You must not really have been a _____ if you're no longer a _____.?

Question

I keep seeing Christians telling atheists that they couldn't REALLY have been Christians in the past because if they had really truly "gotten" Chrsitianity, they wouldn't have left.

The problem is, it's not unusal to find a Christian who talks movingly about how he/she "used to be" a Wiccan / Muslim / Atheist / Evolutionist / Etc. but now they are a Christian. The message is that they can personally testify as to how much BETTER it is to be a Christian than to be the other thing.

Is it fair, then, to insist that they couldn't have REALLY been this one thing, if they are no longer than one thing? Or can we all agree that people change as they get older and that to hold stubbornly to a creed in the face of all personal experience otherwise is to be intellectually dishonest with yourself?

Answer 1

This is one of the best questions I've ever seen. Well written, very articulate.
I was a christian for 20+ years.. I was totally immersed in it and I believed with all of my heart. No matter what anyone says, I know what I was. They can label me all they like, it doesn't change a thing. I'd love to be dishonest and say I never was one.. believe me, it's not something of which I'm particularly proud. But, I was.

Answer 2

You must not really have been a dupe if you're no longer a Christian.

OK, ok.. the above answer is rather terse and surely offensive to some. I was raised as a Christian, went to church, Sunday school, youth camps, etc., etc.. I honestly never bought into it. I went through all the motions, read the Bible thoroughly many times, and participated in worship services. I developed an interest in science and mathematics at a young age. Everything I was being taught by my fellow Christians was in direct conflict with fact. My own mother would laugh out loud at me for trying to explain ideas like evolution and for even considering the possibility of life on other planets. She buys into the young Earth, creationist myths. Anyway, I guess I never really ever truly believed any of the God/Jesus stuff, the more I learned, the less it made any sense what so ever to me. I am now completely free of it and have been for about 30 years.

Answer 3

I was a Christian for years. People on here say that I wasn't really, but believe me I was. I loved God with all my heart, soul, and mind - even more than I loved my parents, I think.

People say I turned away from God, but I didn't really, it's more like one day I realized he just wasn't there. I tried to pretend for a long time, but it just started feeling more and more hollow.

I guess that sounds like I ended up an atheist, but I'm really a Wiccan. It's kind of complicated. I DO think it's better than being a Christian, but I would never push what is right for ME onto someone ELSE.

EDIT: I agree that you can't even win with the 'once saved, always saved' folks. Because, of course, if you HAD been saved, you'd still be at church. Gah!

Answer 4

Of course people change. That is what life is about. A Christian is a Christian. There is no such thing as REALLY being a Christian. The statement you are talking about is just Christianity being full of itself.

As a matter of fact, most normal Christians wouldn't tell you something stupid like that. Only the fanatics that you find in all religions will spout that nonsense.

The statement if false. I was once a small child. I really was a small child, but now I am not. It is totally idiotic to say that I was never really a small child because I am not now. That might sound off-topic, but the logic is present in all parts of life. All things change, no matter what some people say.

Answer 5

When you get your spirit Recreated (Born-Again, Saved) THE Only Way to Lose that is to commit the Unpardonable Sin.
Very Few Christians do this, it takes time to commit it and it is hard to do.

Now, what usually happens is this--you got alot of Children of GOD running around Thinking that they are Atheist, Wiccans, Muslims, Lost (because they cannot FEEL GOD anymore) so on and so on because they left the church and went into the world and they think that they are gonners.

If you don't RENEW your Soul (second mind) AFTER you are Born-Again, you can get DECIEVED and get into all Kinds of ERROR.
Your still GOD's Kid, but you quit Reading the Bible and got brainwashed into thinking your an atheist or something!

The only way to lose that RECREATED Spirit is to commit the unpardonable sin.
Other than that, your still SAVED and on your way to Heaven, and a Bit Confused cause you didn't renew your Mind and left GOD and went into other false things (religions, cults, error etc.) which will not mess up your spirit again OR send you to hell.
Hope this helps.

Answer 6

Yes, but see, their thing is ONLY Christianity is the truth. So if they were Muslim or Wicca or whatever, that was a "fake" religion. So it basically doesn't matter and never really existed. And the whole thing is to show that Christianity is the one and only true religion.

Answer 7

thank you for this question.
i totally agree with you , from personal experience.
i was in the church for many years , working my way up to the most"godly" church i could find...pentecostal. i prayed excessive, i "searched" for god with everything that was in me. i attended and hosted bible studies for years. i made sure my kids went to private Christian school. i LIVED for god. i tried to live the best i could on faith alone. when i felt that god had healed me from an anxiety disorder and quit my meds on faith........i crashed. i had a complete mental breakdown. it took many months to recover, and when i did, i began to review my life. i realized that what i had believed for so many years....just wasn't true.

but now if i say that i was once saved (and therefore always saved :?) but no longer consider myself a christian, many Christians will tell me that " well then i have to wonder if your heart really accepted jesus to begin with".

you cant win in that game.so i quit.

Answer 8

well put. yes, people change and so do some of their beliefs. there is nothing wrong with finding a new religion that suits who you are better than the one you're currently in.

in paganism, we find this often. people often start out with wicca because it is becoming so well known, but as they research and learn, they realize that wicca isn't only the pagan path out there, and they are better suited for druidism, asatru, or witchcraft etc.

don't live and learn, learn and live!

Answer 9

No you have only seen one small sect of Christianity voice this opinion. Jesus receives people however they come to Him.

And scripture speaks of people who have tasted the truth and fallen away. So they must have believed in the first place and tasted of the Christian life.

Answer 10

What Christians are actually saying is "I know you are, but what am I?" or "Takes one to know one."

I used to be one, then I grew up.