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A Summary of My Case Against Christianity 2007-12-14 11:40:40 By John W. LoftusAs a former Straussite I credit much of my approach to two things Dr. James D. Strauss drilled into us as students, but in reverse.When doing apologetics he said that “if you don’t start with God you’ll never get to God.” He’s not a Van Tillian presuppositionalist because he doesn’t start with the Bible as God’s revelation. He merely starts “from above” by presupposing God’s existence, and then he argues that such a presupposition makes better sense of the Bible, and the world. Again, “if you don’t start with God you’ll never get to God.” Since that’s such an important, central issue, I’ll focus on why we should not start “from above” with the belief in God in the first place, but rather “from below,” beginning with the world. If successful, then my argument should lead us to reject the existence of the God who confirms the Biblical revelation.The second thing Dr. Strauss drilled into us was his argument that “we don’t need m ...

Stepping Over Madalyn and Moving On 2007-12-13 05:50:37 By PsiemensGrowing up Baptist in the 60’s and 70’s, the name of the woman who helped “kick God out of the public schools” was infamous. Although this Supreme Court ruling was decided in 1963, a year and a half after I was born, as a Christian teenager I knew Madalyn Murray O’Hair to be an evil, hateful woman, and an enemy of all that was righteous and moral. Unfortunately, her name was the first I ever linked with the word “atheist”.Most movements have characters of whom they’d rather not claim. Christianity itself has hordes that have bruised and tarnished the cause of Christ. Aside from the different characters involved in the various crusades of long ago, who can forget the more recent embarrassments caused by televangelist Jim Baker, numerous Catholic priests (not to mention their perverted Protestant counterparts), and most recently the reverent Ted Haggard. Most Christians I know feel disappointment in such men but seem to easily forgive and forget, ready to ...

Thank you for hiding the truth... 2007-12-12 12:29:00 From Gina:Dear Webmaster,I came across your site by accident. Since I don't believe in coincidence I read your testimony and comments from other people.What stood out most in your testimony was the following:Later that night, in the dark and quiet of my room, I got down on my knees confessed my sins, repented as much as I knew how, and accepted Christ into my heart. It was a mind-altering experience for me. In my mind’s eye I visualized the Creator of all physically with me in the room. I felt overwhelmed with what I believed was a personal and direct manifestation of the LORD. I cried and cried. The emotional cleansing and reality of that moment has never left me, and as I write about it now, it comes alive once againThis is where you find God, and come to truly know Him. Find that quiet place again, grab the NIV bible and fall to your knees. Like one other person said " Stop looking for God in man, religion, churches." Many people are not honest with themselves about how they f ...

Is Christianity good for the world? 2007-12-12 06:38:19 A two-part video of a debate featuring Michael Shermer and Dinesh D’Souza which was held on Monday, October 15, 7 PM, by the Oregon State University Socratic Club. Dinesh D’Souza is the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Investor’s Business Daily called him one of the “top young public-policy makers in the country,” and the New York Times Magazine named him one of America’s most influential conservative thinkers. Before joining the Hoover Institution, Mr. D’Souza was the John M. Olin Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. In 1987-88 he served as senior policy analyst at the Reagan White House. From 1985 to 1987 he was managing editor of Policy Review. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Dartmouth College in 1983. His books include the New York Times bestseller What’s So Great About America. His 1991 book Illiberal Education was the first study to publicize the phenomenon of political correctness. His latest book, What' ...

Sexual abuse is in EVERY church! 2007-12-12 06:13:01 The following article expresses an Evangelical Christian viewpoint.From the Conservative Voice:It is almost obscene to think that there are people in Bible oriented churches every Sunday who sexually abuse children; however, it is true even in evangelical and fundamental churches! Yes, Virginia, we have sexual child abusers in our best churches! I had read in mainline media that at least 30% of adult women had been molested in their younger days, but I did not believe it was a valid number. Surely, that was propaganda from the screaming feminists. I discovered that I was wrong.It is a fact that one-third of all children are sexually abused before age 18: About 40% of all females and 30% of males! That number seemed to be impossibly high; however, my wife and I did a national two-year survey during our Christian Couples’ Conferences in Bible teaching churches, and discovered that the number is right on target.In the last year or so, I have been outraged by the “soft” approach many ...

