Christian Rejectionists:  How old were you when you began to suspect that all was not right with Christianity?
457831
There are always times of doubt in what Christianity believes, because the devil is always working against you. I have struggles with not believing how certain things could have occured but the key is to believe and have faith. You could sit all day long and ponder what is real and what isn't but it wont do you any good. In the end Jesus will be found as real, He will come again, and there will be a judgment day. The best advice I can give is to just believe, take what the Bible says and have faith that it is the truth. Jesus is the way, the life, and the truth. Without Him we are nothing!
783137
All who have not yet reached the age of acountability and those mentaly unable to accept or reject God will be spared... as are any of those who die today... this is not strictly biblicaly supported, but it is a position of Faith based upon the certain knowledge of God's Love. As know by those of The True Christian Faith
388749
I wish I was a Christian when I was your age! I'm only 22 now, but I was not saved when I was 16. I was very sinful.\nKeep serving the Lord!
808039
It was early when I felt the Savior's love...maybe about 8.  As I got older I was getting a better understanding (17) but I didn't get fill with the Holy Spirit until 3 yrs ago.  It has been an awesome journey!  My bad has worked out for my good, as well the good working for my good.  I thank God for all things.!
253943
Many many times.  It's the bane of my existance.  Some insist that I am still a christian.  I explain my views in detail but it must be very painful for them to listen (they're religious).  The one closest to me at this very moment is staring at me mutely.  I don't believe he understands a word I'm saying ;P .
1122617
im a christian, ur too old though.
961651
As a conservative evangelical Christian, yes, I feel greatly misunderstood.  It seems there's a misconception that all Christians do is talk about God.  I have a career, kids, a mortgage, bills, and a wide variety of interests.  I'm a person, too!\n\nPeace.
433623
I became an atheist when I was 16.  At 20, I became agnostic, because I think you can't prove or disprove anything epistemically.  But I know where you're coming from.
377420
My husband believed as a child, lost his adoptive father and then decided their must not be a God.  He was eleven.\n\nAt age 31, he went to jail for a crime he says he did not commit.  He sat and looked at his life, the steps that got him where he was.  Whether he committed the crime or not he had done some other pretty heinous things.  He realized most of this started when he stopped believing.  He started to read the bible again and asked God to show him what to do with this mess he called his life.  He repented and accepted Jesus again and while he still struggles, he has been freed from the accusations mostly, and lives a better life now.  It was not a miracle, a lightning bolt, or a burning bush.  It was God wanting him to turn his face back to Him.  He will come to you in many ways, just keep asking and talking and loving Him and your neighbor as yourself.  Blessings.
950264
I was born into a christian family, and heavily involved in the church. Youth group, choir, retreats, the whole bit. \n\nI started asking questions when I hit around age 10 .. and noone would offer answers short of "because". It was eventually made clear to me by our parish priest that I had 2 choices. Quit asking questions or burn in hell.\n\nAs soon as I left home I started researching. I read everything about religion I could get my hands on, devoured the bible over and over again, and cringing at the misconceptions, contradictions and impossibilities this fiction book offered. \n\nAfter several years of wandering and research, I'm a self proclaimed atheist, who shakes my head sadly at the amount of death and destruction done in the name of christianity.\n\n"Of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifiying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity. "\n- Thomas Paine
304929
I'd say no, they don't know.  I was a Christian till about 18 months ago - I very sincerely thought it was right.  As far as I can tell, the Christians I know all really think Christianity is factually true.
813373
Christianity of 200 years ago was propagated by preaching, not by the sword. Christians don't cut your head off if you refuse to become Christian.
920919
I love your question!  Your experiences really hit home with me.  I was raised without religious beliefs when I was very young, but I was raised with spiritual beliefs and was taught about reincarnation, the afterlife, how to read Tarot cards, etc.\n\nWhen I was a teenager I converted to Christianity, and followed that for about five years.  When I was 19 I converted to a pseudo-Christian religion that had its roots in gnosticism and Sabellianism.  I was really into that, and I swore I would never, never leave it, and that I would rather die than denounce it.  I was truly a religious fanatic!\n\nAs I got older, though, I changed.  I stopped seeing the world in black and white, I lost interest in being judgmental, and I decided that where people go when they die is none of my business.  I almost gave up my faith in Jesus because I was so disgusted with religion, but when I thought about my life I realized that a lot of good things have come my way because of God's goodness to me, so I asked God to help me keep my faith.\n\nAfter a couple of years of trying different churches of different denominations, all the while being very skeptical, I have finally found a church where I feel like I belong.  I still have faith in Jesus, but what I don't have is a judging, critical attitude.  I have gained a better understanding of how much God loves all of us, and I like myself a lot better now because I'm not judgmental anymore and because I am more accepting of people, religions of all kind, and life in general.\n\nSo now, at age 40,  I have learned to never say never, to not judge another person, to mind my own business, and to appreciate the beauty and uniqueness that is in every individual.  I also know from my past experiences that my faith will continue to change and hopefully grow.\n\nI could have left church and Christianity altogether, and like I said, I considered it, but I'm glad I didn't.  God helped me become a better person through all of this, and I didn't want to leave God because I know I wouldn't have all the blessings in life I have now and have had in the past if it weren't for Him.\n\nGood luck on your journey, wherever it may take you!
478431
When you grow up in a Christian envioronment the conditioning is very strong, it takes a long while to stop believeing the Christian stuff long after you've rationalised it away...but eventually the brainwashing goes and you one day realise you are free and it's a great feeling of clearness and of having a clean head...but it really can take years.
764615
i was raised Christian and when i began to question things i became agnostic verging on atheist ( when i was about 17 )\nthis lasted for years ... but i did study during those years\nand i researched the paranormal and all those things that i questioned since young due to my own experiences\ni started going to spiritualist church only a year ago ... but have held the same beliefs as they do for the past 7 years ... so it seemed a natural progress for me to take on spiritualism as my faith
1106283
I agree with your thinking of how the "old-young guard" acts, but if I may, I believe you need to take this evolution of behavior one step further. \n\nA defining moment for many in w's age group was when they found God after many personnel and professional failures. The brainwashing that occurs during this so called religious awakening clears them of all guilt, and reinforces the belief that they were right all along, it was only their lack of faith that caused any faltering. \n\nIts quite easy to blame all the worlds problems on the lack of more people being saved, than to really do the hard work of finding answers to all the world questions. The feeling of being one of the elite in the eyes of God, thus not capable of making any wrong decisions, or even being held up to any criticisms, is worn like a badge, and in w's world, a shinning sword of honor.
865211
At least 2000 years. Christianity is not yet civilized in that length of time.