ExChristian.Net -- encouraging ex-Christians Details

Please God, forgive my already paid debts
2008-07-04 04:19:00
By webmdaveAnd he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. -- 1 John 2:2The doctrine of propitiation isn’t something that’s talked about too much in modern Christian circles. Hell, heaven, sin, repentance, prayer, Jim Dobson… these are all topics that get covered constantly, but propitiation? Not in any church I attended. I think I know the reason. The doctrine is bizarre, inconsistent and incoherent to even the most religiously brainwashed. The definition of propitiation is “An atoning sacrifice to gain or regain the favor or goodwill” of God. To propitiate is “to appease or pacify” God. As in the verse quoted above, Jesus’ purported death on a cross was to placate the wrath of a god who supposedly has a considerable grudge against humanity. Humanity just didn’t work out as He intended. So, propitiation is a blood-soaked offering lifted up to appease the wrath of blood-thirsty deity. When this deity sees hemog ...

Edinburgh University Resurrection Debate
2008-06-30 16:07:00
A two-hour video debate on the historicity the resurrection between Liberty University Professor Gary Habermas and JesusNeverExisted.com Author Ken Humphreys. The debate was held McEwan Hall, Edinburgh University on March 10, 2008.From Wikipedia: Gary Robert Habermas (born in 1950 in Michigan) is an American Christian apologist, theologian, and philosopher of religion. Habermas is Distinguished Professor of Apologetics and Philosophy and chairman of the department of philosophy and theology at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. He holds a Ph.D. (1976) from Michigan State University in the area of History and Philosophy of Religion; and an M.A. (1973) from the University of Detroit in Philosophical Theology. He is a prolific author, lecturer, and debater on the topic of the Resurrection of Jesus. His work defending the resurrection is often cited in the area of Christian apologetics. He has also specialized in cataloging and communicating trends among scholars in the field of hi ...

Dear disillusioned:
2008-06-30 13:21:00
A letter from BarbaraPerhaps in response to this testimonial? -- webmdaveI am sorry to know that you did not get to know the God of mankind as I have. Being a Agnostic or an athesist does not solve your problem for God is Lord of all and is a reality.Should you choose to ignore God it will not cause God to disappear. I as a parent can understand why a man who is a pastor react to you becoming his son-in-law. I am indeed sorry that you are hurt by his reaction but one day you may feel what he felt when you came into his circle and "changed the atmosphere.Man was born with a self-satisfying nature. It is a nature which seek to satisfy itself without regard for the creator's glorification. The Bible teaches that all glory belongs to God and that He, God, will not share His glory with another. Your wife is a disappointment to her parents because she did not stand up for what is considered the faith of her father.Her reaction shows that she is not deeply rooted in God and as such she will b ...

His eye is on the sparrow
2008-06-29 16:13:00
A video by TruthSurge showing how much God loves each of us and how he looks after us all. Matt 10:29-31 ...

God is your ATM, Prayer is your PIN
2008-06-28 05:37:00
Betty Bowers Explains Prayer To Everyone ElseBetty Bowers's Music Video - You're Going Straight To Hellhttp://www.bettybowers.com ...

The True Christian
2008-06-28 03:23:00
By billybee According to recent statistics, there exists approximately 4,684 different denominations, groups or sects of Christianity in America.I think it fair to assume that most -- if not all -- of these different and distinct faith-based groups possess what they believe to be a substantially clear understanding of the book they present as an authentic message from the single most powerful being in the universe.There exists approximately 4,684 different denominations, groups or sects of Christianity in America.Understandably these various groups consider this message (when correctly understood) to be the most important collection of ideas to which the human race has ever had access. Therefore, it is not only their strong desire, but it is their duty and obligation to see that this message is delivered to all human kind.The method of transmission of the message is extremely varied. The components of the message are extremely varied. Usually, however, there is one factor that appears ...

I create my own life
2008-06-28 02:15:00
Sent in by Emily I'm living in a country where Catholicism is rampant. Atheism is considered evil here, for the religious people here are so deluded by their faith. I almost became one of them until one particular night made me question everything.I was depressed; all of my personal problems were killing me. I was praying all the time to make them disappear. Nothing worked. I talked to my friend who is studying to be a priest about it. He said that I should go back to the Catholic Church (I denounced my Catholic faith back then). I was moved by his words at that time.But at the same time, it hit me: I thought, "If God loves me, He should make all my problems gone because I always prayed." I remembered being taught that God doesn't want us to suffer, so why I was suffering?A lot of questions were entering my mind about religion, God & everything else. After a lot of thinking, I realized what was taught in Catholic schools is illogical, inconsistent & wrong.Catholic schools teach that al ...

