Thanks to everyone for watching. I'm overwhelmed and surprised. Thanks for the comments and the emails. I wasn't expecting the response I've gotten. I apologize that I've been so long without another video and for the emails I haven't answered yet. My life got pretty hectic not long after uploading this video. The biggest thing is I'm now a father! Yay! It was quite unexpected, but my wife and I were presented with an opportunity to adopt a beautiful little girl who was born January 12th. Although we weren't planning for kids at the time we jumped at the opportunity and couldn't be happier. However, our baby girl had some issues and is still in the hospital as of right now about 3 hours from home. It's been a bit hectic between working 3rd shift, trying to get our house ready for a new addition to the family, work through the adoption process, and do all this while trying to spend every possible second with our baby who is 3 hours away. She's doing a lot better, and we're hopeful that maybe in a week or two she'll be ready to come home. Maybe sometime in the future I'll finally squeeze in a little time to make some more videos. I have a few things in mind, including one issue that I'm especially wanting to talk about. Until then I'll try to answer the emails that I haven't gotten around to yet. I'll be honest I try to read the comments, but it's hard to keep up with. If you have anything you'd especially want me to see you can email Joe.therebelsadvocate@gmail.com Thanks again guys, take care.
TheRebel'sAdvocate Joe Stilwell I know I'm a bit late, but I hope your new child is finally home and doing well. Excited to see new videos from you one day!
TheRebel'sAdvocate Joe Stilwell Congratulations! I hope she is fine and dandy. By the way, is your wife any religious? Are you going to raise your daughter with religion, with atheism, or just dont Bring up religion? Hope there will be more videos soon. Also the bible says that you shall not have any god above God m, therefore you wont get punoshed for that unless you believe in The Holy Spagghetti Monster. ;-)
TheRebel'sAdvocate Joe Stilwell I think your video was so popular is because it's about Atheism, there is so many of us that remain quite we go alone with the B. S. just to get alone but we still have the need to socialize with like minded people
MinecraftDudes my wife is what I call a non practicing Christian. She does in fact believe in God, but doesn't go to church or really let her beliefs affect her life in any way that I can see. She is very supportive of me. As far as our baby, I hope to teach her HOW to think, and not WHAT to think. I'll let her make her own decisions. I can't shelter her from hearing about religion so I'll just teach her about ALL religions.
For someone who's "socially awkward" making his "first video," you sound like a pro. Great work. I hope you've done more videos since. Welcome to the world of sanity.
Wow. I love your story and the way you narrated it. Don't worry about the way you handle the camera-- you're great! I have subscribed and will look forward to more of your videos! Thank you!
Can relate 100%. I also had a pastor for a father (my father was a Southern Baptist pastor when I was young, we had our own little church etc, that changed but we always stayed active in the church). I like how you describe it, my wife was a Mormon from Utah and we both went through the same process where one day in our car we were talking about God (not something we were talking much about at that point) and I was like "Ohh yeah, I guess I'm an atheist", my wife agreed for herself too. As you described it was a slow transition. I also experienced that same peace once you realize you can drop the baggage. I also think the most surprising thing is a stronger moral core IMHO. Now i want to be good and do good things because I CHOSE to, not because some God told me to (and depending on your specific beliefs under threat of hell). In hindsight the idea that a Christian can claim moral superiority when they do good things primarily because God told them to vs owning their own choices and desires and sacrifices. Also never feel bad about calling yourself an atheist... people miss the most obvious literal definition a = not theist = believer in a god or gods So if you're NOT a theist you are (whether you think or not) an atheist by definition. It says nothing about anything else including whether you are open to or not open to things etc or what you believe about knowledge, etc. I also understand how you feel about reading the Bible now. It feels so obviously and transparently the same as every other ancient religion. I now find it very fascinating from that perspective though, trying to understand what the authors of the parts of the Bible believed and why and what the historical context was etc (watching people like Kipp Davis, Joshua Bowen, Dan McClellan, and various others).
Thanks for watching. I remember a few years ago feeling like I was mostly alone with my skepticism, but I have found that to be far from true. Just wanted to add my voice to help others feel less alone.
Glad you're finding out that you're not alone. And know you can find yourself free to become more educated on subjects that previously you may have shied away from because of you previous fundamental religious beliefs. After all knowledge is the true enlightenment.
Right, Michael. Religions preach and are against "knowledge" outside the church. You would think that if they really believe what they are preaching about the bible and their faith that it could withstand knowledge and questions.
I'm also an atheist who went to a christian school. Our bible teacher always had us watch Kent Hovind. I remember loving watching him DESTROY THE EVOLUTIONISTS but now I laugh at his ridiculous arguements. - This just in. I didn't know this but he is now making youtube videos. As I am typing this, he uploaded a video 4 hours ago. He's still at it.
People will either go one way or the other shifting them. That people goes out and come in, is just the way it is. Not all hearts are for the Truth and not all hearts are for Lies - and then over time, as life goes on, some will go and some will come.
Thanks for sharing yourself, Joe. Humankind needs more people as brave as you, unafraid to reveal who they are, unafraid to expose religion as pure superstition, unsupported by evidence. People convince themselves it's valid only to avoid ostracism, and to find the illusion of comfort in a world filled with trauma. I look forward to more videos.
Hey Joe ..Thanks for doing this... everytime someone does their story like this, it helps a lot more people than you realize. A lot of people are still in the closet as Non-Believers. It always makes others glad to know they aren't alone. I am here if you ever need to talk etc brother.
Thank you for a glimpse into how you ended up changing your mind about such a major part of your life. I am always interested in how people come to believe the things they believe.
Thanks for sharing your story. I grinned when you said you were going to forget everything you were told and read the Bible for yourself. That move is usually fatal to religious beliefs. Glad you made it out!
I think one of the weird things for me as I gradually rejected religion was for a long time atheism still seemed strange, kind of alien, maybe even a little threatening in a way. Like Brian from Family Guy was atheist and my reaction was just like "But why, though? Why make a character like that?" I don't even really understand why the idea was uncomfortable to me at that point. I don't remember ever having any particular thoughts about atheists or atheism back when I was a Christian - it was more like, I barely even recognized it as a possibility or something.
I think something worth pointing out here is that courage is a very contagious thing. The business of emerging from the religious beliefs instilled in us in childhood is a difficult one under any circumstances. But it must be discernibly harder down in The Old Confederacy, i.e., what we now call the Bible Belt. I think that Mr. Stilwell's example will lend courage to what must be the many unbelievers who are still in the closet Down South, and now we may begin to see them coming out of the woodwork and more boldly asserting themselves. He may well be that final snowflake that starts an avalanche. He deserves much credit for putting himself out there, virtually alone, into the landscape of unbelief. So our hats are off to you, Johnny Reb. The other thing to remember is that in this blessed country, no person is under any obligation to account for his beliefs to any other person, that religion is a private business, and every American is at perfect liberty either to discuss his beliefs out there in the public square--the great marketplace of ideas--or to keep them entirely to himself. And if he chooses to go public with them, as Mr. Stilwell has done, that he may do so without fear of molestation. That's what America's cherished religious liberty is all about, and we must all, believers and unbelievers alike, fight to keep it. And to maintain the supremely important political condition that undergirds it, the separation of church and state.
I like to identify as an agnostic, mainly because i argue against both sides - theists and atheists. Not because i want to be neutral and lukewarm on God topic, but because arguments from both sides are usually very bad. Yes, some atheists say it is stupid of me to lack a belief in God and reject their pretty atheist label... but those people also say that it is stupid to argue against my own group and even more stupid to deny those truths about myself, so they kinda forced me to stick to the agnostic label and say that it is THEY who is being stupid and wrong about me. Anyway, i think the best is to delay identifying as much as possible - simply present your claims and arguments and dont tell who you are until they ask you. I dont get insulted by wrong label, it seems that neither label is perfect enough to describe who i am (the closest to perfection is "eclectic" label, but that doesnt tell them much about me).
I have failed as an atheist! All I have are 5 rescue dogs and a rescued horse. The dogs must the Christian or Muslim because they said, "No Cats!" Great story and thanks for posting.
31:55 I realized the real problem, which is trying to find a single word that describes our opinion on every single different concept of God. God can be defined as anything! It's easy to come up with a God which is easy to disprove. Which everyone would agree we can *know* doesn't exist, not just a lack of belief. Simply by defining it as something which if it exists, would provide absolute evidence which we objectively don't see. It's also easy to come up with a God that can't be easily disproved, by defining it as one that doesn't leave evidence. It's all powerful and all knowing but doesn't want us to know it exists. Since it has the power to remain invisible and never provide evidence, the lack of evidence & "divine hiddenness" is fine. It's the difference between disproving that there's a teacup orbiting Mars...and disproving that there's currently a teacup in my hand. It's the difference between disproving that (1) your cat can't secretly speak fluent English but doesn't want you to know...and, (2) disproving that your cat can easily talk and desperately wants to talk to you...also, your cat takes your belief in their ability to speak, & the belief that you have had multiple conversations in English with your cat, so seriously, that you deserve to be tortured forever for failing to recognize this, for not *knowing* your cat speaks English. You also have to believe your cat is all good and all loving, merciful, and just...despite the whole torture thing. Also, no other cat told you this. I told you this. A random human. Have I any proof any cat can talk? Have I heard my cat speak? No. I only think this because someone else told me. But technically, just because you haven't heard your or any cat speak yet, doesn't mean it's impossible! Therefore, clearly you must only lack a belief in this man made nonsense. 🙄 Totally ignore the additional beliefs surrounding the cat's motivations, which if true *would* lead to the cat speaking to you. Therefore, the silence IS evidence the cat can't speak, if by "cat" we mean the kind which loves you & is desperate to talk with you...and will torture you forever if you don't somehow believe. Instead of the "cat" which doesn't want you to know it can speak and doesn't *want* to talk to you. Just defining God as evil immediately takes away my #1 reason I think the Christian God cannot exist...because of the law on non contradiction. We'd have to change the definition of "Good" first. So yeah, I'm way more agnostic towards some God concepts, but absolutely atheist towards most, definitely all man made ones. I believe the Christian God does not exist. They are wrong. There's no good reason to think any human is correct. The funny thing is that we don't treat anyone but atheists like this. When someone says they aren't an atheist and they believe in God... it's assumed they are talking about a specific God. How insane would it be to use "theist" as a positive belief in all Gods? To expect believers to have an equal level of belief in anything someone labels "God?" To have the same opinion, apply to all religious claims? In reality, theists are atheist towards most gods as well. "Agnostics" are definitely more atheist than they'd like to admit. I only don't identify as an "agnostic" because all believers think it applies to them, no matter what crazy shit they claim to be true, no matter how contradictory (and therefore impossible) it is. Richard Dawkins tried to improve this btw by creating his 8 point scale of atheism, but his scale still applies to all Gods. It's better than nothing, but in reality each God concept needs its own scale... **TL;DR** We can't have one word that applies equally to all gods. Everyone is born atheist, and everyone is always atheist towards either all or the majority of Gods. Atheists are agnostic and agnostics are atheistic, but think they have to believe they can disprove every single possible definition of God 100% for sure in order to identify as "atheist"...or they fear that's how people will take it. That fear is why I used to identify only as "agnostic."
