Comments on: Suppression

By: Quester

Quester — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 08:25:09 +0000

Belated thought: the Ask Richard section at the Friendly Atheist website can be a helpful resource for advice. Hope this helps!

By: Quester

Quester — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 08:20:32 +0000

Hey, Sarah!

I’m afraid this site has pretty much died over the course of this year. It’s sad, as it was a wonderful resource for, as you say, getting the message out. I hope you find other resources, be they blogs, vlogs or humanist chaplaincy. I hope you find a community, as well.

Best wishes!

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:58:30 +0000

Dear Josh and everyone else who has contributed to this thread:

I’m brand-new to this site but not to de-conversion; I’m about to celebrate my fourth year of de-conversion. However, it is just now that I am finally learning that I am AN OKAY PERSON despite my de-conversion!! I identify uncannily well with essentially everything you’ve had to say. It is soooo wonderful to hear the thoughts, stories, and insights of each one of you (including our friend Dan who has provided us all with an immaculate example of the Christians we no longer are! Just knowing that I am not alone places a sort of warm blanket around me that I have not known since… well, since I had the church. Does this ring any bells to anyone regarding why people become “addicted” to the church? If you leave it, you also leave behind your “security blanket” that encapsulates your entire life and being.

I came upon this site in my quest to find guidance-based resources for de-converts who are confused and/or hurting. I myself landed my ass in rehab at age 19 because I had lost all moral compass so quickly. My wish is that others who grew up in the church do not have to go through the should-have-been-avoidable pain that I endured. I’m trying to conjure ideas regarding outlet/avenues for getting this message out. I mean, Christians have TONS of websites and books and hell, they even have bookSTORES to get THEIR message out. How do we convey ours?! Many de-converts could really use some guidance as they journey towards deciding for themselves what to believe is right and wrong. How best do we reach them?

By: DSimon

DSimon — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:12:20 +0000

Sounds good to me. Er, I mean, a thousand curses upon you, worshipper of the false deities!

(We have plenty of orange juice, no worries.)

By: Lyra's Alias

Lyra's Alias — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 01:33:02 +0000

How about I issue an edict declaring you apostate and as a result you start the schism? That’s the gist of how they usually come about, right?

(But then I will be a secret sympathizer ’cause uh…I like orange juice.)

By: DSimon

DSimon — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 00:44:35 +0000

I like the idea of that ritual, because as a prerequisite it involves creating a real life Jurassic Park.

It does create some issues for me as a vegetarian, though. Can I start a schism and create a Church of Dromiceiomomus where we just eat leaves and drink orange juice? (Also, do you normally have to ask permission before starting a schism, or can you just go ahead and do it?)

By: Lyra's Alias

Lyra's Alias — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:28:45 +0000

(23) DSimon: if one of the rituals is eating the flesh and drinking the blood of dinosaurs, we might end up as founders of the most disturbingly badass religious establishment EVER.

By: BigHouse

BigHouse — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:58:35 +0000

Leave it to Ubi to glean the silver lining out of Dave;s post. I’m ashamed I focused on the dark and stormy part

By: Ubi Dubium

Ubi Dubium — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 00:48:32 +0000

Let’s be sure not to miss the big point in what Dave said, which is that he has made the big break away from believing everything the church tells him is true. Well done Dave! You are at the beginning of your journey. I don’t know where your beliefs will wind up, but you’ve walked away from dogma and fear and you are taking personal responsibility for your life instead of crediting all good and bad to supernatural forces. Bravo!

By: DSimon

DSimon — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 19:02:22 +0000

Dave, I think what BigHouse means is, how do you know that Jesus actually continues to exist as some kind of immortal person and interact with you, as opposed to the somewhat more reasonable-sounding hypotheses that he was an ancient prophet who said some influential things and then died, or that he was a fictional character?