What if Christianity were not true?

[The Unbeliever]

I'm curious what the psychological impact loss of faith was. I am also curious if your faith was strong at one point if you notice little change. Going from thinking I had eternal life and my time on earth had implications for my experience of eternity, to thinking there was nothing after this and the only meaning it has is what I make up is a big change. Was Christ ever the center of your life?

The psychological impact was quite severe initially, both because it was such an important part of my life and for the obvious implications it was going to have for my marriage and friendships. I was a very dedicated Christian, tithing, faithfully involved in church, and even planned on going to seminary. Following Christ was my life.

And it was a big change, but at the same time, I couldn't help but notice that so little of me and the world around me changed. I didn't reject my faith because I wanted to sin. I lost it because I couldn't believe it anymore. Because of this, I really had no desire to radically abandon my previous lifestyle, other than, as I mentioned, some specifically Christian behavior like prayer and tithing.

 

[Gordon]

Sorry to hear that. I gather you are loyal to Christianity as a philosophy. Like you got divorced but feel like changing radically is still cheating in some way. If my faith failed me I would be devestated so I have sympathy for you. I will pray for you. I know it seems like nothing has changed but Jesus is hurting for you.

 

[The Unbeliever]

Sorry to hear that. I gather you are loyal to Christianity as a philosophy. Like you got divorced but feel like changing radically is still cheating in some way.

I should correct this. It is not that I still feel loyal to Christianity and that is why I haven't changed. I just have no desire to do so, and my loss of faith didn't effect this because it didn't have anything to do with desiring something that was forbidden by Christianity. I do not feel loyal to Christianity though.

 

[Gordon]

Forgive my questions but I find you interesting. You say following Christ was your life then you make it sound like this was just an intellectual choice you made then modified your behaviors accordingly. You say you are not loyal to Christianity but here you are and you choose to define yourself by your lack of faith. Are you sure you know whats really going on with you? If this were a relationship and you called your ex and said hi this is your ex boyfriend I'd probably guess there was still some loyalty there at least emotionally?

 

[Eugene]

I know it seems like nothing has changed but Jesus is hurting for you.

Amen, and that brings to mind the hymn lyrics:

O how he loves you and me
He gave His life
What more can He do?

 

[The Unbeliever]

Forgive my questions but I find you interesting. You say following Christ was your life then you make it sound like this was just an intellectual choice you made then modified your behaviors accordingly. You say you are not loyal to Christianity but here you are and you choose to define yourself by your lack of faith. Are you sure you know whats really going on with you? If this were a relationship and you called your ex and said hi this is your ex boyfriend I'd probably guess there was still some loyalty there at least emotionally?

No, I wouldn't say my apostasy was an intellectual choice. It was not a choice at all since I had no wish to leave Christianity, and sought to return to faith for several years afterwards. As for why I came here, that has more to do with my personality and situation than a yearning to come back to Christianity. I mentioned elsewhere that my wife is Christian, but it is too stressful for her to talk about the issue and tensions this creates in our relationship. Thus this forum can serve as a sort of substitute (not for the strictly relational stuff, but at least as an outlet for my desire to discuss Christianity). Second, I like a good intellectual discussion, but find it unappealing to try and do that with people I would just agree with (an atheist forum would just be boring, perhaps even annoying).

Sorry if this seems to be going increasingly off topic, I don't want to cause problems.

 

[Wolfe]

It's a good thing we don't have to worry about that. However I think we would all feel as lost and empty as all of these athiests running around trying to "feel" something by slandering others and promoting sin and anarchy.

 

[Jethro Bodine]

Sorry if this seems to be going increasingly off topic, I don't want to cause problems.

It's not off topic because for you Christianity has in effect ended up not being true.

I've never met or talked to a single soul who came to your conclusion but who did not in some way retain some aspects of Christianity--even so-called atheists. If I found out it really, really was true that right and wrong really is subjective and determined by individual circumstance and there is no superior being that determines right and wrong and will judge right and wrong I would live very different. But as it is, I can not do that because I know I would be lying to myself. The truth and reality of right and wrong as set forth in the Bible, and the judgment to come has been made very clear to me as being true. I'm curious what aspects of Biblical right and wrong and the judgment to come you have retained and which you have rejected from your former Christian life (besides what you've already shared).

