this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2023
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Actual Christian here. This decision is not extreme, whatsoever, though I get that it appears extreme to non-believers and feminists. The thing to understand here is that Christians follow the Bible. And conversely, those who do not follow the Bible are not Christian. So let's take a look at a relevant Bible passage (1 Timothy 2:11-12):
Now that's the word of God. It's eternal, unchanging, and dictates how He wills us to live.
It's definitely out-of-step with modern secular culture, and that's a very good thing from the Christian perspective. We are God's peculiar people (Titus 2:11-15).
Actual ex-Christian here.
The concept that you seem to be failing to grasp -- and I can't blame you because it escaped me as a Christian as well -- is that these are rules that you are welcome to follow. Your religion tells you what you can and can't do. You can make that choice. The problem comes when you try to apply that to anyone else who doesn't accept it. Your religion's rules don't apply to me, because I'm not part of your religion.
I'm willing to coexist with Christians. But that coexistence has to go both ways.
I was raised an atheist and didn't find Christ until adulthood, so I do grasp that it's all voluntary. I also recognize that you can't force anyone to be Christian against their will.
So on those points we agree. Where we differ is that I firmly believe my God is your God, and neither of us could ever change that, no matter how much we may want to. Christ came to save all people, with a focus on those who need it most. So yes, Christianity does apply to you, even though you don't want it to.
I fully understand your "get off my back" perspective, honestly. Telling someone else how to think or what to do is a remarkably terrible way to make friends. I'm not here to be a jerk. Promise. I know you're going to do what you're going to do, irrespective of me. I only want to take every chance I can get to give testimony of my own experiences with God, and to follow the Great Commission for anyone who actually cares to let a seed get planted.
So does that mean we can coexist? I certainly hope so, but I recognize you may think I'm overbearing.
That sounds like a you problem. If your god expects me to believe that it's real, then it's going to need to move itself to prove it. Your testimony isn't sufficient. I've already been there, done that and bought the t-shirt.
You're entitled to think that's the case. What you think in the privacy of your own head is your business. The moment you think you have the authority (as too many Christians do) to make me follow it is when we have a problem.
And this is why we can't be friends. We've heard the story. We've heard the testimony. We remain unmoved. At this point, the only way to describe this behavior is harassment.
The world has heard the message. Let it go and leave us alone.
Christians in Europe have been highly successful at coexisting with non-Christians without harassing them. You might look into their example.
If you were raised Christian, you should know how much God loves human faith. He would never do anything to deprive us of the challenge of faith, because He knows how healthy it is for us to live on faith. Everything He directs us to do is for our own good. Revealing himself would deny us that opportunity. There will be a second coming, but by then it'll be too late.
You know where to find us when you're ready. Wishing you all the best.
The reason I'm no longer a Christian is because I committed the unforgivable sin: I put these claims to the test. There was no answer. No fire from on high to consume the altar. No dove descending from the heavens. No whisper on the wind. Just confirmation bias.
Try to survive on faith and you'll starve quickly. Trying to convince me that your beliefs are true is just going to annoy us both. Mission accomplished.
Trust me, I do know where to find you. Until I go looking for you, leave us alone.
As someone who was raised in a Calvinistic Baptist sect I second this in the strongest possible terms. If satan himself turned up at my old church the faithful would fall down and worship at his feet because they couldn't tell the difference between him and their god.