Yes…. It is dangerous to start thinking In my case, I started wondering if Hindu children would go to hell if they died unbaptized I learned they would…. And not only that, I learned that I was going to hell for not believing god would do this
I feel like me and you have very similar stories about how we realized the truth. Growing up I was in the same type of long skirt wearing-longhaired-no shorts-no TV-private school-holy roller- church. When I was going there I was being raised to be the next generation of preachers. When I was 14 I started to read the bible in its entirety. In 13 months I finished it. While I was reading I was taking notes on the bible in a 150 page spiral notebook. in the beginning it was about how great and magnificent God was, but over time it shifted into my confusion about why we didn't kill gay people or why we ate pork and shellfish when the bible says not to. It then became a list of contradictions that are scattered all throughout the bible. At the end of those 13th months I had a long lists of questions that not many people were unable to answer my question. They would just tell me "Oh God works in mysterious ways" or when I'd ask why we couldn't mix fabrics or why we don't keep slaves or why we don't kill non-believers. I would be told "Those are just the laws of the ancient Jewish culture." but that never made sense to me because of 2 Timothy 3:16. Or maybe it was verse 15 (it's been a while since I've read it) It says that the bible is the word of the Lord. So just like you I turned to RUclips. I feel like our stories are so similar and that I can relate to you, because it was by reading the Bible that we came to our senses about how ridiculous it really is but I digress. when I delved into RUclips searching for answers I found them, but not in the way that I wanted. I wanted to prove that the Bible was true and that everything I've dedicated my life to and everything I've planned my future for wasn't a lie. After a few weeks of research I didn't want to believe it, but all the facts were there in front of me. I still wanted to be sure, so I read the bible again in 16 months this time. By the time I was 16 I could say I was Atheist and be happy about it. There's a part of me that wishes I could go back to my previous ignorance, but I'm just much happier this way. I wonder if anyone read this far.
Hearing a southern accent talk about atheism in a positive light is something I thought I'd never see, haha, your story is very inspiring, mine is like yours but a bit less glorious and not really a happy ending for me yet seeing as I'm underage and can't really "get away" from religion so to speak. I'm from Southern Arizona, so you know, everyone is catholic here, but thank you for sharing!
Us older guys think you're lucky to have recognized your skepticism at this stage in your life and your having access to other skeptics. You won't be as indoctrinated and you'll be more able to question and evaluate freely.
keeps ticking up slowly. At this point it's 1.7k likes, not views. 28k views. I think it's because it's not such a slick and prepared story, makes it feel more genuine.
Good vid! I broke free from a religious cult a few years ago, so I get the power of religious brainwashing. As a young child I questioned this mess and was told to hush & never question "god". Well, I'm glad to be free from it all, so you're not alone.
@@StennMathis no, I grew up Christian from Baptist to A.M.E. Zion to Non denominational. Then when I turned 25 I joined a group that's called Hebrew Israelite, which became a cult.
A lot of religious brainwashing is contingent on "not questioning god". And then you ask yourself "why shouldn't I ask questions about something I want to base my entire life upon"? Then you ask these questions and find yourself going down a rabbit hole of a litany of questions. When you get all the answers you're looking for you realize, "oh man. I'm an atheist now". Suddenly all the religious doctrine sounds nonsensical when you hear it
Buddy, listening to your story was like listening to my own. I remember exactly where I was standing when I realized “Holy shit! I am an atheist.” It was as much a shock to me as anything. I’ll follow and keep track of your story.
Don't stop. Ive been too afraid to start a channel cause I have so many insecurities from my religion as a ex Jehovah witness. I truly enjoyed your video and how candid u were. Thank you for sharing your story. I alwso was afraid to be an atheist but now its something im proud of. Im so happy for us!!!! We found our voice and have a new outlook on life and so much freedom now. Please keep sharing! 😊 ❤
... born again atheist here 🙋♀️ ... indoctrinated baptist. in church 4 nights a week and twice on sunday 🤦♀️ i also left at 18 when i married to get away. so many of your thoughts and concerns were also mine.
Don't know what the hell I'm in for, but the title sold me. Accidentally athiest describes me perfectly. A lot of bible reading (cover to cover), a lot of praying, and a lot of asking questions and at one point I realized I'd taken that exit miles and miles ago.
I also grew up in a fundamental church! Same thing! No TV, women could not work or wear pants, no makeup... We had church 7 times a week and would go out witnessing or "soul winning" every Saturday. I left when I was 19 and went through a lot with coming to terms about myself. I am glad seeing somebody else like me.
Greetings from another southern atheist (currently living in Minnesota)! I also left the faith relatively late in life, at the age of 42. What did it for me was studying Christian theology. I've had Christian friends hear that I'm now an atheist, and immediately assume some horrific, disillusioning experience on my part, and I'm like, "No, I just think too much!" Great to hear your story man! I'm subbed up, and enjoy catching up on your stuff.
Thanks so much. I enjoy hearing other's stories of how they left religion. Seems like a lot of these stories involve people reading and studying the bible. Religious people say you are running from God, yet it was while doing something that should draw you closer to him that ultimately led you away.
@@TheRebelsAdvocate Thank you from alifetimer atheist and online apologist. Your talk was one of the best. Stunning and brave,as they say and some of it humorous. 'Heck, I ain't no atheist,I just don't believe in God, that's all" £
I totally know what you are talking about with the peace of not having to do mental gymnastics to make sense of your beliefs anymore. It all becomes so much simpler when you realize it didn't make sense because it just wasn't real in the first place. Christians talk about the peace that passes all understanding. Well, I thought I had that, but I have much more peace now that I've stopped believing. That was a totally unexpected benefit. When I was a Christian, I thought all atheists were deeply sad and just living for temporary pleasures with no real peace, and that's just not true either.
I just got done watching... our stories are very similar. I started watching Christopher Hitchens on youtube when I was a believer and I thought that man is lost LOL. ... then months later I became an atheist too.
Sitting here in the third world watching ppl give their small savings and underaged daughters to holy men, and thinking, 'you thought Hitchens was lost.' But it's the congregation that's lost.
Hey, I was Pentecostal as well, but not oneness. Isn't it funny how even though we were same denomination, our churches were still very different with vastly different beliefs? Thanks so much for watching. I do plan on making more. I'll try my best not to ramble so much next time, and make them a bit shorter lol.
Joseph Stine Pentecostals make the fundamental mistake of ruling out the possibility of other religions being saved. When it comes to their rhetoric about the Catholic Church they go even further and demonize that religion, so when Pentecostal church members do any research and learn that the very bible they look to for Gods word was assembled by a group of Catholic priests they leave. Once you see one hypocrisy you start to see the rest of them and then the house of cards falls. That’s my sad truth.
*For Christians, that can't understand why atheists don't believe in their God* _(some perspective)_ Just as you are not convinced of the _super natural God claims,_ that Muslims or Hindu's make about their religions, we feel that exact same way, about the miraculous claims of Christianity. _(unconvinced)_
You appear to be a very sweet and gentle guy. Keep up the good work. I like your innocent, yet measured quality, to your quest for truth. This was a good first video.
If god is all powerful and Jesus was his only son, who died on the cross, couldn't he just give himself another son? If god is all knowing, when Jesus was killed on the cross, he knew jesus would rise in 3 days, so is that the great sacrifice?
If Jesusdied for everyone, why are womenn still being punishedFor Eve? Why did godd need a chiIds sacrifice to forgive? Couldn't he just forgive? If JesusCould heaInthe bIind, why not just heaI bIindness?
For starters, I have 4 cats, so I must be a hard line atheist. lol. I come from a fundamental family too. My grandfather and grandmother were pastors. My dad does seminars on the End Times. He's been doing them since the 1980's I became a pastor and my brother became a pastor. In College I was nicknamed the RBS (Resident biblical scholar) After pastoring about 4 years things started to change. My wife first started asking questions and I searched for the answers. Couldn't find them. At first I was thinking that our theology was wrong, but one by one my beliefs crumbled as I researched the Bible. I don't speak out much since I live and work in a very conservative area. I have moved to another state, so my family doesn't know where I stand, although I think they know I'm not a Christian anymore. It's hard to come out and say what you have said. I'm not there yet. Thanks for your thoughts.
You're either convinced, pretending to be convinced, or you're not convinced. And you really don't need any evidence at all to become any of these three.
thanks for sharing joe. my faith was lost by reading the bible studying ever chapter as well. so many flaws. That was the straw that broke the bible's back. we are the ones who will lead the world to a better place. a place thats not perfect but a place we can learn,grow and make man kind prosper.
A story of a man made from dirt and a woman made from a bone meeting up with a talking snake is hard to believe even if you will suffer eternal damnation for not believing it's true.
Lets look at those passages mentioned from a different perspective. Man made from "dirt". The translation is "rudiments" so, elements basically. We are O2, Fe, C etc. Woman made from rib. Translation is "side" (as to be an equal partner) but can also translate "curve". DNA is curved, so if the X chromosome was "extracted" its possible. A talking snake. Its an idiom we still use today, not literal. So, everything you mentioned has a scientific, Biblical, and common sense explanation, you just had wrong perspective.
@@timorean320 Using the word curve and jumping to DNA is not logical. The people back then wouldn't have even known what DNA is. So to make a claim that the bible is scientific in an era where science either didn't exist or was just barely getting off the ground. Is just not a possibility at all. More over rudiments as elements would have meant fire, Water, Air, And earth. Not Biological because again. They wouldn't have known what that even was.
@@Nyla_Corvina Im not saying its fact, just a plausible explantion. Here is why. Lets take the Caduceus symbol for example, medical symbol, 5K years old at least, carried by god Hermes, but have you ever noticed how similiar it is to the Double Helix of DNA? Maybe, when a culture encounters a way more advanced Civilization, they copy what they see, but dont understand. Heck, there is a tribes in Africa that make similation of planes with twigs to mimic what they saw flying, so, there is that.
@@Nyla_Corvina Really? What does the god Hermes carry? A Caduceus. Medical symbol (odd, why is it?), 5K years old at least. Ever noticed how similiar it is to the Double Helix of DNA? Knowledge gets lost, but symbols remain.
@@Nyla_Corvina I have left 2 replies, but deleted (why?) Do you know what a Caducues is? 5K year old medical symbol (why is that?) What does it look like? DNA. Knowledge gets lost, but the logos remain.
This video kept popping up in my feed, so I finally decided to watch and discovered how similar this story is to mine. I took a few different curves on the way to my deconversion, but arrived to the same fork in the road. Atheist. Current status...Proud Atheist
A shout-out from a Southern atheist 👍... Good job on your story I can relate. I'm 41 myself, grew up in Atlanta Georgia and been atheist for about 10 years. Hope to see more videos from you
Look at what the lies of religion do to people, constantly paranoid and worried all the time about made up bullshit.... I feel for you bro, glad you broke free.... Good luck to you
Great video, Joe. I was "that" kid as well. So many questions and they never got answered. I was in an Independent Baptist church and school. Proud to be an atheist!
MetalJet666 Same! I asked things like how do eyes work and why is the sky blue when I was younger. As I got older they shifted into fundamental questions that were about my religion such as, "Why does God love the Jewish more than us? Why did he pick them?" Or, "Why does God hate gay People when he claims to love everyone...? If he loved everyone and he's omnipotent, shouldn't he understand why we feel the way we feel and respect that?" Those questions eventually shifted me towards atheism, because all I heard from Christians was complete BS.
