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Darkstarr • 4 years ago
I was raised "holy roller" Pentecostal, and I recognized almost everything on that list as part of the brainwashing I was subjected to. Thank Goddess I wised up and left that cult forever! As I've repeatedly said elsewhere, and had a friend of mine repeat, "if that's God's idea of love, then someone needs some serious couples counseling!"
The worst part of it is that now that I'm Neopagan, I have these self-same evangelical fanatics insist that not only do I worship their Devil since I no longer their God, but I'm too dumb to know that I worship Satan. Not only do I not worship anyone or anything (I have respect for my patron Goddess, and I happily serve her in my own way, but slavishly worship her? Never!), but I've been tested and told that I could qualify for membership in Mensa--the organization of people whose IQs are in the top 10% worldwide. And yet I see morons like Ken Hamm insist that the Earth is only 6000 years old because the Bible is literally true--makes me wonder who the dumb ones _really_ are... (No, actually I don't wonder. I know that fanatics of any religion are deluded and brainwashed at best and imbeciles at worst. What I DO wonder is how anyone in this day and age can be so willfully stupid as to believe such ridiculous dogma when the truth is out there in places like Wikipedia for anyone to find if they just bother to look!)
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Ally • 4 years ago
There is no greater hate, than Christian Love.
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Tony Cutty • 4 years ago
It's also possible for God to break through the lies. He did it with me, but it took fifteen years of detoxing, through a 'Dark Night of the Soul' to bring me through. But now, I have never before felt so free! The fundamentalism did give me several good things, though, like knowing the Bible really well, which I can use now but as an instrument fo freedom rather than condemnation. But freedom from all the list on the OP - now that's really something. I'm never going back into that cage :)
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Pearle Pruitt Tony Cutty • 4 years ago
I'm in that breaking free place right now - it has taken me about 15 years to detox as well. So grateful God didn't give up on my through all my anger, questioning and doubt!
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Tony Cutty Pearle Pruitt • 4 years ago
Maybe you can identify with some of my detox journey. I have summarised it here:
http://www.flyinginthespiri...
Only if you're iinterested, though. No pressure! :)
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Pastor D • 4 years ago • edited
I too lied to my congregation but I was ignorant they were lies at the time. I was fired and excommunicated when a NDE near-death experience changed my views as I honestly believed that they loved darkness rather than light as nobody would listen to me. Many people I considered close friends disowned me and some resorted to slander.
Unfundamentalist Christians Comment Policy
The Unfundamentalist Christians blog has moved to a new home: http://unfundamentalists.com.
×Comments for this thread are now closed
504 Comments
Unfundamentalist Christians
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Sejin Pak
Recommend 8
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Sort by Newest
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Darkstarr • 4 years ago
I was raised "holy roller" Pentecostal, and I recognized almost everything on that list as part of the brainwashing I was subjected to. Thank Goddess I wised up and left that cult forever! As I've repeatedly said elsewhere, and had a friend of mine repeat, "if that's God's idea of love, then someone needs some serious couples counseling!"
The worst part of it is that now that I'm Neopagan, I have these self-same evangelical fanatics insist that not only do I worship their Devil since I no longer their God, but I'm too dumb to know that I worship Satan. Not only do I not worship anyone or anything (I have respect for my patron Goddess, and I happily serve her in my own way, but slavishly worship her? Never!), but I've been tested and told that I could qualify for membership in Mensa--the organization of people whose IQs are in the top 10% worldwide. And yet I see morons like Ken Hamm insist that the Earth is only 6000 years old because the Bible is literally true--makes me wonder who the dumb ones _really_ are... (No, actually I don't wonder. I know that fanatics of any religion are deluded and brainwashed at best and imbeciles at worst. What I DO wonder is how anyone in this day and age can be so willfully stupid as to believe such ridiculous dogma when the truth is out there in places like Wikipedia for anyone to find if they just bother to look!)
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Ally • 4 years ago
There is no greater hate, than Christian Love.