I am confused, and I am a Christian still (maybe) 2007-12-12 05:54:00 Sent in by NaudiaI am confused. I am a Christian still (maybe). I have been browsing this site for a year or 2 now I guess. I have had a lot of questions and read many more things on this site that has disturbed me to the point of lots of research. I have found an answer that has been satisfying for me at least to most of the questions that I have been faced with about the Bible's authority in our lives.I however can not make myself truly believe without doubt about Christ anymore. I can not see how we can trust the way the Bible was canonized. I'm speaking of the canonization of the New Testament. I am scared because I don't want to burn in hell. Which I suspect is why the majority of Christians actually came to Christianity in the first place. I am afraid that if I come to the conclusion Christ is a fabrication and I am wrong thenI will burn in Hell for eternity or for however long it is.Does anyone have any information or know where I can read more about the authenticity of the ...

My spirit is still reaching 2007-12-11 05:41:13 Sent in by Gloria Having dismissed the former fairy taleNow standing on my ownI find myself searching stillFor a system of beliefSomewhere to direct my spiritIn connection with othersWith souls of compassion, understanding,Acceptance, and good will.What I got from religion beforeWas not the answersTo life's tough questionsNor hope for eternal life,I received connection, directionFor love and givingUntil the rules and condemnationAnd exclusion ofSo many good soulsPushed me away.It became harder and harderTo find a like-minded"Christian" because I foundthat I am not one at all.But I do still have a needTo connect somewhereBeyond myselfWith mankind and lifeAnd death andSomething universal,Something much greaterThan myself.And the Bible holdsNo answers for me,The church has grown cold,Yet my spirit is still reachingFor me to find somethingTo give it directionBeyond my own lifeAgain. ...

"Sinners" blamed for drought 2007-12-10 12:23:51 A radical Christian group with the ear of prominent politicians has blamed “sinful” Australians for the nation’s record drought.Catch the Fires Ministries, which has links to several prominent politicians including Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, has hired Festival Hall so 5000 of its followers can pray for rain on Australia Day.Leader Danny Nalliah said moral decline, not climate change, was responsible for the drought.“Australia has turned away from Almighty God … the sinful condition of mankind has contributed to the stem of rainfall,” he said.But Mr Nalliah, who was one of two pastors sued for vilifying Muslims, said prayer was breaking the drought.The group has a national database of 10,000 names.Prime Minister Kevin Rudd sent a video address to one of the ministry’s events. And Mr Nalliah, who has addressed the anti-Semitic League of Rights, has had meetings with John Howard and Peter Costello.“When John Howard called the nation to pray for rain, and the church enthusi ...

An Atheist Manifesto 2007-12-10 12:03:11 A Declaration of Intellectual Independenceby Joseph Lewis -- 1954Many ask what difference does it make whether man believes in a God or not.It makes a big difference.It makes all the difference in the world.It is the difference between being right and being wrong; it is the difference between truth and surmises -- facts or delusion.It is the difference between the earth being flat, and the earth being round.It is the difference between the earth being the center of the universe, or a tiny speck in this vast and uncharted sea of multitudinous suns and galaxies.It is the difference in the proper concept of life, or conclusions based upon illusion.It is the difference between verified knowledge and the faith of religion.It is a question of Progress or the Dark Ages.The history of man proves that religion perverts man's concept of life and the universe, and has made him a cringing coward before the blind forces of nature.If you believe that there is a God; that man was "created"; that he ...

My biggest regret? Being a Christian sheep 2007-12-10 05:25:00 Sent in by exfundie I just watched the Michael Moore film, "Sicko." Let me tell you, I laughed, I cried, and I pondered many things. Mostly however, I cried. Especially through the whole part where Moore took the group of sick 9-11 rescue workers to Cuba. If you don't know what I'm talking about, watch the movie for yourself. Anyway, this segment not only enraged me, but broke my heart too. Mostly because it reminded me of my biggest regret to this day... being such a sheep to the establishment of Christianity. I was so brainwashed and closed-minded to things. I mean I voted for George W. Bush both times! I held him up as such a godly pursuer of right, and of truth, and of all things good. I felt like any attack on him must be either untrue or completely founded upon a misrepresentation of information. I wouldn't hear it! Some may not see the connection between the two, but I feel they are one in the same. Every occurrence in our recent history with implications obviou ...

