Why I am Not a Christian

Hello All,

I want to make a thread where non-believers (specifically in Christianity) can post the reasons they do not believe. I think this belongs in the Conspiracies in Religion thread because I am assuming many of the reasons many here do not believe in Christianity are due to what they consider to be various conspiracies in the structuring and use of the Christian holy book and organized Christianity as it has existed for the past 1700 years or so.

So here are some of my reasons, and I may add some more later as they come to mind:

1. The many contradictions in the Holy Bible - Jewish and Christian Testaments.
2. Strong similarities between the development of the Christ figure and previous religious figures.
3. The belief (to me, ridiculous) that an omnipotent, omniscient God could not have done a much better job at revealing himself than was apparently done through scripture.
4. The contradiction between a loving God and the concept of an eternal hell.
5. The apparent inability of the Holy Spirit to produce unity in those he is supposed to indwell.
6. The schizophrenic nature of Jesus' teachings (i.e. peace or the sword, depending on what section you read).
7. The strong-handed techniques used by the early church in constructing dogma and a canon.

I look forward to reading of your reasons for unbelief, and will probably add more of my own as the mental juices start flowing

Peace,
Daniel

edited for grammar

[edit on 4-8-2009 by pdpayne0418]

reply to post by pdpayne0418


You forgot all the anti-scientific balony:

Many people seem to believe that there is no conflict between modern scientific knowledge and the Bible. Many say that science and the Bible either reveal a common truth, or deal with truths that do not overlap.

I disagree with both these sets of people. I believe an objective examination of the evidence reveals many sharp disagreements between the findings of science and many of the specific truth claims of the Bible.



1) Miracles (contrary to science and logic)

2) Creation 6000 years ago (Many stars exist which are so far away that it has taken far longer than 6000 years for their light to reach us.)

3) The Bible says that things were created in their present form

4) The Bible says that the Earth was created before the sun. Science says that the sun came before the Earth.

5) The Bible says that vegetation was created on the third day and the sun on the fourth. Science says that the sun came into existence long before vegetation.

6) The Bible says that vegetation was created on the third day and that life arose in the sea on the fifth day. Science says that life existed in the sea long before it existed on land.



Plus its all extremely vague, and you can it doesnt give concrete answers.
"in the beginning" ok?

You can interprit stuff the way you want, that way EVERYTHING is allowed.


Then there is the:
Absurdity
Injustice
Cruelty and Violence
Intolerance
Contradictions
Science and History errors
Family Values
Women
Prophecy
Sex
Language
Homosexuality

reply to post by Daniem


Yes, I agree. I should have been more clear that, by contradictions, I meant within scripture itself and between scripture and scientific evidence of the way the universe is and the way it works.

Peace,
Daniel

reply to post by pdpayne0418


My reasoning for not believing in Christianity were basically the hypocrisy of the teachings and the fact that people will interpret the teachings in whatever way they want to in order to "win" their argument. In addition, much of the bible is outdated and no longer pertinant to society.

But that was really just the start of my spiritual journey. I have since rejected organized religion altogether. I think your nature and position in the universe is 100% personal and private. It is not something that should be conscripted upon you. Figure it out for yourself.

Jesus and God aren't Christians either, and Jesus is directly against the religion that is in his name. Christianity as you know it is a Satanic religion where the truth has to be sacrificed in order for the lie to live. Not to say all Christians are Satanic, but that it was warped and manipulated long time ago into that, and then they went around and killed anyone who didn't go along with the manipulated view(prophecy that is already fulfilled, but Christians themselves do not realize it). Christians aren't going to hell(neither are you) or anything, they are still blessed(as are you) because you are just poor in spirit. Only those who purposely deceive need worry bout such things.

The part about Jesus and the sword. He is talking about the truth being like a sword to the lie. He does not "come in peace" because he isn't going to compromise with the lie. But you notice he doesn't harm anyone, and when Peter cuts the guys ear off, Jesus heals him etc. He doesn't advocate going around and killing people with the sword, quite the opposite. But does advocate using the truth as a sword to cut up the lie.

Don't let them decide the topic for you. Just because they do things in the name of something doesn't mean that's what it's really about. Believe or disbelieve is not really any difference as long as you accept them as being the authority on the subject. Because your basis is not on your own understanding, but based on their claims - either for or against.

Worry not and surely don't let them fear you into things. Good that you see their hypocrisy, but if you know they are full of it - then why still allow them to be the authority on what god is or isn't and so forth? I don't recommend it, and if I wasn't able to seperate them from Jesus and God, then I wouldn't be talking like this, I'd be saying it was all dumb. But I don't in anyway accept them as being an authority on anything.

Read Proverbs and always go in the way of understanding. Coincidence you can understand and see their wrongs? Nope, not at all. You are given such understanding for a reason, just dig deeper rather than outright rejecting is my best advice.