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Tony Cutty • 4 years ago
It's also possible for God to break through the lies. He did it with me, but it took fifteen years of detoxing, through a 'Dark Night of the Soul' to bring me through. But now, I have never before felt so free! The fundamentalism did give me several good things, though, like knowing the Bible really well, which I can use now but as an instrument fo freedom rather than condemnation. But freedom from all the list on the OP - now that's really something. I'm never going back into that cage :)
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Pearle Pruitt Tony Cutty • 4 years ago
I'm in that breaking free place right now - it has taken me about 15 years to detox as well. So grateful God didn't give up on my through all my anger, questioning and doubt!
1
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Tony Cutty Pearle Pruitt • 4 years ago
Maybe you can identify with some of my detox journey. I have summarised it here:
http://www.flyinginthespiri...
Only if you're iinterested, though. No pressure! :)
1
•
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Pastor D • 4 years ago • edited
I too lied to my congregation but I was ignorant they were lies at the time. I was fired and excommunicated when a NDE near-death experience changed my views as I honestly believed that they loved darkness rather than light as nobody would listen to me. Many people I considered close friends disowned me and some resorted to slander.
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Craig Nolin Pastor D • 4 years ago
Yes Pastor D, same thing happened to me. Changed everything.
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Michael Read Pastor D • 4 years ago
What was your NDE like?
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Pastor D Michael Read • 4 years ago
My NDE mirrored the scary "god" and the hell I believed and taught to others. I had a hellish experience that opened my eyes to see that the "god" I preached was not at all the God of love. I came to see how utterly cruel and unjust such a place and "god" I preached was before being embraced by light that engulfed me and loved me unconditionally. I now believe the reason why people have different NDE's is because our belief systems create it and God will use it in some way to get that person to repent of the lies. It might sound silly but if your god is a frog then you very likely might meet that frog when you die but you would eventually come to see that the frog was never God but a delusion. I believe many NDE's are tailored to that person as God knows exactly what to do to get those knees to bow before Him.
My religion turned on my because I threw the religious hell out the door. I did a video quickly describing my NDE:
see more
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Michael Read Pastor D • 4 years ago
That's awesome. I pretty much came to the same conclusion about NDE's and I am glad to hear someone who has had one say the same thing. I'll watch the video later when I have time.
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jdurb56 • 4 years ago
Right off the bat saying God hated us unless we loved him is not true, so I decided why read on.
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Dana Carpender jdurb56 • 4 years ago
If God doesn't hate humanity, why does He see fit to torture all human souls for all eternity for not being perfect? And if torturing all human souls for all eternity for not being perfect was making God sad, why didn't He just stop? Why the need to torture someone to death to be able to forgive even a modest segment of humanity for imperfection?
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Cally • 4 years ago
Blimey!! Fundamentalist are far worse tha I thought. That all sounds like spiritual abuse to me.
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rtgmath Cally • 4 years ago
It is. It is. And I can validate every point she made.
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Grundune • 4 years ago
The thing I was taught in church is that God is my lover, not my jailer.
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Donald Moeser • 4 years ago
So, those things were taught to you in Church? May I be so bold as to ask what church you attended?
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Juan Lopez • 4 years ago
How very interesting.
Not meaning to hijack your blog, but perhaps you will also find this little coincidence amusing:
https://wordpress.com/post/...
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Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
By the way, there is some truth in that statement about Communists, because in EVERY country they got full control of they killed Christians routinely.
Some more. Some less. But they ALL did it.
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Bones Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
Except for South America.....where many Christians embraced Communism.
And maybe a reason for that is the Christian support for Right Wing dictators eg Tsarist Russia, Latin America, Spain under Franco.....
The idea that Christians are hated because of Christ is rubbish...it's because of their behaviour and support for totalitarian regimes AGAINST the poor.
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Cynthia Brown Christ Bones • 4 years ago
I agree completely!!!! with you Bones.
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Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
Unconditional love?
Do you love fundamentalists too?
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Cynthia Brown Christ Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
I love fundamentalists. But to love them, does not mean that I must follow them, or love their behavior.
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mason • 4 years ago
Evangelical Christian Fundamentalism starts with teaching credulous kids two huge lies. (1) disturb the child's self-esteem and sense of I'm OKness, and (2) You can only be fixed by believing some ancient blood sacrifice bullshit. This is child mental abuse and should be against the law! http://www.alternet.org/.........