Jesus shows up in another ultrasound
2008-06-26 01:26:00
Is it a blessing from above? A Lorain, Ohio, woman got an ultrasound in preparation for her first baby, but instead of seeing the image of an infant, Monet Sledge saw something else (video: MyFoxCleveland). "I was shocked like really," said Sledge. She showed the picture to her sister Tequoia Smith, a married mother of four who has seen her share of ultrasounds. "I was expecting to see little body parts," said Smith. "Like a face, arms and legs." But instead she too saw the image of Jesus on the cross. "As soon as I saw it I was like oh my gosh." The baby girls legs are completely extended and straight in the photo, which resembles Jesus' arms stretched out on the cross. Her developing knees look like Jesus' head with a crown of thorns. Sledge said she also found it weird that when you turn the picture sideways, "her legs are perfectly crossed at the ankles, like Jesus' legs would be nailed on the cross." Doctors say the baby is perfectly healthy and due August 12th. Some peop ...

God loves America best
2008-06-26 00:00:00
I confess. I have a degree of loyalty to the my homeland that is probably typical to that of any U.S. veteran after 20 years of active duty military service. However, when I attend veteran's organizational events, am asked to stand for prayer, and forced to hear people prattle on about how God loves and blesses America, well... God Loves America Best on FunnyOrDie.com The Doyle and Debbie Show is sublime parody, simultaneously lampooning and idolizing country music's tradition of iconic duos. Bruce Arntson and Jenny Littleton take audiences on a freewheeling joyride through a wickedly funny script and slew of equally hilarious original songs. Over the past year and a half, Doyle and Debbie have developed a rabid cult following in Nashville, TN. ...

Frustrated with Christian in-laws
2008-06-25 22:47:00
Sent in by JP I grew up Lutheran and never really had any problems with Christianity until I met my in-laws. My wife's family is a very staunch,conservative and fundamental bunch. They are anti-homosexual, pro-life, anti-Santa, and very Republican. My family on the other hand is the exact opposite. I was taught to accept others for their differences and to do my best to love others unconditionally (which is a very difficult thing to do, I might add). Anyway, after four months of dating, I knew Trish was the one. I had met her parents twice prior to purchasing a ring and felt as though they would have no problem accepting me into their family. I called my soon to be father-in-law and informed him of my intent to marry his daughter. The first thing he asked me was "What are your thoughts on Christianity?" I told him that I do not believe that Christianity is the only way into heaven, that there is truth to all religions, and that I can not ignore that. He then asked me what my tho ...

I was lost, and now I'm found
2008-06-25 13:34:00
Sent in by Travis I wasn't exactly raised in a strict Christian household, but we were Episcopalian and went to church regularly from when I was in the 4th grade on through to High School. I was baptized at first and when I reached my teens I was confirmed and began taking communion. At the time I was told that when I took communion for the first time I would 'feel' the Holy Spirit come into me. Of course that never happened since there's no such thing, but my child mind was disappointed and felt let down. As I started getting older and making friends I felt more and more different as everyone in Texas is pretty hardcore about their faith. I went to praise concerts and baptisms at my friend's pool and was so scared to admit to not believing it that I even faked speaking in tongues once. Through High School I made no attempts to hide my lack of faith and was subjected to so many questions and interventions that I couldn't be civil about it anymore when it came up. It wasn't until ...

That was the Old Testament...
2008-06-25 11:41:00
By DocMike Evangelical leader James Dobson said, yesterday, that Obama was "distorting the Bible" when he made the following statements in a speech: Obama asked, "Which passages of scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is OK and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount?" Dobson said, "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology," adding that Obama is "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter." He went on to say that Obama should not be referencing "antiquated dietary codes and passages from the Old Testament that are no longer relevant to the teachings of the New Testament." Isn't this typical? It's okay for Dobson and other Christians to distort the Bible to fit their world view; for ...

Christian charity raises money for non-gay famine victims
2008-06-25 09:25:00
A report from The Onion news network Christian Charity Raising Money To Feed Non-Gay Famine Victims ...