And ignore Paul, he is a false prophet, self proclaimed apostle who appeals to the authority of this world and creates the church. If you want to see some contradictions, just look at Paul vs Jesus. Paul makes up half the NT, and quotes Jesus directly like only 1 time.







[edit on 8/5/2009 by badmedia]

reply to post by pdpayne0418


Christianity is not the road my beliefs travel. I need no other criticism than that.

reply to post by badmedia


Yes, I am in total agreement with you.

The so-called 'Christian' religion has given Christ a bad name and it has nothing to do with His beliefs or actions.

I wish hypocritical churches would stop using His name.

reply to post by spellbound


Might as well ask atheists to stop lumping religion, organised religion and spirituality into one definition and prosetylizing about the evil of "religion". Seeing as to how we are hoping....

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


Yes, lol - spirituality has as much to do with organized religion as oil has with water.

I wish people would make the distinction between organized religion (manmade, corrupt), religion (a legitimate reaction to a believed higher deity) and spirituality (belief in a spiritual dimension).

reply to post by spellbound


Will never happen of course. In the case I spoke about earlier it serves as a scapegoat upon which they can blame something other than humanity *including themselves* for the evil mankind commits. And as to your comment, it's their meal ticket, would you give up your meal ticket?

my reasons.
at one time, my ancestors were told your god is no good. from a very young age i realized the elders of my tribe when "telling the stories of past visions" did not damn the europeans for taking what they had no right to take. nor did they vilify them for making them (at times by threat of death) openly deny their native belief structure in favor of one that is alien to everything the great mother teaches.
it has been said that many (if not all) of our native tribes were aware of the coming change and once the brave warriors were slain, they finally accepted it.
the europeans were so happy with our "decision" to take the "one true god" as truth they sealed our unspoken deal with a bottle of liquor... then put a store that sells that liquor on every reservation they "gave" us.

my long winded point is that the contradiction that matters most (of the MANY) IMO is as follows. you have free will but, if you choose anything but jesus, you'll burn!

and to think this was emotionally beat into my head as a child at "bible camp."

good times

cheers,
AA

[edit on 5-8-2009 by anonamousantichrist]

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


All I know is that I am fed up with the hypocracy of churches.

I wish people could see that they (the churches) are a huge con.

I am not saying that all priests/ministers/vicars are wrong - they are just sorely misguided, in my opinion.

reply to post by spellbound


They don't see it that way. I have always been of the opinion that we all need to follow the road that makes the most sense to us

AND ALLOW OTHERS TO DO THE SAME MINUS ANYONE ELSE'S CRITICISM!!!

Sorry for the caps but a great deal of people seem to have a problem with that.



[edit on 5-8-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


Yes,

Everyone has their own road to follow - and I have been guilty on many threads of proclaiming the way of Jesus.

But, come to think of it, that is not a bad thing to proclaim. So I am not feeling guilty.

The problem here is that a huge percentage of the world's population has been brainwashed into certain religions.

That is why we have terrorists.

Originally posted by spellbound
reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows

 

All I know is that I am fed up with the hypocracy of churches.

I wish people could see that they (the churches) are a huge con.

I am not saying that all priests/ministers/vicars are wrong - they are just sorely misguided, in my opinion.

the dominant male influence in my life was my grandfather. he was a non-denominational christian minister for over 50 years when he moved out and became dirt. one of the biggest influences in my spiritual life was something he said without moving his lips and that was nothing.
i was not forced to go to church. he did not preach to me or tell me what to believe. when i stated "sweating" he did not dismiss it as devil worship as most do.

he left it to me to find my own way and one day i'll catch up to him and thank him for that.

reply to post by spellbound


The reason we have terrorists is not as simple as that. What annoys me is that terrorist has become popularly considered synomous with "Muslim" despite the fact that is simply not true. Timothy McVey was not a muslim. The IRA are not muslims. The list goes on and on.

And hey, as long as you don't badger me about your belief in J.C. it's kewl with me. And in the end you really gotta wonder, if you do badger about it, how much better are you than those you argue against?

[edit on 5-8-2009 by Watcher-In-The-Shadows]

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


Gotta laugh. I will not force Jesus on you.

And yes, Muslim has become equated with terrorist. But that is because most of them ARE muslim.

reply to post by spellbound


Um, not true. They are not all Muslim. Terrorism is an action anyone can take.

reply to post by Watcher-In-The-Shadows


In a lot of people's minds, Muslim equals terrorist.

Are we talking about 9/11 here? And the hypothesis that it may have been an inside job?

In which case, Muslims are the scapegoat.

reply to post by spellbound


Doesn't matter if it's in alot of people's minds that it's so. The whole world could get together and decide the core of the Earth is cookie dough and that wouldn't make it so. If you catch my meaning. We are meant to believe Muslims are the source of a great many problems. Humanity loves a scapegoat after all. Well loves to hate.