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icebiker mason • 4 years ago
Wow. & people avree with you: so sad.
That list and what you wrote are athiest propoganda.
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Earl Eakin • 4 years ago
I recently read Ezekiel 23:20 but the movie is better than the book
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barry • 4 years ago
One absolute truth I know: if a child is educated in the realities of biblical scholarship and not one particular viewpoint, it is furiously unlikely that when they grow up, they would adopt a fundamentalist view. I started out in fundamentalism and believed it all and preached it dogmatically, but I cringe now that I look back and have to admit how blissfully ignorant I was in those days. If I could have known then what I know now...
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Linguagroover • 4 years ago
As a Christian via childhood indoctrination, I eventually ran out of evidence and excuses. I am now a liberated atheist. My advice is to get real, ditch all the woo and live the one life you have.
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Gerry Wright Linguagroover • 4 years ago
We didn't need your advice, Lance Armstrong had already taught us you don't need God to succeed. If anyone has ever been more successful than Lance Armstrong I'd like to hear that name. And Yes Lance Armstrong was framed by people who call themselves christians.
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Cally Gerry Wright • 4 years ago
Wow. So many people have discribed Armstrong as a lying cheat who tried to destroy those brave enough to speak out about him. His sponsors dropped him like a hotcake, and not without justified and evidence-supporting proof. I am not Christian by the way. Armstrong is not worthy of yours or anyone else's admiration.
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liberalinlove Gerry Wright • 4 years ago
I do not understand the purpose of your comment either. Are you o.k?
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Linguagroover Gerry Wright • 4 years ago
I'm sorry that I don't understand what you're trying to say. Lance Armstrong was a serial drugs cheat who got caught, which I would suggest is an example of the spectacularly unsuccessful. But I wonder what that has got to do with choosing to reject an assertion-rich religious belief system and opting to live on the basis of the available evidence.
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May Pearl • 4 years ago
It has recently come to me that, if anything I learned was true it could be that Satan is the source of destruction of the teachings of Christ. Disclaimer: I continue to question this entire concept, but I put it out here for the sake of illustration and logical argument.
If Satan destroys the work of Christ, which is teaching love, tolerance, inclusion, acceptance, forgiveness, and all the good things we are capable of as human beings, it then becomes obvious who is running the fundamentalist show which teaches the antithesis of everything the Bible says Christ came to teach.
I was lucky because I was a voracious reader. My family mostly encouraged this and paid little attention to what I read and those books taught me to think, to reason, to ask logical questions--which, after a few attempts I gave up asking the people of my family or church who always had stock answers supplied by a narrow set of beliefs which could not--MUST not--be questioned. But I took seriously the biblical instruction to "seek." I did seek, think, and reason with a mind I logically assumed was created to do exactly that. Besides, I thought, if God is so small she can't be bothered with a curiosity I am asked to believe she purposely created, then God is absolutely NOT what I was taught.
I believe in a Force greater than humanity. Limitless. Numinous. I am mindful of this every time I see goodness and beauty and I'm grateful, worshipful, awed, and amazed. I hope that's enough. And I think it probably is.
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mason May Pearl • 4 years ago
Believing in anything "supernatural" just creates cognitive dissonance because everyone eventually realizes there's no God, that's why believers talk about their doubts, and crisis of faith all the time. No Santa, no God. Only a rational mind can become a peaceful contented mind, in harmony with the Universe and reality.
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Chris Gaynor mason • 4 years ago
I don't believe that 'everyone eventually realizes there's no God'. There is no way to prove this. It may be a true experience for you but it obviously isn't for millions of other people. I would also suggest that crises of faith can be about shifting your understanding of God and not just about realizing there is no God.
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mason Chris Gaynor • 4 years ago
Or disprove it :) Some people re-frame the theistic idea they were brainwashed into about "God" and God is thought of as the Universe, and now they break free of the the theistic cult. (and get Sundays free to go live)
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Tony Cutty May Pearl • 4 years ago
Superb
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Kyllein MacKellerann " • 4 years ago • edited
Since Fundamentalism rotates around the Bible and specific interpretations of it, let's examine this curious compilation:
1: It was first developed by a Roman Emperor and a Bishop who was considered the supreme Bishop of the religion called Christianity. Both men had the same interest, namely control over what was now the Roman Empire and the State Religion - Christianity.