As an honest-to-goodness cat-owning ex-christian atheist, i really enjoyed listening to your story. I remember when my Christian friends started to worry about me and would give me books like "The Case for Christ", the weak, lopsided arguments i found there just served to push me farther away. And Sam Harris made a huge impact on me as well. Keep up the nice work! You have a new subscriber!
Hello Ken! Time to get a new gig buddy. The holy bible and dean odles biblical flat earth presentation destroys atheist beliefs and globe beliefs! Jesus saves sinners! Now use that brain God gave you!!
Hey, there are very conservative atheist out here that have dogs and hunt. Just don't hold your breath till you find one of us. I was a Christian for more than 35 years. Reading the bible opened my eyes to the absurdity of the abrahamic religions. Good luck.
Ever since my deconversion back in 2013. I look from time to time, just out of curiosity, for videos like this one. This is by far, one of the best theist to atheist stories I've seen. Thank you so much for sharing this. I had the same exact feeling you described, when you were describing the feeling that comes over you when it hits you like a ton if bricks, "Wait a minute, this book is nonsense, I'm an atheist!!" Then you feel, to me anyway the way you feel when you think you've been "born again". Only 1000 times better. Instead of being so sad about not being immortal and getting the chance to go to heaven. You instead have such a wonderful relief that you no longer need to worry about ridiculous-horrific concepts like "Hell" or as you said, "feeling guilt just for being alive". No more feeling bad just for thinking thoughts that you have just as much control over as the earth's rotation around the sun. As for me. I actually hated going to church. I went there because I felt that if I didn't, that I would go to hell. What finally got me out of my delusion was when a friend of mine pointed out about this committee that decides what is going to be in the bible. He was telling me about these stories that didn't make the cut so to speak. I did some research on it, not that I didn't believe him actually. He's not the lying type, but like many atheists. Out skeptical brains are what eventually leads us out of all the dogma. So after I realized that. Instantly I was a deist. I was a deist for about 5 years. The only thing standing in my way at that point was this silly notion that there has to be some creator. What finally lead me into atheism was my love for science. I would have probably been an atheist in high-school if it wasn't for my family and friends telling me not to listen to scientists telling me about what is now one of my favorite subjects: Evolution by natural selection. However part of me knew this to be a fact. So maybe deep down I was already an atheist, but deeply in denial or was buried deep in my subconscious. So anyway I finally watched some youtube videos and looked up data, and was blown away by just how wrong the bible or any religious texts described how humanity got started. Furthermore. Evolution explains things so detailed and just makes perfect sense. The puzzle pieces all fit now. If I were to narrow down one moment that lead me instantly from deist to atheist. It would be just how imperfect we are as humans. This notion of "bad design" instantly made utter, "I'm an atheist". I finally realized that if there really was a god behind everything. He, she, it would be creating things ass backwards. Anyway. I love talking about this stuff. I'm so glad to be an atheist now. I just hope that we can change the world faster than we are at the moment. Sorry for how long this was. I'm no writer and it's not easy for me to condense my thoughts sometimes when I have so much to say and passion in what I'm talking about, but again thanks for sharing this wonderful story.
Thank you for the kind words about my video. But also thank you for sharing your story as well. I love hearing how others broke free from the indoctrination. It's amazing how similar many of our stories are. I hope you're doing well. Thanks again.
I just found your channel (6vyrars late) and I agree with much 9f what you said. As you mentioned just trying to get through the book of Genesis is tough. For me it was all the flaws I found in the bible... The divine , perfect word of god. The very first chapter of Genesis is just wacked. Example the very first day of creation god had separated the light from dark and called the light day and the dark night but so far he has only made the empty heavens and the earth. It's not till the 4th day of creation he makes the sun and the moon (stars). How do you possibly have day and night 2ithout the sun? Or any light since nothing else existed prior? Genesis chapter 1 says how he created mankind after he made the land, vegetation, creatures of the watery deep, the flying creature and the creatures of the land. Chapter of Genesis now says he created all the living creatures after he made man and woman. Go figure. Myths and legends
It's cool to see you went almost exactly the opposite way the story usually goes. Usually it's: "I was in an accident that would surely kill me, I prayed to God, and God saved me and I rededicated myself to my faith." But you, you went through that accident and it shook your faith so deeply you actually came out believing _less_ than before! :D
Thank you for sharing your story. I can definitely relate even though we grew-up half a planet away from each other. I grew up in a small town in Greece and I was practically a Greek Orthodox altar-boy until I was around 13 years old. Our journeys were similar and at a certain point it became harder and harder for me to believe in an all-loving, ethnic-cleansing, blood-sacrifice obsessed god. I'm so happy that I no longer carry all that baggage around with me and I can confirm what a relief it is to only be driven by seeking the truth. Peace!
I have a challenge for the theist in the comments attempting to lie to the video maker. If what you're saying is true and the video maker is wrong, then provide evidence for the existence of God. Because right now your fear tactics of pretending that we will stand before him after death are no longer working. Provide evidence for the existence of God and an afterlife or keep these iron age superstitions to yourself. :)
Well, first of all hello. As far as why anyone would want to get to know you. Why not? The title of the video seems interesting and it popped up in my recommendations. Following the Bible is hard. I mean, it does contradict itself. Your story is very interesting. The reaction of our loved ones really can be the worst part of accepting the label of atheism. I hope your friendship with the camera worked out. ^_^
Read it knowing its a collection of bronze age and iron age text and think "is this plausible, is plausible that knew so much more than we do?" Exactly it makes sense it was written by men back then, the animal sacrifice was eaten so you can see the tribal nature of it.
Thanks Joe. Really interesting. For me, it came down to understanding how the Bible came into being. There was no turning back from that and nobody is going to convince me otherwise..other than the man himself! :O) The wool that's pulled over our eyes is that we're lead to believe, even in less fanatical countries, that there was some sort of direct line of Scripture which resulted in what we know as the Bible (or, for some, insert "Holy Book" of choice) we know today. Nothing could be further from the truth and many early and later Christians knew this, up to the point where they were burned as "heretics!":O)
Interesting de-conversion story. Sorry to hear that you always lived in fear of "hell" while you where a christian. :O/ It has been said that reading the whole bible(from cover to cover) is the fastest way for a christian to become an Atheist. :O) Katalyzt
I never really feared Hell while growing up Catholic. I grew up persecuted/bullied for being smaller and smarter than the other kids around me. Why would I fear a Hell? I wasn't the guy that was going there. I started paying for martial arts lessons out of my own pocket while in high school, because my parents were willing to continue just letting others bully me. Then I became a Marine. Big people and groups of punks still try to bully me occasionally, as I'm still shorter than average. I then make fun of them. It often blows their minds, but I'm not above pepper-spraying some menacing idiot in the face and then kicking them down a flight of stairs or something either. I'm a Deist now. I don't believe in any religion or the words of any religious people. Something created this universe though. Something created life. Some force. I don't believe it's benevolent or malevolent though. It just IS. It seems funny to me that other Christians don't view Catholics as being Christians. Shiites and Sunnis don't view each other as being true Muslims. They all view me as an anti-Theist, lumping me in with Atheists. It seems to blow their minds that someone can believe in a higher power without believing in some holy book.
Katalyzt. I read your 'about'. I just want to ask you something. What do you think about the Shroud of Turin? Verdicts still out on it. I just want your thoughts on it that's all.
Hello "1000...", Actually, keeping with your court analogy; the case was closed for the "shroud of turin" being authentic in 1988, but the ultimate death nail for it was hammered in 12 years later; in 2000. :O) You see, in 1988 the authenticity of the "shroud of turin" was tested/dated by three separate laboratories(in Oxford, in Zürich and in Tucson). Using samples from the shroud each laboratory independently dated it to a range of 1260-1390 CE. Which just so happens to be the first noted appearance of the shroud in the 1350s. And if you did not notice; it is much later than the supposed burial date of the fictional jesus character. ;O) Separate of the dating issue that the "shroud of turin" has, using Textile analysis they compared its method of construction as well. In doing so, we found that the "shroud of turin" is constructed with a complex Herringbone Twill technique. Which is not a problem within itself, except that this Herringbone Twill technique did not exist in the 1st century. ;O) Whereas the fragments of a real 1st century burial shroud that was discovered in 2000 in a tomb near Jerusalem, is composed of a simple two-way weave. ;O) Finding any garment dating to the 1st century made using the "Herringbone Twill" technique which had not been invented yet; would be the equivalent of finding a functional jet plane 1000+ years before the Wright brothers first flew. ;O) All of these verifiable facts points to the inescapable truth that the "shroud of turin" is a poorly made 12th century fake that was created 1357 years after the fictional jesus character was supposed to have died. ;O) Katalyzt
@@Katalyzt1988: STURP’s conclusions led to an interest in the date of the cloth, and the Vatican authorized testing. A small corner of the Shroud was cut and radiocarbon dated (C-14) by three laboratories in Oxford, Zurich, and Arizona. The labs determined a date range from between 1260 to 1390. This earth-shattering news contradicted STURP’s conclusions that supported the Shroud’s possible authenticity. Additionally, the C-14 test results shocked the global Shroud scientific community who, in general, from day one, was highly suspicious of the medieval date due to the test’s questionable protocols. It is these extremely controversial 1260 to 1390 dates that birthed the phrase; the “Shroud is medieval hoax,” which negatively impacted and denigrated the Shroud for decades. (Keep reading for important 2005 and 2019 updates about the raw data used in the 1988 test.)  Press conference British Museum, on Oct. 13, 1988 announcing the 1260 -1390 Shroud dating, shocking the world and the Shroud scientific community. Photo is public domain. 1997: Avinoam Danin was a prominent Israeli Botanist and professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He confirmed the presence of flower images on the Shroud verifying 28 different pollen species and plant images - many that grow only around Jerusalem. Danin famously wrote, “March-April is the time of year when the whole assemblage of some 10 of the plants identified on the Shroud is in bloom.” Danin’s book, "Botany of the Shroud," was published in 2010. 2004: Textile expert Mechthild Flury-Lemberg revealed that the stitching of a seam on the Shroud that runs the entire length, known as the "side-strip," is typical of Jewish burial shrouds found in the ancient fortress of Masada in southern Israel. She verifies the Shroud as a style of textile used in First Century Israel. 2005: Raymond Rogers was Director of Chemical Research for STURP. He was a renowned American thermal chemist who, for over three decades, worked at the prestigious Los Alamos National Laboratory. Rogers obtained thread samples from the same outer corner of the Shroud that in 1988 was C-14 tested - along with thread samples from the interior of the Shroud. After conducting additional micro-chemical and spectroscopic tests, he proved that the samples were not the same. The key to Roger’s finding was that the area cut for C-14 dating appears to be from a medieval reweave instead of the original Shroud. Rogers study concluded: "The radiocarbon sample was not part of the original cloth of the Shroud of Turin. The radiocarbon date was thus not valid for determining the true age of the shroud.” Rogers’s results, published in a peer-reviewed journal, confirmed the concerns of the Shroud’s scientific community, and in 2004 he answered the most frequently asked questions about his study. Rogers’ breakthrough study provided the answers as to why the 1988 C-14 test results were so suspect. It turned out that the C-14 test labs violated the original sampling protocol established in 1985. Three different samples were to be cut; instead, only one sample was used. Ignoring caution from archaeologists, the test administrators cut the test sample from the most handled area of the cloth - the outside corner edge. That area is exactly where, for centuries, the Shroud had been held and handled by royalty and Church authorities for public celebrations and exhibitions. Therefore, the Shroud cloth sample tested was cut from the area with the most potential for contamination, damage, and, as Rogers believes, may have been repaired. 