Hi, I'm a former Christian

Just Arrived Joined: Sep 24, 2008 Posts: 1

Hi everyone! I just joined this forum. I'm a former Christian turned atheist. I was a Christian until about the age of 30 when I finally started letting go of the absurdities that I was believing!

I've written a book about it, hoping to share with others why Christianity just isn't true.

I've spent a lot of time in the recent months online meeting other atheists and agnostics, and it's so great to know how many of us there are!

I live in Cincinnati with my wife and our little boy; he's 4 and a half years old and a wonderful son. My wife is a nurse and we're enjoying our life together!

Jeff

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 11:42 am

Welcome!

Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2008 10:10 pm

Welcome Jeff! Smile

Intern Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 231

Hi, Jeffmark, glad you saw the light.
I too left the Christian faith several years back, and to convince myself I was doing the right thing, I also wrote a book. I have now written eleven, two of them in Portuguese.
My first book I titled “Recovering Reason”. Lately, I’ve written my best one so far titled “Let Me Explain The Bible”, which is now published at www.lulu.com . Please, check it here http://www.lulu.com/content/4152449 .
I have other books on lulu. One about Islam.
http://www.infidelguy.com/ftopicp-9804.html#9804

Intern Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 231

Well, I write books as a pastime, with the main and central objective to ALERT Christians for the dangers of the Christian Faith.
I insist on the point where the Bible is a DANGEROUS WEAPON capable of disrupting life and creating enmity between friends, families and nations.
The Bible is a book that should be OFFICIALLY and symbolically BURNT and its ashes removed from the planet.
The UN should one day organize an official day to burn this religious book publicly in front of its headquarters to make the strongest possible statement as to the collective desire of the enlightened human race to remove from our midst a WEAPON that has caused uncountable numbers of VICTIMS.
The next step would be to discard the pope, and recover all the assets his fanatical CULT has stolen from INNOCENT people over the centuries.
I also support the ostracizing of Islam, and all that, but please, PEACEFULLY, so that we do not emulate the evil those religions and individuals representing them have done over the centuries.
Do you think I will see that happening in my lifetime?

Master of Logic Joined: Oct 04, 2003 Posts: 9384

Julio wrote:

Well, I write books as a pastime, with the main and central objective to ALERT Christians for the dangers of the Christian Faith.
I insist on the point where the Bible is a DANGEROUS WEAPON capable of disrupting life and creating enmity between friends, families and nations.
The Bible is a book that should be OFFICIALLY and symbolically BURNT and its ashes removed from the planet.
The UN should one day organize an official day to burn this religious book publicly in front of its headquarters to make the strongest possible statement as to the collective desire of the enlightened human race to remove from our midst a WEAPON that has caused uncountable numbers of VICTIMS.
The next step would be to discard the pope, and recover all the assets his fanatical CULT has stolen from INNOCENT people over the centuries.
I also support the ostracizing of Islam, and all that, but please, PEACEFULLY, so that we do not emulate the evil those religions and individuals representing them have done over the centuries.
Do you think I will see that happening in my lifetime?

While it is worth it to challenge people to think about their own personal beliefs, it is a bad idea to send a fascist image of book burning.

Master of Logic Joined: Oct 04, 2003 Posts: 9384

Julio wrote:

Well, I write books as a pastime, with the main and central objective to ALERT Christians for the dangers of the Christian Faith.
I insist on the point where the Bible is a DANGEROUS WEAPON capable of disrupting life and creating enmity between friends, families and nations.
The Bible is a book that should be OFFICIALLY and symbolically BURNT and its ashes removed from the planet.
The UN should one day organize an official day to burn this religious book publicly in front of its headquarters to make the strongest possible statement as to the collective desire of the enlightened human race to remove from our midst a WEAPON that has caused uncountable numbers of VICTIMS.
The next step would be to discard the pope, and recover all the assets his fanatical CULT has stolen from INNOCENT people over the centuries.
I also support the ostracizing of Islam, and all that, but please, PEACEFULLY, so that we do not emulate the evil those religions and individuals representing them have done over the centuries.
Do you think I will see that happening in my lifetime?

While it is worth it to challenge people to think about their own personal beliefs, it is a bad idea to send a fascist image of book burning. Hitler burned books, and fundies in America burned books and "rock and roll" records.

I myself as an atheist do see the importance of giving up on absurd ideas, but I do not fool myself into thinking that by using fascist tactics that my personal utopia will be acheaved. Reason cannot be forced on someone. Much like you can lead a horse to water but you cant force it to drink it.

