joyfulexchristian

[joyfulexchristian]

The weird thing is, I can still speak in tongues.

It's fun and feels a little bit like cussing. So it's good for a stubbed toe but is ultimately just a strange assortment of sounds.

And when I learn new phonemes (from a new language), they work their way into the assortment. It's just my brain serving up some reheated phoneme soup.

I used to stay up at night, crying and praying to be filled with the holy spirit and speak in tongues. Taking something that used to feel so high-stakes and using it casually is freeing.

After all the faith and doubt, everything lost and gained, I stay silly.

[joyfulexchristian]

im just like anyone else, i eat my bible one page at a time

[joyfulexchristian]

Undevotional - 1 Corinthians 15:31

Devaluing our lives makes it easier to convince us to throw them away or devote them wholly to someone else. It is meant to separate us from the inherent value of our lives. And it is impossibly cruel, on top of all that, to not even appreciate the sacrifice but instead demand it.

[joyfulexchristian]

Let's let Jesus rest in peace.

When I stopped celebrating his death, I was able to mourn my relationship with Jesus.

I was finally able to see how disrespectful it was to claim intimacy with a person I'd never met.

I was no better than Paul in that way.

Leaving Christianity has been such a relief. Especially on Easter, the time of year when I used to join in on the glorification of his death and resurrection.

His followers needed more from him, so they dragged his memory out of that tomb instead of grieving him.

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[joyfulexchristian]

This is a place for people deconstructing or deconverting from Christianity. I'm a former fundamentalist Protestant (exvangelical) who writes about moving on from faith.

I started this blog when I was rereading the New Testament from an apostate's perspective and started crossing out verses and rewriting them with positive messages:

For I know that nothing good dwells in me.

For I know that we are something worth fighting for.

I had a difficult time deconverting from Christianity and I want to help make it easier for others. That's why I write responses to harmful verses, gentle blasphemy, and a series of UnDevotionals for exchristians.

More about me:

Allison

mid-30s

they/them

Check out chapter drafts for my UnDevotionals on my Patreon!

I'm here for a good time, not a God time. I don't enjoy debating theology, so if you want to proselytize at me... don't! Same goes for sharing bigoted beliefs. Find something else to do! Kiss your Bible, it misses you.

I have a huge backlog of verses to rewrite, but I also take requests! So if you have a verse stuck in your head and you want to see me rewrite it, send me a message.

Follow along for more gentle blasphemy!

[joyfulexchristian]

look, if god's gonna smite me for loving this world and the people in it

just call me smitten 💖

[joyfulexchristian]

It truly floors me how gleefully Christian commenters threaten me with judgment day.

"Wait til there's a light in the sky..."

Buddy, there's a light in the sky every day!

[joyfulexchristian]

Resurrection Day?

I kind of wish I had a specific day when I officially wasn't a Christian anymore. It would be so satisfying to celebrate the day I came back to life. But when I look back, it happened in drips and drabs. I let go of Heaven before I let go of Hell. I let go of God before I let go of Jesus. I stopped hating the world before I stopped hating myself.

It really did feel like I came back to life after leaving Christianity. I'd died to myself every day for the sake of Christ since I was a child. Stopping that cycle felt impossible. And I felt like I had to do it on my own. I had no community of exChristians at the time.

But I did have people around me who hadn't given up on this life. They didn't die every day. They didn't accept that the whim of a god could decide their worth. They LIVED, regardless of godly permission.

I am so glad that finally accepted that there was no good life for me in Christianity. So I turned away from Christ and toward life and found other people making the same journey!

I am deeply grateful for the encouragement I got along the way, and for the opportunity to do that for other people making their way back to life!

As Easter approaches, I'm thinking about celebrating my return to life after years of living under death-and-doom-obsessed Christianity, even if the actual anniversary isn't clear.

Maybe I'll just pick a day and celebrate my resurrection anyway! Would it be rude to choose Easter? (fully kidding)

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[joyfulexchristian]

My spouse keeps pointing at me and saying "Not doomed!"

It started out silly, but I'm loving it so much. Just goes to show that emotional needs run deep. I don't think I'm doomed. Most days I would say I don't feel doomed. (Though there's been a bit of a dip in my non-doomed days lately).

But just getting a free "Not doomed!" out of the blue?? Magic.

[joyfulexchristian]

There's so much wrong with the world

There's so much right with the world

Stay silly

[joyfulexchristian]

[joyfulexchristian]

♫ God's not bread, no!

He didn't rise

God's not bread, no!

He didn't rise

Let Jesus rest in peace ♫

GOD'S NOT BREAD

[joyfulexchristian]

Romans 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

You were not buried by baptism.

New Undevotional chapter on Patreon!

I'm posting drafts of my upcoming book "The UnDevotional" every Sunday on my Patreon.

If you like reading and sharing your valuable opinions, sign up as a:

Benevolent Backslider

Auspicious Apostate

Blessed Blasphemer

If you hate reading or guard your valuable opinion like a jealous god, sign up as a Sinful Supporter for $1 a month.

There are so many devotionals out there for Christians, I think we deserve something like that, too!

[joyfulexchristian]

give thanks in all circumstances

We don't have to give thanks in all circumstances. Thank dog!

If we did, our gratitude would mean so much less.

We can intentionally grow our gratitude by sharing it with the people who are actually doing the work of making the world better instead of glorifying a god.

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[joyfulexchristian]

pray without ceasing

Our brains deserve more than busywork.

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[joyfulexchristian]

I have a new Undevotional chapter for my patrons! Check it out to get drafts, behind the scenes content, and gentle blasphemy. Here is an excerpt:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Your joy matters. Your effort matters. Your gratitude matters.

[joyfulexchristian]

It's strange how many Christian movements accuse other people of blood rituals. The call is coming from inside the church.

When I was a Christian, I struggled with my god's sacrifice of his son. I tried to force myself to be 100% grateful but I couldn't get rid of the gut feeling that something wasn't quite right.

I thought that feeling was sinful. But it was actually empathy. I didn't ask for Christ to die for me. My gut feeling said that his torturous death was not an acceptable form of payment.

There are so many reasons that make me glad I left Christianity. Not accepting a blood sacrifice for a ticket to heaven is one of the most peace-giving.

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