I left my religion around 3 years ago, but didn’t immediately leave a belief in God. I’m not 100% when that happened – I just know that it did and for awhile it was a living Hell. The thought of NOT having an eternal life was perhaps more difficult than leaving my religion and losing my very dearest friends as a result. I don’t hate religion and I wish the best for those who believe. If the belief in everlasting life gives them what they need . . . all the power to them.

I see you have been blogging for a while, but are not yet to do so with your real name. That is another stepping stone for people like us. Again, I’m not sure when I became comfortable saying it publically . . . I just realized that now I am.

Best wishes and I look forward to reading more.

I had asked a question back on the Easter blog hoping we were past the stuff happening there, but it was deleted by the thread’s author. That’s fair. So let me transfer it here on your own article.

I had said:
But they seem unwilling to do that—not sure why—but they are.

You replied:
Because there’s no incentive to put extensive effort into disproving falsehoods, where one might assume that reading the central portion of a “holy” text, and considering it carefully, would not be considered onerous for a person who considers the text to be holy and the message to be of vital importance?

The very first part of your comment is what intrigues me. You mention that there is “no incentive to put extensive effort into disproving falsehoods”.

My question is where that premise would come from. If billions believe it wouldn’t one WANT to investigate it point by point? If an atheist from the Freedom from Religion Foundation is the author of a “resurrecion challenge”(1997) wouldn’t one conclude that the test itself may be slanted to “disprove” something the person ALREADY does not believe?

You had mentioned that taking the challenge was a main facet in your deconversion, and I wanted to know what “form” that investigation took? Did you check the “problems” you were having with various commentaries and sources to see if maybe the test itself was skewed by personal opinion?

I am very curious. If you have time it would be great to hear your thoughts on this. If not, that’s cool. I would also ask the author of the other thread to please leave things be. I will not comment on his thread and he need not comment on posts I make also. We can leave it at that—this is just a blog–they can get heated at times—but no need to turn it into a witch hunt. Let bygones be bygones.

Let me know Quester—-it is post #80 on the other thread—I really meant to ask you that question then before the thread went way off subject.

Ah. Perhaps that’s an upside to my terming this post “Statement of Faith” on a deconversion site. I’m warning people that these ideas need to be rigorously considered before being adopted or discarded, *grin*

I find that a very interesting assertion. Have you written more about this anywhere yet?

I haven’t, but perhaps I should!! In a nutshell, I think faith has been improperly propped up as virtuous. For a book supposedly breathed from God to say “just take the word of these writers as gospel and “lean not on your own understanding”, portrays to me con-artisty, not an honest attempt at communication and direction. I wouldn’t let a contractor into my house to do work without vetting him first, why would I put my eternal fate in the hands of less rigorous thought?

Thank-you for discussing!

It’s my pleasure.

What did you think of my elaboration of “I believe in love”?

Honestly, I had a hard time digesting the clear mud Lemme re-read and ponder and give you some feedback later.