If you were ever a theist...

[*Deidre*]

Lol Evie ...not sure why but that made me laugh

[Edwardo Piet]

I was never a theist but if I ever was I think my life would have been even more confusing.

Care to elaborate?

Yes, I would have a religious upbringing including all the general religious biases and bullshit to shed. The stuff that limits my turtle body and mind.

[Judashpeters]

I was raised a Christian and for most of my life I believed in and loved Jesus.

One day, in my thirties, I decided that I wanted to draw a comic book showing how awesome Jesus was. I had always read FROM the Bible, but I had not really read through the Gospels, straight through, in one or two sittings.

So, one evening, I started Matthew, finished it a couple nights later, and was completely depressed that Jesus was NOT looking like a good guy. I thought, "Okay, that's just the first book, I guess Jesus comes off more as the Savior in Mark."

I read Mark, and I read Luke and I was feeling even worse about Jesus than when I started. Jesus was coming off looking to me like an arrogant and ignorant con-man. BUT, I told myself that John's Gospel was probably going to make it all better.

John was the worst one, the craziest one, the one that takes Jesus down to crazy town.

So, there I was. I was done. I sat in bed the evening I finished reading John and I was like, "Holy shit...I'm not a Christian anymore...what? Maybe I can still be a Christian...nope. I don't believe."

I spent the next year having conversations in my head about believing in Jesus and not believing. Constantly. It was the strangest year for me because at that time I didn't even know what an atheist was, I thought I was the only person in the world who felt the way I felt. Then one day I decided to google "atheist" to see what those "idiots" thought...and I was like, "wait...THAT'S MEEEEEEEEE!!"

So yes, reading the Bible made me an atheist, which is why I always support giving them out to people.

[robvalue]

Thanks for sharing

The bible is surely the book that produces the most atheists!

I think Christianity thrives because people don't, on the whole, read through the whole bible. Or even all the gospels. I agree with you, the image people normally paint of Jesus is way off and requires serious cherry picking, or just believing what someone tells you.

[*Deidre*]

I was raised a Christian and for most of my life I believed in and loved Jesus.

One day, in my thirties, I decided that I wanted to draw a comic book showing how awesome Jesus was. I had always read FROM the Bible, but I had not really read through the Gospels, straight through, in one or two sittings.

So, one evening, I started Matthew, finished it a couple nights later, and was completely depressed that Jesus was NOT looking like a good guy. I thought, "Okay, that's just the first book, I guess Jesus comes off more as the Savior in Mark."

I read Mark, and I read Luke and I was feeling even worse about Jesus than when I started. Jesus was coming off looking to me like an arrogant and ignorant con-man. BUT, I told myself that John's Gospel was probably going to make it all better.

John was the worst one, the craziest one, the one that takes Jesus down to crazy town.

So, there I was. I was done. I sat in bed the evening I finished reading John and I was like, "Holy shit...I'm not a Christian anymore...what? Maybe I can still be a Christian...nope. I don't believe."

I spent the next year having conversations in my head about believing in Jesus and not believing. Constantly. It was the strangest year for me because at that time I didn't even know what an atheist was, I thought I was the only person in the world who felt the way I felt. Then one day I decided to google "atheist" to see what those "idiots" thought...and I was like, "wait...THAT'S MEEEEEEEEE!!"

So yes, reading the Bible made me an atheist, which is why I always support giving them out to people.

Interestingly, the Bible 'made' me at atheist, too...at one time. 

I appreciate your candor...it's really been an awesome thing to read all of your stories, and identify with some of them lol

[*Deidre*]

Thanks for sharing

The bible is surely the book that produces the most atheists!

I think Christianity thrives because people don't, on the whole, read through the whole bible. Or even all the gospels. I agree with you, the image people normally paint of Jesus is way off and requires serious cherry picking, or just believing what someone tells you.

I think it thrives because of indoctrination. To have left it...and to have returned to it a few years later...tells me that I view it differently now. It's my own faith.

[MJ the Skeptical]

If you were ever a theist/believer, what led you to no longer believe? Not looking to preach, that’s not my thing and it’s against rules anyway, but just curious. I remember my own journey over the past few years with it all, and just thought it’d be interesting to hear your ‘stories’ if you were once believers before identifying as an atheist. 

This might be blunt, but, I noticed your status states, "Back to Christianity" when you should just put, "Back to my Childhood Indoctrination." As it would be a more apt description 

I digress.

Never been a believer of any religion, but for a thinking exercise I will take up positions I don't hold and play devil's advocate just for fun, including religion debates just to see how good I am at arguing that position. However with religion, I never take anything away from it, no perspective, no new realizations that other positions i don't hold like taking on other political ideas or something similar that makes you have some introspection. All the religious arguments just pander to wishful thinking, people too afraid to realize their place in the cosmos so they make up things to feel better. What brought me back to reality after arguing the corollary of my position (atheism) was that I don't want to participate in wishful thinking or baseless beliefs without some empirical evidence and logical reasoning.

[Judashpeters]

I was raised a Christian and for most of my life I believed in and loved Jesus.

One day, in my thirties, I decided that I wanted to draw a comic book showing how awesome Jesus was. I had always read FROM the Bible, but I had not really read through the Gospels, straight through, in one or two sittings.

So, one evening, I started Matthew, finished it a couple nights later, and was completely depressed that Jesus was NOT looking like a good guy. I thought, "Okay, that's just the first book, I guess Jesus comes off more as the Savior in Mark."

I read Mark, and I read Luke and I was feeling even worse about Jesus than when I started. Jesus was coming off looking to me like an arrogant and ignorant con-man. BUT, I told myself that John's Gospel was probably going to make it all better.

John was the worst one, the craziest one, the one that takes Jesus down to crazy town.

So, there I was. I was done. I sat in bed the evening I finished reading John and I was like, "Holy shit...I'm not a Christian anymore...what? Maybe I can still be a Christian...nope. I don't believe."

I spent the next year having conversations in my head about believing in Jesus and not believing. Constantly. It was the strangest year for me because at that time I didn't even know what an atheist was, I thought I was the only person in the world who felt the way I felt. Then one day I decided to google "atheist" to see what those "idiots" thought...and I was like, "wait...THAT'S MEEEEEEEEE!!"

So yes, reading the Bible made me an atheist, which is why I always support giving them out to people.

Interestingly, the Bible 'made' me at atheist, too...at one time. 

I appreciate your candor...it's really been an awesome thing to read all of your stories, and identify with some of them lol

Now, I find what you're saying very interesting. I'm sure you've already posted somewhere, but I've very intrigued to hear about someone who went from theist to atheist, and then back again!

[*Deidre*]

Interestingly, the Bible 'made' me at atheist, too...at one time. 

I appreciate your candor...it's really been an awesome thing to read all of your stories, and identify with some of them lol

Now, I find what you're saying very interesting. I'm sure you've already posted somewhere, but I've very intrigued to hear about someone who went from theist to atheist, and then back again!

I wish there was a place to blog here, because I could share it there, without taking up space in the open forum and only those interested could read it. lol I appreciate your thoughtful reply, and will share when I'm not so tired, like an abbreviated version

[robvalue]

Indeed, indoctrination is the way religion is passed on. I firmly believe that if one or two generations weren't indoctrinated, the current religions would be dead and gone.

But people not reading the bible (in full) keeps them Christian I think, in general.

I made my website on wix.com, it's free and easy to use if you'd like to try it for blogging

I just thought, if for some reason everyone started indoctrinating their kids into some old religion (say the Egyptian gods) then suddenly those "man made" gods would come to life again.