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Deconversion: Letting go of one's religious belief and accepting reality on its own terms.


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On 11/10/2024 at 8:49 PM, Charity said:

just about what your beliefs are about who God allows to live and who he allows to die. 

Who says it is God who determines who gets to live and who "is allowed to die?"

Modnote: Although this responds to a post that got political, we're letting it stand because it digresses enough from the political content and gets back into the subject of the thread.

Edited by modcat5
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Some who post here seem to be into geography. They may be aware of a phenomenon called the "Barksdale Bubble." It's a microclimate around Barksdale Air Force Base, fluidly defined by a perpetually alternating trough and ridge. Major, devastating systems seem to always pass just over or under the Shreveport-Bossier metro area - the course ominous and direct, yet dodging just north or south at the Texas line and resuming course around Minden.

My whole life I never heard the term, but I was aware of the pattern. I learned the term when I was told our fellowship commander was responsible for this "Barksdale Bubble." This was proof that we were under his hedge of protection. And we should be so thankful. 

Now, I'm no climate scientist, but I'm certain the "Barksdale Bubble" has existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years.

But why would he, by the "power" "taught" to him by that charlatan, protect an entire metro area full of unbelievers and devil spurts, but not protect members of his own family of beleeevers from murder? Or from a life sentence in prison? Or from Parkinson's disease?

Could it be he was never taught how? H. O. W.

 

Or, could it be that it's all pure, Grade-A bullshonta.

 

Edited by Nathan_Jr
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58 minutes ago, Nathan_Jr said:

My whole life I never heard the term, but I was aware of the pattern. I learned the term when I was told our fellowship commander was responsible for this "Barksdale Bubble." This was proof that we were under his hedge of protection. And we should be so thankful. 

 

Such hubris on his part.  I'm glad you didn't :smilie_kool_aid: .

Edited by Charity
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21 minutes ago, Charity said:

Such hubris on his part. 

Mike once argued it’s not arrogance if you can do it. He thought he might be quoting Babe Ruth who said something like, “If I can jump over a barn, is it bragging to say I can?”

No. It’s not bragging.

But you can’t jump over a barn! (Or control the weather.)

Weather was all devil spirits with this fellowship. We have awesome thunderstorms here in the Deep South. Really powerful, electric, beautifully terrifying events. Always caused by devil spirits. The devil controlled the weather, unless it was a crisp, blue sky, sunshine daydream, then, I guess, it was the day the lord hath made. 

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1 hour ago, Nathan_Jr said:

Mike once argued it’s not arrogance if you can do it. He thought he might be quoting Babe Ruth who said something like, “If I can jump over a barn, is it bragging to say I can?”

No. It’s not bragging.

But you can’t jump over a barn! (Or control the weather.)

Weather was all devil spirits with this fellowship. We have awesome thunderstorms here in the Deep South. Really powerful, electric, beautifully terrifying events. Always caused by devil spirits. The devil controlled the weather, unless it was a crisp, blue sky, sunshine daydream, then, I guess, it was the day the lord hath made. 

I too love thunderstorms like the ones you describe.  

Speaking of weather, I wonder if twi ever did or does now believe in climate change/global warming.

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I don't know if they accept the science or not, but I suspect it doesn't matter to them either way because of the new earth. If anything, I could see them pointing to climate change as evidence of the coming eschaton.

My fellowship ridiculed me for recycling because of the point above. My city no longer has a municipal recycling program because of ineptitude and corruption. Thankfully, a private upstart founded and operated by some young enterprising Christians has closed the void. Great guys doing great work. I wish I could afford to continue with their service, but it has gotten too expensive.

On their cans and trucks is Psalm 24:1 (NIV)

 "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it."

Pretty cool. 
 

Edited by Nathan_Jr
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8 hours ago, Charity said:

Why don't you question God's reasoning, oldiesman?  If a parent had the ability to save both children from a house fire, but decided to save only one, would you still accept this type of behavior?

Saying it is above your reasoning or logic clearly denigrates, nullifies, infantilizes and oppresses you as a person and your ability to think logically and critically. 

It is groupthink, oldiesman, from living inside an echo chamber.  What keeps you holding on?  Is it the promise of eternal life?

Why don't you question God's reasoning... ANYONE? Because we accept/trust the canon?

