Thinking about renouncing Christianity

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Maybe people will like me better if I do.

Maybe I could have a relationship with someone who has the same interests if I do this.

Congratulations. Welcome to the land of reason.

ruveyn

Yet I am only doing this so people will like me.

Have a care. You may be disappointed.

ruveyn

Hey Tim Tex.

If you are renouncing Christianity because you don't really believe in Christ, you were raised "in the faith", and it doesn't mean that much to you... then fine.

But if you are Christian because you believe that Jesus died for you, then are you sure you want to do this?

It is one thing to renounce Christianity. I'm a Christian, and I wouldn't have a problem with renouncing Christianity, since for the most part "churchianity" has been a destructive influence on the world.

But I'd never deny Christ.

So, be sure you know what you're doing.

From my experience, people will always let you down, and treat you badly, whatever you believe in. If you think that there is some secret ingroup of happily socialised atheists, you'll be disappointed. Humans are a nasty species. You could be as dogmatic an atheist as Dawkins, or our own dear Ruyven, and the NT's won't start to like you. They don't even like themselves.

Don't denounce something dear to you for the sake of peer pressure.

If you believe that Christianity is true, don't denounce it for the imagined gain of popularity. You will not only feel guilty, you'll also be disappointed by the fact that humans are gits, no matter what you believe.

If you don't really believe in it, it doesn't matter, do what you like. But don't be surprised if it makes no difference.

Yet...being myself hasn't worked. Pretending to be someone else hasn't worked. Trying to get others to pretend to be someone else hasn't worked.

What else is left?

Be faithful to what you believe in.

I would never suggest that Ruveyn pretend to convert to theism, in order to fit in better with a theistic society. It's obvious that he has profound faith in his beliefs, and the last thing that would ever make anyone happy would be to adopt hypocrisy as a lifestyle. Far better an honest atheist.

Similarly for you... why are you a Christian? What is it that you believe about Christianity?

If it's just a load of hocum, and received gobbledygook, by all means, examine and reject it.

But if you honestly believe that Jesus Christ is your saviour, then why on earth denounce Him?

What I'm saying is, you will never ever find satisfaction from other people. Humans are the scum of the earth... and I'm sure Ruyven agrees. We're a nasty, bitter, illogical species, spiders in a bottle ready to sting each other to death. Why would you expect to gain satisfaction from such a species?

You ask, "what else is there..."

There is the search for the truth. Ruveyn seeks it in science, and rationalism. I am seeking after Christ.

The point is, we're both still seeking. You won't find it in humans. You've got to give up the stupid Hollywood notion that human decency triumphs, and we're all decent after all.

Seek and ye shall find... give up and start dumbing yourself down to the rest of society, and you deserve what you get.

Christianity isn't so much about being Christian but rather a divine belief system.

You either believe that Jesus was a prophet of a so-called god or not. You can't choose one over the other unless you're confused.

So instead of renouncing christianity, maybe it would be better to keep thy faith to yourself. Plus I don't see how your faith has anything to do with people liking you or not. I think what might be annoying to people who don't like christians is the fact that most christians make it a habit of preaching and teaching their faith to those who express no interest in the matter.

Go to Youtube and do a search on "Tony Parsons". His central tenet is that spirit, the divine, or whatever you wish to name it, is everywhere, and it does not discriminate. All and everything is equally divine. You are no more spiritual than a rock, and a rock is no more spiritual than Jesus. There is much more to this approach, but he says it much more eloquently.

I have issues connecting with people, whether they be liberals or fellow conservatives, even if they have the same interests.

I feel that I am not befriendable simply because I can't be classified into a specific clique.

How will changing what you say you believe change who you are?

I don't know.

But I am being rejected because of my religious and political beliefs.

I mean no offense, but that sounds like a lame reason to renounce Christianity. That is not unlike the suggestion I received to have my children baptised because of the financial gain potential.

Friendships are not based solely on religious or political beliefs. I have a few friends with very different views from my own. These topics are usually taken quite seriously, so it is best to enter with care, or sometimes avoid them altogether. Find something else that you may have in common with people like the arts, sports, academics, etc. I don't ever seem to fit into a particular classification either, and that's just fine by me. People who are very predictable are boring.

That's the thing. Very few people have the same interests as me, and the ones who do are almost all male.

Most of my friends are guys too. My husband says I'm pretty much a dude except for the parts. He doesn't have many female friends either. That's OK, I don't really enjoy the typical girl things like shopping and primping. Now if you're looking for something more than frienship, that's a completely different story. There I have no advice. I just got lucky and couldn't even tell you how I did. Just keep getting out there and trying. Your odds are increased just by meeting more people.

Here is what I know:

1. I am drawn to people with same interests

2. Very few Christians have the same interests (animated sitcoms, indie/artsy films, traveling, outdoor activities)

3. I have had negative experiences with NTs, so I feel I would do better with another Aspie.

4. I have no choice but to a long-distance relationship because there is nobody who satisfies #1-3 in the Austin-San Antonio area.

5. I am against big government and pro-business, and I supported the war in Iraq, which puts me at odds with many liberal people.

6. I have the interests that I have, plus I am ok with premarital and non-procreational sex, and that puts me at odds with other conservatives.

7. I constantly force myself to adapt to specific cliques, because being uncliqueable will hinder any acceptance by anybody.