Originally posted by granite1010
For one thing I was agreeing with this statement, but don't attribute it to me. Somebody else's words.
Ok. But doesn’t your agreement telegraph your endorsement of that opinion?
"Caustic attitudes" didn't cause me to leave the faith. It was an accumulation of things. Christians, quite honestly, do not know what they're talking about when it comes to this subject.
And apparently you think you have found some folks who do and listened to them. They turned you from abiding in the faith of your youth to doubting the resurrection and questioning the historicity of Jesus, now how is that not an indication that your Christian faith was fragile? Here's a hint, a person who has truly done their homework and determined that Christianity is bunk would have no problem in admitting that their faith (in what they now think is bunk) was fragile. Now I happen to disagree with you totally on the historicity of Jesus and the reliability of the resurrection narratives, but I've got no problems whatsoever saying that my previous adherence to atheism was fragile. It was, it was a fragile believe based on fragile principles and all it took was the truth to blow down the house of cards.
A lot of them simply can't imagine what it's like to leave the church (or to feel as though the faith has left you).
A lot of them don't have to imagine it, they have gone through what you have gone through and worse. I’ve known many people who have left the traditions of their mothers and fathers and have found that they needed to get out form underneath the umbrella of their parents faith in order to find their own. Their faith was established, not destroyed.
Lemme just spell it out so there's no confusion.
Ok.
So you had a rock solid faith but it just leaked out of you like a runny toilet? Somethin' doesn't add up. Either you now believe that what you believed before was untrue. In which case it makes no sense for you to defend the solidity of your Christian faith since you have now come to renounce it, your current opinion would just point out that you were all the more stupid before.
I know exactly what I believe. I don't think Christianity is unique; I don't think I've waffled about that on this thread.
No, you haven't. Your faith
was fragile such that it could not withstand the near baseless claims that Christianity is nothing more than a reconstitution of other religions and that the historicity of the resurrection is questionable. Now you have a very firm skeptical position that is wrong and illogical.
I doubt the resurrection completely...
An indication that your faith was fragile..
and question the historicity of Jesus.
Another clear indication that your faith was fragile.
So, I don't think these are "fragile" opinions. They're pretty straightforward. Hope that clarifies things.
So you have come from being an unconvinced Christian to a skeptic. What about that testifies to your ever being a faithful Christian?
I left the church. Period. I've never blamed anyone else for that; there were mitigating factors, but aren't there always?
As long as you take responsibility.
I'm not trying to pass the buck here.
Ok, good.
And the implication that I am is self righteous, patronizing, and downright insulting. Unfortunately that's the response I've gotten used to coming from fundies and everybody else who's wrapped up in being one of the special chosen.
Then feel patronized and insulted by the self righteous person who suggested that it was the “caustic attitudes� that facilitated your exodus. It was your choice, you admit it was your choice. Now deal with your own hypocritical insults claiming that I am "wrapped up in being one of the special chosen." Whatever that is supposed to mean.
It was my choice and it was a very difficult one, and I'm still working through it.
It was, and still is, your choice, and you will be held accountable for that choice.
You wanna deliver another smarmy sermon, do it to somebody else.
You don't wanna hear another smarmy sermon, don’t read my posts. This is a bulletin board, you may have realized by now that bulletin boards are designed to invoke discussion. If you don't want to hear my opinion about your apostasy, then don't post it. Furthermore, you and I post on at the discretion of the owner (Knight). If he gets tired of my smarmy sermons, he can ban me. You can even send him a private message to request it. But as long as Knight is willing to let me post smarmy sermons (as you have insultingly characterized my post) they'll keep comin'. BTW, you get to accuse fundi’s of being self-righteous, patronizing and insulting only to the extent that Knight lets you. When he gets tired of it, he’ll ban you. Furthermore, if you don't like hearing my opinion, you have a couple of options you can exercise. 1. Put me on ignore. 2. Don't announce your apostasy on bulletin boards, for in doing so you invite critical discussion about the issue.
Now, if you want to discuss why you think Christianity is not unique, or would like to discuss the claims of the literature you have read, or you would like to discuss the specific attitudes or actions that others have taken against you that you think it wrong, or even if you would like us to pray for you. Then ask, you'll find soft hearts waiting for you if you pray the prayer of Mark 9:16 "help me overcome my unbelief."
But no one here will pat you on the back and tell you that everything will be ok regardless of the choice you make. It won't. If you have come to know who Jesus is, and what He has done on your behalf, and you choose to walk away from Him, you walk away from life. You choose to live a life of living hell and you turn down the only way to the Father.
Grace and Peace in Christ Alone
