Korean Job Discussion Forums

seoulunitarian · Joined: 06 Jul 2004

With all the religious talk going on around here, I've often wondered how many of us are former Christians. I was raised Baptist, married (and now divorced) a Baptist, and was a Southern Baptist missionary in China before giving it up. Tell your stories if you are a former Christian.

Peace

Yaya · Joined: 25 Feb 2003 Location: Seoul

My mother is a Jesus freak, and tried to pound the Bible into my head. To this day, her face reminds me of the people you see on Seoul streets asking people to "Praise Jesus, Hallelujah!"

Most people into Christianity seem to be stupid.

ED209 · Joined: 17 Oct 2006

Like that rash I had, it spread, got itchy, then went away.
I still had to put up with this

but thank god not this

faster · Joined: 03 Sep 2006

Raised Catholic, but never bought it.

Joined Spaghetti Monsterism, but became disillusioned by the increasing emphasis on iconography.

I'm now working on a draft of my new religious text that will be divinely delivered to me (by a cadre of alien robot jajjang-myeon drivers) in the form of blocks of tofu inscribed with holy teachings in the abandoned language of Atlantis (it won't be delivered until after I finish writing it, of course).

I'm taking pre-orders for the text and reservations for my first spiritual retreat. Checks payable to "Faster, high bagwan pandit guru-ananda pope cardinal al-qazzam!"

Troll_Bait · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 5:51 am Post subject:

My whole family used to be Christian. I think only my mother is still a believer. My sister converted to Buddhism, as have I (There's no formal ceremony or anything like that.). It's something that we both arrived at separately. I think my father is now an agnostic. Whatever he believes now, he's certainly not a Christian anymore.
My father and I have both read books like The Jesus Puzzle: Did Christianity Begin with a Mythical Christ? Challenging the Existence of an Historical Jesus, by Earl Doherty , and have come to the conclusion that there isn't enough evidence for the existance of a historical Jesus.
Buddhism's moral code (the Eightfold Noble Path and the Five Precepts) include all the Christian ethics that I believed in, plus more.

(I think I'll write some more details later.)

kermo · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:02 am Post subject:

I used to be a Christian. I read the Bible, had spiritual experiences, had answered prayers, and a close church community.
Then some people called me nasty names and insulted my intelligence.
So I decided to think for myself and become an agnostic.

gang ah jee · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper

tomato · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:44 am Post subject:

I wish I could tell my story, but it's too unpleasant.

the eye · Joined: 29 Jan 2004

For you, or for us?

tomato · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 6:56 am Post subject:

For me.
Living under the vigtilant eye of Big Brother was bad enough the first time.

the eye · Joined: 29 Jan 2004

C'mon. Consider it latent therapy.

Novernae · Joined: 02 Mar 2005

I was raised Catholic, but I was a kid, so I believed what I was told. Once I started thinking for myself, I became agnostic. Then I learned more, thought more, and realised that there is no good reason to believe in any god. If someone presents me with some new evidence, I'll evaluate it. I, of course, haven't shut myself off from re-evaluating my beliefs, but I just don't see it as being anything likely.

Xian · Joined: 08 Jan 2006

tomato · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 2:53 pm Post subject:

Someone else on another thread is also pleading the "no true Scotsman" fallacy: anyone who embarrasses the Christians is not a true Christian.
The Inquisitors? The Crusaders? The witch hunters? None of them were true Christians!

Too bad that everyone else can't use such a convenient escape clause.
Then pro-lifers could say that the abortion clinic bombers were not true pro-lifers.
Then Castro could say that the airplane hijackers were not true Cuban Communists.
Then Ford Motor Company could say that the Edsel was not a true Ford automobile.

Troll_Bait · Posted: Wed Apr 25, 2007 3:56 pm Post subject:

Xian:

Turning from Christianity is not necessarily turning from God.
There are literally billions of people who believe in God but are not Christian.
This kind of attitude is one of the reasons I turned from Christianity.

By the way, I think Kermo was just being humorous.

P.S. I think Rteacher's family is Christian (He's Armenian.), and obviously he converted, but he doesn't seem to be talking.