WHY should we accept the canon? Who says so?

Deconvert this: Forgery and Memory at the End of the First Millenium.

Why do I say this? Because I distrust the framing of reasons/reasoning of claims as "God declared" this or that as truth.

I now point you to Noah Yuval Harari's latest book, Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI

Harari's thesis goes directly to whether or not the canon of the bible is trustworthy.

This YT discussion (featuring Harari) might be too long for you to view the entire clip. However, Information systems, including AI, are things that humanity needs to decide ethical and moral guardrails for VERY soon/quickly.

Whether or not you will continue to believe the canon of the old or new testaments of the bible are trustworthy is a key question for each of us. I can't answer it for anyone but me.

 

Edited by Rocky
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17 hours ago, Rocky said:

Why don't you question God's reasoning... ANYONE? Because we accept/trust the canon?

 

Not necessarily... it's how you ask that matters.   I remember sitting down with Craig at a difficult time during my 6th corps experience.   He said "ask God to help you."   He didn't say study more, do more good works, recite scripture retemories, etc... but simply ask God for an answer.   This action necessarily requires faith in Jesus Christ, faith in God.   Not question God with my doubt and anger like I know more than him, I'm more logical; or reasonable etc.        Simply ask why things happened and God will be there with an answer.  Let God speak to you.  And if no answer is immediately forthcoming, continue praying about it and the answer will be there.  Be patient.  To borrow a phrase from VPW  "Daddy's cookie jar" may be empty at the moment. 

 

Modnote: Again, this thread got political, this post got back to topic. 

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The empty cookie jar tracks with victor's convenient cop out for his inability to cast out devil spirits. A great way to teach others how to cop out. After all, the bullshonta promise of 1942 was contingent upon teaching the bullshonta to others.

But I wonder if this excuse would suffice if one were late to a meeting or (Gasp!) late to a "class."

Dupe: Sorry I'm late.There was a massive wreck on I-20. The interstate was a 5mph parking lot.

Deciever: You should have received revelation to take an alternate route. Are you not beleeving to have your steps ordered by his word?

Dupe: Daddy's cookie jar was empty.

Edited by Nathan_Jr
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20 minutes ago, Nathan_Jr said:

The empty cookie jar tracks with victor's convenient cop out for his inability to cast out devil spirits. A great way to teach others how to cop out. After all, the bullshonta promise of 1942 was contingent upon teaching the bullshonta to others.

But I wonder if this excuse would suffice if one were late to a meeting or (Gasp!) late to a "class,"

Dupe: Sorry I'm late.There was a massive wreck on I-20. The interstate was a 5mph parking lot.

Deciever: You should have received revelation to take an alternate route. Are you not beleeving to have your steps ordered by his word?

Dupe: Daddy's cookie jar was empty.

Hadn't thought of it that way... will pray about it thx.

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One of my favorite "keys" is the green light key. Don't do anything until you get the green light from daddy. Especially, don't cast out any devil spirits until you get the green light.

How convenient! The reason why no one ever, EVER, cast out a devil spirit is because no one ever got the green light. What a cop out! What wicked, spiritual weakness this is. This kind of spiritual stupidity is taught by hucksters.

This is a class on how. H. O. W. 

mmmph

 

 

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20 minutes ago, Nathan_Jr said:

One of my favorite "keys" is the green light key. Don't do anything until you get the green light from daddy. Especially, don't cast out any devil spirits until you get the green light.

How convenient! The reason why no one ever, EVER, cast out a devil spirit is because no one ever got the green light. What a cop out! What wicked, spiritual weakness this is. This kind of spiritual stupidity is taught by hucksters.

This is a class on how. H. O. W. 

mmmph

 

 

This makes me think of how all the answers not given by God to believers in this life are expected to be given to them in heaven and yet, there is no evidence that such a place called the "heavenlies" (where Jesus supposedly is) exists or that any one is presently in a place called heaven.  The promise of a future eternal afterlife (i.e, the hope) must be totally taken on faith from words written in a book.  Like your point above, I think this is very convenient, especially if the writers want to get people to conform to their ways.  

IMO, the afterlife is the greatest coverup story for a fictional god that there is.