You are someone who is really living out the OP. Why do you still cling to some aspects of Christianity? Like I said, most who depart the faith do for some reason. They in effect change the gospel to what they think it should be. Even they demonstrate this innate quality of man that knows there is someone bigger than us that is holding this world accountable. They just prepare to meet that being in the way they've reasoned in and of themselves is the right way, usually, it seems, subjectively according to their own feelings and the struggles they are experiencing in this life instead of objectively and from the point of view of the supreme being even they know resides over this creation.

 

[Gordon]

No, I wouldn't say my apostasy was an intellectual choice. It was not a choice at all since I had no wish to leave Christianity, and sought to return to faith for several years afterwards. As for why I came here, that has more to do with my personality and situation than a yearning to come back to Christianity. I mentioned elsewhere that my wife is Christian, but it is too stressful for her to talk about the issue and tensions this creates in our relationship. Thus this forum can serve as a sort of substitute (not for the strictly relational stuff, but at least as an outlet for my desire to discuss Christianity). Second, I like a good intellectual discussion, but find it unappealing to try and do that with people I would just agree with (an atheist forum would just be boring, perhaps even annoying).

Sorry if this seems to be going increasingly off topic, I don't want to cause problems.

Thank you for indulging me. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable here.

 

[The Unbeliever]

It's a good thing we don't have to worry about that. However I think we would all feel as lost and empty as all of these athiests running around trying to "feel" something by slandering others and promoting sin and anarchy.

Is this what atheists are supposed to do? Why did no one inform me?

 

[Knotical]

Is this what atheists are supposed to do? Why did no one inform me?

It was in the Christian to Atheist Newsletter. You may not have been on the distribution list.

 

[The Unbeliever]

It was in the Christian to Atheist Newsletter. You may not have been on the distribution list.

I think I must have let my subscription lapse.

 

[The Unbeliever]

Thank you for indulging me. I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable here.

I don't feel uncomfortable about discussing it. I just want to make sure I don't run afoul any forum rules.

 

[julian]

when i was a small child i seen a angle i know theres a god

 

[The Unbeliever]

I've never met or talked to a single soul who came to your conclusion but who did not in some way retain some aspects of Christianity--even so-called atheists. If I found out it really, really was true that right and wrong really is subjective and determined by individual circumstance and there is no superior being that determines right and wrong and will judge right and wrong I would live very different. But as it is, I can not do that because I know I would be lying to myself. The truth and reality of right and wrong as set forth in the Bible, and the judgment to come has been made very clear to me as being true. I'm curious what aspects of Biblical right and wrong and the judgment to come you have retained and which you have rejected from your former Christian life (besides what you've already shared).

I guess I just have no interest in rebelling or partaking in various vices. If I had previously wanted to do something but didn't because of my faith, then perhaps things would be different, but that wasn't the case. I love my wife, have no interest in drugs, and my favorite activity is to have a solid span of uninterrupted time to read a book. I'm boring, but I like it that way. I do have my own theory on morality though that allows for something more than just subjectivity.

You are someone who is really living out the OP. Why do you still cling to some aspects of Christianity? Like I said, most who depart the faith do for some reason. They in effect change the gospel to what they think it should be. Even they demonstrate this innate quality of man that knows there is someone bigger than us that is holding this world accountable. They just prepare to meet that being in the way they've reasoned in and of themselves is the right way, usually, it seems, subjectively according to their own feelings and the struggles they are experiencing in this life instead of objectively and from the point of view of the supreme being even they know resides over this creation.

I think this perhaps answers your question. I did not depart the faith for any reason. I wanted to keep believing in God and retain my Christian faith. I simply found it untenable. Because of this I had no reason to change my behavior, since I was never dissatisfied with the behavioral constraints Christianity put on me. I have found that I feel less guilty, since there is one less being I might offend and subsequently ask forgiveness from. I have no innate knowledge of a being "bigger" than myself that might hold me accountable. I am held more than sufficiently accountable by the being known as my wife.

 

[Gordon]

I don't feel uncomfortable about discussing it. I just want to make sure I don't run afoul any forum rules.

Fair enough. I think the blame would have belonged to me though if it really was off topic. Though I don't think attempts to get to know each other or understand each other should be considered off topic.