
All this rubbish about it being so deeply integrated into society is false, you are delusional

I never justified slavery. Slavers did. Slavery was justified by Christians and also condemned by Christians. Christians started and ended it.
Would it be false to say that Christianity enforces morality, the morality that forms our legislation?

[Tonus]

Slavery was justified by Christians and also condemned by Christians. Christians started and ended it.

If this is true, doesn't it diminish the moral authority of the Christian church? Because if this is true, then it seems that Christians just went along with the prevailing morals of the time. Why would they try to claim credit for the current prevailing morals?

[Faith No More]

That secular values exist outside religion is acutally a compliment to Christianity!

That people don't need god to be good is a compliment to your beliefs that only good comes from god? Weird...

Many of moral values were enforced by, and some created by, religion. What we believe to be right or wrong comes from the impact of religion on society, so integrated into our belief systems that we don't even need to label it "God's Commandments". God is so deep into morality that we don't need to be inside his 'holy place' before we know that stealing is wrong.

Evidence?

Turn the other cheek? The meek will become great? All these are morals coming from Christ…not to mention "all men are…CREATED equal". Egalitarianism comes from religious doctrine.

Unless of course you're gay or atheist, right?

[Consilius]

Slavery was justified by Christians and also condemned by Christians. Christians started and ended it.

If this is true, doesn't it diminish the moral authority of the Christian church? Because if this is true, then it seems that Christians just went along with the prevailing morals of the time. Why would they try to claim credit for the current prevailing morals?

Wrong. Different Christians used the Bible to justify slavery than those who abolished it.
The Bible never MADE people buy slaves. It was the desire to take advantage of the booming economy over respect for human rights. When the Church looked at the slavers, they pointed to their Bibles and explained themselves away. Apparently, it didn't hold up, and slavery was abolished under Christian propaganda.