2011: European researchers with the Italian ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies) replicated the depth and coloration of the Shroud image using a 40 nanosecond burst from a UV excimer laser. This test is the first time any aspect of the image has been reproduced using light. An ENEA News report dated Dec.21, 2011, was headlined: "Scientists Suggest Turin Shroud Authentic." The opening paragraph read: “A team of researchers from the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Italy, has found that the Shroud of Turin is not a fake and the body image was formed by a sort of electromagnetic source of energy.” 2013: Researchers with Padua University in Italy obtained a dozen samples from other linens of a known age ranging from the current era to 3000 BC. They were able to develop a predictable rate of chemical and mechanical decay. By comparing fibers from the Shroud, they determine an estimated date range of 280 BC to 220 AD that includes the First Century. The test results are widely reported throughout the world in the secular media. 2014: The linen decay research continues to be peer-reviewed and a leading member of the Padua University research team, Professor Giulio Fanti publishes a book, “Turin Shroud: First Century A.D.” According to the book’s press release, “The new dating methods are published in prestigious international journals, and no one has yet pointed out methodological errors.” 2015: A respected Shroud researcher and author Mark Antonacci writes a breakthrough book: "Test the Shroud: At the Atomic and Molecular Levels." Antonacci proposes that a new series of sophisticated, minimally-invasive tests be performed on the Shroud at the atomic and molecular levels. His hypothesis is published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and although it involves a miraculous event consistent with the resurrection, its occurrence can be scientifically tested. Antonacci asserts that these proposed tests could prove whether the Shroud was irradiated with particle radiation; whether the source was the length, width, and depth of the crucified corpse in the cloth; when this event happened; where it occurred; the age of the Shroud and its blood; and the identity of the victim. Antonacci brings his testing request to the Vatican. 2018: The results of “blood flow tests” make headlines around the world: "New Forensic Tests Suggest Shroud of Turin is Fake." The tests, using blood on mannequins and volunteers, determine that the blood flows, as seen on the Shroud, differed from their tests. These led to the conclusion that the Shroud is fake. The tests are highly criticized by numerous, distinguished members of the Shroud’s scientific and scholarly community. The conclusions also contradict STURP’s findings and that of several forensic pathologists. The wide mainstream news coverage of the test results is out of proportion to the methodology and validity of the study. The coverage also does not detail the known bias of the group who conducted the study. 2019: The 1988 radiocarbon test (C-14) concluding that the Shroud dated between 1260 -1390 is subjected to new scrutiny. The controversial results of the C-14 tests published in the prestigious scientific journal “Nature” in 1989, did not publish all the data because it was not provided by the British Museum. And, for 30 years, Shroud scientists had accused the museum of hiding the raw data. In 2017 French researcher, Tristan Casabianca filed a legal action against the British Museum, which oversaw the C-14 testing labs in 1988. The museum complied and finally releases all the raw data. Casabianca’s research team ran new tests and conclude in their 2019 report that there were numerous dates that fell outside the range published in “Nature.” They prove that the Shroud cloth sample is not homogenous, and the 1988 results, famously reported with “95% confidence” are suspect. Casabianca’s team supports the widely-held belief that something went awry with the C-14 tests, which for the ensuing decades discouraged Shroud research and disparaged the Shroud as a medieval fake. Casabianca and his team are advocating that the Vatican authorize a variety of new 21st-century testing methods not available in 1988 or 1978 during STURP’s testing.
Oh noes!!! We can't be atheists if we have allergies to pets? I appreciate your story; it was quite interesting. And it's funny that someone's observation of your views helped you understand and accept what they really mean.
clicker123 it's ok. I too am allergic to cats. Maybe other atheists could take care of "our" cats for us. I mean, I have atheist friends with multiple cats, so that should count, right? Anyway, thanks to Rebel Advocate for sharing your story. You add to those who would claim that us former Christians weren't really "true Christians."
The worst part about your deconstruction story is the part where the religious will try and use it agaist you by saying "ha! See. You just wanted to do whatever you want". I always hate that part of peoples deconstruction. Especially as someone who was raised atheist.
Joe, wgat really caught my attention was the words of YHVH saying that our righteous deeds are like filthy rags to him. So why even try???? I read the bible from cover to cover in a yearly basis.....really studying....but the questions broke the bookshelf on which it was stored on . So glad I escaped these myths and lies. I now live a RESPONSIBLE and very happy and fulfilling life. What a difference it makes to escape from FEAR. LIVE YOUR LIFE!
I dont understand how a loving god who made us imperfect would condemn decent normal people to eternal damnation because they didn't bow and scrap to him enough. A god would be so far in advance of us it would be like me burning the squirrels out did my window because they don't worship me, squirrels aren't made that way, humans aren't perfect either so why can a say child killer go to heaven if he repents and bows the knee but a say an atheist whos worked all his life for charity will go to hell? Makes no sense and the biggest factor of you being "saved" is where you were born and the religion of your parents? I dont believe in a god but if there was I'm sure or hope he would have a more compassionate sense of our imperfections. But really its all nonsense
She didn't know disobeying her maker was wrong. God created them without knowledge of right and wrong. It was only after she ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that she realized it was wrong. God put the tree in the garden, along with the serpent who was skilled at deceit, and commanded they not eat of that tree. But he didn't give them any sense of right and wrong, so they had no concept of doing something wrong, even if it was disobeying their maker. They were set up to fail from the very beginning.
@@TheRebelsAdvocate Yes you could acknowledge that it is wrong and you could look up some explanations to your juvenile objection. I suggest you talk to an Orthodox priest about it.
*God is the clay & humanity, the sculptor.* More like, _made in our image._ As evidenced by the countless religions, that humanity has believed in throughout history, and the thousands of versions/denominations of Christianity that disagree on almost everything in the Bible.
A couple of things you might be interested in on the sacrificial system just in case you didn't come across it by now.....The Samaritans still do sacrifices for Passover. Also, sacrificial system was to be restored in the Third Temple.
21:00 Basically god sacrificed himself to himself to forgive us for something he blamed us for. 26:11 Maybe or maybe it's just that atheist don't say out of nowhere that they're atheists.
The Church kept control of bible reading for as long as it could. Paper got cheaper and available to more people, Gutenberg invented a press, literacy spread, then Boom! Luther, Reformation, proliferation of denominations, religious wars, and atheists. Some studied carefully to decide which interpretation was true and a few decide the answer was none of them.
Rewatching this video 3.5 years later during the Covid Crisis. It's grounding for me! I was raised a Lutheran and finally awoke after the death of my mom in 2001. Love your channel, Joe!
I think you did well at picking out the worst absurdities/atrocities to start noticing. For me the blood sacrifice idea requires incredible levels of cognitive dissonance to tolerate at all. As soon as one allows oneself to ask what an "objective morality" would necessarily look like, the God of the Bible becomes immoral for demanding such "payment." And as you say, God set it up, so it's not like Aslan in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. The "payment" isn't made to some pre-existing evil creator.
I had my awakening before i started goin to school. My family literally had to bribe me to go to church, they would take me to the dollar store after the service. Lol i cleaned up on they ass and now im 30 and doing way better than them financially and physically
haha I was literally dragged by the arm and threatened by my mother for refusing to go to Gospel Church in the UK. However, I went for the little gifts they had at Sunday School which was a bribe, but I thought the religious paintings on the gifts were quite beautiful. I even went to a Convent and even then they never got me to believe in God
... you still have time to read testimonies of people who saw hell; research yourself this is probably the first time in history that such information is readily available: “He (JESUS) saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit...” Titus 3:5. ruclips.net/video/kqw5ULMe5ns/видео.html And ruclips.net/video/2fYZ7JNpLkE/видео.html And ruclips.net/video/gzChuZNQ_60/видео.html And ruclips.net/video/_B0K7TZabmo/видео.html And ruclips.net/video/mnExEgiRfFE/видео.html And ruclips.net/video/VlqZ2b1ECfI/видео.html
It's ironic that the one who called to get you to come back to theism, Christianity, and Pentecostalism (?) is the one who made you switch labels from agnostic to atheist.
i have been an atheist for about 2-3 about weeks now lol but I've always questioned' the Bible and it's contents. I honestly don't remember how It happened, I think I saw a video in my RUclips recommended que and when I watched it, I was completely brain fucked. I continued to look up other videos and did my own research and looked into everything for my self. the video that really hit home for me was called "how to remain Christian" by AtheistMinority (of course, the video is sarcastically titled) and I was speechless. once I started thinking logically and freed my mind of all that forced illogical mythical hateful bullshit, I was able to see the world in such a different way and it was honestly humbling. I am no longer paranoid or sad and I've been so genuinely happy. it's made me a better person and made me want to learn even more.
Thanks to everyone for watching. I'm overwhelmed and surprised. Thanks for the comments and the emails. I wasn't expecting the response I've gotten. I apologize that I've been so long without another video and for the emails I haven't answered yet. My life got pretty hectic not long after uploading this video. The biggest thing is I'm now a father! Yay! It was quite unexpected, but my wife and I were presented with an opportunity to adopt a beautiful little girl who was born January 12th. Although we weren't planning for kids at the time we jumped at the opportunity and couldn't be happier. However, our baby girl had some issues and is still in the hospital as of right now about 3 hours from home. It's been a bit hectic between working 3rd shift, trying to get our house ready for a new addition to the family, work through the adoption process, and do all this while trying to spend every possible second with our baby who is 3 hours away. She's doing a lot better, and we're hopeful that maybe in a week or two she'll be ready to come home. Maybe sometime in the future I'll finally squeeze in a little time to make some more videos. I have a few things in mind, including one issue that I'm especially wanting to talk about. Until then I'll try to answer the emails that I haven't gotten around to yet. I'll be honest I try to read the comments, but it's hard to keep up with. If you have anything you'd especially want me to see you can email Joe.therebelsadvocate@gmail.com
Thanks again guys, take care.
TheRebel'sAdvocate Joe Stilwell
I know I'm a bit late, but I hope your new child is finally home and doing well. Excited to see new videos from you one day!
TheRebel'sAdvocate Joe Stilwell Congratulations! I hope she is fine and dandy. By the way, is your wife any religious? Are you going to raise your daughter with religion, with atheism, or just dont Bring up religion? Hope there will be more videos soon. Also the bible says that you shall not have any god above God m, therefore you wont get punoshed for that unless you believe in The Holy Spagghetti Monster. ;-)
TheRebel'sAdvocate Joe Stilwell I think your video was so popular is because it's about Atheism, there is so many of us that remain quite we go alone with the B. S. just to get alone but we still have the need to socialize with like minded people
TheRebel'sAdvocate Joe Stilwell Thank you for sharing your story and adding your perspective to the atheist community.
MinecraftDudes my wife is what I call a non practicing Christian. She does in fact believe in God, but doesn't go to church or really let her beliefs affect her life in any way that I can see. She is very supportive of me. As far as our baby, I hope to teach her HOW to think, and not WHAT to think. I'll let her make her own decisions. I can't shelter her from hearing about religion so I'll just teach her about ALL religions.
"Nobody's gonna watch this anyway."
7 years later, we're up to 25k views! Way to go my man.
at least 2 new comments in the last 3 days
For someone who's "socially awkward" making his "first video," you sound like a pro. Great work. I hope you've done more videos since. Welcome to the world of sanity.
