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Skeptical monkey
2008-04-08 11:52:00
Sent in by Ted GoasI hope my testimonial is short and sweet. I was raised by two educated, traditional parents in the New York metro area of the U.S. I was introduced to, schooled in, and eventually confirmed Lutheran. At no point was I ever enthusiastic about my religion or going to church. But like many others I took religious teachings at face value, went through the motions and believed what I read in the Bible.But then I went to graduate school, which turned out to be my turning point. There I learned to question things, filter out bad information, ask for proof, and basically ask “Says who?”During this time I watched a documentary and heard this quote from Michael Shermer: “Smart people come to revisit things they learned for not-smart reasons,” or something to that effect. That was the straw that broke the camel’s back.It made me realize that children can’t control how they’re raised. But we can re-evaluate what we were conditioned to think. After doing so, my s...
More About: Monkey , Skeptical

I gave God up
2008-04-08 11:36:00
Sent in by Sean HI was raised in a Christian home on "Biblical Principles" (in this case as defined by an American evangelist named William Branham who my parents believed - and continue to believe - was God's prophet sent to this 'final generation' to tell them God is coming, I happen to be his mouthpiece, turn from your wicked ways, etc). Unfortunately for my pastor and parents, however, I have always had an inquisitive mind, and while I went along with all this nonsense, it never sat well with me. In my early 20s I left this fundamentalist group for a more mainstream version of Christianity. I figured that God was probably real but that I had just grown up in a community that misunderstood him. All I found though was that while the lifestyle was more enjoyable and sat more at ease with the rest of society, the same questions remained.I am now 29 and about nine months ago I started listening to podcasts from people like Scientific American, Astronomy Cast, and The Skeptics Guid...

The Apocalypse of Peter
2008-04-07 01:16:00
Clement of Alexandria considered the Apocalypse of Peter to be holy scripture.

Why I am not a Christian
2008-04-06 23:23:00
By Richard CarrierThe Evidence is Inadequate(One) reason I am not a Christian is the sheer lack of evidence. Right from the start, Christians can offer no evidence for their most important claim, that faith in Jesus Christ procures eternal life. Christians can't point to a single proven case of this prediction coming true. They cannot show a single believer in Jesus actually enjoying eternal life, nor can they demonstrate the probability of such a fortunate outcome arising from any choice we make today. Even if they could prove God exists and created the universe, it still would not follow that belief in Jesus saves us. Even if they could prove Jesus performed miracles, claimed to speak for God, and rose from the dead, it still would not follow that belief in Jesus saves us.Therefore, such a claim must itself be proven. Christians have yet to do that. We simply have no evidence that any believer ever has or ever will enjoy eternal life, or even that any unbeliever won't. And most ...

Representative tries to put the fear of God in atheist
2008-04-06 18:31:00
Did you hear about the state legislator who last week blasted a Lutheran minister during a committee hearing for spewing dangerous religious superstitions, and then attempted to order the minister out of the witness chair on the grounds that his Christian beliefs are "destroying what this state was built upon?"Of course you didn't, because it didn't happen and would never happen. Not to a Christian, not to a Jew, not to a Muslim or to anyone who subscribes to any faith.Such an attack would rightly be considered scandalously out of bounds in contemporary society.But you probably also didn't hear about what actually did happen:Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) interrupted atheist activist Rob Sherman during his testimony Wednesday afternoon before the House State Government Administration Committee in Springfield and told him, "What you have to spew and spread is extremely dangerous . . . it's dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!"This is the Land of Li...
More About: Atheist , Fear , Representative

A Biblical crisis of faith
2008-04-06 10:26:00
Sent in by Jim RLI was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school from kindergarten through high school. I read the Bible often and prayed every night. God was very real to me through college. During college I went to church every Sunday with my grandmother.I quit reading the Bible when I got to the end of 2 Samuel and it tells the story of God killing 70,000 Israelites via an epidemic because David took a census that God told him to take. I just couldn't accept that story. I had a pretty liberal view of the Bible, but this story couldn't be true. My God wouldn't do that. The God I prayed to, talked to wouldn't do that...couldn't do that. The crisis of faith was never quite settled, but the feelings that story gave me eventually died down.After college I still went to church in Columbia, South Carolina. I wasn't very comfortable with the more conservative church there. A priest in a homily once referred to NPR as "National Communist Radio". I didn't like the fundamentalizat...
More About: Faith , Biblical , Crisis

