ExChristian.net ExChristian.net A site aimed at encouraging those who have discovered, or are discovering, that Christianity is false. Articles
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 More About: Story
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 , 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
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
My emancipation from the Bible cult
2008-02-15 10:43:00 Sent in by NickMy first doubts began when I was 8 or 9, wondering why I never saw the god I was learning about in Sunday School, while he seemed to put in so many appearances in biblical times. Was he really watching our every action from up there in the sky and jotting it all down to be used against us on Judgment Day?Though I was "confirmed" at the age of 18, mainly to please my parents, I was never a religious person, and Christianity never formed a big part of my life, until my 8-month-old daughter died. I received kind, moral support from my Seventh Day Adventist neighbors and this period in my life was the closest I ever got to becoming involved in church activities.But I gradually drifted away, mainly over the requirement to literally believe everything contained in the Bible , though much, obviously, stretched one's imagination.So my doubts grew, though to be quite honest, I really didn't give it all that much thought, nevertheless, I guess you could call me a dormant fence... More About: Cult , The Bible
Atheism Freed Me from All Life's Superstitions
2008-02-15 10:38:00 By xraymanMost of my life I have been very superstitious. Just the thought of an upcoming Friday the 13th made me very anxious. Anything with the number 13 made me very nervous. I would avoid black cats, walking under ladders, and of course a broken mirror caused me great distress. I had lucky numbers and unlucky numbers. The same was true for colors. Along with all my superstitions I also suffered from extreme obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) which is superstition gone mad. OCD is manifested by many ridiculous rituals. I used to tap each door knob I walked by seven times and if I didn’t feel I did it right I had to do it again. My shoes had to be placed a certain way, my shirts had to hang in the same direction. I had to rinse my hair a certain way or I would have to do it again. With the obsessive compulsive disorder I became a prisoner to my rituals. They controlled my life. With OCD one gets this irrational belief it they don’t perform their daily rituals so... More About: Atheism , Superstitions
Watch Out for those Terrible Atheists
2008-02-13 22:50:00 by Lee SalisburyA recent study conducted by the University of Minnesota shows that atheists are more distrusted and despised than any other minority and that an atheist is the last person for whom Americans would vote in a presidential election. “Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians” all ranked higher than atheists in public acceptability. Furthermore, Americans are “least willing to allow their children to marry” atheists. State laws instill and perpetuate this attitude. Article IX, Sec. 2, of the Tennessee constitution states: “No person who denies the being of God, or a future state of rewards and punishments shall hold any office in the civil department of this state.” Arkansas, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Texas have similar laws.George H. W. Bush while campaigning for President in 1987 exhibited this same attitude, “I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This i... More About: Watch , Atheists
Baby Bible Bashers
2008-02-13 22:32:00 Showing on UK Channel 4, Thursday 14 February 2008, 9pmSamuel Boutwell is a seven-year-old preacher. He takes his vocation to save sinners from rotting in eternal hell extremely seriously.Most Saturdays he stands in front of his local abortion clinic in Jackson, Mississippi and, bible in hand, bellows:'Don't kill your child! Repent! God loves the little children!'View picture gallery >> Baby Bible Bashers follows the extraordinary stories of three of the Lord's 'chosen children', and their relationships with God, their families and their congregations.In addition to Samuel, we meet nine-year-old Florida firebrand Terry Durham, who likes nothing more than to don his oversize blue suit and alligator shoes, and whip the crowd into a frenzy. Terry holds the honour of having been the world's youngest ordained minister at just six.Brazilian sensation Ana Carolina Dias began preaching at just three years of age and regularly commands TV audiences of millions. Her mission: t...
Anatomy of a Christian Hate Letter - Part Three
2008-02-13 13:54:00 This post is part of a dialogue, In Two Minds: The Anatomy of a Christian Hate Letter , between former minister Brian Worley and psychologist Valerie Tarico . In the series, Brian Worley, an ordained Baptist, describes some of his encounters with Christian friends and family since he deconverted and Valerie Tarico responds.Dear Valerie,I have never forgotten that I was once a true believer (Fundamentalists type) for 23 years. I suppose that it was the expressed passion of the Fundamentalist preacher types that initially attracted me into the faith. What I found appealing was: 1) the urgency of the message 2) the earnest defense of the faith 3) denunciation of sin 4) music 5) the assembling together 6) the unquestioned “truth” of Christianity 7) the camaraderie of standing for something. All of these helped to bring me into the fold. Thinking back, I cannot recall anyone questioning the legitimacy of Christianity prior to my graduation from Bible college. I knew many that didn... More About: Part
Once a Baby-Killer...
2008-02-13 03:45:00 For some reason, pro-life Christians think their God is against abortion and baby-killing. I don't get it! There are lots of examples to the contrary in the Bible. I mean, who has killed more babies than the Christian God? Have you read these passages?Hosea 13:16 Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.Exodus 12:29 "And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt..."2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.Isaiah 13:16 Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished.Isaiah 13:18 Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their e... More About: Baby , Killer
I once was a born-again Christian…
2008-02-12 12:32:00 By writerdd of Skepchick.com…but I’m not any more.Every once in a while I get an email or a comment accusing me of being a liar, saying it’s impossible for me to once have been a “real” Christian and now to be an atheist. Of course, the people who are so sure of my history have never met me and certainly didn’t know me in my past life as a Christian. Even so, their assuredness that what I’ve said cannot possibly be true always makes me think. Reading Infidel, I’ve been made acutely aware that Muslims don’t have this problem of understanding. They are quite certain that people of their faith can fall away, and therefore have a solution to stop the apostasy from spreading: kill the infidels. Hmm. It might be the only sure-fire way to control the flock. I just finished reading an article from Psychology Today, called An Atheist in the Pulpit, by Bruce Grierson. In the article, Grierson interviews several ministers who have lost their faith for a wide range of reasons...
Stop praying, start reading
More articles from this author:2008-02-11 14:11:00 The secularization of American public education has bred a nation of devout religious illiterates. By Patrick Grumley and Matt LeightonWhile it seems to be a growing trend for religious enthusiasts to claim that secular, and even atheist, ideologies are hugging the public square, evangelicalism seems to have more than just outlived the late Rev. Jerry Falwell. To date, Christianity has been the self-proclaimed founder of American morality. More recently however, Jesus and the divinely inspired have found competition at the book store by atheist authors such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins on the subject of morality and divinity. This dichotomy of ideals has fostered the public war between the religious and secular State, much to the amusement of European onlookers. For many elementary schools in Europe, students are taught compulsory religious education. By middle school, students are well aware of the holy books of Christianity, Islam, Judaism and have some understandin... More About: Reading , Start , Stop 1, 2, 3 |
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