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On 11/12/2024 at 7:14 AM, oldiesman said:

Not necessarily... it's how you ask that matters.   I remember sitting down with Craig at a difficult time during my 6th corps experience.   He said "ask God to help you."   He didn't say study more, do more good works, recite scripture retemories, etc... but simply ask God for an answer.   This action necessarily requires faith in Jesus Christ, faith in God.   Not question God with my doubt and anger like I know more than him, I'm more logical; or reasonable etc.        Simply ask why things happened and God will be there with an answer.  Let God speak to you.  And if no answer is immediately forthcoming, continue praying about it and the answer will be there.  Be patient.  To borrow a phrase from VPW  "Daddy's cookie jar" may be empty at the moment. 

 

Modnote: Again, this thread got political, this post got back to topic. 

I remember earlier this year, I had finally let the women’s group at the Vineyard Church know that I did not believe in the trinity.  I discussed it with them a few times during meetings and with a couple of them on Messenger.  They stood firm in their belief that Jesus was God the son.  I was torn between their love and fellowship and my need to speak freely about who I believed Jesus was.  One Sunday morning, I messaged that I would go to church with a completely open, unbiased mind and ask God to show me his truth.

During the worship service, I was not focused on my question but only on God and Jesus.  I was feeling very blessed by the songs we were singing when out of nowhere the words “look to Adam” came to my mind.  I was absolutely sure right then that God had answered my prayer and given me his answer.      

You see, I had already been looking into who Adam was before the fall happened since Paul had written that Jesus was the second Adam.  So I saw this revelation as God personally telling me that like Adam, Jesus was a man.  I was so excited and overjoyed.   

Looking back now, I think it was from my own mind that this thought popped up, and I just gave God the credit because I was psychologically primed to expect an answer from him.  I also now think that carrying on a conversation with God and Jesus back then was all within my head, and the reason it felt so real and comforting is that it's how a child feels when talking to an imaginary friend.

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On 11/12/2024 at 7:14 AM, oldiesman said:

Not question God with my doubt and anger like I know more than him, I'm more logical; or reasonable etc.       

Once you realize that the books of the bible are not the "inspired word of God" but those of men, then it becomes acceptable to come to different more logical or reasonable conclusions than they did.

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3 hours ago, Nathan_Jr said:

Dupe: Daddy's cookie jar was empty

I know that seems like a reasonable response, but they would be quick to tell you it's empty because you must be out of fellowship. You have to be in fellowship to receive anything. If you pointed out times VPW reached into an empty cookie jar, you would be reminded you can't receive anything if it's not available.

 

Don't ask me how I know this. :biglaugh:

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On 11/11/2024 at 9:31 PM, Nathan_Jr said:

I don't know if they accept the science or not, but I suspect it doesn't matter to them either way because of the new earth. If anything, I could see them pointing to climate change as evidence of the coming eschaton.
 

Unfortunate, but true.  I listened to a podcast from The Line Edge a couple of days ago where the caller used some incorrect science to claim this and then tied it to the earth being destroyed by fire in the bible (possibly a reference to 2 Peter 3:10) and to Rev 11:18 about God destroying them that destroy the earth.  The responses from the 2 hosts are very interesting.

Caller STRUGGLES to Grapple with the Disparity between Logic and His Feelings (@ 13:00 in the video)

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19 minutes ago, waysider said:

I know that seems like a reasonable response, but they would be quick to tell you it's empty because you must be out of fellowship. You have to be in fellowship to receive anything. If you pointed out times VPW reached into an empty cookie jar, you would be reminded you can't receive anything if it's not available.

 

Don't ask me how I know this. :biglaugh:

The twi's double standard used to condemn the lowly followers and elevate the high-ranking leaders shows the "cookie jar" concept is of men.  Notably, the inequalities seen in the bible such as men being higher than women and slave owners than slaves show these concepts and laws were man made as well.

The fact that some people, including Christians, want to return to such inequality now also proves this point.

BTW - you have a gift of lightening up your posts :biglaugh:

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34 minutes ago, waysider said:

I know that seems like a reasonable response, but they would be quick to tell you it's empty because you must be out of fellowship. You have to be in fellowship to receive anything. If you pointed out times VPW reached into an empty cookie jar, you would be reminded you can't receive anything if it's not available.

 

Don't ask me how I know this. :biglaugh:

 

It’s gaslights all the way down.

 

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