Adam5 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Number one for me, is feeling conflicted. God is supposed not to be the author of confusion. But his book is a hodge podge of man made myths, legends and contradictory stories. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eugene39 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Isaiah 1, Jeremiah 7 and James 1:27 -- very interesting. What do you see there? What is interesting about those to you? The writers place high emphasis on helping those who cannot help themselves, and while it's absent in James, the others rail against just participating in the rituals of organized religion while the needy go without help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
expat674 Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 My number one reason for not believing any more is quite personal. I was in an abusive marriage and all the church and christians could see was Matthew 19 and Malachi 3. (God hates divorce.. blah blah blah). I argued that this made the bible an abusers charter as anyone who had faith was adhere to the prohibition to divorce and remarriage. I left my wife in the end, but I was not prepared to have some god accuse and then condemn an innocent third party for my previous mistake. The second big thing was the triumphant assertion that god was provide everything that you could need....and then remained as silent a lamb when I lost my house, job and marriage. In my eyes, this make biblegod either a sick, twisted liar or just non-existent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freeasabird Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 As others have said, but put in my own words, the claims of the bible simply do not match reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chikirin Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Seeing the bad effects of magical thinking among the practitioners of other religions, and then slowly seeing that it was occurring in my Christianity too. The people that get ahead in life are the ones who have common sense, but Christianity puts magic (the Holy Spirit) above commonsense, with inevitable results. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Isaiah 1, Jeremiah 7 and James 1:27 -- very interesting. What do you see there? What is interesting about those to you? The writers place high emphasis on helping those who cannot help themselves, and while it's absent in James, the others rail against just participating in the rituals of organized religion while the needy go without help. So basically they're saying being a good person (gasp!) is what leads to "salvation" right? Or puts you right with god? Whatever? But no, later it says it's only if you believe in a story that is patently unbelievable that you're justified. Then it reverses itself again. And again. You can literally justify ANYTHING IN THE WORLD with the bible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stryper Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 Prayer didn't work. The only thing I learned from Christianity was that even if you prayed day and night for years for something to happen, nothing would happen until you did it. God didn't stop my father's anger. God didn't get me the A. I got my A by studying and eventually left my father's anger behind when I left home. It took a few years, but I eventually learned that nobody's home when you pray and never was. So, if he's not there, then the rest is garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hereticzero Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 My number one reason for not believing is the OT prophet Jeremiah who claimed the law was a pack of lies never given to Moses, especially the law of sacrifice. That made the Christian concept of jesus as a perfect sacrifice a moot point, was never god incarnate, never god himself, nothing in prophecy is about jesus. The jews were lead by their noses by the priests and scribes. (Jer 7:8) Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot do any good. (Jer 7:22) For I did not speak to your fathers, nor command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices. (Jer 7:24) But they did not listen, nor bow their ear, but walked in their own plans, in the stubbornness of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward. (Jer 5:31) The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so: and what will ye do in the end thereof? HOW THE HELL DID I MISS THIS?!?? I mean I've read (most) of Jeremiah before, but damn. It went right over my head! Well actually now that I think about it it does sound familiar, but I never completely put 2 and 2 together. How is Jeremiah part of the OT when he's saying "the OT" is bullshit?!?! Are the jews that fucking careless with their own bible?? They have a guy, IN THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES, saying the scriptures are bullshit!?? PRICELESS!!! bwahahahahaha In the New Testament Jesus told a mob they would not have murdered their prophets had they understood what god meant when he said, 'I desire mercy and not sacrifice.' Tradition claims Jeremian was taken prisoner by one of the invading armies of Jerusalem. I however believe he was one of the prophets murdered for his nonbelief. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelHappy Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 My number one reason for not believing is the OT prophet Jeremiah who claimed the law was a pack of lies never given to Moses, especially the law of sacrifice. That made the Christian concept of jesus as a perfect sacrifice a moot point, was never god incarnate, never god himself, nothing in prophecy is about jesus. The jews were lead by their noses by the priests and scribes. Could it then be that the atonement wasn't the reason for Jesus's death, just what some latter Christians thought it must be? I mean the more critical I look at Christianity the more I question my once held beliefs. Not that any of it matters anymore. Anyways, one of the reasons why I questioned god is because there's no way the jews could have expected jesus as the messiah, I think if jesus was the christ then god was cruel to his so called choosen people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeelHappy Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 There are countless reasons, I've dealt with them in varying degrees while I was a christian but it all came down to this: 1. God does not seem to intervene in this world or answer prayers in a concrete way. Theodicy is shit, you can only see so much pain and suffering in the world before the BS answer of 'G'd works in mysterious ways' just doesn't work anymore. All things do NOT work together for the good of those who love the lord and are called according to his purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Akheia Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I suspect theodicy worked better on believers when people didn't have so much overwhelming evidence at their fingertips of tragedy and heartbreak across the entire world. With the click of keyboard buttons, we can see for ourselves that there is no possible way that an all-powerful god could be loving, or that a loving god could be all-powerful. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