Wow. I love your story and the way you narrated it. Don't worry about the way you handle the camera-- you're great! I have subscribed and will look forward to more of your videos! Thank you!
Can relate 100%. I also had a pastor for a father (my father was a Southern Baptist pastor when I was young, we had our own little church etc, that changed but we always stayed active in the church). I like how you describe it, my wife was a Mormon from Utah and we both went through the same process where one day in our car we were talking about God (not something we were talking much about at that point) and I was like "Ohh yeah, I guess I'm an atheist", my wife agreed for herself too. As you described it was a slow transition. I also experienced that same peace once you realize you can drop the baggage. I also think the most surprising thing is a stronger moral core IMHO. Now i want to be good and do good things because I CHOSE to, not because some God told me to (and depending on your specific beliefs under threat of hell). In hindsight the idea that a Christian can claim moral superiority when they do good things primarily because God told them to vs owning their own choices and desires and sacrifices.
Also never feel bad about calling yourself an atheist... people miss the most obvious literal definition
a = not
theist = believer in a god or gods
So if you're NOT a theist you are (whether you think or not) an atheist by definition. It says nothing about anything else including whether you are open to or not open to things etc or what you believe about knowledge, etc.
I also understand how you feel about reading the Bible now. It feels so obviously and transparently the same as every other ancient religion. I now find it very fascinating from that perspective though, trying to understand what the authors of the parts of the Bible believed and why and what the historical context was etc (watching people like Kipp Davis, Joshua Bowen, Dan McClellan, and various others).
In the Bible Belt, the word ‘agnostic’ does mean atheist. That one word is not in their vocabulary, I have found, also.
22:53 "if you ever become an atheist you'll own cats" that was brilliant! i'll try to live by that rule. i have a cat and he's like a god.
*looks at cat in the corner*
Brilliant first video thank you. I have just found you so I have loads to catch up on.
Thank you brother. Powerful.
great vid, I resonate with you a lot, growing up in Alabama as Church of Christ.
Thanks for watching. I remember a few years ago feeling like I was mostly alone with my skepticism, but I have found that to be far from true. Just wanted to add my voice to help others feel less alone.
R. R. Arkansas church of Christ here but not any more.
Glad you're finding out that you're not alone. And know you can find yourself free to become more educated on subjects that previously you may have shied away from because of you previous fundamental religious beliefs. After all knowledge is the true enlightenment.
Right, Michael. Religions preach and are against "knowledge" outside the church. You would think that if they really believe what they are preaching about the bible and their faith that it could withstand knowledge and questions.
I'm also an atheist who went to a christian school. Our bible teacher always had us watch Kent Hovind.
I remember loving watching him DESTROY THE EVOLUTIONISTS but now I laugh at his ridiculous arguements.
- This just in. I didn't know this but he is now making youtube videos.
As I am typing this, he uploaded a video 4 hours ago. He's still at it.
love the cat reference! got one laying across the laptop watching Joe!
Gwen Lee You are a true atheist.
People will either go one way or the other shifting them. That people goes out and come in, is just the way it is. Not all hearts are for the Truth and not all hearts are for Lies - and then over time, as life goes on, some will go and some will come.
Thanks for sharing yourself, Joe. Humankind needs more people as brave as you, unafraid to reveal who they are, unafraid to expose religion as pure superstition, unsupported by evidence. People convince themselves it's valid only to avoid ostracism, and to find the illusion of comfort in a world filled with trauma. I look forward to more videos.
Thank you for sharing your story. The more we are courageous enough to share our deconvesion story, more we all don't feel like we are the only one.
Hey Joe ..Thanks for doing this... everytime someone does their story like this, it helps a lot more people than you realize. A lot of people are still in the closet as Non-Believers. It always makes others glad to know they aren't alone. I am here if you ever need to talk etc brother.
Great video. I watched the whole thing. I enjoy hearing other people's views, both those that agree with me and those that disagree with me.
Thank you for a glimpse into how you ended up changing your mind about such a major part of your life. I am always interested in how people come to believe the things they believe.
Thanks for sharing your story. I grinned when you said you were going to forget everything you were told and read the Bible for yourself. That move is usually fatal to religious beliefs. Glad you made it out!
I think one of the weird things for me as I gradually rejected religion was for a long time atheism still seemed strange, kind of alien, maybe even a little threatening in a way. Like Brian from Family Guy was atheist and my reaction was just like "But why, though? Why make a character like that?" I don't even really understand why the idea was uncomfortable to me at that point. I don't remember ever having any particular thoughts about atheists or atheism back when I was a Christian - it was more like, I barely even recognized it as a possibility or something.
I'm very proud of you when I first read Genesis it was a train wreck to me
You are part of a larger group then you think. It's good to have you with us and keep up the videos.
Most of Europe
Thank you for your story. It's like having the community of church watching atheist talking about their life! :)
I think something worth pointing out here is that courage is a very contagious thing. The business of emerging from the religious beliefs instilled in us in childhood is a difficult one under any circumstances. But it must be discernibly harder down in The Old Confederacy, i.e., what we now call the Bible Belt. I think that Mr. Stilwell's example will lend courage to what must be the many unbelievers who are still in the closet Down South, and now we may begin to see them coming out of the woodwork and more boldly asserting themselves. He may well be that final snowflake that starts an avalanche. He deserves much credit for putting himself out there, virtually alone, into the landscape of unbelief. So our hats are off to you, Johnny Reb. The other thing to remember is that in this blessed country, no person is under any obligation to account for his beliefs to any other person, that religion is a private business, and every American is at perfect liberty either to discuss his beliefs out there in the public square--the great marketplace of ideas--or to keep them entirely to himself. And if he chooses to go public with them, as Mr. Stilwell has done, that he may do so without fear of molestation. That's what America's cherished religious liberty is all about, and we must all, believers and unbelievers alike, fight to keep it. And to maintain the supremely important political condition that undergirds it, the separation of church and state.
congratulations for escaping the matrix 😊
All the best with your new life
I like to identify as an agnostic, mainly because i argue against both sides - theists and atheists. Not because i want to be neutral and lukewarm on God topic, but because arguments from both sides are usually very bad. Yes, some atheists say it is stupid of me to lack a belief in God and reject their pretty atheist label... but those people also say that it is stupid to argue against my own group and even more stupid to deny those truths about myself, so they kinda forced me to stick to the agnostic label and say that it is THEY who is being stupid and wrong about me.
Anyway, i think the best is to delay identifying as much as possible - simply present your claims and arguments and dont tell who you are until they ask you. I dont get insulted by wrong label, it seems that neither label is perfect enough to describe who i am (the closest to perfection is "eclectic" label, but that doesnt tell them much about me).
I have failed as an atheist! All I have are 5 rescue dogs and a rescued horse. The dogs must the Christian or Muslim because they said, "No Cats!"
Great story and thanks for posting.
i have been telling to everybody that "i dislike cats" but you caught me, yes i like them, i like them so much!
Love this video!
31:55 I realized the real problem, which is trying to find a single word that describes our opinion on every single different concept of God.
God can be defined as anything! It's easy to come up with a God which is easy to disprove. Which everyone would agree we can *know* doesn't exist, not just a lack of belief. Simply by defining it as something which if it exists, would provide absolute evidence which we objectively don't see.
It's also easy to come up with a God that can't be easily disproved, by defining it as one that doesn't leave evidence. It's all powerful and all knowing but doesn't want us to know it exists. Since it has the power to remain invisible and never provide evidence, the lack of evidence & "divine hiddenness" is fine.
It's the difference between disproving that there's a teacup orbiting Mars...and disproving that there's currently a teacup in my hand.
It's the difference between disproving that (1) your cat can't secretly speak fluent English but doesn't want you to know...and, (2) disproving that your cat can easily talk and desperately wants to talk to you...also, your cat takes your belief in their ability to speak, & the belief that you have had multiple conversations in English with your cat, so seriously, that you deserve to be tortured forever for failing to recognize this, for not *knowing* your cat speaks English. You also have to believe your cat is all good and all loving, merciful, and just...despite the whole torture thing.
Also, no other cat told you this. I told you this. A random human. Have I any proof any cat can talk? Have I heard my cat speak? No. I only think this because someone else told me. But technically, just because you haven't heard your or any cat speak yet, doesn't mean it's impossible! Therefore, clearly you must only lack a belief in this man made nonsense. 🙄 Totally ignore the additional beliefs surrounding the cat's motivations, which if true *would* lead to the cat speaking to you. Therefore, the silence IS evidence the cat can't speak, if by "cat" we mean the kind which loves you & is desperate to talk with you...and will torture you forever if you don't somehow believe. Instead of the "cat" which doesn't want you to know it can speak and doesn't *want* to talk to you.
Just defining God as evil immediately takes away my #1 reason I think the Christian God cannot exist...because of the law on non contradiction. We'd have to change the definition of "Good" first. So yeah, I'm way more agnostic towards some God concepts, but absolutely atheist towards most, definitely all man made ones. I believe the Christian God does not exist. They are wrong.
There's no good reason to think any human is correct.
The funny thing is that we don't treat anyone but atheists like this.
When someone says they aren't an atheist and they believe in God... it's assumed they are talking about a specific God. How insane would it be to use "theist" as a positive belief in all Gods? To expect believers to have an equal level of belief in anything someone labels "God?" To have the same opinion, apply to all religious claims? In reality, theists are atheist towards most gods as well.
"Agnostics" are definitely more atheist than they'd like to admit. I only don't identify as an "agnostic" because all believers think it applies to them, no matter what crazy shit they claim to be true, no matter how contradictory (and therefore impossible) it is.
Richard Dawkins tried to improve this btw by creating his 8 point scale of atheism, but his scale still applies to all Gods. It's better than nothing, but in reality each God concept needs its own scale...
**TL;DR** We can't have one word that applies equally to all gods. Everyone is born atheist, and everyone is always atheist towards either all or the majority of Gods. Atheists are agnostic and agnostics are atheistic, but think they have to believe they can disprove every single possible definition of God 100% for sure in order to identify as "atheist"...or they fear that's how people will take it. That fear is why I used to identify only as "agnostic."
Yes…. It is dangerous to start thinking
In my case, I started wondering if Hindu children would go to hell if they died unbaptized
I learned they would….
And not only that, I learned that I was going to hell for not believing god would do this
Like commented and subscribed 👍
I feel like me and you have very similar stories about how we realized the truth. Growing up I was in the same type of long skirt wearing-longhaired-no shorts-no TV-private school-holy roller- church. When I was going there I was being raised to be the next generation of preachers. When I was 14 I started to read the bible in its entirety. In 13 months I finished it. While I was reading I was taking notes on the bible in a 150 page spiral notebook. in the beginning it was about how great and magnificent God was, but over time it shifted into my confusion about why we didn't kill gay people or why we ate pork and shellfish when the bible says not to. It then became a list of contradictions that are scattered all throughout the bible. At the end of those 13th months I had a long lists of questions that not many people were unable to answer my question. They would just tell me "Oh God works in mysterious ways" or when I'd ask why we couldn't mix fabrics or why we don't keep slaves or why we don't kill non-believers. I would be told "Those are just the laws of the ancient Jewish culture." but that never made sense to me because of 2 Timothy 3:16. Or maybe it was verse 15 (it's been a while since I've read it) It says that the bible is the word of the Lord. So just like you I turned to RUclips. I feel like our stories are so similar and that I can relate to you, because it was by reading the Bible that we came to our senses about how ridiculous it really is but I digress. when I delved into RUclips searching for answers I found them, but not in the way that I wanted. I wanted to prove that the Bible was true and that everything I've dedicated my life to and everything I've planned my future for wasn't a lie. After a few weeks of research I didn't want to believe it, but all the facts were there in front of me. I still wanted to be sure, so I read the bible again in 16 months this time. By the time I was 16 I could say I was Atheist and be happy about it. There's a part of me that wishes I could go back to my previous ignorance, but I'm just much happier this way.
