Thanks for opening up about this, suspended. I had a very similar upbringing myself. What were some of the more “extreme” practices or beliefs of your church/denomination/community? Are there any...
Thanks for opening up about this, suspended. I had a very similar upbringing myself.
What were some of the more “extreme” practices or beliefs of your church/denomination/community?
Are there any beliefs/practices from your upbringing that you have held onto?
What inspired you to study the Bible as an academic text rather than a religious guide?
Do you have any ideas or advice on how to steer Evangelicals away from conspiracy theories? They seem to be one of the most prone groups to them, at least in the USA.
I remember when I realized I was an atheist I held a lot of resentment and it manifested in a lot of toxic ways. I found the /r/atheism subreddit and became increasingly hostile towards religion...
I remember when I realized I was an atheist I held a lot of resentment and it manifested in a lot of toxic ways. I found the /r/atheism subreddit and became increasingly hostile towards religion and those who practice it. Fortunately I realized how negatively that place was impacting me and I've mostly just become indifferent towards religion. I don't care for it, but understand that it gives some folks a feeling of purpose, comfort, and a code of ethics to follow.
So my question is, did you experience anything like that when you left that world? And if so, what advice would you give to former Christians who might be left feeling angry or confused without religion in their life, but still know that's the right path forward for them? And maybe not even just atheists. There are plenty of Christians who have escaped the evangelical sect and found happiness in more moderate denominations, but may still be feeling frustration or anger.
How heavily did they tie the cult and faith to politics? Were you told that Republicans were more religious, therefore good? Did your priests endorse presidential candidates?
How heavily did they tie the cult and faith to politics? Were you told that Republicans were more religious, therefore good? Did your priests endorse presidential candidates?
Alright. Did they ever politicize Republican economics or just ignored it and focused on religion? How many of the preachers there seemed wealthy? Did you know people who struggled with 'sinful...
Alright.
Did they ever politicize Republican economics or just ignored it and focused on religion?
How many of the preachers there seemed wealthy?
Did you know people who struggled with 'sinful thoughts' like being gay with the homophobia of the cult?
How was sexism like there? (Did anyone ever make some reference to Eve coming from a rib?)
Did you see any other people who wanted to or managed to leave? Did anyone leave with you?
Could you define more precisely exactly the nature of the religious group you were born into, and how did you feel when you stepped out of it? Are you a believer now? Why? If you are a believer,...
Could you define more precisely exactly the nature of the religious group you were born into, and how did you feel when you stepped out of it?
Are you a believer now? Why?
If you are a believer, what is God?
Can religion be a good thing?
What differentiates the study of the bible from the study of other religious texts, or even from theology or the phenomenon of faith as a whole?
Which denomination were you affiliated with? I spent my late teens to mid-twenties in Foursquare and a lot of the things you've said over the years have had me wondering if you were also in that...
Which denomination were you affiliated with? I spent my late teens to mid-twenties in Foursquare and a lot of the things you've said over the years have had me wondering if you were also in that circle... but I never wanted to ask (until now) :)
Foursquare is similar to Pentecostal in a lot of ways. Heavy on 'gifts' to the point of toxicity, etc etc -- boilerplate stuff. Foursquare stared at the Angelus Temple in LA by Aimee Semple...
Foursquare is similar to Pentecostal in a lot of ways. Heavy on 'gifts' to the point of toxicity, etc etc -- boilerplate stuff.
Foursquare stared at the Angelus Temple in LA by Aimee Semple McPherson, who is worth reading up on. The church often put on big, theatrical productions, even borrowing animals from the zoo. It was one of the first mega churches and she, as a leader, was a magnet for controversy.
The church these days is fairly bland compared to its origins, but the emphasis on gifts is often used against people and is incredibly toxic. You'd frequently have people struggling with 'secret sin' because they couldn't speak in tongues and stuff... and it would ultimately lead to them leaving the church or the faith all-together.
There's no other way to say it; during my time within Foursquare, I saw and experienced some crazy shit (healings, warfare stuff, etc.) I officially left the church about a decade ago or so and those experiences are still difficult to reconcile beyond a blanket 'persuasion and placebo'.
oof. yeah, its weird, right? In my late teens, in the midsummer, I had a shitload of warts all over one of my hands. The wacky church I was at at the time always had this horribly abrasive...
oof. yeah, its weird, right?
In my late teens, in the midsummer, I had a shitload of warts all over one of my hands. The wacky church I was at at the time always had this horribly abrasive 'revival' folks come through. They were old and completely nuts.
Anyway, a lot of crazy stuff was going on and I was mostly there to take it all in. I said to my buddy that I was considering going up to see if I could get something done with the warts. He says, 'you know, when I was really young, I had a bunch of warts on my hand and my Dad prayed over them and the next day they turned black and fell off. I believe the same thing can happen to you'
We prayed, the night carried on. The next day I got out of the shower and as I was drying off, the warts were white like blisters and were literally falling off like dead skin or whatever. No scars, no blood, nothing.
I've had a few experiences like this myself and witnessed many more. I don't dwell on it too much these days, but I used to really struggle to reconcile it. Its all just neat, no matter what the source. :)
No question, I just wanted to share some videos that I think you might be able to relate with, @suspended. Rhett & Link from Good Mythical Morning also have a podcast, and in two of the most...
No question, I just wanted to share some videos that I think you might be able to relate with, @suspended.