Free at last 2007-12-10 05:14:00 Sent in by Jason RFrom the first day I was able to be away from home as a newborn child, I attended church. My parents are Christians, and my mother’s parents are Christians and they believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God. The vast majority of friends I ever had up until college were other kids that went to church with me.Growing up, we were taught that it was best to marry another Christian, so I did. Though we both lived pretty loosely at the time of our initial meeting, my wife and I never lost hold of the faith and traditions instilled within us. Upon marrying, my wife and I both made concerted efforts to try to live a more godly life and seemed to succeed at doing so.We have had four children (the oldest being nearly 9 years old) and have raised them the same way we were, attending church, and obeying the rules and regulations set forth by the infallible Bible give to us by the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God. As we were likewise taught, we have warned our ch ...

What changed your mind? 2007-12-10 05:10:31 Sent in by Steven GI got an e-mail a bit ago, asking me the above question regarding my change of marge after so many years a devoted Christian. Here is the bulk of my reply, which expounds upon the concepts of theism, atheism and agnosticism. Well, it all started when I began deliberating hell more completely. It was always a vague notion which church leaders purposely ignored quite a bit, or when speaking of it, did so in a non-descriptive, passive way. They would almost never preach the descriptive passages which depict agony and torment. So, during a certain phase of my life, I became very serious about studying the Bible with exegesis of various passages, and what I came to be immersed with unsettled me (to say the least!). I realized that multiplied billions of people were going to be sent to an unending torture chamber: The "Lake of Fire," like an immense bowl of lava, wherein resurrected, damned souls will flop about screaming and smoking and weeping without end in bodies t ...

What is faith? 2007-12-09 08:02:22 By Psy-CopSince announcing my departure from Christianity, I have been barraged with some well meaning friends and family. There have been some not so well meaning but they have cut me off for being a traitor. I am confronted with questions about my faith and what happened to it. Here are my thoughts on faith.The question of faith has come up repeatedly in my conversations with Christians. Most conversations start fairly civilly with we both are using good evidence and reasons for our beliefs. When things start getting rocky for believers or they run out of arguments, they have an easy out, “you just need to have faith.” As Romans 1:17 says, “The righteous will live by faith.”What is faith? The biblical definition given in Hebrews 11:1 says that “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Dictionary.com gives the definition of faith as “belief that is not based on proof.”To put it simply, I do not have faith in anything. None. Zip, Zero ...

The whole concept of god just seems silly 2007-12-09 07:56:27 Sent in by WayneI can remember being sent to church as a kid. Not any specific denomination, mind you. I think it was just convenient for my folks to cart me off for a few hours every Sunday. I'd been to Protestant, Baptist, Evangelical, Lutheran and even to a few Catholic services (too much of a workout for me, however).I didn't really start seeing the cracks in the wall until one Sunday at a Baptist church just south of Seattle. I had been shipped off to this church for almost a year at this point, so I knew the routines pretty well - an hour of Sunday School and an hour of the "full service". At the regular services, there were always new families coming and going. It wasn't odd to see new faces in the pews every week... and then it happened.A black family came to church one Sunday (I'm saying BLACK because I don't know if they were "African-American, Haitian, or something else, so please try not to let a word get anybody in a tizzy). They came in and sat in the row in front o ...

There is NO GOD 2007-12-09 07:52:48 Sent in by JanetI was raised a catholic and had quite a strict catholic upbringing. I doubted as a child, but always told myself that despite the fact nothing really made sense to me (the huge contradictions in the bible and the fact that god is supposed to be all loving and power yet there is clearly so much suffering in the world), I was not ever supposed to understand god's plan.My first major doubts happened when I learned about evolution at the age of 16. The idea of evolution came as a bit of a shock to me, and I really was on the edge of losing my faith for a while, but in my mind I resolved the situation by accepting evolution as part of god's design. Evolution was just an easy way for Him to do what He wanted to do.Much later, at the age of 21, my faith finally gave way, while studying the genetics of receptors while at university. I was looking at the tiny genetic differences in receptors across species. It occurred to me that the single nucleotide changes within the DNA we ...