roadrunner Posted June 11, 2012 Share Posted June 11, 2012 I had little nagging doubts like everybody. One day to be a better evangelist I watched a debate between Frank Turek and Christopher Hitchens. I had never heard an argument against Christianity and Hitchens was so confident in his opinion. I thought the only options were salvation or rejection. I was never told that people who had all the facts would disbelieve for any reason other than wanting to sin. from there the snowball grew. I realized that i had no good reasons for my beleif everything had a reason, even the emotions i felt in church. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcdaddy Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Heretic, do you know of any books or websites with more info on that? Id love to read some more about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 .With the click of keyboard buttons, we can see for ourselves that there is no possible way that an all-powerful god could be loving, or that a loving god could be all-powerful. Damn Internet. Wrecks everything! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Among everything is having to wait so long for a husband....learning that marriage=sex when in fact that is the furthest thing. Watching as my xtian friends got married and had lives while I was alone. Becoming suicidal from the lonlieness. Having to wait for "the One". That is my biggest and main reason among all the others and there are some biggies like my dad losing a hand... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeCoastie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 .With the click of keyboard buttons, we can see for ourselves that there is no possible way that an all-powerful god could be loving, or that a loving god could be all-powerful. Damn Internet. Wrecks everything! lol The internet did have a big part in my deconversion. Poltholder54's "Why do People Laugh at Creationists" series was like a trojan horse of doubt. At the time I wasn't an atheist, but I could still laugh at creationists. Later on I started to see through theistic bullshit as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Valk0010 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I suspect theodicy worked better on believers when people didn't have so much overwhelming evidence at their fingertips of tragedy and heartbreak across the entire world. With the click of keyboard buttons, we can see for ourselves that there is no possible way that an all-powerful god could be loving, or that a loving god could be all-powerful. Or they really just don't care to think. For example in my family the free will theodicy is used alot. None of them think, about how its actually possible for a god, to create a free will without evil. I have also heard them say depending on the day, that there is no free will heaven. But I have to say, if he wants us there, who says he can't create us there. And if he is really had to create us this way (another theodicy I have heard), then there is no good reason to believe him when he claims to be god. God but with a limp dick. Makes him no different then the devil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
★ Citsonga ★ Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I had little nagging doubts like everybody. I wish it was true that "everybody" has nagging doubts, but many don't. I was one of the 100% convinced believers. Such was the thoroughness of my indoctrination that I had absolutely no doubt about the truthfulness of Christianity until I was 29. After that point it didn't take long for the house of cards to tumble, but there are people who never get to the point of doubting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Positivist Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 like a trojan horse of doubt. Brilliant. Great mental imagery! (So true!!!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GardenerGal Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Would have to be the absolute silence during years of praying, begging, pleading for certain "God's will" type of dreams to come to life. After a miscarriage, I was just heartbroken over how natural of a process it was. The fetus would not be compatible with life, simply put. If God loved the children, then why miscarriage/late term losses, in all creatures? It led me to explore further into the Bible as I grasped for anything to keep my faith alive. In the end, I realized my endless prayers and cries were in vain. Now I can embrace science/medicine without guilt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adam5 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hi GG, life can be cruel. I'm sorry for your loss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GardenerGal Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hi GG, life can be cruel. I'm sorry for your loss. Hey thanks Adam. It took a while to heal my mind, but I have and am ready to move forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marmot Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Reading the Bible after "backsliding" for a few years. There is very little internal consistency, despite the earnest protestations of apologists. There is even less external consistency with the way the world works (both in terms of physical science as well as why bad things happen to good people, etc.). 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riddick Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 I guess what started me not believing is not getting answers to my many questions, like the inquisitive person I am, no one in my Christian cult wouldn't dare questions gods will, but I would always ask questions, as I thought maybe understanding why god did this or did that I could have a better relationship with him, but they only answers I got was, um, well, read your bible or don't question gods will. And that kind of reinforced my doubts and that they were mindless zombies, unable or unwilling to think for themselves, so began my journey into the real world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
owen652 Posted June 14, 2012 Share Posted June 14, 2012 the irreconcilabliity of Jesus with the tyrant god of the Old Testament. We were always reminded that God never changes ("the same yesterday, today and tomorrow"), yet obviously he DID change. either way, it is a contradiction that cannot possibly be resolved. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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