Rhett & Link from Good Mythical Morning also have a podcast, and in two of the most recent episodes, they both opened up about their time in the Evangelical church, explained why they both left it, and where they are now in their spiritual journey.
Or maybe rather than assuming, I should instead ask (if you have the time/chance to watch them... no rush or obligation!) can you relate to their experiences inside the church?
Don't worry, I don't see you as being rude or dismissive at all. I recognize that the videos are both very long, would require a pretty huge time commitment to watch, and also might be difficult...
Not to be rude nor dismissive, I may or may not watch those videos.
Don't worry, I don't see you as being rude or dismissive at all. I recognize that the videos are both very long, would require a pretty huge time commitment to watch, and also might be difficult to watch too. That's why I mostly just wanted to share them with you, in case you might want to watch them. :)
p.s. Thanks for sharing some of your deconstruction story.
Thanks for opening up about this, suspended. I had a very similar upbringing myself.
What caused you to realize that the lived reality of the cult was false, and how did you get out?
Do you have any ideas or advice on how to steer Evangelicals away from conspiracy theories? They seem to be one of the most prone groups to them, at least in the USA.
I remember when I realized I was an atheist I held a lot of resentment and it manifested in a lot of toxic ways. I found the /r/atheism subreddit and became increasingly hostile towards religion and those who practice it. Fortunately I realized how negatively that place was impacting me and I've mostly just become indifferent towards religion. I don't care for it, but understand that it gives some folks a feeling of purpose, comfort, and a code of ethics to follow.
So my question is, did you experience anything like that when you left that world? And if so, what advice would you give to former Christians who might be left feeling angry or confused without religion in their life, but still know that's the right path forward for them? And maybe not even just atheists. There are plenty of Christians who have escaped the evangelical sect and found happiness in more moderate denominations, but may still be feeling frustration or anger.
How heavily did they tie the cult and faith to politics? Were you told that Republicans were more religious, therefore good? Did your priests endorse presidential candidates?
Alright.
Did they ever politicize Republican economics or just ignored it and focused on religion?
How many of the preachers there seemed wealthy?
Did you know people who struggled with 'sinful thoughts' like being gay with the homophobia of the cult?
How was sexism like there? (Did anyone ever make some reference to Eve coming from a rib?)
Did you see any other people who wanted to or managed to leave? Did anyone leave with you?
Could you define more precisely exactly the nature of the religious group you were born into, and how did you feel when you stepped out of it?
Are you a believer now? Why?
If you are a believer, what is God?
Can religion be a good thing?
What differentiates the study of the bible from the study of other religious texts, or even from theology or the phenomenon of faith as a whole?
Which denomination were you affiliated with? I spent my late teens to mid-twenties in Foursquare and a lot of the things you've said over the years have had me wondering if you were also in that circle... but I never wanted to ask (until now) :)
Foursquare is similar to Pentecostal in a lot of ways. Heavy on 'gifts' to the point of toxicity, etc etc -- boilerplate stuff.
Foursquare stared at the Angelus Temple in LA by Aimee Semple McPherson, who is worth reading up on. The church often put on big, theatrical productions, even borrowing animals from the zoo. It was one of the first mega churches and she, as a leader, was a magnet for controversy.
The church these days is fairly bland compared to its origins, but the emphasis on gifts is often used against people and is incredibly toxic. You'd frequently have people struggling with 'secret sin' because they couldn't speak in tongues and stuff... and it would ultimately lead to them leaving the church or the faith all-together.
There's no other way to say it; during my time within Foursquare, I saw and experienced some crazy shit (healings, warfare stuff, etc.) I officially left the church about a decade ago or so and those experiences are still difficult to reconcile beyond a blanket 'persuasion and placebo'.
oof. yeah, its weird, right?
In my late teens, in the midsummer, I had a shitload of warts all over one of my hands. The wacky church I was at at the time always had this horribly abrasive 'revival' folks come through. They were old and completely nuts.
Anyway, a lot of crazy stuff was going on and I was mostly there to take it all in. I said to my buddy that I was considering going up to see if I could get something done with the warts. He says, 'you know, when I was really young, I had a bunch of warts on my hand and my Dad prayed over them and the next day they turned black and fell off. I believe the same thing can happen to you'
We prayed, the night carried on. The next day I got out of the shower and as I was drying off, the warts were white like blisters and were literally falling off like dead skin or whatever. No scars, no blood, nothing.
I've had a few experiences like this myself and witnessed many more. I don't dwell on it too much these days, but I used to really struggle to reconcile it. Its all just neat, no matter what the source. :)
No question, I just wanted to share some videos that I think you might be able to relate with, @suspended.
Rhett & Link from Good Mythical Morning also have a podcast, and in two of the most recent episodes, they both opened up about their time in the Evangelical church, explained why they both left it, and where they are now in their spiritual journey.
Rhett's Spiritual Deconstruction - One Year Later
Link's Spiritual Deconstruction - One Year Later
Or maybe rather than assuming, I should instead ask (if you have the time/chance to watch them... no rush or obligation!) can you relate to their experiences inside the church?
Don't worry, I don't see you as being rude or dismissive at all. I recognize that the videos are both very long, would require a pretty huge time commitment to watch, and also might be difficult to watch too. That's why I mostly just wanted to share them with you, in case you might want to watch them. :)
p.s. Thanks for sharing some of your deconstruction story.