Eran muchas las preguntas que cruzaban por mi mente, pero lo que más me molestaba era su silencio.
2008-06-23 23:54:00
Por Maria R.Cuando era cristiana fui convencida de que los que estábamos en la iglesia o le servíamos al “Señor” no teníamos porqué estar enfermos o vivir en la pobreza. La enfermedad se consideraba un castigo y la pobreza una maldición. El pastor predicaba siempre que teníamos que estar en victoria, pues Jesús había llevado nuestras enfermedades hasta la cruz y también se había hecho pobre (siendo él el rey del universo) para que nosotros fuéramos ricos.En mi trayectoria, en busca de pruebas que me confirmaran que era real lo de vivir en victoria, fueron muchas las desilusiones que viví. Si Jesús había clavado en la cruz las enfermedades de los que creerían en él, ¿porqué había tantos creyentes enfermos en la iglesia? Si el aceptar a Jesús era sinónimo de vivir en victoria, ¿porqué había tantos creyentes que no salían de la pobreza? Si la pobreza era considerada una maldición, ¿qué pecado tan grande habían cometido esa pobre gente para no ser bendeci ...

Grow up, already!
2008-06-23 21:27:00
By AstrejaOne of the odder things about Christianity is its tendency to exalt the child at the expense of the adult. In fact, the "Ye must be born again" meme lies at the heart of the evangelical form of the religion.But is this desirable? Well, it all depends on what the "keepers" of that faith are actually trying to accomplish.Consider this: In most cultures, the transition to adulthood is a highly significant time. "Childish things" are put aside, and the mantle of responsibility is assumed. In return, the initiate gains the authority to participate in adult matters such as procreation, governance and support of the tribe.Contrast this with the infantilization of Christians by Christianity. Cast in the role of eternal child to an Eternal Parent, the natural maturing process is short-circuited. Responsibility gives way to "I'm not perfect, just forgiven". Reasoning, skepticism and problem-solving skills are downplayed or denigrated, while credulity is elevated to a virtue.And then th ...

Is God a Delusion?
2008-06-23 03:10:00
A two-hour debate between Bill Cooke, Senior Lecturer at Manukau Institute of Technology and William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada. Born and raised in Kenya, Bill Cooke was educated there, in the United Kingdom, and in New Zealand, where he now lives. He is currently Senior Lecturer at the School of Visual Arts, Manukau Institute of Technology, in Auckland and is editor of the NZ Rationalist & Humanist. Cooke has authored several books, including "A Rebel to His last Breath, an intellectual biography of Joseph McCabe" and "A Gathering of Infidels."William Lane Craig is an American philosopher, theologian, New Testament historian, and Christian apologist. He is an author and lecturer on issues related to the philosophy of religion, the historical Jesus, the coherence of the Christian worldview, and natural theology. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia. ...

A tribute to George Carlin
2008-06-23 02:34:00
BullshitThe Ten Commandments On June 22, 2008, American comedian George Carlin was admitted to St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California complaining of chest pain. He died later that day at 5:55 p.m. PDT of heart failure at the age of 71. He had a history of cardiovascular issues, including several heart attacks."Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck." -- George Carlin Raised in the Roman Catholic faith, Carlin often denounced the idea of God in interviews and performances. He invented the parody religion Frisbeetarianism, defining it as the belief that when a person dies "his soul gets flung onto a roof, and just stays there" and cannot be retrieved.Carlin also joked that he worshiped the Sun, because he could actually see it, but prayed to Joe Pesci (a good friend of his in real life) because "he's a good actor", and "looks like a guy who can get things done!"Carlin also introduced the "Two Commandments", a revised "pock ...

Why I Deny the Virgin Birth of Jesus
2008-06-22 13:27:00
By Daniel Florien of UnreasonableFaith.Com.The test read positive. Ayesha’s face flushed; tears formed in her eyes. She was trapped. She would be killed. She was a stain on her family’s honor. Amir, her soon-to-be husband, would turn her in as soon as he found out. She knew she deserved death. The shame was unbearable. That night she had a vision. The brightness blinded her at first, but gradually she saw an angelic face and it said, “Ayesha! You are favored indeed by Allah! For God himself is the Father of your child. Do not be afraid. He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High.” The next day Ayesha told her fiancé that God had impregnated her, she was still a virgin, and an angel had told her this. Would you believe Ayesha? An ancient book says a man 2,000 years ago was born of a virgin and was sired by God himself. I once believed this, because I believed the Bible — a book I thought God himself wrote. I was wrong. Here are five reasons why I no longer believ ...

Restoration, renewal, and big bucks
2008-06-22 03:40:00
By webmdaveFor those who remember the scandal a few years ago surrounding Tom Tewell, the pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City, and who also remember the nearly worshipful devotion in so many of the comments posted here, and who have developed a decided cynicism toward all things Christian, the following information will come as no surprise. Salary and BenefitsSalary - $145,000Housing Allowance - $50,000Benefits including Pension, Medical and Continuing Education - $80,775Total - $275,775The Presbyterian Church has created a job for him, one that pays him over a quarter of a million dollars a year. What is this job? He is the executive director over a new pilot program aimed at "renewing Presbyterian ministers."Executive Director of The Pilot Project on Renewing Presbyterian PastorsMISSION STATEMENTBelieving that Leadership is the key to the future of the Church of Jesus Christ and that a congregation cannot go farther spiritually than the Pastor has gone, th ...