2: At the time, the Roman Empire was populated by roughly 80% slaves and 20% freeborn males. Of that 20%, perhaps a third were actually Roman Citizens. Since the only sure political and social control was of the Citizenry, it was necessary to create a document that stressed humility, meekness, and obedience to authority. So the original Roman Bible was made; created out of collected Scriptures or the "Folk Tales" of the Jewish and Christian people of the Empire. Some of these stories, the ones that stressed obedience to authority and diminished the individual, were useful as a social control and were kept. Others, which were of a more independent nature, were declared "Heretical" and suppressed,
3: Ever since that time (up to the mid-20th Century) most Bibles were created as political documents to support some religious changes or suppress others. In every instance, these Bibles were intended to KEEP THE PEASANTS OBEDIENT TO THEIR BETTERS, not to bring them closer to God.
4: The most obvious example is Mark Twain's take on John: 3-16 - "For God so loved the world that He damned every single human who would ever be born to everlasting torment." This is a paraphrase, Twain was less polite in his wording.
Now a comment: Every single Fundamental religious Christian sect that I have ever run into was either a single man or small group of men on a religious power trip with the intention of separating the faithful from their hard-earned wealth while standing squarely on their necks.
If you want religion, Fundamentalism is not the place to find it.
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Joseph O'Neill • 4 years ago
Other religions have vicious fundamentalists, as the Palestinians know to their cost...
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mason Joseph O'Neill • 4 years ago
Yep, all theistic fundamentalism is absurd, twisted and evil.
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Mike Smathers • 4 years ago
I'm not sure that all the things you mention are wrong, but the only thing fundamental about Fundamentalism is that it is fundamentally wrong.
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Ryan Farrel • 4 years ago • edited
Fundamentalism brought nothing but torment and a clear distinction from the truth in my heart. I have left over a decade ago and still the thoughts of old come, even though clearly seen they are unbelievable. Thank God for the unconditional love in the heart that brought me and is bringing me through it even though I hated that Love because I was told it was evil, of the antichrist and satan appearing as an angel of light.
No actually Its the Spirit I crucified and buried within myself that is resurrecting. And the word It brings is, Shalom
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Tony Cutty Ryan Farrel • 4 years ago
And you're loving the freedom :) It comes through clearly.
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Judgeforyourself37 • 4 years ago
Fundamentalism is why there are so many "Christian Alumnae.
I advise anyone is has been made to feel guilty about everything, especially sex, contraception and abortion, read the book, "Why Christianity Must Change or Die," by retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong. His book is so freeing, and will allow you to know that you are not alone, and no, your are not a "worm of Earth!"
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Dana Carpender Judgeforyourself37 • 4 years ago
You missed part of his title. He's "The Controversial Bishop John Shelby Spong," or so he has joked.
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Tony Cutty Judgeforyourself37 • 4 years ago
John Selby Spong is a dude. He speaks a whole lot of sense.
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Ken Lucas • 4 years ago
My Story: I ALWAYS dreamed of working for a Christian ministry and moving to Tulsa, Ok made me so happy until....
I joined a well-known fundamentalist church in Broken Arrow. I was and still am shocked at how I was immediately lied on, browbeaten, and conspired against. If I told the whole story it would be a manuscript. I NEVER dreamed that so-called Born-Again believers could be such liars and racists.
I STILL cannot believed these people could lift their hands, tell Jesus how much they loved him, cry and shake, and when it was time to go back to work be lied on and verbally harassed. I do not believe in playing "the race card" but I NEVER saw nor felt abject racism and hatred until I joined that ministry.
I worked my butt off, was punctual, followed orders cheerfully, and was STILL harassed and eventually run out of the church....Mine eyes were opened.
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logan790 Ken Lucas • 4 years ago
The Holy Spirit is not present in most houses of worship(not the church), but the Ho;y Spirit should be in you (the church),the spirit lead you away from them, thank God ! The Spirit will lead to true Christianity (CHRIST-LIKE) people.
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Ken Lucas logan790 • 4 years ago
Amen Logan! I could add more, but you said it all. Thank you my brother!!!