I wonder if anyone read this far.
Very inspiring!
Hearing a southern accent talk about atheism in a positive light is something I thought I'd never see, haha, your story is very inspiring, mine is like yours but a bit less glorious and not really a happy ending for me yet seeing as I'm underage and can't really "get away" from religion so to speak. I'm from Southern Arizona, so you know, everyone is catholic here, but thank you for sharing!
Us older guys think you're lucky to have recognized your skepticism at this stage in your life and your having access to other skeptics. You won't be as indoctrinated and you'll be more able to question and evaluate freely.
Once you give up the belief, the accent will gradually disappear.
hahaaa good one mystic!
That's tough when you're still dependent on your parents. Hang in there a little longer.
what about dusty?
'nobody's going to watch this video anyways' *gets 1.3k views* Great video, man.
Thanks. I was pleasantly surprised lol.
Rick c-137 actually now 8.1
@@jeremymcadams7743And now 24k 😊
keeps ticking up slowly. At this point it's 1.7k likes, not views. 28k views. I think it's because it's not such a slick and prepared story, makes it feel more genuine.
Honesty plus integrity, welcome to freedom from religion
Good vid! I broke free from a religious cult a few years ago, so I get the power of religious brainwashing. As a young child I questioned this mess and was told to hush & never question "god". Well, I'm glad to be free from it all, so you're not alone.
that was gaslighting yes you should never question anything, appalling isn't it?
@@beaulieuc8910 very appalling, but brainwashed people can only brainwash others
Were you an adventist?
@@StennMathis no, I grew up Christian from Baptist to A.M.E. Zion to Non denominational. Then when I turned 25 I joined a group that's called Hebrew Israelite, which became a cult.
A lot of religious brainwashing is contingent on "not questioning god". And then you ask yourself "why shouldn't I ask questions about something I want to base my entire life upon"? Then you ask these questions and find yourself going down a rabbit hole of a litany of questions. When you get all the answers you're looking for you realize, "oh man. I'm an atheist now". Suddenly all the religious doctrine sounds nonsensical when you hear it
Buddy, listening to your story was like listening to my own. I remember exactly where I was standing when I realized “Holy shit! I am an atheist.” It was as much a shock to me as anything. I’ll follow and keep track of your story.
Don't stop. Ive been too afraid to start a channel cause I have so many insecurities from my religion as a ex Jehovah witness. I truly enjoyed your video and how candid u were. Thank you for sharing your story. I alwso was afraid to be an atheist but now its something im proud of. Im so happy for us!!!! We found our voice and have a new outlook on life and so much freedom now. Please keep sharing! 😊 ❤
Jehovahs witness is non Christian
They say, "the best way to de-convert, is to read the Bible."
The Observant Atheist I de-converted but studying the bible, and observing the activities of Christians.
The Observant Atheist ..... just the opposite for me the bible made my faith stronger
The Observant Atheist .... I had the opposite reaction.... the bible only made my faith even stronger!
You also have to read the bible from a skeptical point of view, but basically yeah.
Joseph Stine Sometimes these people begin to doubt when they read cover to cover without devotionals and and the theological doctrine of others
... born again atheist here 🙋♀️ ... indoctrinated baptist. in church 4 nights a week and twice on sunday 🤦♀️ i also left at 18 when i married to get away. so many of your thoughts and concerns were also mine.
Hahaha hahaha "born again atheist " good one! I hadn't heard that before..
Love the no one's going to watch this... 25,000 later
Hi from an Aussie atheist. Thanks for sharing your story
Don't know what the hell I'm in for, but the title sold me. Accidentally athiest describes me perfectly. A lot of bible reading (cover to cover), a lot of praying, and a lot of asking questions and at one point I realized I'd taken that exit miles and miles ago.
I also grew up in a fundamental church! Same thing! No TV, women could not work or wear pants, no makeup... We had church 7 times a week and would go out witnessing or "soul winning" every Saturday. I left when I was 19 and went through a lot with coming to terms about myself. I am glad seeing somebody else like me.
Greetings from another southern atheist (currently living in Minnesota)! I also left the faith relatively late in life, at the age of 42. What did it for me was studying Christian theology. I've had Christian friends hear that I'm now an atheist, and immediately assume some horrific, disillusioning experience on my part, and I'm like, "No, I just think too much!" Great to hear your story man! I'm subbed up, and enjoy catching up on your stuff.
Thanks so much. I enjoy hearing other's stories of how they left religion. Seems like a lot of these stories involve people reading and studying the bible. Religious people say you are running from God, yet it was while doing something that should draw you closer to him that ultimately led you away.
@@TheRebelsAdvocate Thank you from alifetimer atheist and online apologist. Your talk was one of the best. Stunning and brave,as they say and some of it humorous. 'Heck, I ain't no atheist,I just don't believe in God, that's all"
£
I totally know what you are talking about with the peace of not having to do mental gymnastics to make sense of your beliefs anymore. It all becomes so much simpler when you realize it didn't make sense because it just wasn't real in the first place. Christians talk about the peace that passes all understanding. Well, I thought I had that, but I have much more peace now that I've stopped believing. That was a totally unexpected benefit. When I was a Christian, I thought all atheists were deeply sad and just living for temporary pleasures with no real peace, and that's just not true either.
I just got done watching... our stories are very similar. I started watching Christopher Hitchens on youtube when I was a believer and I thought that man is lost LOL.
... then months later I became an atheist too.
Sitting here in the third world watching ppl give their small savings and underaged daughters to holy men, and thinking, 'you thought Hitchens was lost.' But it's the congregation that's lost.
Congrats on your journey out of dogma and indoctrination.
I grew up oneness pentecostal too, so I feel your pain. I found your video interesting, and I hope that you'll post more.
Hey, I was Pentecostal as well, but not oneness. Isn't it funny how even though we were same denomination, our churches were still very different with vastly different beliefs?
Thanks so much for watching. I do plan on making more. I'll try my best not to ramble so much next time, and make them a bit shorter lol.
lasjan2001 .... seems pentecostals have the most trouble keeping their faith
Joseph Stine Pentecostals make the fundamental mistake of ruling out the possibility of other religions being saved. When it comes to their rhetoric about the Catholic Church they go even further and demonize that religion, so when Pentecostal church members do any research and learn that the very bible they look to for Gods word was assembled by a group of Catholic priests they leave. Once you see one hypocrisy you start to see the rest of them and then the house of cards falls. That’s my sad truth.
Me too. UPC pastors kid. I’m finally free.
Congrats! We are still watching in July 2024.
*For Christians, that can't understand why atheists don't believe in their God* _(some perspective)_
Just as you are not convinced of the _super natural God claims,_ that Muslims or Hindu's make
about their religions, we feel that exact same way, about the miraculous claims of Christianity. _(unconvinced)_
You appear to be a very sweet and gentle guy. Keep up the good work. I like your innocent, yet measured quality, to your quest for truth. This was a good first video.
If god is all powerful and Jesus was his only son, who died on the cross, couldn't he just give himself another son? If god is all knowing, when Jesus was killed on the cross, he knew jesus would rise in 3 days, so is that the great sacrifice?
If Jesusdied for everyone, why are womenn still being punishedFor Eve? Why did godd need a chiIds sacrifice to forgive? Couldn't he just forgive? If JesusCould heaInthe bIind, why not just heaI bIindness?
Watched all of it, kept my attention the whole time. I was in for 24 years, glad you’re out bud. Welcome to reality.
Hey, Joe! Glad to hear that even fundies can come to their senses. Quite inspiring. Thank you.
For starters, I have 4 cats, so I must be a hard line atheist. lol. I come from a fundamental family too. My grandfather and grandmother were pastors. My dad does seminars on the End Times. He's been doing them since the 1980's I became a pastor and my brother became a pastor. In College I was nicknamed the RBS (Resident biblical scholar) After pastoring about 4 years things started to change. My wife first started asking questions and I searched for the answers. Couldn't find them. At first I was thinking that our theology was wrong, but one by one my beliefs crumbled as I researched the Bible. I don't speak out much since I live and work in a very conservative area. I have moved to another state, so my family doesn't know where I stand, although I think they know I'm not a Christian anymore. It's hard to come out and say what you have said. I'm not there yet. Thanks for your thoughts.
You're either convinced, pretending to be convinced, or you're not convinced.
And you really don't need any evidence at all to become any of these three.
thanks for sharing joe. my faith was lost by reading the bible studying ever chapter as well. so many flaws. That was the straw that broke the bible's back. we are the ones who will lead the world to a better place. a place thats not perfect but a place we can learn,grow and make man kind prosper.
and I'm still here
It's true what they say: if you want to become an atheist, read the bible.
Your story was heartwarming and your way of telling it, charming. I'm glad you mentioned how no longer "believing" eventually brought peace and calm.
Glad to hear your history and deconversion, it helps all of us atheists to hear from others who have been through it, too.
A story of a man made from dirt and a woman made from a bone meeting up with a talking snake is hard to believe even if you will suffer eternal damnation for not believing it's true.
Lets look at those passages mentioned from a different perspective. Man made from "dirt". The translation is "rudiments" so, elements basically. We are O2, Fe, C etc. Woman made from rib. Translation is "side" (as to be an equal partner) but can also translate "curve". DNA is curved, so if the X chromosome was "extracted" its possible. A talking snake. Its an idiom we still use today, not literal. So, everything you mentioned has a scientific, Biblical, and common sense explanation, you just had wrong perspective.
@@timorean320 Using the word curve and jumping to DNA is not logical. The people back then wouldn't have even known what DNA is. So to make a claim that the bible is scientific in an era where science either didn't exist or was just barely getting off the ground. Is just not a possibility at all. More over rudiments as elements would have meant fire, Water, Air, And earth. Not Biological because again. They wouldn't have known what that even was.
@@Nyla_Corvina Im not saying its fact, just a plausible explantion. Here is why. Lets take the Caduceus symbol for example, medical symbol, 5K years old at least, carried by god Hermes, but have you ever noticed how similiar it is to the Double Helix of DNA? Maybe, when a culture encounters a way more advanced Civilization, they copy what they see, but dont understand. Heck, there is a tribes in Africa that make similation of planes with twigs to mimic what they saw flying, so, there is that.
@@Nyla_Corvina Really? What does the god Hermes carry? A Caduceus. Medical symbol (odd, why is it?), 5K years old at least. Ever noticed how similiar it is to the Double Helix of DNA? Knowledge gets lost, but symbols remain.
@@Nyla_Corvina I have left 2 replies, but deleted (why?) Do you know what a Caducues is? 5K year old medical symbol (why is that?) What does it look like? DNA. Knowledge gets lost, but the logos remain.
This video kept popping up in my feed, so I finally decided to watch and discovered how similar this story is to mine. I took a few different curves on the way to my deconversion, but arrived to the same fork in the road. Atheist.