Try to be more respectful
2008-06-21 01:32:00
A letter from KenIm all for free speech and creativity, and i enjoy coming to this site as i am in a transition mode spiritually...but i would just suggest to try and remain as respectul as possible with the content you can control. The gallery with the artwork and the shirt and key chains leave a bad taste in my mouth. Once i viewed the gallery and shop this site switched from something mature and intellectual to something juvenille and mocking, and that is no way to have people listen to you. To me this should be a place where Christians and exchristians alike can come and talk faith, an open forum where doubting christians can come without fear of mocking attacks or being made the villian. Obviously since this site is called exchristian i would assume that those in charge would understand where people are coming from and the long held emotional connections to imagery and beliefs they have. I once fought for my faith so strongly and it built up in me extremly powerful emotions and se ...

Leaving your Religion?
2008-06-21 01:29:00
or still feeling the effects? It's not the end of the world!Join the recovery retreat in August, 2008, in Berkeley, CA. Release and Reclaim I, Aug. 8-10, will be a supportive retreat for those who are beginning to let go of toxic beliefs and recover from an authoritarian religion such as Christian fundamentalism. Release and Reclaim II, Aug. 15-17, will be an advanced weekend for moving beyond religion and reclaiming a life of joy, creativity, and connection. It will be open to those who have already attended a retreat or have done healing work already. Both retreats are led by Dr. Marlene Winell, author of Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving the Fold. Interested participants are asked to discuss their situation with Marlene first. Both weekends are also open to professionals by special arrangement. Call Dr. Winell at 510-292-0509 RELEASE and RECLAIM I: Sorting it out and Healing Do you feel alone in your struggle for healing? Join us for a pow ...

How Being a Christian Has Harmed Me
2008-06-20 14:54:00
By truthseekerHow Being a Christian has Harmed MeMany argue that even if Christianity is not true, it is not hurting anyone. I heard my pastor say this a few weeks before I left the church. I’ll be honest, I had thought it myself. Pascal’s wager, so to speak (gambling on god’s existence is smarter because the benefits outweigh the costs). In addition, the benefit of being part of a community and having “good morals” seemed to be a real plus. At that time I could see nothing negative about being a xtian. Now I see how wrong I was. In my journal I started recording ways being a xtian has hurt me personally. If you are wondering about your own faith and considering it is better to believe then not, here are some things for you to consider:1. Dependency. I was constantly looking to god for guidance and direction, in the big picture and day to day. I considered myself self-sufficient, but realize now I was using god as a crutch. Gov. of Minnesota Jesse Ventura said xtians use god ...

Science teacher dissed evolution
2008-06-20 13:11:00
He taught creationism and burned crosses into students' arms A Mount Vernon, Ohio, teacher undermined science instruction in the public school district by discrediting evolution in his classroom and focusing on creationism and intelligent design, an investigation has found.Eighth-graders who were taught by John Freshwater frequently had to be re-taught in high school what they were supposed to have learned in Freshwater's class, according to outside investigators hired by the district.For 11 years, other teachers in the school district and people in the community complained about Freshwater preaching his Christian beliefs in class and slamming scientific theories, a school administrator told investigators."There is a significant amount of evidence that Mr. Freshwater's teachings regarding subjects related to evolution were not consistent with the curriculum of the Mount Vernon City Schools and state standards," the consultants reported.Freshwater was told to stop teaching intelligent d ...

Minister Arrested in Child Rape case
2008-06-19 15:56:00
A former Bibb County minister has been arrested for allegedly raping a child.Timothy Fulgham, 40, is charged with second-degree rape, second-degree sodomy, second-degree sexual abuse and enticing a child for immoral purposes.Investigators say Fulgham used his power as a minister at River Life Church of God to win the young girl’s trust, and take advantage of her.According to court documents, Fulgham assaulted the girl in both Bibb and Tuscaloosa counties. He has currently bonded out of the Tuscaloosa Metro Jail.“Just believing that the truth will be revealed, and we believe in the system; we just don’t talk about it here. It’s not really relevant to us. The former pastor resigned. I just want to let everyone know in our community that our church is a great place to be. It’s a safe place to be,” said Brandon Morrison, current pastor of the River Life Church of God.At the time of the attack, the girl was between 12 and 16 years old.This case will go before a grand jury in the ...