Your anger is justified, but I think in that anger you must not adapt the same "my way or the highway" authoritarian view that not only theism worships, but also the authoritarian view that fascist state worship of Korea and China have.

The bible shouldn't be burned, it should be read WITHOUT rose colored glasses on so that people can see it for the comic book it is. Burning it in front of believers will only make them angry. But if you can challenge them to read it and question it, it can die an unforced death because the believer can eventually see it for what it is.

In any case, humanity cant afford more and more attempts at utopias and gang mentality and I would hope that my fellow atheists would not want to become the very thing we say we hate.

If humanity is going to take itself out because of superstition, I don't want to contribute to that by adding to their false fear and unfounded fear that we are monsters out to opress them. No we should not burn bibles. We should promote the questioning of it, criticisism of it, and all superstitious claims including psychics and big foot. We should be on the forefront of offering humanity the better tool of reason and logic and science.

Wanting the end of religion should not put fear into believers. We can use the tools of appeal and free speech without force. One can't be forced to stop believing something, but one can change their position voluntaraly. If that is done, that is a victory without force and one that is likely to stick.

I am not politically correct in the least as most here know. I will blast any religious person from layman to the Pope without hesitation and I don't mince words or sensor myself. BUT, I do not fool myself into thinking that I or any group or any religion or any nation can force it's will on 6 billion people, not them and not us.

So while I understand your anger, instead of playing into their fears, I would spend time puting that anger to better use without playing into their unfounded stereotypes.

Intern Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 231

I think you’re right.
I said “symbolically” burn ONE Bible, which is what we actually do when we expose it as a dangerous weapon, I think.
The Bible is not like other books in general; the Bible is a DANGEROUS WEAPON, and in its name MILLIONS of innocent people suffered horrors.

Graduate Thinker Joined: Mar 26, 2008 Posts: 549

Quote:

I said “symbolically” burn ONE Bible, which is what we actually do when we expose it as a dangerous weapon, I think.

So in other words, completely challenge and expose it?

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:03 am

jeffmark wrote:

I live in Cincinnati with my wife and our little boy; he's 4 and a half years old and a wonderful son. My wife is a nurse and we're enjoying our life together!

Jeff

My wife and I live north of Cincinnati in Eaton, Ohio. Was born in a hospital right next to the Suspension Bridge on the Kentucky side. Raised in Independence, Kentucky.
There's a meet-up group, http://atheists.meetup.com/90/ for Cincinnati atheists. One of the members has been instrumental in starting a support group for atheist parents raising children in the non-secular midwest.

Intern Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 231

Cygnus wrote:

Quote:

I said “symbolically” burn ONE Bible, which is what we actually do when we expose it as a dangerous weapon, I think.

So in other words, completely challenge and expose it?

As I said, and reiterate: the Bible is not the Book of God, but the weapon of man. Translating: God would hate this book if he existed; why should we do less than that… Better hate an evil book than the people who use it, I would say…

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:36 am

Brian37 wrote:

While it is worth it to challenge people to think about their own personal beliefs, it is a bad idea to send a fascist image of book burning. Hitler burned books, and fundies in America burned books and "rock and roll" records.

Burning books should no longer be seen as anything but a metaphor, one I'm not entirely against. The ability to burn books as a means by which to eliminate the dissemination of information is past.

It would be wise to develop and use nothing but a digital format for all forms of textual data and totally eliminate the "book". This would not only be much more efficient, but much more environmentally friendly. One device to tap all the worlds knowledge.

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:40 am

Julio wrote:

Better hate an evil book than the people who use it, I would say…

Hate the concept and not the holder.

While I agree with this, it's sometimes difficult to mentally seperate the two.

Posted: Sun Sep 28, 2008 8:42 am

Oh yeah, welcome Jeffmark!

I read some of your book on the Amazon preview, nicely done Very Happy

Intern Joined: Feb 21, 2006 Posts: 231

The Bible is a source of much evil; there is no doubt about it, period.
Innocent people were burned for opposing it, when an Official Religion had access to political power and lethal weapons.
Tell me if anything has changed about that book in modern days.
The other day a fanatical Pentecostal wrote an email to tell me that I was an enemy of God and so I was her enemy too.
My reply was: if I was your neighbour and you house caught fire I would be the first to call for help and try to put the fire out.
I would expect the same from you.
The fanatical lady didn’t reply.
It is the Bible that makes people like that, friends.


Create an account	Home · Articles · Downloads · Video Library · Forums · Chat Room · aStore