Has anyone witnessed a Christian/theist turned atheist here?

jonsande · Visitor Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 19 Local time: 11:40 PM

I obviously don't post much, but I still read through various pages here quite often, especially over the last few days. There have been some supremely well put together arguments that point out the lack of evidence needed to be a person of faith (I love the command of fallacy types, in particular!). I find it difficult to believe that an open minded, intelligent theist would be able to sustain ignoring such arguments forever.

Have any of you all (you all being moderators, long time posters, or general regulars) ever encountered someone on these boards or any other having an epiphany of sorts and subsequently ceasing to believe?
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ChrissyFos · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject:

If we told you, we'd have to kill you.

Mr. C and Savage are the only two I can think of since I've been posting here.
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Philosophos · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:48 pm Post subject:

His name is... Mr C.

*cue Western whistle*
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Philosophos · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 4:51 pm Post subject:

Also: Civil_Christian.
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jonsande · Visitor Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 19 Local time: 11:40 PM

Thanks for the responses. The principle reason I asked is that so I could read through the process in an effort to make out any particular trends or guideposts in those that are coming to acceptance with their secularism. I know that each process isn't uniform, of course, but nonetheless I feel the need to begin somewhere.

I've recently began discussing religion with my mom, who's quite the hardcore Christian (church multiple times a week, constant bible reading, incessant watching of televangelist programming). Though I'm still learning because I don't participate in religious debates often (and also because I actually don't know too much specific information about the bible), I've been attempting to explain my atheism to her as accurately as possible, in hopes that she'll at least open up her mind.

Frankly, she's far too intelligent of a person to be swept up in all of that fantasy, and I believe that in the long run, she'll be much happier of a person if/when she ceases bible thumping. Her reasoning behind why she practices is questionable and vague (the whole 'I have a personal relationship with Christ' and other such metaphysics), and frankly, I'm trying to pull her out of it, but I want to do so the right way, i.e., sound reasoning so that she can come to her own conclusions in her own way. After she starts warming up to such reasoning, I think I'm going to offer her some of my atheism/secularism books.
_________________
MADE IN DETROIT.

"I be, therefore I is."
~Me (but possibly someone else...sounds too good to not have been used before)

"Creationists make it sound like a 'theory' is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night."
~Isaac Aisimov

Mr_C · Posted: Mon Jul 16, 2007 5:33 pm Post subject:

Nimitz · Guest Local time: 2:40 PM

Mistress Kimmie is another apostate. (whom is sorely missed)

jonsande · Visitor Joined: 26 Jan 2007 Posts: 19 Local time: 11:40 PM

Jason_Harvestdancer · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 4:56 pm Post subject:

Savage claims to have been turned.
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jaycorath · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:53 pm Post subject:

I wasn't exactly turned to the dark side by the forums, but nearly so.

About 4 years ago I was a very luke-warm christian/agnostic who began to actually read the bible because I was tired of my mother (and many others) beating me over the head with it and I wanted to evaluate it for myself. But I noticed that no one really wanted me to “critically examine” the bible, but rather to just read it and believe every word. I knew this was bullshit and that I needed to apply the critical scalpel to these supposedly inspired works. Well, I was extremely unimpressed and decided it was crap. So I started to open up to other possibilities.

But I easily could have moved from one irrational belief to another (and nearly did a few times), but as I was still interested in the Bible, I found some infidelguy shows that dealt with the subject. Since I enjoyed them I started listening to other shows on topics like free thought, skepticism, philosophy, etc. I enjoyed those shows a lot and found my way to the forums.

Thanks in large part to the infidelguy messageboards I came to embrace freethought and the search for truth wherever it leads. Its been great! I so much prefer to the truth, whatever it turns out to be, to any sort of lie or fantasy.

And oddly enough, just like many, many others, losing whatever faith I had left me way more interested in studying religion and the bible than I ever might have expected.

Freethought is really a simple idea, but its so damn useful. My internet hasn’t been working so I rarely post here lately, but I really like to post here to discuss and debate all sorts of political/philosophical/social issues. It’s a great way to weed out my own bad or stupid arguments and to further refine my conclusions because if I argue for something unsupported by the facts or draw wild conclusions from the facts, there’s a dozen people just waiting to kindly catch me in the act and bring the smack down.

I need to get my internet back up… I miss this place.
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kmisho · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:13 pm Post subject:

Guess what the C used to stand for in Mr. C...
Oh yes, and guess what it stands for now.
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Philosophos · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:18 pm Post subject:

tonyman1989 · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:19 pm Post subject:

Philosophos · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:22 pm Post subject:

Philosophos · Posted: Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:24 pm Post subject:

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