I want to belong
2008-04-06 02:36:00
From Meranda FHow do you deal with people who don’t agree with you or threaten your position on life with good solid evidence? Do you just walk away defeated with a plain face? What about when you feel hurt or offended that your ideas or way of life just don't seem to stand up to theirs?Seems like every time I take up a new position, I get beaten down for it, because it isn’t the "right" position. I used to be atheist, but there was so much negativity expressed toward it, and I just wanted to feel at peace with my decision. I knew that I didn't believe in a god, but even if there was a god, I wanted to chose how I would deal with it. I didn't want anyone choosing for me.So I turned to secularity because it seemed to be the perfect fit for my beliefs: no religion in government, no proselytizing others, and freedom to do as I choose so long as I don't hurt others.I wonder, is it that I really don’t believe in a god, or am I sick of conventional ideas on how to worship a ...

In reason we trust
2008-04-03 20:20:00
By: Sajia HallAs an organizing member of AHA, the UW-Madison organization for Atheists, Humanists and Agnostics, Nick Jikomes hears arguments against atheism all the time. One of the most common is that atheism requires belief and is therefore a religion.Jikomes, however, has an answer. “There’s a common witticism that saying atheism is a religion is like saying bald is a hair color,” he said. “What people often mean by that is that atheism requires faith, which is just not the case. Atheists believe in reasoned arguments, and evidence is our basis for establishing whether something exists.”Jikomes, a second-year genetics major, regularly organizes meetings and lectures on atheism-related topics. “I can’t be 100 percent sure that God doesn’t exist—to say so would be absurd, because you can’t disprove anything with absolute certainty,” he said. “I can’t disprove the Christian, Muslim or Hindu gods. I can’t disprove the Roman or Greek gods, or even the Smur...
More About: Reason , Trust

Does God really make me a better person?
2008-04-03 19:33:00
Sent in by JasonI call myself a human animal, no better than any other being on this planet, but I fit into the life cycle like all the other species. I spent my life in a Christian home, with a pastor for a father who encouraged us to attend church and encouraged free thought and questioning. For this I am proud of him. I gave myself to Jesus as an adolescent without knowledge of all the facts and a warped understanding of the world. Two months ago I changed my mind.I have been through a mental and emotional roller coaster ride which culminated in me crying with my sister as we realised that when we die, that was it, and we would be apart. The here and now is what is precious and I let go of the hope in a paradise that is carefree and eternal. It was devastating after believing in it for so long.I just feel that others must know that they are not alone. I've been through thoughts of suicide as life now appears to be meaningless, and Christian friends keep saying, "If there's no p...
More About: Make , Person

True Christians don't ...
2008-04-03 10:55:00
From GloriaI'd like to comment on your following statement:"My point is that many Christians who arrive here do not obey the dictates of their own religion. They post on this site with beams in their eyes howling at Dave to remove the speck in his. They claim a loving god and can neither give a convincing argument for the claim based upon the contents of their faith nor the example of their own behavior. They call Dave hateful and promise him nothing but Hell." -- ref1. There are many people who call themselves Christians. Christ lends respectability and the image of being a "nice guy" to a person's identify. Many people simply fake it. I suspect that many of the fakers actually believe they're Christians.2. True Christians don't write hateful e-mail. They do not condemn people to Hell.Please don't confuse charlatans -- who just want to argue (because your opinion differs from what they pretend to believe) -- with true Christians.God, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, and Salvation...