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logan790 Ken Lucas • 4 years ago
God bless you Ken, fight the good fight of FAITH, your brother in Christ, Logan790
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Tony Cutty logan790 • 4 years ago
I'm with you both :)
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Craig Nolin Pastor D • 4 years ago
Yes Pastor D, same thing happened to me. Changed everything.
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Michael Read Pastor D • 4 years ago
What was your NDE like?
•
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Pastor D Michael Read • 4 years ago
My NDE mirrored the scary "god" and the hell I believed and taught to others. I had a hellish experience that opened my eyes to see that the "god" I preached was not at all the God of love. I came to see how utterly cruel and unjust such a place and "god" I preached was before being embraced by light that engulfed me and loved me unconditionally. I now believe the reason why people have different NDE's is because our belief systems create it and God will use it in some way to get that person to repent of the lies. It might sound silly but if your god is a frog then you very likely might meet that frog when you die but you would eventually come to see that the frog was never God but a delusion. I believe many NDE's are tailored to that person as God knows exactly what to do to get those knees to bow before Him.
My religion turned on my because I threw the religious hell out the door. I did a video quickly describing my NDE:
see more
1
•
Share ›
Michael Read Pastor D • 4 years ago
That's awesome. I pretty much came to the same conclusion about NDE's and I am glad to hear someone who has had one say the same thing. I'll watch the video later when I have time.
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jdurb56 • 4 years ago
Right off the bat saying God hated us unless we loved him is not true, so I decided why read on.
•
Share ›
Dana Carpender jdurb56 • 4 years ago
If God doesn't hate humanity, why does He see fit to torture all human souls for all eternity for not being perfect? And if torturing all human souls for all eternity for not being perfect was making God sad, why didn't He just stop? Why the need to torture someone to death to be able to forgive even a modest segment of humanity for imperfection?
•
Share ›
Cally • 4 years ago
Blimey!! Fundamentalist are far worse tha I thought. That all sounds like spiritual abuse to me.
2
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Share ›
rtgmath Cally • 4 years ago
It is. It is. And I can validate every point she made.
2
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Share ›
Grundune • 4 years ago
The thing I was taught in church is that God is my lover, not my jailer.
•
Share ›
Donald Moeser • 4 years ago
So, those things were taught to you in Church? May I be so bold as to ask what church you attended?
1
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Juan Lopez • 4 years ago
How very interesting.
Not meaning to hijack your blog, but perhaps you will also find this little coincidence amusing:
https://wordpress.com/post/...
•
Share ›
Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
By the way, there is some truth in that statement about Communists, because in EVERY country they got full control of they killed Christians routinely.
Some more. Some less. But they ALL did it.
2
•
Share ›
Bones Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
Except for South America.....where many Christians embraced Communism.
And maybe a reason for that is the Christian support for Right Wing dictators eg Tsarist Russia, Latin America, Spain under Franco.....
The idea that Christians are hated because of Christ is rubbish...it's because of their behaviour and support for totalitarian regimes AGAINST the poor.
4
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Cynthia Brown Christ Bones • 4 years ago
I agree completely!!!! with you Bones.
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Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
Unconditional love?
Do you love fundamentalists too?
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Share ›
Cynthia Brown Christ Jim Christensen • 4 years ago
I love fundamentalists. But to love them, does not mean that I must follow them, or love their behavior.
1
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mason • 4 years ago
Evangelical Christian Fundamentalism starts with teaching credulous kids two huge lies. (1) disturb the child's self-esteem and sense of I'm OKness, and (2) You can only be fixed by believing some ancient blood sacrifice bullshit. This is child mental abuse and should be against the law! http://www.alternet.org/.........
4
•
Share ›
icebiker mason • 4 years ago
Wow. & people avree with you: so sad.
That list and what you wrote are athiest propoganda.
1
•
Share ›
Earl Eakin • 4 years ago
I recently read Ezekiel 23:20 but the movie is better than the book
1
•
Share ›
barry • 4 years ago
One absolute truth I know: if a child is educated in the realities of biblical scholarship and not one particular viewpoint, it is furiously unlikely that when they grow up, they would adopt a fundamentalist view. I started out in fundamentalism and believed it all and preached it dogmatically, but I cringe now that I look back and have to admit how blissfully ignorant I was in those days. If I could have known then what I know now...
