There's something tragically comic reading the author in his post and in his comments (I haven't read all the comments yet). On the one hand, religion is a big problem and the truth (atheism) will set you free. On the other hand, atheism has a suicide problem.
The sad thing is that he actually believes that he caused people to become "non-Christian". The common thread between most of these "village deconversion" stories I read is that they never really understood the Christianity they are rejecting. Most of them never took the time to understand it either - and they all have a similar story:
"I grew up in the church to draconian parents who never let me do anything I wanted. They made me dress up on Sunday, read the Bible, and pray at meals for crying out loud! Remember all those movies about 'fire and brimstone' preachers in back woods, hick churches - yup, those guys couldn't hold a candle to my parents. They might as well have locked me in a dungeon with a chastity belt!"
Granted, some of them may have actually been there, but it sounds like a "bigger fish" story to me.
When Staks wrote this:
"Then there is the transition period in which an atheist has just left religion and feels completely lost. They are often without the community they have depended on for so long and suffer from the existential questions of life for the first time. They were often used to the belief that God is with them everywhere and now they know that it was all false. So they feel really lonely and even angry that they have been lied to all their lives."
I could easily relate it to my story of coming out of false religion to Christ and say:
"Then there is the transition period in which a new Christian has just left false religion and feels completely overwhelmed. They are often without the community they have depended on for so long and suffer from the existential questions of life for the first time. They were often used to the belief that God was whoever and whatever they wanted Him to be and now they know that it was all false. So they feel really lonely and even angry that they have been lied to all their lives."
The difference is between us is infinite though. Staks "converts" people who don't know God in the first place, away from whatever fellowship (however ignorant) they have known, into loneliness. God converts people who don't know God away from whatever loneliness (however ignorant) they have known, into fellowship.
(Ephesians 2:11-13, ESV) Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Jeff, I think there will be many who figure this all out in the coming years. Many won't, but more and more people will understand both (a) that there is a God, and (b) he is who HE is, not what we think he is.
There's something tragically comic reading the author in his post and in his comments (I haven't read all the comments yet). On the one hand, religion is a big problem and the truth (atheism) will set you free. On the other hand, atheism has a suicide problem.
ReplyDeleteWhat's truly horrible is that this guy will have to answer to God one day for all these deconversions. That's a lot of millstones
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe sad thing is that he actually believes that he caused people to become "non-Christian". The common thread between most of these "village deconversion" stories I read is that they never really understood the Christianity they are rejecting. Most of them never took the time to understand it either - and they all have a similar story:
ReplyDelete"I grew up in the church to draconian parents who never let me do anything I wanted. They made me dress up on Sunday, read the Bible, and pray at meals for crying out loud! Remember all those movies about 'fire and brimstone' preachers in back woods, hick churches - yup, those guys couldn't hold a candle to my parents. They might as well have locked me in a dungeon with a chastity belt!"
Granted, some of them may have actually been there, but it sounds like a "bigger fish" story to me.
When Staks wrote this:
"Then there is the transition period in which an atheist has just left religion and feels completely lost. They are often without the community they have depended on for so long and suffer from the existential questions of life for the first time. They were often used to the belief that God is with them everywhere and now they know that it was all false. So they feel really lonely and even angry that they have been lied to all their lives."
I could easily relate it to my story of coming out of false religion to Christ and say:
"Then there is the transition period in which a new Christian has just left false religion and feels completely overwhelmed. They are often without the community they have depended on for so long and suffer from the existential questions of life for the first time. They were often used to the belief that God was whoever and whatever they wanted Him to be and now they know that it was all false. So they feel really lonely and even angry that they have been lied to all their lives."
The difference is between us is infinite though. Staks "converts" people who don't know God in the first place, away from whatever fellowship (however ignorant) they have known, into loneliness. God converts people who don't know God away from whatever loneliness (however ignorant) they have known, into fellowship.
(Ephesians 2:11-13, ESV) Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands—remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
Thanks for sharing that Jeff. I like the phrase 'village deconversion' -- I'm going to swipe that. Bless you
DeleteJeff, I think there will be many who figure this all out in the coming years. Many won't, but more and more people will understand both (a) that there is a God, and (b) he is who HE is, not what we think he is.
Delete