Another Former Christian

Just Arrived Joined: Oct 09, 2008 Posts: 8 Location: USA

Hello!
I’ll keep this introduction as short as I can, but I have a nasty verbose habit. My name is Lee and I was a fundamental Baptist for over 40 years, but the last eight years have been joyously religion free. I grew up in the Bible Belt graduated from a Christian school (ACE) and even “surrendered” to become an evangelist. Yes I went to Bible College and basically flunked out (because of boredom, mostly).

I have done most of the jobs in the churches I have been in. Sunday School teacher, preacher boy, janitor, song leader, choir member, deacon, fill-in preacher. I rarely missed a service (3 or 4 times a week) was active in “visitation” read and studied my Bible (yes, I have read it from cover to cover), literally prayed without ceasing, listened to sermons on tape, tithed, gave to “faith promise missions," gave to Moral Majority, and for a time regularly read the “Sword Of The Lord.” My heroes were John R Rice, J Frank Norris, my local pastors and other such fundamental Baptist luminaries. I was never really any good at winning souls.

Secular college was much more interesting than Bible College and I finally graduated with a degree in Chemistry with a minor in Biology. A strange major/minor for a fundy, but I weaseled my way out of the evolution class. Working, raising a family and going to college left me far too busy to worry about the disjunction between my faith and the rational world. But graduation gave me time to think about these things.

I suppose it was about a 10 year process in which I slowly began to apply college level thinking skills to my faith. At first I didn’t really know it was happening, but was simply uncomfortable with certain aspects of my faith. As time went by the monolithic theology was assaulted by new thoughts – thoughts that were at once delightful, but filled me with guilt. I read new things and dropped my defenses to new spiritual ideas. Slowly the monolith crumbled.

The last year as a believer was the worst. I held positions of leadership in the church and felt like a hypocrite. Actually I WAS a hypocrite and knew I had to escape, but didn’t know how. In 2000 a conversation with the pastor convinced me (probably my pastor too) that this was the time for my break.

That was the low point in my spiritual life and it hasn’t been easy, but I have made constant progress since. At first I considered myself still a Christian. Later I quietly claimed the agnostic viewpoint and finally admitted to myself that atheist is a better description of my mental state. I think this is a fairly common

So that’s my story in a nutshell.

P.S. I found out about The Infidel Guy on YouTube.

Newbie First Class Joined: May 02, 2008 Posts: 28

Welcome

Posted: Sat Oct 11, 2008 7:13 am

Great story NowAThinker. Welcome to the IG forums Very Happy

Quote:

I was never really any good at winning souls.

I read somewhere that evangelism is actually a very ineffective way to gain converts and that most religions depend on familial indoctrination to maintain numbers.

Newbie Joined: Sep 30, 2008 Posts: 14

I found IG while looking for the "focus on the family" podcast. ( I was hanging on to christiandom by a literal thread.) In a nutshell - your story is quite close to my story - which I'll share with you all later. So far, the IG "community" has welcomed me with an open mind and listening ears - and a few sex jokes here and there. I hope you enjoy it here as much as I do! P.S. I was never good at leading sin sick souls to christ either! Wink

Just Arrived Joined: Oct 09, 2008 Posts: 8 Location: USA

Thanks all for the welcome!

Ninah, I am looking forward to your deconversion story.

Lee

Newbie First Class Joined: Mar 27, 2008 Posts: 32

Hey now a thinker... I too like to think. In fact I started a blog yesterday called aplacetotalk and think out loud. I would like to talk to you - certainly not to try and convert you to anything or anyone. I can't couldn't and never have converted anyone to anyone or anything but myself. When someone has been converted to me... they later get to know me and run from me and everything that I represent.


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