Contemplating my decision to leave Christianity (soul, hell, America, mythology)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Actually they had cracked earlier back circa 2000 or so. I had gotten ill and requested the church elders to come over and pray over me per James 5:14-16
14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
They did and we followed all the instructions in James. Still the illness persisted. It wasn't until I saw a doctor and took some medicine he prescribed that I was healed.
Seems God sent you a doctor with the right medicine, and you didn't die! The elders prayers worked!
Quote:
Originally Posted by thrillobyte
God didn't heal me, the doctor and the medicine he prescribed did. Actually that was when the first cracks in the foundation of my faith started. But I put it away and didn't think about it.
It was around 2012 or so that I began noticing that my prayers NEVER got answered, not just in that instance in 2000 but I mean anytime I prayed there never was a noticeable change in my life.
Seems if God heard their prayers and saved your life (via a doctor) - and you still ditched Him anyway,
no wonder He wouldn't answer any more of your prayers - if that's how you thank Him for saving you - sheesh!
Reminds me of that old classic joke - an old farmers property/house floods, and the farmer prays up to God.
A man in a boat, some men in a bigger boat, and even a helicopter come to rescue the old man as the water keeps rising and the old man sends them away each time saying he's putting his trust in God.
Water keeps rising and old man eventually drowns and goes to heaven.
God sees him and asks 'What are you doing here?'
Old man says I put my trust in you and you let me down.
God says 'whadda ya mean I let you down, I sent two boats and even a helicopter!'
I'm not going to waste time trying to prove anything to anyone. This is of personal scope, to be pursued individually and inwardly. I'm not into cheerleading for one side or the other, and have nothing to defend. That's pure childishness that you enjoy, but I abhor; trying to "score" points for one side or the other.
If I was going to offer proof, it wouldn't be "secular" in approach. It could only be spiritually, but even that can only be sensed or understood within oneself, so we're back to that.
I know you can't get these matters because they are advanced and of a level you can't conceive or perceive. So the laugher from others will just have to continue!
I'll respond to your 3 paragraphs and then we'll let the matter rest, far as I'm concerned that is.
Point No 1: Okay, you don't want to waste your time responding to requests for evidence of Jesus--duly noted and no more requests will be forthcoming from me (but you'll miss me, I promise. )
Point No 2: This is the first time you were ever honest about the matter: the only proof you have to offer is spiritual, not secular. And that "proof" you possess--a word which phetaori abhors, I have no idea why--is internal, nothing external--which I assume means that one has to feel the presence of Jesus or else Jesus cannot be comprehended as being real. Okay. Lots of people require evidence for believing in something, others like yourself can believe in it based on "Jesus lives in my heart. That's how I know he is real". Duly noted and no more requests with be forthcoming from me (but again, you'll miss me, I promise. )
Point No 3: If believing in something with just "It lives in my heart. that's how I know it is real" were evidence enough for me I'd still believe in Jesus. But we're all different. Some people catch on to Christianity's grift when they're kids. Others it takes a near lifetime like it did me. Others like yourself never catch on. Most of us, however fall somewhere in between all that. But eventually tens of millions of people who throw Christianity away do finally catch on to the grift. So you might be unpleasantly surprised to find out which of us the people who read these threads are laughing at.
Now you derailed the thread going out the gate but I'm glad you did because it gave us a chance to finally air our differences. I know where you stand and I won't bother you anymore about the matter. I have no doubts though that you will continue to bother me.
Seems God sent you a doctor with the right medicine, and you didn't die! The elders prayers worked!
Seems if God heard their prayers and saved your life (via a doctor) - and you still ditched Him anyway,
no wonder He wouldn't answer any more of your prayers - if that's how you thank Him for saving you - sheesh!
Reminds me of that old classic joke - an old farmers property/house floods, and the farmer prays up to God.
A man in a boat, some men in a bigger boat, and even a helicopter come to rescue the old man as the water keeps rising and the old man sends them away each time saying he's putting his trust in God.
Water keeps rising and old man eventually drowns and goes to heaven.
God sees him and asks 'What are you doing here?'
Old man says I put my trust in you and you let me down.
God says 'whadda ya mean I let you down, I sent two boats and even a helicopter!'
lol That excuse doesn't work too well for the millions of parents who pray for their child's cancer to be cured and the child dies anyway, does it? Explain that one.
"I prayed for a cure and God sent a boat. Then the boat sprung a leak and sank".
Hmm, good for you? I guess your faith was never strong, and you cared more about having a fat wallet.
You're gd'ed right I care more about money than I do about Jesus. Money will keep my wife and I from starving and keep a roof over our heads when times get tough. Jesus won't do squat for us. No one who's wise puts his faith in Jesus. That's pumping your faith down a rat hole. But you missed my point: God continued to prosper me even after I told him to stuff it.
phetaroi, let me ask you a straightforward question: what would prove to you the gospel Jesus never existed?
Christ changed the entire world structure. No other human being had done that. Time itself was changed from BC to AD.
So God did not jump for you when you called. You say he never healed you but the Doctor and their medicine did. Who do you think put the Doctor there and made the medicine available. Have you ever read the whole Bible? I would say no you have not.
lol That excuse doesn't work too well for the millions of parents who pray for their child's cancer to be cured and the child dies anyway, does it? Explain that one.
"I prayed for a cure and God sent a boat. Then the boat sprung a leak and sank".
read the fine print! That verse doesn't promise a cure - rather a share in eternal life!!!!
That you were given a second-chance at life still here on earth - means that God still plans to make some good still happen through your life.
What will be your reply when He asks you "What did you do with that second chance I gave you" ?
read the fine print! That verse doesn't promise a cure - rather a share in eternal life!!!!
That you were given a second-chance at life still here on earth - means that God still plans to make some good still happen through your life.
What will be your reply when He asks you "What did you do with that second chance I gave you" ?
read the fine print! That verse doesn't promise a cure - rather a share in eternal life!!!!
That you were given a second-chance at life still here on earth - means that God still plans to make some good still happen through your life.
What will be your reply when He asks you "What did you do with that second chance I gave you" ?
CCC, your naivety really puts a smile on my face. I enjoy reading your posts. Perhaps I should have titled the thread "Contemplating your decision to stick with Jesus even when everything fails".
Yes, that 2000-year-old promise from wealthy corpulent churchmen living high on the hog on your $$$$$'s that even if things don't pan out for you and your loved ones here on earth, there's always eternal life with Jesus in heaven to look forward to. Just don't stop those tithes from coming in the meantime.
Well, God is very generous to give me more time to use my efforts to demonstrate to people why they shouldn't believe in him.
I have no doubt that when I stand before him and he asks me, "What did you do with that second chance I gave you" and I reply, "I chased 10,000 people away from Jesus" he will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Christianity is more than just a religion. It's a way of life. And if you leave it, you should (by your logic) become a better person. If you're still miserable and treat people like crap, you haven't learned anything. God bless. I pray Jesus wraps you in his arms.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
)