4
•
Share ›
Linguagroover • 4 years ago
As a Christian via childhood indoctrination, I eventually ran out of evidence and excuses. I am now a liberated atheist. My advice is to get real, ditch all the woo and live the one life you have.
7
1
•
Share ›
Gerry Wright Linguagroover • 4 years ago
We didn't need your advice, Lance Armstrong had already taught us you don't need God to succeed. If anyone has ever been more successful than Lance Armstrong I'd like to hear that name. And Yes Lance Armstrong was framed by people who call themselves christians.
1
•
Share ›
Cally Gerry Wright • 4 years ago
Wow. So many people have discribed Armstrong as a lying cheat who tried to destroy those brave enough to speak out about him. His sponsors dropped him like a hotcake, and not without justified and evidence-supporting proof. I am not Christian by the way. Armstrong is not worthy of yours or anyone else's admiration.
1
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liberalinlove Gerry Wright • 4 years ago
I do not understand the purpose of your comment either. Are you o.k?
•
Share ›
Linguagroover Gerry Wright • 4 years ago
I'm sorry that I don't understand what you're trying to say. Lance Armstrong was a serial drugs cheat who got caught, which I would suggest is an example of the spectacularly unsuccessful. But I wonder what that has got to do with choosing to reject an assertion-rich religious belief system and opting to live on the basis of the available evidence.
2
•
Share ›
May Pearl • 4 years ago
It has recently come to me that, if anything I learned was true it could be that Satan is the source of destruction of the teachings of Christ. Disclaimer: I continue to question this entire concept, but I put it out here for the sake of illustration and logical argument.
If Satan destroys the work of Christ, which is teaching love, tolerance, inclusion, acceptance, forgiveness, and all the good things we are capable of as human beings, it then becomes obvious who is running the fundamentalist show which teaches the antithesis of everything the Bible says Christ came to teach.
I was lucky because I was a voracious reader. My family mostly encouraged this and paid little attention to what I read and those books taught me to think, to reason, to ask logical questions--which, after a few attempts I gave up asking the people of my family or church who always had stock answers supplied by a narrow set of beliefs which could not--MUST not--be questioned. But I took seriously the biblical instruction to "seek." I did seek, think, and reason with a mind I logically assumed was created to do exactly that. Besides, I thought, if God is so small she can't be bothered with a curiosity I am asked to believe she purposely created, then God is absolutely NOT what I was taught.
I believe in a Force greater than humanity. Limitless. Numinous. I am mindful of this every time I see goodness and beauty and I'm grateful, worshipful, awed, and amazed. I hope that's enough. And I think it probably is.
2
•
Share ›
mason May Pearl • 4 years ago
Believing in anything "supernatural" just creates cognitive dissonance because everyone eventually realizes there's no God, that's why believers talk about their doubts, and crisis of faith all the time. No Santa, no God. Only a rational mind can become a peaceful contented mind, in harmony with the Universe and reality.
•
Share ›
Chris Gaynor mason • 4 years ago
I don't believe that 'everyone eventually realizes there's no God'. There is no way to prove this. It may be a true experience for you but it obviously isn't for millions of other people. I would also suggest that crises of faith can be about shifting your understanding of God and not just about realizing there is no God.
2
•
Share ›
mason Chris Gaynor • 4 years ago
Or disprove it :) Some people re-frame the theistic idea they were brainwashed into about "God" and God is thought of as the Universe, and now they break free of the the theistic cult. (and get Sundays free to go live)
•
Share ›
Tony Cutty May Pearl • 4 years ago
Superb
1
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Kyllein MacKellerann " • 4 years ago • edited
Since Fundamentalism rotates around the Bible and specific interpretations of it, let's examine this curious compilation:
1: It was first developed by a Roman Emperor and a Bishop who was considered the supreme Bishop of the religion called Christianity. Both men had the same interest, namely control over what was now the Roman Empire and the State Religion - Christianity.
