#leaving christianity

[escaping-amish]

On tonight’s episode of Escaping Amish™ :

I pierced my ears !!!!! 🫨 11/8/24

[rachelleacomics]

Take me to church // I’ll worship like a dog at the shrine of your lies // I’ll tell you my sins and you can sharpen your knife

Lyrics (c) Hozier

[gramarobin]

[staywithyourselflove]

From @aprilajoyr on Twitter/X: "Idk who needs to hear this, but give yourself grace for the things you said and did when you were indoctrinated. Be proud of yourself for breaking free. Not everyone makes it out. When you know better, you do better. & that's no small thing. [heart emoji]."

[jupiter-juniper]

The Truman Show (1998) hits different when you are an deconstructing exvangelical

[delphinidin4]

I find it interesting to look back and see that one of the many things that eventually led to me leaving Christianity was a sermon my pastor gave on how you were ALLOWED to doubt, you were ALLOWED, and in fact encouraged, to explore your doubts.

So I did. And.... yeah.

Other things that played a part:

Parental abuse

Probably a subconscious desire to not be like my parents

C-PTSD

The fact that going to church had been triggering my PTSD for literally years at that point (I eventually stopped going, obvs) ((please note that I was not abused by the church! I actually had a pretty positive experience of Christianity! It was other associations that caused this.))

Feeling like my entire life was coming unmoored

Intense anxiety, including existential anxiety (and losing my faith DID NOT HELP OMG IT WAS AWFUL)

The specific way I was taught to view the Bible: IE not literalist (I was taught to believe in evolution, for instance), but that the Bible was historically accurate, and we could trust God BECAUSE we knew how he had behaved with people in history (supposedly)

Good background knowledge of the discipline of archaeology + learning about the actual academic archaeological consensus about Palestinian/Israeli archaeology

The specific way I was taught to view Christianity: IE, if you don't believe in the historical truth of the Bible, then you're not really a Christian. Very black and white.

Intense interest in the Truth and Getting Things Right, and an inability to let something lie when I knew it was Incorrect

The fact that Christianity had never really felt emotionally, spiritually, or aesthetically fulfilling to me (and that more esoteric beliefs/practices, like paganism and witchcraft, DID feel fulfilling)

[1800naveen]

My mom teaching younger me that all beliefs are valid and you shouldn't judge someone because of it:

Also my mom when I told her that I left Christianity, became agnostic, and planned on converting to Buddhism someday (she told me that I would go to hell and that Buddhism is wrong, so sweet of her😊):

[cavorta]

New book release: "Dreams of Loki"

I have published a novella, about spirituality, modern paganism and the struggles and joys of being queer: The young lesbian woman Vera leaves a conservative Christian cult, starting a new life in Hamburg. There she must find a place to live and a job. But Vera has an additional problem: in her dreams, a mysterious person appears who finally reveals to be the Norse deity Loki. Vera mistrusts this deity – is this some kind of demon? In Hamburg, Vera gets to know more queer people and also a Norse pagan …

Why did I write this novella? Several times, I heard stories about people who left a conservative or fundamentalist Christian cult or congregation and later went on a pagan path. But I do not know any fiction books which deal with this topic, so I decided to write such a story myself. This is also a devotional work dedicated to Loki. The ebook on Amazon (release on April 1, 2024, can be pre-ordered): Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B0CZ7G16S5/ Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CZ7G16S5/Amazon.com.au: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CZ7G16S5/ Also available on all other Amazon shops worldwide.

A print edition will also be available on Amazon, on April 7, 2024.

[the-hermit-at-midnight]

I used to live my life by a clock. The ticking, relentless march of time marked by Sundays and holidays. It was a life punctuated by guilt and obligation. The pressure to conform, to believe, to behave in a certain way was suffocating. Then, I found myself on a different path. A path that led me away from the noise and into a world of ancient wisdom. A world that revolves not around a man-made calendar, but the rhythm of the Earth itself. Druidry has been a balm to my soul. It's a spiritual path that honors nature, ancestors, and the interconnectedness of all things. At its heart is the Wheel of the Year – a cyclical understanding of time that celebrates the Earth’s journey through the seasons. There’s a profound peace in aligning my life with the natural world. No longer am I a prisoner to the artificial constructs of modern society. Instead, I find myself in harmony with the ebb and flow of existence. Imbolc, the beginning of spring, is a time of hope and renewal. It’s when the land begins to awaken from its winter slumber. Beltane, the peak of spring, is a celebration of fertility and life. Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, is a time for gratitude and abundance. Lughnasadh, the first harvest, is a moment to acknowledge our reliance on the Earth's bounty. Mabon, the autumn equinox, is a time of balance and reflection. Samhain, the end of the year, is a time to honor our ancestors and prepare for the cycle to begin again. These are just a few of the sabbats that mark the Druidic year. Each one offers an opportunity for introspection, celebration, and connection to something larger than myself. It's a way of life that is both grounding and inspiring. Leaving behind the rigid structure of Pentecostalism was a daunting task. But in its place, I’ve found a spiritual path that resonates deeply with my soul. The Druidic Wheel of the Year has become a compass, guiding me through the complexities of modern life. It’s a journey of discovery, a celebration of nature, and a deep connection to something ancient and eternal. Have you ever considered exploring the Druidic path? What resonates with you about the Wheel of the Year?