“Let the dead bury their dead”
2008-04-03 02:18:00
Matthew 8:22By Brian Worley In my mind, perhaps the most stunning words rendered from the lips of Jesus were from Matthew 8:22 “Let the dead bury their dead”. These are the words of Jesus given to a grieving disciple, not to a foe! This disciple wanted to go and bury his dead father. Certainly life should be respected and moral beings should pay their respects in memory to those loved ones whom have just died, if they are able to do so. Jesus gets credited for having great character and compassion, but honesty demands that his curt attitude towards death, humanity, and lack of respect for those in grief be placed upon his sinless account! The Rumbula Forest (Riga, Latvia) Recently, I took a long walk through the snow-covered Rumbula Forest on the outskirts of Riga, Latvia. I had ...
More About: Dead

Pat Condel comments on Fitna
2008-04-03 00:51:00
'Fitna' has been reinstated on LiveLeak. Bravo. Long live free speech.Reaction from Iranhttp://www.reuters.com/article/worldN ...Iran leads the world in executing childrenhttp://hrw.org/english/docs/2007/ 06/2...Swiss foreign minister wears headscarf in Iranhttp://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/0 ...Wife-beating in Islamhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWGA8 i...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wp3Eam ...Hamas bunny threatens to kill Danes over cartoonshttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0 U2ce...You can download an audio version of this video at http://patcondell.libsyn.com/
More About: Comments

Abuse was common in religious orders
2008-04-02 11:56:00
A tainted legacyWhile the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland reached a $56.4 million global settlement in 2005 with the victims of childhood sexual abuse by its priests, one religious order opted for a different tactic.The Salesians of St. John Bosco, whose Western Province is based in San Francisco, has been the most aggressive church group fighting lawsuits against its priests, said Rick Simons, a lawyer who handled many cases against the diocese and religious orders.The order said one victim fabricated stories and had other cases dismissed -- not because its priests didn't commit abuse, but because the Salesians didn't have "notice" of the abuse, Simons said.For the order to be held liable in a civil trial, they had to know that abuse was occurring and not take preventive action, according to California law."They are far and away the worst," Simons said of the Salesians. "They are the largest order, but they are also the absolute worst when it comes to taking responsibility for ...
More About: Abuse , Common , Orders , Religious

April Fools!
2008-04-01 15:54:00
By Doc MikeMany of the stories in the Bible are so preposterous, even a child should see through the bullshit. But thousands of years later, fools continue to believe. When will the insanity end?Happy April Fools' Day, everyone!

But what if you're WRONG!?
2008-04-01 11:06:00
Sent in by PhilipI've done it. I've gotten myself out of Christianity.Now comes the hard part: letting go of YHWH altogether.The only real problem I'm having with this has to do with this series of vows that I've made over the course of about two years -- absurd vows, having to do with my sexuality, my diet, how much money I spend: all leftovers from being a nervous Christian fearing I wasn't pious enough.I've given up Jesus, because he wasn't the Messiah. But my timidness at finally giving up my vows has left me in a very awkward position as sort of a pseudo-Jew, still worrying whether or not Jewish god really does exist. If I can just get myself to break these vows, I'll be free. But this is the final threshold, and I don't ever want to look back if I can get past this.I'm miserable, as this cognitive dissonance is tearing me apart: my rational mind telling me it's mystical nonsense, and my baser superstitious self who keeps saying "But what if you're WRONG!?"Has anyo...
More About: Wrong

GOD SAID IT; I BELIEVE IT; END OF STORY
2008-03-30 22:47:00
Hi from Ontario Canada:I am an atheist with a capital A. I belong or attend several free-thought type groups including FFRF and attend their conventions.My wife's attitude is "GOD SAID IT; I BELIEVE IT; END OF STORY".I find it very frustrating to live with someone who will not even consider your views or will not engage in honest conversation.How do others in my position deal with the above situation when parting is not an option because of grandchildren.ThanksSnabag
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Website pulls anti-Islam film after threats
2008-03-30 09:20:00
The anti-Islam film ‘Fitna' by far-right Dutch MP Geert Wilders has been pulled from the internet after the website company which posted it received threats. British-based Liveleak.com said it pulled down the video, which can still be seen on other websites, including youtube.com. The film was posted to the internet on Friday. “Following threats to our staff of a very serious nature, and some ill informed reports from certain corners of the British media that could directly lead to the harm of some of our staff, Liveleak.com has been left with no other choice but to remove ‘Fitna’ from our servers,” the site said in a statement. Fitna — Part 1/2 “This is a sad day for freedom of speech on the net but we have to place the safety and well being of our staff above all else,” the online statement said. Wilders said it was “terrible that these threats deal a serious blow to freedom of expression,” but he told Dutch news agency ANP that he understood the decision to...
More About: Website , Film , Anti , Threats