Pastor arrested on child sex charge
2008-06-19 15:47:00
FORT WORTH, Texas — A pastor has been arrested on accusations that he sexually assaulted a teen girl who attends his church.James "Jay" Virtue Robinson IV, pastor of Southwood Baptist Church, surrendered at the Tarrant County Jail on Wednesday evening in response to an arrest warrant accusing him of sexual assault of a child, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported. He was released after posting $20,000 bail.Robinson has denied having a relationship with the girl. A phone listing for him was disconnected. His attorney, Cheyenne Minick, didn't immediately return a phone call Thursday from The Associated Press.The girl, now 18, was 16 when she and Robinson, then the youth minister, struck up more than just a friendship, according to an arrest warrant affidavit. The relationship escalated to sexual touching, occurring about 10 times at the church, the affidavit states.By the time she was 17, the relationship progressed to sexual intercourse. Robinson would pick her up from school and take ...

Teen's death renews scrutiny of faith-healing group
2008-06-19 12:51:00
Oregon law may protect Followers of Christ members The painful and apparently preventable faith-healing death of a 16-year-old Oregon City boy this week brings the secretive Followers of Christ Church back under legal scrutiny, just four months after the boy's infant niece died in similar circumstances.But unlike the girl's death, which resulted in criminal mistreatment and manslaughter charges against her mother and father, Oregon law may protect the parents of Neil Jeffrey Beagley, who under state statute was old enough to make his own medical decisions.Beagley died Tuesday at his grandmother's home, a week after first complaining of stomach pain and shortness of breath. As Beagley's family and several dozen church members prayed for what church members call spiritual healing, the teenager deteriorated and died, according to police and medical investigators.Dr. Cliff Nelson, Oregon deputy state medical examiner, said Wednesday that an autopsy determined Beagley died of complications ...

Bruises, cuts cover dead child
2008-06-19 12:42:00
TARBORO NC – The 13-year-old boy who died while tied to a tree last week sustained multiple injuries while bound, according to arrest warrants released Monday.Tyler Gene McMillan was tied to a tree at his family home in Macclesfield for 18 hours, resulting in his death, according to the warrants. During that time, the boy suffered bruising to the wrist and cuts to the entire body. He also was missing flesh from his buttock.N.C. District Court Judge Joseph Harper Jr. in Edgecombe County read the warrants during the first court appearance of Tyler's father, Brice McMillan, and stepmother, Sandra McMillan.The two have been charged with first-degree murder and felony child abuse resulting in serious bodily injury in the death of their son. If convicted, they could face life in prison or the death penalty.The McMillans appeared in court together Monday but did not acknowledge each other. Brice McMillan tried to fight back tears for most of the eight-minute hearing, while his wife stared a ...

Debunking Christian Apologetics: Fanaticism "Proof"
2008-06-18 15:46:00
By John L Armstrong Does the alleged fanaticism in the face of the alleged persecution of the alleged disciples and apostles prove the validity of Christian belief?If so, does it also prove a variety of other cults and religions who's followers and leaders demonstrated the exact same fanaticism? ...

The cult of church leadership
2008-06-17 23:49:00
Sent in by JSHI used to attend church multiple times per week. I now no longer attend at all. My story:I was raised Presbyterian Church in the United States of America (PCUSA). I went to a PCUSA church in Southeast Texas. I won't name the church; let's just say its name implies there weren't any other Presbyterian churches in the immediate area when it was founded. This large church is split between yuppies and fundies (and fundamentalist yuppies). When Bush was elected, the fundies (in other Protestant churches also -- this was at least a statewide phenomenon) decided this was the time that "strong leadership" would take back the church, the nation, the planet, the Milky Way, etc. In the quest for strong leadership, the session nominated a woefully under-qualified con artist who knew exactly what to say to leadership-starved fundies. You know, like how they voted for Bush.While the session maintained as much silence as they could on the subject, the new pastor was abusing staff to the ...

Was the Jesus myth plagiarized from pagan religions?
2008-06-17 15:12:00
A question from William HI have a question and I hope that someone can answer it for me. I have heard that the story of Jesus was basically stolen from earlier pagan religions and films such as The God Who Wasn't There and Zeitgeist have both made these claims. This knowledge did much to help me in my de-conversion process, but now I am hearing people claim that Christianity didn't plagiarize older pagan religions the way many people claim. It seems like there is kind of a battle going on right now at least from what I have seen online as to whether or not this is the case. I was wondering if someone who actually knows something about ancient history could please tell me what the truth is regarding this matter. Is the Jesus myth actually copied from earlier pagan religions, and if so to what extent? Any accurate sources of information such as links to websites would also be greatly appreciated. I was just about to come out to my fundamentalist Christian family regarding my unbelief and ...

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