Anyone say that they were once a Christian but now your not?

Question

Do you realize that by your own admission ("I was once a Christian, but now I am an Athiest.") that you never truely were a Christian?
What does it mean to be a Christian? Lets list it out:
#1) You believe that there is a God and that his son on this earth was Jesus Christ, who was crucified on a cross, and saved us from our sins.
#2) You accept that Jesus is your savior, you believe that you are a sinner, and you confess those sins.
#3) You try to live your life by Gods teachings and you ask forgiveness for the times that you do fall short and sin.
#4) You believe from that point on ,no reverting back, that you are saved and will spend eternity with God and Jesus.
#5)You do as God commanded and spread his word of salvation to anyone that you meet whose soul is lost.
If you can not say that that is the way you believe and live your life at this exact moment, then you never were a true Christian. You were a false Christian. Never saved or true believer. Did you know that?

You know to think that is kinda like a guy dressing and living his life as a woman for 10 years and then going back to living as a man. Doesn't mean he ever really was a woman does it? You were acting Christians and are soiling the good name of Christians by claiming that you ever really were one. You may have read the bible every day, gone to Church, and even been baptized, but if you can truely say now that you are not a Christian, then you never really were. Converting is not an option for a true Christian. So my point is, don''t claim to have been "one of us" when you never were "one of us". But we still hope you will realize you are wrong and become a Christian before you die. :)

A person was ever a true Christian will never say the words "I don't beieve in God." There are false Christians in churches all over the world. They are the ones who "walked down the isle", got "baptized" and go to church to look good in the communtiy. A Christian can fall out of the will of God and then redidicate their lives, but a false Christian will stop believing in God all together, claim that it was all a farse, and promote non-believing.

Answer 1

Hmmmmm....

I don't know. Seems to me that perhaps this sort of final dicision should be left up to god.

I could be wrong of course.

Pabs

Answer 2

As a child I wandered into vacation bible school at the Methodist church and when they did the noontime 'sermon' I thought, 'Oh! That sounds like a good deal, eternal life! OK.'

A few years later I was sent to a Christian high school for 2 years and was constantly bombarded with the 'message'. I was inside the fold.

As an adult I began to question all I had been taught and went to every different kind of Christian denomination's services I could find. None of it 'fit'. None of it had the ring of truth. I could not, in good conscience, embrace the message. I finally, after a period of agnosticism, found a belief system that feels right. It is no organized group. It is spiritual. I don't believe there is a personified God but a Divine 'force' in our Universe.

I was not a false Christian. You are accusing people who question of being evil, of being liars. I was 'saved' in VBS. Your hate, your ill intent toward other human beings, is that Christian? I don't think you are spiritual at all. You are a 'rules and regulations' Nazi.

What do you think of that?

Answer 3

Well, I was 8 yrs old when I was "converted" and "saved". I was at a Billy Grahm Crusade with my aunt who refused to let me go down the aisle because she wanted to beat the traffic. I broke free from her and ran crying and screaming down the aisle. I sincerely and with child like faith asked jesus to be my lord and saviour. From that point on I could not get enough! My parents were not xtians.....so I went to church with a friend. Imagine an 8 yr old doing this. My parents eventually followed me and my Father and I were baptised together. I became a Bible drill team member...memorizing verse after verse. As a teen I taught children's sunday school, VBS and much more. I even carried a little notebook to write down little sins throughout the day so that I would not forget to ask forgiveness. I regularly went on mission trips with the church and was on fire for god for many yrs. I went to a conservative Christian college, majoring in Music Ed, and minoring in theology. As my studies went deeper I began to see the awful truth of my religion and the countless lies as well. I was heartbroken, but free. Now I hold a Doctorate in Comparative religion. I am not the only scholar who has left the christian religion upon true study of the "scriptures". There is no force in this entire universe that could cause me to ever return to that religion. I am an ex-born again.

