Why Did You Leave Christianity Behind?

[Vastator]

Many Americans grew up steeped in Christian culture. Went to church events. Celebrated the holidays. Even took part in the rituals.

Then... Many have an awakening, or change of heart if you will. And ultimately walk away; or reject the Christian religion out right. In the end, there are probably as many reasons as there are people...

What was yours?

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

Many Americans grew up steeped in Christian culture. Went to church events. Celebrated the holidays. Even took part in the rituals.

Then... Many have an awakening, or change of heart if you will. And ultimately walk away; or reject the Christian religion out right. In the end, there are probably as many reasons as there are people...

What was yours?

I haven't left Christianity behind, I am a Christian, the problem I have is with Organised Religion in general and that's all Organised Religion.

You don't have to be in a Church to have faith in Our Lord, your faith is within you it's with you wherever you are, you don't have to go to a Church to show that faith.

 

[Vastator]

Many Americans grew up steeped in Christian culture. Went to church events. Celebrated the holidays. Even took part in the rituals.

Then... Many have an awakening, or change of heart if you will. And ultimately walk away; or reject the Christian religion out right. In the end, there are probably as many reasons as there are people...

What was yours?

I haven't left Christianity behind, I am a Christian, the problem I have is with Organised Religion in general and that's all Organised Religion.

Could you elaborate?

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

Many Americans grew up steeped in Christian culture. Went to church events. Celebrated the holidays. Even took part in the rituals.

Then... Many have an awakening, or change of heart if you will. And ultimately walk away; or reject the Christian religion out right. In the end, there are probably as many reasons as there are people...

What was yours?

I haven't left Christianity behind, I am a Christian, the problem I have is with Organised Religion in general and that's all Organised Religion.

Could you elaborate?

It's the Dogma and the hypocrisy and effectively Organised Religion is just a money making scheme, I left The Church of Rome because of strong and fundamental disagreements with Francis who himself has made some very anti-Christian statements and there are many in the Roman Curia who are not content with Francis sitting on the throne of St. Peter and I am in full agreement with them about this.

 

[Pogo]

Basically because (a) it wasn't making any sense from the very beginning, (b) it was way too negative, pejorative, accusatory and abusive, and (c) I looked around and found not only other approaches that made way more sense but also learned what the Church had been up to itself to get where it is.

I don't think that's at all a unique experience though.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

Basically because (a) it wasn't making any sense from the very beginning, (b) it was way too negative, pejorative and accusatory, and (c) I looked around and found not only other approaches that made way more sense but what the Church had been up to itself to get where it is.

I don't think that's at all a unique experience though.

"I looked around and found not only other approaches that made way more sense but what the Church had been up to itself to get where it is."

The part about the Church sounds like why I left the Church of Rome, especially the many decades of covering up paedophile priests, I felt why should I listen to what the Church of Rome says we can and cannot do, when they all knew what was happening for so long, so many lives destroyed, even suicides and they didn't care, they just thought of themselves and covering such heinous crimes up and hiding behind the cloth and running to be within the walls of The Vatican where they had immunity from prosecution.

 

[cnm]

I left The Church of Rome because of strong and fundamental disagreements with Francis who himself has made some very anti-Christian statements

Care to list them?

 

[Brynmr]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Also the creator god idea never made sense. The idea that because there's an order in the universe there must be an orderer. Makes no sense.

 

[Vastator]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Yeah, I hear ya. The idea that you born "evil", or a "sinner" at birth; was one of many objections I had.

 

[koshergrl]

Many Americans grew up steeped in Christian culture. Went to church events. Celebrated the holidays. Even took part in the rituals.

Then... Many have an awakening, or change of heart if you will. And ultimately walk away; or reject the Christian religion out right. In the end, there are probably as many reasons as there are people...

What was yours?

I haven't left Christianity behind, I am a Christian, the problem I have is with Organised Religion in general and that's all Organised Religion.

You don't have to be in a Church to have faith in Our Lord, your faith is within you it's with you wherever you are, you don't have to go to a Church to show that faith.

We are the church, Lucy.

But the bible does tell us to gather with others who are saved so it's not a matter of what you want and doing something for YOU..it's a matter of being obedient, and gathering to praise HIM.

I think people get sidetracked because they don't get this or that out of church. And church isn't just about serving yourself and your faith. It's also about obedience, and praise. It isn't meant to give you good things. It's meant to please God.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

I left The Church of Rome because of strong and fundamental disagreements with Francis who himself has made some very anti-Christian statements

Care to list them?

One thing people don't like is that some people don't respect those who have a Faith and it's treated with derision, there are no more arrogant people than Athiests who it's almost impossible to have any sort of discussion with. At least you can have a discussion with Agnostics.

So some of Francis' anti-Christian statements are him saying that Athiests can go to Heaven, that Our Lord couldn't work miracles, having no actual problem with abortion, he told priests that they can if they wish forgive women who have had abortions, he has no right to make such statements he ISN'T God only God can forgive and absolve, then he in a rambling interview likened ISIS to Jesus Christ's Disciples spreading the word, he also has said all religions are the same when they are not.

Here's the likening ISIS to Jesus Christ's Disciples spreading the word.

"Pope Francis: Today, I don’t think that there is a fear of Islam as such but of ISIS and its war of conquest, which is partly drawn from Islam. It is true that the idea of conquest is inherent in the soul of Islam. However, it is also possible to interpret the objective in Matthew’s Gospel, where Jesus sends his disciples to all nations, in terms of the same idea of conquest."