Current status...Proud Atheist
A shout-out from a Southern atheist 👍... Good job on your story I can relate. I'm 41 myself, grew up in Atlanta Georgia and been atheist for about 10 years.
Hope to see more videos from you
@bearraaaaTV 🤘🤓 Stone Mountain for me 😎
Watching this 7 years later! Well done! Would love to hear an update. 😊
Look at what the lies of religion do to people, constantly paranoid and worried all the time about made up bullshit.... I feel for you bro, glad you broke free.... Good luck to you
I agree. Religion is the cause of most people being admitted to asylums.
Great video, Joe. I was "that" kid as well. So many questions and they never got answered. I was in an Independent Baptist church and school. Proud to be an atheist!
MetalJet666 Same! I asked things like how do eyes work and why is the sky blue when I was younger. As I got older they shifted into fundamental questions that were about my religion such as, "Why does God love the Jewish more than us? Why did he pick them?" Or, "Why does God hate gay People when he claims to love everyone...? If he loved everyone and he's omnipotent, shouldn't he understand why we feel the way we feel and respect that?" Those questions eventually shifted me towards atheism, because all I heard from Christians was complete BS.
As an honest-to-goodness cat-owning ex-christian atheist, i really enjoyed listening to your story. I remember when my Christian friends started to worry about me and would give me books like "The Case for Christ", the weak, lopsided arguments i found there just served to push me farther away. And Sam Harris made a huge impact on me as well. Keep up the nice work!
You have a new subscriber!
Hello Ken! Time to get a new gig buddy. The holy bible and dean odles biblical flat earth presentation destroys atheist beliefs and globe beliefs! Jesus saves sinners! Now use that brain God gave you!!
@@gregsimmons694 dude. What the hell did you intend to say here? Is this your best effort to encourage belief in the big blood cult? Psh.
Welcome to the REAL world. It's a bit more scary here but it's true.
Thanks for this Joe. There are tons of us in the world who can relate.
Thanks for watching.
BUT YOU DONT COUNT -JOE STILWELL
please....would've not 'would of'.
oh but he does nik.
Hey, there are very conservative atheist out here that have dogs and hunt. Just don't hold your breath till you find one of us. I was a Christian for more than 35 years. Reading the bible opened my eyes to the absurdity of the abrahamic religions. Good luck.
Ever since my deconversion back in 2013. I look from time to time, just out of curiosity, for videos like this one. This is by far, one of the best theist to atheist stories I've seen. Thank you so much for sharing this.
I had the same exact feeling you described, when you were describing the feeling that comes over you when it hits you like a ton if bricks, "Wait a minute, this book is nonsense, I'm an atheist!!" Then you feel, to me anyway the way you feel when you think you've been "born again". Only 1000 times better. Instead of being so sad about not being immortal and getting the chance to go to heaven. You instead have such a wonderful relief that you no longer need to worry about ridiculous-horrific concepts like "Hell" or as you said, "feeling guilt just for being alive". No more feeling bad just for thinking thoughts that you have just as much control over as the earth's rotation around the sun.
As for me. I actually hated going to church. I went there because I felt that if I didn't, that I would go to hell. What finally got me out of my delusion was when a friend of mine pointed out about this committee that decides what is going to be in the bible. He was telling me about these stories that didn't make the cut so to speak. I did some research on it, not that I didn't believe him actually. He's not the lying type, but like many atheists. Out skeptical brains are what eventually leads us out of all the dogma. So after I realized that. Instantly I was a deist. I was a deist for about 5 years. The only thing standing in my way at that point was this silly notion that there has to be some creator.
What finally lead me into atheism was my love for science. I would have probably been an atheist in high-school if it wasn't for my family and friends telling me not to listen to scientists telling me about what is now one of my favorite subjects: Evolution by natural selection. However part of me knew this to be a fact. So maybe deep down I was already an atheist, but deeply in denial or was buried deep in my subconscious. So anyway I finally watched some youtube videos and looked up data, and was blown away by just how wrong the bible or any religious texts described how humanity got started. Furthermore. Evolution explains things so detailed and just makes perfect sense. The puzzle pieces all fit now.
If I were to narrow down one moment that lead me instantly from deist to atheist. It would be just how imperfect we are as humans. This notion of "bad design" instantly made utter, "I'm an atheist". I finally realized that if there really was a god behind everything. He, she, it would be creating things ass backwards.
Anyway. I love talking about this stuff. I'm so glad to be an atheist now. I just hope that we can change the world faster than we are at the moment. Sorry for how long this was. I'm no writer and it's not easy for me to condense my thoughts sometimes when I have so much to say and passion in what I'm talking about, but again thanks for sharing this wonderful story.
Thank you for the kind words about my video. But also thank you for sharing your story as well. I love hearing how others broke free from the indoctrination. It's amazing how similar many of our stories are.
I hope you're doing well. Thanks again.
I just found your channel (6vyrars late) and I agree with much 9f what you said. As you mentioned just trying to get through the book of Genesis is tough. For me it was all the flaws I found in the bible... The divine , perfect word of god. The very first chapter of Genesis is just wacked. Example the very first day of creation god had separated the light from dark and called the light day and the dark night but so far he has only made the empty heavens and the earth. It's not till the 4th day of creation he makes the sun and the moon (stars). How do you possibly have day and night 2ithout the sun? Or any light since nothing else existed prior? Genesis chapter 1 says how he created mankind after he made the land, vegetation, creatures of the watery deep, the flying creature and the creatures of the land. Chapter of Genesis now says he created all the living creatures after he made man and woman. Go figure. Myths and legends
It's cool to see you went almost exactly the opposite way the story usually goes. Usually it's: "I was in an accident that would surely kill me, I prayed to God, and God saved me and I rededicated myself to my faith." But you, you went through that accident and it shook your faith so deeply you actually came out believing _less_ than before! :D
Thank you for sharing your story. I can definitely relate even though we grew-up half a planet away from each other.
I grew up in a small town in Greece and I was practically a Greek Orthodox altar-boy until I was around 13 years old. Our journeys were similar and at a certain point it became harder and harder for me to believe in an all-loving, ethnic-cleansing, blood-sacrifice obsessed god. I'm so happy that I no longer carry all that baggage around with me and I can confirm what a relief it is to only be driven by seeking the truth. Peace!
Great story👍 I'm a new atheist in the UK.
I have a challenge for the theist in the comments attempting to lie to the video maker.
If what you're saying is true and the video maker is wrong, then provide evidence for the existence of God. Because right now your fear tactics of pretending that we will stand before him after death are no longer working. Provide evidence for the existence of God and an afterlife or keep these iron age superstitions to yourself. :)
Well, first of all hello.
As far as why anyone would want to get to know you. Why not? The title of the video seems interesting and it popped up in my recommendations.
Following the Bible is hard. I mean, it does contradict itself.
Your story is very interesting.
The reaction of our loved ones really can be the worst part of accepting the label of atheism.
I hope your friendship with the camera worked out. ^_^
Read it knowing its a collection of bronze age and iron age text and think "is this plausible, is plausible that knew so much more than we do?"
Exactly it makes sense it was written by men back then, the animal sacrifice was eaten so you can see the tribal nature of it.
The Bible is not a science text book you clown. Knowledge does not translate to how one ought to live silly atheist.
Welcome to the club! Better late than never :)
The club of immoral clowns?
haha, do you find something blindly moral just because God/Bible says it is? Do you think it would make you a more moral person to do so?
Thanks Joe. Really interesting.
For me, it came down to understanding how the Bible came into being. There was no turning back from that and nobody is going to convince me otherwise..other than the man himself! :O)
The wool that's pulled over our eyes is that we're lead to believe, even in less fanatical countries, that there was some sort of direct line of Scripture which resulted in what we know as the Bible (or, for some, insert "Holy Book" of choice) we know today.
Nothing could be further from the truth and many early and later Christians knew this, up to the point where they were burned as "heretics!":O)
You are a fine storyteller. I had a similar background and I can relate. Keep looking for the truth and share what you find. btw, I have two cats.
Interesting de-conversion story. Sorry to hear that you always lived in fear of "hell" while you where a christian. :O/
It has been said that reading the whole bible(from cover to cover) is the fastest way for a christian to become an Atheist. :O)
Katalyzt
Katalyzt .... not me... bible made me a stronger christian because now I had understanding
I never really feared Hell while growing up Catholic. I grew up persecuted/bullied for being smaller and smarter than the other kids around me. Why would I fear a Hell? I wasn't the guy that was going there.
I started paying for martial arts lessons out of my own pocket while in high school, because my parents were willing to continue just letting others bully me. Then I became a Marine. Big people and groups of punks still try to bully me occasionally, as I'm still shorter than average. I then make fun of them. It often blows their minds, but I'm not above pepper-spraying some menacing idiot in the face and then kicking them down a flight of stairs or something either.
I'm a Deist now. I don't believe in any religion or the words of any religious people. Something created this universe though. Something created life. Some force. I don't believe it's benevolent or malevolent though. It just IS.
It seems funny to me that other Christians don't view Catholics as being Christians. Shiites and Sunnis don't view each other as being true Muslims. They all view me as an anti-Theist, lumping me in with Atheists. It seems to blow their minds that someone can believe in a higher power without believing in some holy book.
Katalyzt. I read your 'about'. I just want to ask you something. What do you think about the Shroud of Turin? Verdicts still out on it. I just want your thoughts on it that's all.
Hello "1000...",
Actually, keeping with your court analogy; the case was closed for the "shroud of turin" being authentic in 1988, but the ultimate death nail for it was hammered in 12 years later; in 2000. :O)
You see, in 1988 the authenticity of the "shroud of turin" was tested/dated by three separate laboratories(in Oxford, in Zürich and in Tucson). Using samples from the shroud each laboratory independently dated it to a range of 1260-1390 CE. Which just so happens to be the first noted appearance of the shroud in the 1350s. And if you did not notice; it is much later than the supposed burial date of the fictional jesus character. ;O)
Separate of the dating issue that the "shroud of turin" has, using Textile analysis they compared its method of construction as well. In doing so, we found that the "shroud of turin" is constructed with a complex Herringbone Twill technique. Which is not a problem within itself, except that this Herringbone Twill technique did not exist in the 1st century. ;O) Whereas the fragments of a real 1st century burial shroud that was discovered in 2000 in a tomb near Jerusalem, is composed of a simple two-way weave. ;O)
Finding any garment dating to the 1st century made using the "Herringbone Twill" technique which had not been invented yet; would be the equivalent of finding a functional jet plane 1000+ years before the Wright brothers first flew. ;O)
All of these verifiable facts points to the inescapable truth that the "shroud of turin" is a poorly made 12th century fake that was created 1357 years after the fictional jesus character was supposed to have died. ;O)
Katalyzt
@@Katalyzt1988: STURP’s conclusions led to an interest in the date of the cloth, and the Vatican authorized testing. A small corner of the Shroud was cut and radiocarbon dated (C-14) by three laboratories in Oxford, Zurich, and Arizona. The labs determined a date range from between 1260 to 1390. This earth-shattering news contradicted STURP’s conclusions that supported the Shroud’s possible authenticity.
Additionally, the C-14 test results shocked the global Shroud scientific community who, in general, from day one, was highly suspicious of the medieval date due to the test’s questionable protocols. It is these extremely controversial 1260 to 1390 dates that birthed the phrase; the “Shroud is medieval hoax,” which negatively impacted and denigrated the Shroud for decades. (Keep reading for important 2005 and 2019 updates about the raw data used in the 1988 test.)