So, how bout you really study your bible....from all sources. Get deep. Read it in Hebrew and aramaic. Learn who the authors of those books really are. Find out....stop being spoonfed by your pastor.

How dare you say that I was a false, insincere Christian at the age of 8? I went against my family to be Christian. That is a big deal for an 8 yr old! Funny, I had to go against my family again to leave that oppressive religion. I'm so glad that I did.

Answer 4

Do you realize that just because one isn't a Christian - that doesn't make one an atheist?

And yes - one can be a former Christian. This is just the sort of rhetoric that Christians have created to further isolate themselves from the rest of the world.

Where do you get this stuff?

And where the heck do YOU get the AUTHORITY to judge other people? Apparently you missed the Sunday where they went over that in your church, huh?

Answer 5

Most people were not given the choice to become christian (or any other faith), they were born into it. So yes, it would be probably more correct for them to say I was raised christian, and for some time I believed in god. And to you: if children are raised in a certain faith they will for a time truly believe in that faith. Only when they get older they will start questioning their faith and if that faith doesn't stand up to that questioning they will loose it. For me: I do not see that christians are in any matter better people than anybody else. Your points listed above interestingly do not include any humanitarian points.
As an additional matter for reflection, I am just reading Frederick Douglass' book "My bondage and my freedom". He explicitly says that in his experience the religious slaveholders as a class treated their slaves much worse than the irreligious ones. The religion here being exclusively Christianity.What is one to think of a religion which produces such effects?
And don't respond that they weren't truly christians. They were recognized as such by all their neighbors and their priests as well and would qualify for all your 5 points you made.

Answer 6

I used to believe in all of those things except #5. I never thought it was my job to convert the world to CHrfistianity because that is their choice. In fact I went to a CHristian school with many non-Christians.

I think that #4 and #5 aren't based on any scriptual fact. There is nothing to support your claims.

God commanded that you spread the good news. I always thought that meant being nice to everyone and setting a good example. Loving thy neighbor sort of stuff.

I believed solely as a child that Jesus Christ would help me.

I don't think it's up to you to judge if I was a Christian.

Answer 7

Well you are wrong.
1.) I used to believe in Santa too, but I grew up. It doesn't mean I didn't once believe.
2.) I once believed that a man, with a bowl full of jelly for a tummy slid down my chimney.
3.) I tried to be good all year so I would get free presents.
4.) I believed that little elves helped him make toys for every girl and boy in the world.

It is sad to me that you are so judgemental. I also used to believe in the Easter Bunny, Jesus, The Tooth Fairy and various other fictional characters. It doesn't mean that now because I believe in logic and facts that at the time I wasn't a true believer. I feel sorry for you. I will meditate on your judgemental, holier than thou behaviour. Peace be with you.

Answer 8

Why do you keep asking the same question?

In my experience, I have found that most atheists were formerly religious... up until the point where they learned how to think properly. The fact that you repeatedly come on here, proclaiming that the myths, superstitions, fairy tales and fantastical delusions of an ignorant bunch of Bronze Age fishermen and peripatetic goat herders represent some kind of infallible cosmic 'truth' reveals that you have never made the transition from infantile gullibility to adult thinking. Be happy in your willful ignorance and delusions.

Answer 9

Yes...I believed very storngly in christianity until I was 10. People who opposed me would be showered with a barrage of bible phrases..then I realized how ridiculous I was being when I matured during puberty. Seems like something a lot of people never went through...

Answer 10

and you know peter, right? Peter said I will die for you, and jesus told him before the cock crows, you will deny 3 times that you know me...

so I suggest you close your mouth a little, miss confessions on a dancefloor. Its not your business to judge who's a real christian and who's not.

Answer 11

You know, I'd imagine knowing they were never actually a Christian will make them feel better. They don't want to be associated with any of it and will be glad to know (from an expert) that they don't have to ever admit they were Christian.

None of these people wants to be known as a Christian. Thanks for helping them out.