Are you an ex Christian?

anniebach why is everything always about YOU?

This will be another thread like the humanist one where everyone else has had enough and leaves it, all except ab as a lone voice.

Rosesarered, I have realy tried to put up with your constant attacks , no more, I have no choice but to ignore you

No, you haven't tried at all.But by all means, do ignore.

Rosesarered, thank you for admitting you constantly attack me , I can now forgive you

that's you twisting posts again.

Move on.

Thought you were ignoring me anyway?

To get back to my original question...... There don't seem to be many people who used to truly believe but now do not. I think perhaps the more fundemental ones beliefs in youth, the more difficult it is to carry on. I have several friends who were brought up,in C of E church without the strict doctrine of say Methodists or Baptists , who are happy to continue in their beliefs, as their beliefs didn't put any restrictions on their lifestyle (sex alcohol etc) . but perhaps you are right Roses, everyone will be bored with the thread.

PS I didn't mean to icite people to riot.

Annie - you, as an individual sincere Christian do not stand in the way of a peaceful world.

Organised religions do however sadly play that role. This fact cannot be avoided, however unpalatable it might be to a believer.

The sort of moral code that most agnostics follow is generally about kindness and love to others, and it is not hedged around with historical rules, the supernatural, traditions or interpretations of texts that pervert the centrally important message of caring.

Isn't it sad that a thread that started with a perfectly serious OP by Atqui had descended into a personal wrangle between two Christians?

Ah that's forums anno but I am not staying on the thread anyway, as it confirms all I think of a certain narrow minded Christian thinking, that allows no questions to be asked.

I apologise for my part in it.

Not my day is it ? Sorry Luckygirl I thought you meant something different ,

But you cannot claim all agnostics are deprived of a peaceful world because of organised religion ? That organised religions are at the centre of some troubles isn't unpalatable for me, I am a Christian but not deaf or blind or very stupid , I get angry and distressed too but the actions of any religion or any single person does not affect my faith, that is between me and my God and no church or person can change this

rosesarered wrote (approx.) that to be a Christian you should believe that Jesus was sent by God -
I was brought up C of E but soon began to question Jesus' divinity - is it necessary?
Later in life I converted to Judaism, and although I have a lot of doubts and questions about the religion, now think it's like going back to the roots of Christianity.
And I have an open mind about worship of Nature too - the farmers here treat Nature as almost a religious deity, "Mother Nature" etc. Because their lives are ruled by her.

The parting of the Red Sea:

www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2014/12/08/no-really-there-is-a-scientific-explanation-for-the-parting-of-the-red-sea-in-exodus

Anyway, as that was recorded in Exodus, it was way before Jesus was born, way before Christianity, it was over 1,000 years BC.

Tricia, if one believes in the virgin birth or believes Christ was chosen by God does it really matter, either way he was chosen , can't recall which book but God said - before you were in your mother's womb I knew you . So it doesn't trouble me if there was no immaculate conception

No, I'm an ex-atheist.
I became a Christian at the age of 19 and remain the only Christian in my extended family of birth - the majority of whom are committed atheists. I attended various denominational churches for many years (chosen for their closeness to my homes, not for doctrinal reasons) and spent many years in church leadership. For more than ten years now I have been part of a house church and consequently won't ever show up in statistics of 'churchgoers', but my faith is as strong as ever. My experience of faith is wide ranging and allows room for questioning and frequent challenges, but it is the bedrock of my life (and my marriage - as my husband is of like mind).

The kind of doubts that I have are to do with dogma - those in authority laying down the rules about what we should believe. Most religions have an élite who do this. Judaism is no exception. And they change over the years.
But I don't think you can force people into believing things, so I just keep quiet and try to do the things that I believe are right (usually ).

Tricia, I may be so wrong , I do have faith and am a member of the Anglican Church but for me how I live as a Christian is between me and God, I only have to answer to him not a bishop , I do what I believe is right , but don't always keep quiet if I truly believe a rule is not in line with the teachings of Christ, this is all we can do and God knows what is in our heart the church doesn't

I wasn't able not to get away with not being a christian when at school, as the school was a church school,so we had to attend the school chapel every day and at the w/e, being a away at school.
During the holidays, if in the house, I went with my parents.
However, as with many of the sixties gen, it wasn't until I married did I feel left out when my husband took the lads off in the car while I went to church. So now I feel, why does one have to go into the church if they say, God is with us everywhere.

I attend church to take holy communion and for the fellowship , I also think I need to hear views of other Christians and I want to give praise to God

I was brought up in the CofE and did all the usual things so had a belief dangled in front of me that I didn't take too seriously. But yes over the decades have become cynical of a lot of things in any belief. Thousands of years ago most people were illiterate so the few that were called the shots, and I regard these as the power mongers of any religion. Even as late as the 1400s art was predominantly religious and the lessons to the masses.

I now do not believe in any God and cannot believe in anything that cannot be scientifically explained. A side effect of this has brought me to the point I do not fear dying. I certainly want to live for many years and hope I die a natural death that is not painful. I trust it will be a case of just falling asleep and if there happens to be any form of after life then it is a bonus (I like the idea of a secular heaven as in The Lovely Bones).

I do really hate the extremities of any religion and consider most strife and wars since time immemorial have their roots in religion which again I regard as power grabbing. These are my views and I would not press them on anyone else and respect their beliefs as long as they do not inflict them on me. I am old enough, lived enough to make up my own mind.

However there are many laudable tenets in many religions and I would say I still relate to christian with a small 'c' values of humanity. And I would always applaud the influence that religions have had on the Arts. Without religion there would be very little in the past of painting, music, sculpture and architecture. So it does have its place in our world.

As for where to look for support etc, I have worked on my inner core and that is where I go for support and strength to help me through the tough times.

I was never much for religion until I was about 40, went forward at a Billy Graham mission, usual thing etc. became totally involved with C of E. More to do with doing stuff rather than reading the bible etc. Found it all rather predictable after a while. Found A Community Church much more exciting and once again got totally involved until the "Toronto Blessing" came along and I thought everyone had turned crazy. Then went to a Baptist Church which seemed to be a sane mixture of both previous churches.
Unfortunately I started to work for an evangelist who seemed a great guy until you worked for him and to say he wasn't a christian was an understatement. I became more and more cynical until I just dropped away. I am now an agnostic as I would not like to give up every idea of there actually being something else to this life.