2: At the time, the Roman Empire was populated by roughly 80% slaves and 20% freeborn males. Of that 20%, perhaps a third were actually Roman Citizens. Since the only sure political and social control was of the Citizenry, it was necessary to create a document that stressed humility, meekness, and obedience to authority. So the original Roman Bible was made; created out of collected Scriptures or the "Folk Tales" of the Jewish and Christian people of the Empire. Some of these stories, the ones that stressed obedience to authority and diminished the individual, were useful as a social control and were kept. Others, which were of a more independent nature, were declared "Heretical" and suppressed,
3: Ever since that time (up to the mid-20th Century) most Bibles were created as political documents to support some religious changes or suppress others. In every instance, these Bibles were intended to KEEP THE PEASANTS OBEDIENT TO THEIR BETTERS, not to bring them closer to God.
4: The most obvious example is Mark Twain's take on John: 3-16 - "For God so loved the world that He damned every single human who would ever be born to everlasting torment." This is a paraphrase, Twain was less polite in his wording.
Now a comment: Every single Fundamental religious Christian sect that I have ever run into was either a single man or small group of men on a religious power trip with the intention of separating the faithful from their hard-earned wealth while standing squarely on their necks.
If you want religion, Fundamentalism is not the place to find it.
2
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Share ›
Joseph O'Neill • 4 years ago
Other religions have vicious fundamentalists, as the Palestinians know to their cost...
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mason Joseph O'Neill • 4 years ago
Yep, all theistic fundamentalism is absurd, twisted and evil.
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Mike Smathers • 4 years ago
I'm not sure that all the things you mention are wrong, but the only thing fundamental about Fundamentalism is that it is fundamentally wrong.
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Ryan Farrel • 4 years ago • edited
Fundamentalism brought nothing but torment and a clear distinction from the truth in my heart. I have left over a decade ago and still the thoughts of old come, even though clearly seen they are unbelievable. Thank God for the unconditional love in the heart that brought me and is bringing me through it even though I hated that Love because I was told it was evil, of the antichrist and satan appearing as an angel of light.
No actually Its the Spirit I crucified and buried within myself that is resurrecting. And the word It brings is, Shalom
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Tony Cutty Ryan Farrel • 4 years ago
And you're loving the freedom :) It comes through clearly.
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Judgeforyourself37 • 4 years ago
Fundamentalism is why there are so many "Christian Alumnae.
I advise anyone is has been made to feel guilty about everything, especially sex, contraception and abortion, read the book, "Why Christianity Must Change or Die," by retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong. His book is so freeing, and will allow you to know that you are not alone, and no, your are not a "worm of Earth!"
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Dana Carpender Judgeforyourself37 • 4 years ago
You missed part of his title. He's "The Controversial Bishop John Shelby Spong," or so he has joked.
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Tony Cutty Judgeforyourself37 • 4 years ago
John Selby Spong is a dude. He speaks a whole lot of sense.
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Ken Lucas • 4 years ago
My Story: I ALWAYS dreamed of working for a Christian ministry and moving to Tulsa, Ok made me so happy until....
I joined a well-known fundamentalist church in Broken Arrow. I was and still am shocked at how I was immediately lied on, browbeaten, and conspired against. If I told the whole story it would be a manuscript. I NEVER dreamed that so-called Born-Again believers could be such liars and racists.
I STILL cannot believed these people could lift their hands, tell Jesus how much they loved him, cry and shake, and when it was time to go back to work be lied on and verbally harassed. I do not believe in playing "the race card" but I NEVER saw nor felt abject racism and hatred until I joined that ministry.
I worked my butt off, was punctual, followed orders cheerfully, and was STILL harassed and eventually run out of the church....Mine eyes were opened.
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logan790 Ken Lucas • 4 years ago
The Holy Spirit is not present in most houses of worship(not the church), but the Ho;y Spirit should be in you (the church),the spirit lead you away from them, thank God ! The Spirit will lead to true Christianity (CHRIST-LIKE) people.
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Ken Lucas logan790 • 4 years ago
Amen Logan! I could add more, but you said it all. Thank you my brother!!!
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logan790 Ken Lucas • 4 years ago
God bless you Ken, fight the good fight of FAITH, your brother in Christ, Logan790
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Tony Cutty logan790 • 4 years ago
I'm with you both :)
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