Was I forced to be a Christian for 25+ years?

Originally posted by @dj2becker
As far as I can tell humans have the ability to reason even about supernatural things and they have the ability to decide what is credible and what isn't. Do you have that ability or not? Because I certainly believe I do.

What ability to decide what was credible and what wasn't do you claim to have had during the 24 years of brainwashing and psychological abuse you endured in your cult?

Originally posted by @dj2becker
Do you think FMFs faith was also 'God given' as yours is?

I have no idea.

Originally posted by @fmf
What ability to decide what was credible and what wasn't do you claim to have had during the 24 years of brainwashing and psychological abuse you endured in your cult?

If I had no free will I would still be there and would not have decided to leave would I?

Originally posted by @dj2becker
As far as I can tell humans have the ability to reason even about supernatural things and they have the ability to decide what is credible and what isn't. Do you have that ability or not? Because I certainly believe I do.

Yes I believe that humans have that reasoning power and my rational mind tells me that religion, all religion is made up of myths and legend. However the faith that God has given me enables me to believe.

Do you believe I'm telling you the truth?

Originally posted by @divegeester
Yes I believe that humans have that reasoning power and my rational mind tells me that religion, all religion is made up of myths and legend. However the faith that God has given me enables me to believe.

So you believe I'm telling you the truth?

So you believe even if your God given rational mind tells you that all religion is made up of myths and legend? 🙄

I feel that I believe because my God given rational mind tells me that apart from Jesus Christ there is no hope for humanity.

Originally posted by @dj2becker
If I had no free will I would still be there and would not have decided to leave would I?

So you are claiming that you did have the ability to decide what was credible and what was not credible during those 24 years and that you had the free will to leave but did not do so until you were 24 years old?

Originally posted by @dj2becker
So you believe even if your God given rational mind tells you that all religion is made up of myths and legend? 🙄

I feel that I believe because my God given rational mind tells me that apart from Jesus Christ there is no hope for humanity.

That's not what I said.

You're not downshifting into FMJ dickhead mode are you? Because I'm making quite a lot of effort with you this morning.

Originally posted by @fmf
So you are claiming that you did have the ability to decide what was credible and what was not credible [b]during those 24 years and that you had the free will to leave but did not do so until you were 24 years old?[/b]

I left as soon as I had finished my studies and was self sufficient. It was a decision I made to stay on till I had the means to leave. Initially I accepted things blindly due to peer pressure but I soon realizes that things were amiss when I grew older and when I started to ask questions.

Originally posted by @dj2becker
I left as soon as I had finished my studies and was self sufficient.

If I may ask, for how many years were you pretending that everything was morally sound and credible about the cult?

Originally posted by @sonship
> You and other unbelievers do teach things.
> Unbelievers and skeptics here do preach.
> Your philosophies often are put out as better ones to follow than Christian faith.
> You come to advertize a better way of thinking and living.

It seems as if your definition of "to preach" includes people merely discussing things on a debate forum where they disagree with each other. That seems strangely broad. Why not just use the verbs "to discuss" or "to disagree"?

Originally posted by @josephw
[b]I've heard you say this kind of stuff before and it has no bearing on what my personal experience was,..

You posted, and I replied. If my reply has no bearing on what you said, then move along, don't worry and be happy.

~ instead it seems to be more a comment on your own faith.

Of course it is. Sorry if my reply doesn't put you at the ...[text shortened]... had 25+ years of experience with the superficiality of religion without the substance of faith.[/b]

In your opinion is it not possible to lose one's faith?

Originally posted by @chaney3
What is he sharing?

It's likely that FMF's 'point' is getting missed because his OP and subsequent posts are confusing.

He is sharing his experience of becoming, maintaining and subsequently losing his faith in Christianity as his religion.

I'm not sure why you find it complicated, but then again you've never been able to decide if you have always been a Christian or never been a Christian.

Originally posted by @sonship
Borrowing your own method for a moment with a few alterations -

[FMF]. are you nominating yourself as the 'best' [former] Christian to follow out of all the [former] Christian regular posters here in this community? If there are one or two [former Christians] who are, in your estimation, better than you, who are they?

Is this you attempting to be bitchy?

Originally posted by @divegeester
So you were a Christian, then you weren't, and now you are again.
Were you saved, then unsaved and then saved again?

Bump for sonship.

Not because you avoided it, but because it got buried.

divegeester to sonship: So you were a Christian, then you weren't, and now you are again. Were you saved, then unsaved and then saved again?

Originally posted by @divegeester
Bump for sonship.

Not because you avoided it, but because it got buried.

It's an interesting question. A couple of years ago, Grampy Bobby assured me that I was "saved" - because I had believed in Jesus - belief 'for an instant' would have been enough, apparently, never mind 25+ adult years of it - and, he assured me, this "salvation" was irrevocable - even with all manner of "sins" being committed, and even, in my case, despite my loss of faith.

He repeated this claim (about my supposed heaven-bound immortal destiny) twice, danced around a few of my questions about it for a couple of days, and then perhaps thought better of the assurance he had given in view of how he blanked it out thereafter.

None of His fellow Christians contradicted him.

It was certainly an interesting bit of theology ~ meaningless and of no consequence to me, of course ~ but interesting all the same.