[luckylucariosblog]

One of the things that woke up me.

I was at an Wednesday Youth Group. The pastor said that some people come here just to cause problems and distrupt everyone else. Then told us to ask our selves why we where really coming to events.

​​It made me think about why I was actually going. I wasn't going for the right reasons. So that is when I started thinking for myself more.

I had been thinking about why I was going to youth church for a long time. Ironically that Pastor who was trying to discourage people from acting out. It gave me a big push to look inward as to why I was really going.

I was also getting to the age. Where the cutesy stories aren't told anymore. The harshness of the church's doctrine was starting to show.

I was also at the age of figuring myself out. Coming to terms with the fact that I might not be straight. That my understanding of the social parts of life was low. There where other things that happened around that time. Things that deserve there own post.

[jarredlharris]

A few thoughts while reading "Theologizin' Bigger" by Trey Ferguson.

[mysteriouslyimportantdreamer]

Okay, my mental state has been crap for like, quite a while now, and during walks that I take with my dog i talk to myself out loud, and I am very philosophical in the winter, why I do not know, but it helped me make a few realizations about myself and my beliefs, so here is my little blabber.

I questioned the universe and it gave me an answer.

"When I was younger, I told myself many times that I wanted to be Christian, so that my family would love me more, but now I have realized that Christianity goes against my morals, "

Here is where I need to explain something. Before this, I had never strictly thought about my own morals, so this was me first seeing my moral compass

" I believe that people that are kind, or have at least tried their hardest, deserve to love, be loved, and live. I feel as if I am a protector to those around me, and in the minds of Christians, not everyone i think deserves protection does according to them. I believe that most people deserve protection, I do not care if they are weak, or strong, because even the strongest who have been fighting for as long as they remember deserve rest and peace."

Than my brain began to wander, as it always does, and I began to think about how emotions connect to seasons, and also how just like seasons, emotions are thought about unfairly.

" Winter is beautiful, I think that many people do not understand the peace that comes with the slight bite of the cold, and the beauty that comes from the quiet nature of winter. I feel as if people tend to think that summer is better then winter, and I feel as if this has to do with how temperatures are related to emotions. People often think of warmth being comforting and happy, but I personally think that warmth can become burning, and hostile, just as the cold can cause frostbite, the warmth can hurt just as much. "

"I feel as if summer and heat can relate to both love and hate, and winter relates to fear and peace."

There is more than this that I would like to share, but I don't know how long you have to read this, so let me know if you want to hear more of my brain dump.

[mizgnomer]

Behind the Scenes of David Tennant hosting the 2025 EE BAFTA Film Awards

With thanks to Georgia Tennant, Cheryl Konteh, Stevie Smith, Daisy Aitkens, and Jennie Fava

[seraphimfall]

i’ve read so much tradcath bullshit the last two years. i can confidently say tradcath men fit into one of two categories:

“protestant-raised and converted to catholicism because of his crippling porn addiction and racist tendencies. reposts crusader and conquistador memes. is hated in his local parish.” tradcath

“catholic-raised band kid who ate his lunches with the religion teacher. smells like mildew. cut off all his friends that came out as gay after high school. now larps as an aquinian scholar and cries after jerking off.” tradcath

[cavorta]

April 7, 2024 My novella "Dreams of Loki" is now also available as a print. It is about spirituality, modern paganism and the struggles and joys of being queer. The Norse deity Loki plays an important part in it and some of the characters are witches.

🔥 Why did I write this novella? Several times, I heard stories about people who left a conservative or fundamentalist Christian cult or congregation and later explored a pagan path. But I do not know any fiction books which deal with this topic, so I decided to write such a story myself. This is also a devotional work dedicated to Loki. 🔥 The ebook and print on Amazon:

Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/-/de/dp/B0CZ7G16S5/

Amazon.co.uk: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CZ7G16S5/

Amazon.com.au: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CZ7G16S5/

Also available in all other Amazon shops worldwide.

[lost-wits]

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