The below link gives the full interview with Francis that the above quote is from, he also makes other alarming statements in the same interview.

INTERVIEW Pope Francis

There are many people like me who consider Francis an Anti-Pope, an Apostate and a Heretic.

My entire family have been Roman Catholic since the 5th Century, during Pope Celestine I. We've now left the Roman Church and have been confirmed Orthodox Christian, although we don't attend that church now either.

Pope Saint Celestine I, as well as being revered as a Saint by the Roman Church, he's also revered as a Saint by the Eastern Orthodox Church, the former his Feast Day is April 6th, the latter his Feast Day is April 8th.

 

[koshergrl]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Yeah, I hear ya. The idea that you born "evil", or a "sinner" at birth; was one of many objections I had.

There is no Christian church that says children are born evil, or with sin. So you object to Christianity based on a misconception.

Which is typical of most of the most adamant anti-Christians.

 

[Missourian]

I never left, and can't ever see myself leaving in the future.

 

[koshergrl]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Also the creator god idea never made sense. The idea that because there's an order in the universe there must be an orderer. Makes no sense.

Every person is a sinner. What you consider yourself is moot. The fact is we all have selfish, cruel, un Christian and yes, evil, impulses. That's what it means to be human.

I get so tired of the self-centered whining about "I'm a good person so I'm not going to be Christian, how dare they say we're all sinful!"

It's so juvenile and completely clueless about the nature of Christianity..and humanity.

 

[Brynmr]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Yeah, I hear ya. The idea that you born "evil", or a "sinner" at birth; was one of many objections I had.

Buddhism has an interesting take on that and it's that we're all born with a mere misunderstanding of how things exist. Very different.

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

Many Americans grew up steeped in Christian culture. Went to church events. Celebrated the holidays. Even took part in the rituals.

Then... Many have an awakening, or change of heart if you will. And ultimately walk away; or reject the Christian religion out right. In the end, there are probably as many reasons as there are people...

What was yours?

I haven't left Christianity behind, I am a Christian, the problem I have is with Organised Religion in general and that's all Organised Religion.

You don't have to be in a Church to have faith in Our Lord, your faith is within you it's with you wherever you are, you don't have to go to a Church to show that faith.

We are the church, Lucy.

But the bible does tell us to gather with others who are saved so it's not a matter of what you want and doing something for YOU..it's a matter of being obedient, and gathering to praise HIM.

I think people get sidetracked because they don't get this or that out of church. And church isn't just about serving yourself and your faith. It's also about obedience, and praise. It isn't meant to give you good things. It's meant to please God.

"We are the church, Lucy."

Thank you, exactly. You don't have to gather in a Church, you can gather in someones house.

 

[koshergrl]

Many Americans grew up steeped in Christian culture. Went to church events. Celebrated the holidays. Even took part in the rituals.

Then... Many have an awakening, or change of heart if you will. And ultimately walk away; or reject the Christian religion out right. In the end, there are probably as many reasons as there are people...

What was yours?

I haven't left Christianity behind, I am a Christian, the problem I have is with Organised Religion in general and that's all Organised Religion.

You don't have to be in a Church to have faith in Our Lord, your faith is within you it's with you wherever you are, you don't have to go to a Church to show that faith.

We are the church, Lucy.

But the bible does tell us to gather with others who are saved so it's not a matter of what you want and doing something for YOU..it's a matter of being obedient, and gathering to praise HIM.

I think people get sidetracked because they don't get this or that out of church. And church isn't just about serving yourself and your faith. It's also about obedience, and praise. It isn't meant to give you good things. It's meant to please God.

"We are the church, Lucy."

Thank you, exactly. You don't have to gather in a Church, you can gather in someones house.

Absolutely.
Or with your family.
Wherever two people are gathered in My name...

 

[Lucy Hamilton]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Yeah, I hear ya. The idea that you born "evil", or a "sinner" at birth; was one of many objections I had.

Buddhism has an interesting take on that and it's that we're all born with a mere misunderstanding of how things exist. Very different.

The Buddhists think that we're dead now and that when we die we're born, yes or no? I'm sure I read that somewhere once. I have a great respect for Buddhism and also Hinduism.

 

[Vastator]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Yeah, I hear ya. The idea that you born "evil", or a "sinner" at birth; was one of many objections I had.

There is no Christian church that says children are born evil, or with sin. So you object to Christianity based on a misconception.

Which is typical of most of the most adamant anti-Christians.

Every church denomination I'm aware of clearly state that all men are born in "sin". Even without this one fault; the others for me are legion. And for the record; I'm not anti Christian as it pertains to the people.

 

[koshergrl]

The judgemental aspect of the Christian religion always bothered me. You know that 'you are a bad person and must repent for your terrible sins'. I was too young to even have sins and I certainly didn't consider myself a bad person.

Yeah, I hear ya. The idea that you born "evil", or a "sinner" at birth; was one of many objections I had.

There is no Christian church that says children are born evil, or with sin. So you object to Christianity based on a misconception.

Which is typical of most of the most adamant anti-Christians.

Every church denomination I'm aware of clearly state that all men are born in "sin". Even without this one fault; the others for me are legion. And for the record; I'm not anti Christian as it pertains to the people.

Being born into *sin* or having a sinful nature is not the same thing as "children are sinful and evil".