Parents indicted in faith-healing case
2008-03-30 09:11:00
Oregon City couple are charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of their daughterAn Oregon City couple whose 15-month-old daughter died this month of medically treatable conditions surrendered to police Friday night hours after a Clackamas County grand jury indicted them.They are at the heart of a case testing a state law that bars faith healing when it could endanger a child's life.Based on the jury's findings, arrest warrants were issued for Carl Brent Worthington, 28, and Raylene Worthington, 25, on charges of second-degree manslaughter and second-degree criminal mistreatment in the March 2 death of their daughter, Ava.At 8:30 p.m., the pair voluntarily surrendered at the Clackamas County Jail, said Detective Jim Strovink, a sheriff's office spokesman. They were held on $250,000 bail each.Television reporters soon descended on the jail's entrance, reacting to a tip that the husband and wife would post the $25,000 apiece needed to avoid spending the weekend in jail...
More About: Faith , Healing , Faith Healing , Parents , Case

Seeking a spiritual foundation
2008-03-30 08:46:00
From KevinI left Christianity approximately a year ago. I came to Christianity after having a conversion experience that was very powerful when I was 18. I initially participated in a Pentecostal church and then ended up leading an emergent church. I was a Christian for 16 years and I was the main leader of a church when I left. At the time of my de-conversion I could no longer intellectually sustain many of the core assertions of Christianity. I have had numerous supernatural type experiences in my life and as a Christian I found the presence of the Holy Spirit very powerful and reassuring.Since I have left the church I have sought for a suitable spiritual foundation. I have found perennial philosophy very appealing intellectually. However, I have encountered nothing that seems to compare to the power, love and insight that I experienced as a Christian (experiencing the Holy Spirit).I still can't hold up the core theological components of Christianity. However, due to the spirit...
More About: Foundation , Spiritual , Seeking

Fitna the Movie
2008-03-28 16:01:00
Geert Wilders' film about the QuranFitna is a film by Dutch politician Geert Wilders, leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV) in the Dutch parliament. The movie offers his views on Islam and the Qur'an. The film's title comes from the Arabic word fitna which is used to describe "disagreement and division among people", or a "test of faith in times of trial". The movie was released to the Internet on 27 March 2008. -- WikipediaFreedom of expression or freedom to insult? Calls from countries with a largely Muslim population to ban Geert Wilders film Fitna have fallen on deaf ears in the Netherlands, where freedom of expression is seen as an unassailable right. Folkert Jensma, NRC Handelsblad's legal affairs correspondent, explains the options. Could the screening of Wilders' video have been prevented by law? No, at least not in principle. The Dutch constitution does not allow censorship, which is defined in Article 7 as the freedom to publish or show...
More About: Movie , The Movie

Parents attribute daughter's death to lack of faith
2008-03-27 06:41:00
Madeline Kara Neumann is shown working on chalk art last summer during downtown Wausau's Chalk Fest.WESTON, Wis. ? An 11-year-old girl died after her parents prayed for healing rather than seek medical help for a treatable form of diabetes, police said Tuesday.Everest Metro Police Chief Dan Vergin said Madeline Neumann died Sunday."She got sicker and sicker until she was dead," he said.Vergin said an autopsy determined the girl died from diabetic ketoacidosis, an ailment that left her with too little insulin in her body, and she had probably been ill for about 30 days, suffering symptoms like nausea, vomiting, excessive thirst, loss of appetite and weakness.The girl's parents, Dale and Leilani Neumann, attributed the death to "apparently they didn't have enough faith," the police chief said.They believed the key to healing "was it was better to keep praying. Call more people to help pray," he said.The mother believes the girl could still be resurrected, the police chief said.Tele...
More About: Faith , Death , Parents , Lack

