To ex-Christians out there - what made you lose the faith?
346862
It was a process for me, over time. I stopped going to church, after my mother died, and *they* {the christians} told me she no longer had time for me, and I shouldn't 'try talking to her...so followed no path, or religion for many years after that.  Was pretty PO'd at God...didn't matter which one..\n   After I got married, and was pregnant with my son, my husband and I started going to a little baptist church. I can't really say I had any problems with that church, the people were nice, good to us. But it just didn't ..DO anything for me..\n  I started reading up on other religions...and realized, they were all saying, pretty much the same thing. Just said or called it by a different name. And came, again to the relization, that I'd had as a child, that I really don't think any ONE religion...is Right, or Wrong.  They all have the same message...underneath..it's just how the 'People' interpret it..and they allll interpret everything, in about 20 different ways or more..LOL \n  So then they add 'rules' 'regulations' 'laws'...until the real message, get's lost in a jumble of un-related context, which confuses the heck out of everyone, until their numb in the mind and just follow blindly along, out of fear.\n  The Power's that be, gave us..FREE WILL for a reason..So that we can think for ourselves, and seek out the truth on our own. I think everyone's Truth, is their own...I think everyone's journey, is their own personal walk through this life, and every life. It's what you do with it.
955190
I am an ex-ex-christian. I realized that I was wrong to leave, and went back.
200865
Lack of knowledge /faith in God .
483683
I think "faith" does weaken self-confidence.  And also responsibility.  I feel MUCH better about myself and my abilities now that I'm not a christian anymore.\n\nI was giving all the glory to God when something went right,.... and blaming myself, or attributing it to learning a needed lesson when something didn't go right.\n\nSo anything that was good was never because of me, and anything that was bad was always my fault.  Does that sound healthy to you?
718686
My greatest testimony can when I accepted Jesus as my person Savior. From that moment on everything changed. The desire to sin left me and I began change from the inside out. There were days when the old nature would try to creep back in but the Lord sustained me.  On issues like the old male friend I stayed away from him and joined a church and went every time the doors were open. I got involved in christian events and as I grew stronger through the preached Word, prayer and reading the Bible I was then able to testify to my old friends about the goodness of the Lord and all He had done for me.
613851
why did you dicide to fall from Gods Graces, and do you regret your decision?
149806
it was god or someone you have lost.i talk to god whereever and he does talk to me and answer me.he may not give you what you the answer you want but he knows best.next time ask god to explain his voice and to help you in life and he will.
383545
To test your faith. Unfortunately for me, my faith is weak and I don't know how to strengthen it.
1124297
Speaking as a former Atheist, there is a great deal of bitterness engendered by the treatment they receive from christian churches.  My parents became atheists because of the rampant hypocrisy in the churches in which they were raised, and I, having realized the hypocrisy and chosen atheist at a young age, innocently professed it at school, where I was taunted, kicked, beaten, and generally mistreated by teachers and students alike.  I learned to hate Christianity and Christians and have only recently come to terms with the fact that Jesus had some good points, it's just his followers that are a problem.\n\nThis is just my experience, but perhaps it will answer your question.
928652
I was raised in a Christian home.  My mom played (and still plays) the piano for church, and my dad was sometimes an interim pastor.  He was at the church we attended in South Carolina, when we were between pastors.\nWhen I was 13, I fell away from the faith, because of my bitterness regarding my father's death three years prior, and all of the other people I had lost.\nFor twelve years, I wandered in darkness, even ignoring the fact that God actually spoke to me.\nAbout three weeks ago, I recommitted my life to Christ completely.  I researched the faith, including the history of the church, and the scientific, historic, and archaelogical evidence that supports the Bible.\nSurprisingly, it isn't the research that necessarily led me to God, although it did strengthen my faith.  What REALLY led me to God was the Holy Spirit...there is nothing like the feeling of the Holy Spirit filling you.\n\nThank you for your question, and for giving me the chance to share!
1040286
I'm unsure about my beliefs now, but I was a believer purely out of fear. My parents raised me christian and when I was really little, they made me watch a movie about the rapture. I believed even more solidly because I didn't want god to get mad and take my family away from me. Now that I'm older and seen all the other failed predictions about the end of the world, I don't have that fear anymore. And for various reasons, I now question the existence of god.
1098267
My entire family is Catholic and I was baptized Catholic.  I attended church every Sunday until I was almost 17.  \n\nReasons why I stopped going:\n1. I finally realized it just didn't mean anything to me\n2. I sat there and thought about everything but what was going on (many times about things that probably shouldn't be thought about during mass - ex. "Wow that guy in the third pew is so attractive!!"). I spaced off for the entire hour.\n3. I don't want to disrespect the people who actually care about the religion. I felt like I was making a mockery of them and their faith by being at mass and spacing off the whole time.\n\nI honestly don't think I'd consider going back unless I had a huge life-changing experience that made my faith much, much stronger. I believe in God, but I don't really like the idea of organized religion. Maybe I would if the church became a lot more liberal toward many social issues, but it's not likely.\n\nHope this helps!
39589
"Don't understand what is happening to you?"\n\nCould you elucidate that?\n\nSometimes I get upset at God, yes, but I'm still Christian.
125555
If your faith is too hard to hang on to and you are struggling with it, then you need to find something else to have faith in.  Of course all of the holy rollers here will tell you not to listen to me and all of the crap, but every person has soemthing to learn from another person.  I learned that from the Desiderata.
817574
I started out as a Methodist(christian) I was horrified the older I got how hypocritical people were and two faced!!! I stopped believing in God and became an Atheist But after several years I realized there had to be someone or something responsible for all the good things in the world we couldn't just be in this inconsequential universe could we?? I found Wicca later and it seemed cold and hollow to me... Now I believe in god but not organized religion I just worship in my own way and try to be a good person and that's all I can really be...
1152210
I welcome questions.  They make me think.  Thinking helps me to grow.  Sometimes I have even discovered that I could be *gulp*      wrong...fortunately, not often *whew*.\n\nI love a challenge.  So far, no question or challenge has weakened my faith in God.  If anything, it has grown stronger.  And that can only be a good thing.\n\nNever underestimate the power of faith, my dear.  Faith in the hands of a good person is awesome.  \n\nIn the hands of an evil person it is downright frightening!!\n\n:)
838396
Depression.I have thought about it before,but my "gut" tells me other wise.But,If there was no God,then I would  just be holding on to life for the sake of those who love me.But,yes for about 6 months I doubted the existence of God,and I had to slowly crawl to where I am now.Where am I now?I have no freaking idea.