Hazel-rah

Actually, the repressive lifestyle was one of the first things that made me scratch my head and go "huh?"

I mean, did God really create us to be creatures who can not only invent, but also greatly enjoy the pleasures of the flesh, and expect us to voluntarily deny ourselves those pleasures, out of some bizarre sense of self-righteousness?

And when you think that we spend threescore and ten denying ourselves these things so we can supposedly go someplace where there will be even less of them available... eek.

Christianity is a miserable religion, literally. Especially for two hours on Sunday morning. (Though I think Islam has it beat, as far as the misery of its adherents goes.)

braces_for_impact

So once you became a Christian, you no longer found joy in drinking, dancing, living with your boyfriend, or any of the other things you used to enjoy doing? I find that very sad. Can you tell me what is wrong with those things? What's wrong with a night out and getting a bit buzzed, as long as it's handled responsibly? What on EARTH is wrong with dancing? What was wrong with your boyfriend?

Infidelettante

I was once a Christian. Ordained actually. BA in religious education. Theology major. Then I rejected your God. Now you say that sin of rejection is paid for. Then why does it bother you so much. Your God and I have reached an accommodation. I don’t believe in him and he forgives me for it.

JT

Starboy

As I thought. Joyfilled is only looking for the best god deal in town. Hey Joyfilled, I can cut you a deal that Jesus can't touch. Not only will you get eternal life, but you will become a god and get your own planet. Act now and I will throw in the Brooklyn Bridge.

Starboy

Corgan Sow

You're one hell of a hypocrite for dismissing "arrogant" atheists for here, you're arrogantly dismissing Buddhism. Unlike you "convenient" Christians who gets salvation by a naive, banal belief, in Buddhism it is contrary. You ARE your own salvation. Gautama Buddha doesn't die on the cross to free us from our endless cycle of reincarnation. As for being an ant thing, you're responsible for being an ant. Gautama doesn't need to claim he's divine and carry our sins for us. At least the reason I know why there are so many Christians is because it is one FINE of a shortcut and a quickfix. And one of the main reasons this world is still in anguish.

jafosei

It's interesting that you should say this.

One of the reasons it took me so long to become an atheist is that I thought that once I did, there would be no purpose in life, no reason for anything. I didn't think morality fit well into an atheistic worldview. I thought I couldn't be happy with such a worldview.

As you said, nothing could be further from the truth. I feel freer and happier now that I've accepted the likelihood that there is no deity. I am happier about myself and the world around me, and I feel greater compassion and love for others than I ever had as a Christian.

It's hard to convey the happiness that I found when I let go of my beliefs in God. You may think this is mockery, but it's not: I genuinely feel happy, and life is great.

So you see, we are both happy, and we both credit our beliefs. If you are happy with your beliefs, stay with them, but don't expect to change people over to your way of thinking. I'm not the only happy atheist you'll meet.

DISSIDENT AGGRESSOR

Now we are getting somewhere! At last Joyfilled! :notworthy
So drinking alcohol was what brought you to the end of your rope!
I really hope you have given up drinking.
I hope you continue to strive to better yourself esteem.
Hopefully you have made amends to the actual people in your life you hurt with your previous lifestyle ie your parents, siblings, children, friends.

Unlike God these people [your parents, siblings, children, friends.] are actually here in this physical world and are not as strong as God. It is easy for Him to forgive you, you really can't hurt Him.

Sorry if you felt anything I posted mocked or ridiculed you, but you asked for it.
Especialy putting down the ex-christians on this board! [which I am not]
You don't know what happened in there lives to cause them to question their faith and especialy their denomination of Christianity!

As far as preaching Christianity to an atheist, you're fighting a losing battle. This is their forum more or less and they have been up against actual scholars in theology,[not to put you down, Joyfilled] and Christians who have believed what you have just come into all there lives.

I doubt your posts will actually change anybodys mind here but maybe you can still be helpful to the drunkards and crack addicts where you live since you've been down that broken rode.

Good luck.

P.s.
I don't need forgiveness for everything I've done wrong just the things I do right.

Mentalepsy

Let me try and explain why we don't think we need this forgiveness.

I don't believe in gods. Not the Christian god, or any other god. As far as I can tell, the only beings who will judge me for my actions are my fellow humans, because they are the only ones who exist to do the judging. Thus the answer to the question of why I don't want God's forgiveness is because I don't see any God out there to do the forgiving. The only forgiveness that matters is the forgiveness of other humans, because it is the only forgiveness there is.

And I do care about that forgiveness. I don't want people to hate me. And it's true that human forgiveness is not perfect or unconditional, but this is all the more reason to treat each other with respect. There are a number of reasons I don't wish to harm other humans, but the issue here is forgiveness.

By telling me to beg your god for forgiveness, you are really doing no better than telling me to beg your pet goldfish or dead uncle for forgiveness. The forgiveness of a goldfish, so far as I can tell, is completely nonexistent, so why should I ask for it? It's not about pride or arrogance, it's not about trying to "make it on my own," it's not that I hate your goldfish. It's just that asking your goldfish to forgive me for my failings appears to be a completely fruitless exercise, because there's no forgiveness to be granted. (Your goldfish, of course, has the advantage that I can plainly see that it exists, even if its capacity or desire to forgive me does not.)

I consider myself accountable for my actions, but I am accountable only to other humans and to myself. But this is hardly a license to murder and pillage with abandon, you know. There are consequences for my actions. Given that I believe this life is all you get, why would I want to waste it by getting myself killed or imprisoned?

In my eyes, human authority is all there is, because divine authority is simply nonexistent. It's not about naming ourselves gods or turning life on Earth into one big sin party. It's about doing the best we can, because we've all got to live here.

Queen of Swords

It seems like a more productive thing to do would be to find out what approaches garner the most positive responses and interest, and then apply those approaches. But hey, that would require much thought and might not earn brownie points with god.

Unfortunately it doesn't, so you have wasted precious time you could have used to feed the hungry and give drink unto the thirsty.

Christianity = lobotomy, from the sound of it.

You forgot modesty.

This god sounds like the mother of all masochists. "I can hit him, handcuff him and use the studded leather straps on him, and he still cries out 'More!!!'"

DISSIDENT AGGRESSOR

And most defiant-ly christianity