I am terribly CONFUSED and afraid
2008-03-27 06:17:00
A letter from KimI am 51 years old, and was raised as a Protestant. I "converted" to Catholicism when I got married for the second time 22 years ago. I always felt guilty because I didn't get much out of going to mass. A lot of it seemed very redundant. Very recently, I have been questioning my faith. Not a very comfortable feeling. I am terrified to admit that if I don't believe in a higher being, I will for sure be thrown into the fires of Hell!I am terribly CONFUSED and afraid. I consider myself a kind and compassionate person (I work as a patient care technician in a Catholic hospital!), and just because I am questioning whether or not God exists doesn't mean I should be condemned for eternity! I don't dare to talk to my husband about these feelings because his faith in God is very strong. I am not saying that I don't believe there is a higher power, but if he/she/they were so loving then why does it seem that life is always such a struggle!!??Please assure me that my frigh...

Why does God care if we love and worship him or not? Is he really that inse
2008-03-27 06:11:00
Sent in by JohnnyBeing brought up by evangelical parents in a very strong Christian community it was only natural that I was indoctrinated with falsehoods from as far back as I can remember. I even spent the first 14 years of my life living in a church house for the first seven and then in flat above a church for the following seven. I was taught the same stories and morals as many of you on here; the doctrine of the trinity, heaven and hell, the resurrection and countless other miracles. My parents were unwavering in their faith, and most of our family and family friends were Christians of some sort too.Despite this, my parents were not overly strict, openly admitted they could not answer all of my questions about God, and wholly accepted the fact I was to ?experiment? with other religions/world views before committing to anything.I have always had a very inquiring mind and can remember grilling them from about the age of 4 or 5 with difficult questions such as ?who created God??, ...
More About: Love , Care , Worship

My de-conversion letter to friends and family
2008-03-27 06:05:00
Sent in by AndrewIt's been about a year since I've stopped considering myself a Christian. I want to put together a 'coming out' letter to give friends and family some idea as to why I have given it up. Please let me know if you think I should add something, or leave something else out. Is it even a good idea to do something like this? I sent this letter to a close friend who is pretty devout, and she seemed to appreciate it.Here goes:Dear Christian Friend, Because you mean so much to me, I wanted to give you at least some sort of idea as to the ?why? of my deconversion. I want to let you know, at least at a surface level, why I?ve chosen to ?leave the fold?, to share a bit of my story. To begin, I want to let you know that this is not something that has just come up or that I?ve decided on a whim. I?m sure you didn?t think as much, but I just understand that it can be difficult to comprehend why someone would ever leave Christianity, especially when it is so ingrained for so lo...
More About: Family , Friends , Letter , Conversion

Pastor charged with forgery
2008-03-26 10:06:00
Randy Baldridge is the pastor of a church in Galena, Kansas, and is charged with forging a $100,000 check.Authorities say the name he put on the check is Nancy Sarduck. Sarduck was at one time one of Baldridge's parishioners.He also presided over her husband's funeral in July.Baldridge is the pastor of 6th Street Baptist Church in Galena, Kansas.He allegedly made a check out to Assembly of God Financial Solutions for an investment program based in Springfield, Missouri.Sarduck says she received a letter in the mail thanking her for the investment. She told the company she never wrote the check.Court documents say the check was from a closed Commerce Bank account originally opened by Baldridge.The sheriff's department says they do not know what the motive was behind this alleged act.But Sarduck says she feels betrayed by the man who laid her husband to rest."I think that he thought I was grieving so much, that he though he would get by with it," Sarduck says. "Whether he's done s...
More About: Forgery , Pastor