Press conference British Museum, on Oct. 13, 1988 announcing the 1260 -1390 Shroud dating, shocking the world and the Shroud scientific community. Photo is public domain.
1997: Avinoam Danin was a prominent Israeli Botanist and professor at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He confirmed the presence of flower images on the Shroud verifying 28 different pollen species and plant images - many that grow only around Jerusalem. Danin famously wrote, “March-April is the time of year when the whole assemblage of some 10 of the plants identified on the Shroud is in bloom.” Danin’s book, "Botany of the Shroud," was published in 2010.
2004: Textile expert Mechthild Flury-Lemberg revealed that the stitching of a seam on the Shroud that runs the entire length, known as the "side-strip," is typical of Jewish burial shrouds found in the ancient fortress of Masada in southern Israel. She verifies the Shroud as a style of textile used in First Century Israel.
2005: Raymond Rogers was Director of Chemical Research for STURP. He was a renowned American thermal chemist who, for over three decades, worked at the prestigious Los Alamos National Laboratory. Rogers obtained thread samples from the same outer corner of the Shroud that in 1988 was C-14 tested - along with thread samples from the interior of the Shroud. After conducting additional micro-chemical and spectroscopic tests, he proved that the samples were not the same.
The key to Roger’s finding was that the area cut for C-14 dating appears to be from a medieval reweave instead of the original Shroud. Rogers study concluded: "The radiocarbon sample was not part of the original cloth of the Shroud of Turin. The radiocarbon date was thus not valid for determining the true age of the shroud.”
Rogers’s results, published in a peer-reviewed journal, confirmed the concerns of the Shroud’s scientific community, and in 2004 he answered the most frequently asked questions about his study. Rogers’ breakthrough study provided the answers as to why the 1988 C-14 test results were so suspect. It turned out that the C-14 test labs violated the original sampling protocol established in 1985. Three different samples were to be cut; instead, only one sample was used. Ignoring caution from archaeologists, the test administrators cut the test sample from the most handled area of the cloth - the outside corner edge. That area is exactly where, for centuries, the Shroud had been held and handled by royalty and Church authorities for public celebrations and exhibitions. Therefore, the Shroud cloth sample tested was cut from the area with the most potential for contamination, damage, and, as Rogers believes, may have been repaired.
2011: European researchers with the Italian ENEA (National Agency for New Technologies) replicated the depth and coloration of the Shroud image using a 40 nanosecond burst from a UV excimer laser. This test is the first time any aspect of the image has been reproduced using light. An ENEA News report dated Dec.21, 2011, was headlined: "Scientists Suggest Turin Shroud Authentic." The opening paragraph read:
“A team of researchers from the National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), Italy, has found that the Shroud of Turin is not a fake and the body image was formed by a sort of electromagnetic source of energy.”
2013: Researchers with Padua University in Italy obtained a dozen samples from other linens of a known age ranging from the current era to 3000 BC. They were able to develop a predictable rate of chemical and mechanical decay. By comparing fibers from the Shroud, they determine an estimated date range of 280 BC to 220 AD that includes the First Century. The test results are widely reported throughout the world in the secular media.
2014: The linen decay research continues to be peer-reviewed and a leading member of the Padua University research team, Professor Giulio Fanti publishes a book, “Turin Shroud: First Century A.D.” According to the book’s press release, “The new dating methods are published in prestigious international journals, and no one has yet pointed out methodological errors.”
2015: A respected Shroud researcher and author Mark Antonacci writes a breakthrough book: "Test the Shroud: At the Atomic and Molecular Levels." Antonacci proposes that a new series of sophisticated, minimally-invasive tests be performed on the Shroud at the atomic and molecular levels. His hypothesis is published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, and although it involves a miraculous event consistent with the resurrection, its occurrence can be scientifically tested. Antonacci asserts that these proposed tests could prove whether the Shroud was irradiated with particle radiation; whether the source was the length, width, and depth of the crucified corpse in the cloth; when this event happened; where it occurred; the age of the Shroud and its blood; and the identity of the victim. Antonacci brings his testing request to the Vatican.
2018: The results of “blood flow tests” make headlines around the world: "New Forensic Tests Suggest Shroud of Turin is Fake." The tests, using blood on mannequins and volunteers, determine that the blood flows, as seen on the Shroud, differed from their tests. These led to the conclusion that the Shroud is fake. The tests are highly criticized by numerous, distinguished members of the Shroud’s scientific and scholarly community. The conclusions also contradict STURP’s findings and that of several forensic pathologists. The wide mainstream news coverage of the test results is out of proportion to the methodology and validity of the study. The coverage also does not detail the known bias of the group who conducted the study.
2019: The 1988 radiocarbon test (C-14) concluding that the Shroud dated between 1260 -1390 is subjected to new scrutiny. The controversial results of the C-14 tests published in the prestigious scientific journal “Nature” in 1989, did not publish all the data because it was not provided by the British Museum. And, for 30 years, Shroud scientists had accused the museum of hiding the raw data.
In 2017 French researcher, Tristan Casabianca filed a legal action against the British Museum, which oversaw the C-14 testing labs in 1988. The museum complied and finally releases all the raw data. Casabianca’s research team ran new tests and conclude in their 2019 report that there were numerous dates that fell outside the range published in “Nature.” They prove that the Shroud cloth sample is not homogenous, and the 1988 results, famously reported with “95% confidence” are suspect. Casabianca’s team supports the widely-held belief that something went awry with the C-14 tests, which for the ensuing decades discouraged Shroud research and disparaged the Shroud as a medieval fake. Casabianca and his team are advocating that the Vatican authorize a variety of new 21st-century testing methods not available in 1988 or 1978 during STURP’s testing.
thank you for your story.
it really does seem that reading... actually READING the bible makes more atheists than believers 😅
Oh noes!!! We can't be atheists if we have allergies to pets?
I appreciate your story; it was quite interesting. And it's funny that someone's observation of your views helped you understand and accept what they really mean.
clicker123 I'm sorry, but no. Being allergic to cats is a sure sign that you're not a true atheist.
clicker123 it's ok. I too am allergic to cats. Maybe other atheists could take care of "our" cats for us. I mean, I have atheist friends with multiple cats, so that should count, right?
Anyway, thanks to Rebel Advocate for sharing your story. You add to those who would claim that us former Christians weren't really "true Christians."
Stop.
The worst part about your deconstruction story is the part where the religious will try and use it agaist you by saying "ha! See. You just wanted to do whatever you want". I always hate that part of peoples deconstruction. Especially as someone who was raised atheist.
You mean the truth? Yes atheists hate the truth.
Joe, wgat really caught my attention was the words of YHVH saying that our righteous deeds are like filthy rags to him.
So why even try????
I read the bible from cover to cover in a yearly basis.....really studying....but the questions broke the bookshelf on which it was stored on .
So glad I escaped these myths and lies.
I now live a RESPONSIBLE and very happy and fulfilling life.
What a difference it makes to escape from FEAR.
LIVE YOUR LIFE!
I dont understand how a loving god who made us imperfect would condemn decent normal people to eternal damnation because they didn't bow and scrap to him enough.
A god would be so far in advance of us it would be like me burning the squirrels out did my window because they don't worship me, squirrels aren't made that way, humans aren't perfect either so why can a say child killer go to heaven if he repents and bows the knee but a say an atheist whos worked all his life for charity will go to hell? Makes no sense and the biggest factor of you being "saved" is where you were born and the religion of your parents?
I dont believe in a god but if there was I'm sure or hope he would have a more compassionate sense of our imperfections. But really its all nonsense
God made Adam and Eve perfect. It was Eve that chose to disobey her maker.
She didn't know disobeying her maker was wrong. God created them without knowledge of right and wrong. It was only after she ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil that she realized it was wrong. God put the tree in the garden, along with the serpent who was skilled at deceit, and commanded they not eat of that tree. But he didn't give them any sense of right and wrong, so they had no concept of doing something wrong, even if it was disobeying their maker. They were set up to fail from the very beginning.
@@TheRebelsAdvocate This is the atheist interpretation and is lacking. I am unconvinced by your diatribe.
@@arnoldvezbon6131 I'm sorry you're not convinced by my interpretation. Is there a specific part where I need to amend my interpretation?
@@TheRebelsAdvocate Yes you could acknowledge that it is wrong and you could look up some explanations to your juvenile objection. I suggest you talk to an Orthodox priest about it.
*God is the clay & humanity, the sculptor.*
More like, _made in our image._
As evidenced by the countless religions, that humanity has believed in throughout history, and the thousands
of versions/denominations of Christianity that disagree on almost everything in the Bible.
free from fear of hell and self guilt everyday since i became an athiest 7 yrs ago. Finally got peace of mind, happiest day of my life.
A couple of things you might be interested in on the sacrificial system just in case you didn't come across it by now.....The Samaritans still do sacrifices for Passover. Also, sacrificial system was to be restored in the Third Temple.
21:00 Basically god sacrificed himself to himself to forgive us for something he blamed us for.
26:11 Maybe or maybe it's just that atheist don't say out of nowhere that they're atheists.
The Church kept control of bible reading for as long as it could. Paper got cheaper and available to more people, Gutenberg invented a press, literacy spread, then Boom! Luther, Reformation, proliferation of denominations, religious wars, and atheists. Some studied carefully to decide which interpretation was true and a few decide the answer was none of them.
Rewatching this video 3.5 years later during the Covid Crisis. It's grounding for me! I was raised a Lutheran and finally awoke after the death of my mom in 2001. Love your channel, Joe!
What about your moms death made you wake up?
I think you did well at picking out the worst absurdities/atrocities to start noticing. For me the blood sacrifice idea requires incredible levels of cognitive dissonance to tolerate at all. As soon as one allows oneself to ask what an "objective morality" would necessarily look like, the God of the Bible becomes immoral for demanding such "payment." And as you say, God set it up, so it's not like Aslan in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. The "payment" isn't made to some pre-existing evil creator.
I had my awakening before i started goin to school. My family literally had to bribe me to go to church, they would take me to the dollar store after the service. Lol i cleaned up on they ass and now im 30 and doing way better than them financially and physically
haha I was literally dragged by the arm and threatened by my mother for refusing to go to Gospel Church in the UK. However, I went for the little gifts they had at Sunday School which was a bribe, but I thought the religious paintings on the gifts were quite beautiful. I even went to a Convent and even then they never got me to believe in God
... you still have time to read testimonies of people who saw hell; research yourself this is probably the first time in history that such information is readily available: “He (JESUS) saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit...” Titus 3:5.
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It's ironic that the one who called to get you to come back to theism, Christianity, and Pentecostalism (?) is the one who made you switch labels from agnostic to atheist.
i have been an atheist for about 2-3 about weeks now lol but I've always questioned' the Bible and it's contents. I honestly don't remember how It happened, I think I saw a video in my RUclips recommended que and when I watched it, I was completely brain fucked. I continued to look up other videos and did my own research and looked into everything for my self. the video that really hit home for me was called "how to remain Christian" by AtheistMinority (of course, the video is sarcastically titled) and I was speechless. once I started thinking logically and freed my mind of all that forced illogical mythical hateful bullshit, I was able to see the world in such a different way and it was honestly humbling. I am no longer paranoid or sad and I've been so genuinely happy. it's made me a better person and made me want to learn even more.