Youth pastor faces charges for sex with underage girl
2008-03-26 00:49:00
A youth pastor had sex with a teenage girl in his offices at the Berea Baptist Church over a span of two years, police said today.Jeremy Workman, 32, was charged last week with unlawful sexual contact with a minor and possession of criminal tools. He is being held on $250,000 bond. Workman resigned from the church in January. The girl was 15 and in the youth group when the two began their sexual relationship. She is now 19 and pregnant with his child, police said.Workman served as the church's youth pastor since 2000."This kind of evil behavior takes place frequently in secular venues, but when it occurs in a holy setting like God's House, it is especially grevious," Pastor Kenneth Spink said in a statement.Workman also worked part time in the weight room of the Berea Recreation Center, said police Chief Mark Schultz. No work-related problems were ever reported.Workman resigned from his job at the church in January, weeks after he learned that the girl was pregnant. He left the ch...
More About: Faces , Youth , Girl

I am a christian
2008-03-13 22:42:00
From BrandonI want you to know that just because you dont believe in God, doesnt mean he's not there. God loves you. Romans 5:8 says God demonstrates His love for us in this: while we were still sinners Christ died for us. God has a love and a grace that is beyond human understanding. I am a christian obviously and I believe that Jesus Christ will be coming again and that He will take His people, the believers, with Him. I pray that you and the people who dont believe in Christ will turn before that day. If you want to ask me some questions or anything email me back.Email: brandon.buck41@yahoo.com
More About: Christian

I need some good responses to these Christian explanations
2008-03-07 06:54:00
From BeasterHere is something that was in my school newspaper, The Daily Toreador, and some of the comments made by some Christian s. I found it rather interesting, and I apologize in advance for the length. It's rather confusing how they have an excuse for everything it seems. What are ya'lls thoughts?It really bothers me when people blame God for the bad things that happen in the world and say he doesn't care about us or he doesn't know how to deal with us.First, let me establish that God is real and that he knows what he is doing. The first and best sources are the scriptures and the words of the prophets. They teach that God does live, that he cares about us and that he has a plan for all of us.Unfortunately, some people think that the Bible is "out-of-date" and not applicable to today's problems. Nothing could be further from the truth. I believe if people applied the teachings found in the Bible, there would be far fewer problems in our society.For those who want more than...
More About: Good

It's a big old world without god
2008-02-18 10:15:00
From L.E.B.I was only a Christian for a few years, of my own choosing, and I am glad my parents were a-religious. They didn't brainwash us to anything except treat other people nicely. I did the same with my own kids and though sometimes I worry they don't "fit in," they all know how to think logically. I don't hold a lot of animosity toward the ?church,? anymore. I was a Jesus-freak back in the day, mostly Four Square Gospel -- sister Amiee's church. I am, however, still pissed off that the pastor of my home church embezzled money to buy land for himself; I worked damn hard for the tithes I faithfully donated each payday. I had already left the church by the time they found out about that, so it wasn't like I had to face him or anything. It never ceases to amaze me that the people who profess the loudest about morals or whatever are the ones who end up in sleazy sex scandals or run off with the money from the poor box or molest children. Why is that? The main thing that finall...
More About: World

Pastor reports to prison for tax evasion
2008-02-16 21:37:00
The Rev. Gregory Clarke, pastor of New Hope Baptist Church, checked in to a federal penitentiary in Atlanta around 8 a.m. Friday morning to begin serving a 21-month sentence for tax fraud.Clarke walked into prison wearing a Crimson Tide jacket and baseball cap. He made the journey on a chartered bus, accompanied by about 50 church members. Other church members and supporters followed in vehicles.A federal jury convicted Clarke in July 2007 on charges he filed false income tax returns for 2000, 2001 and 2002. At trial prosecutors said Clarke underreported $110,000 in earned income and schemes to deceive the government about the money.Clarke has said he was singled out because of his friendship with former Alabama Gov. Don Siegelman, who is serving a prison sentence after he was convicted on seven corruption-related counts by a federal jury in Montgomery in 2006.Here is a video taken before the bus departed for Atlanta. Clarke tells reporters and supporters that he is ready to report ...
More About: Prison , Tax evasion , Pastor