@MindShiftSkeptic What does it mean to be locally real? “Real,” meaning that objects have definite properties independent of observation-an apple can be red even when no one is looking; “local” means objects can only be influenced by their surroundings, and that any influence cannot travel faster than light. [Locally real = fundamental, necessary] What does it mean the universe is not locally real? Under quantum (not-natural; 0D) mechanics, nature (1D, 2D, 3D and 4D) is not locally real: particles may lack properties such as spin up or spin down prior to measurement, and they seem to talk to one another no matter the distance. (Because the outcomes of measurements are random, these correlations cannot be used for faster-than-light communication.) [Not locally real = not-fundamental, not-necessary] This is important because Newton and Einstein's Materialist/Empiricist "3 + 1 space-time" says that 1D, 2D, 3D and 4D are fundamental/necessary while 0D is not-fundamental/not-necessary. A year ago quantum physics proved that 0 is necessary (locally real) and nonzero is not-necessary (not locally real), proving Materialistm/Empiricism to be contradictory at the core, so outright false. Leibniz and his Realist camp argued that zero is necessary and nonzero is not-necessary and his calculus and physics actually match reality. TL;DR Zero has been proven "fundamental/necessary/locally real" for a year now. If you think the difference between 0 and 1 changing isn't epic just remember that Rick Sanchez collapsed a Galactic Federation by changing a 1 into a 0.
@MindShiftSkeptic Our most important tools for determining reality (in order): 1. Math 2. Physics 3. Chemistry 4. Biology The literal difference between 0 and 1 changed (which is necessary and which is not-necessary) a year ago. Everyone can't stop repeating the same old tired Materialism/Empiricism Religion vs Science arguments we've heard for well over 300 years. Under Materialism/Empiricism BOTH Religion and Science have interpreted their own positions in a fundamentally contradictory manner. Neither side can win without studying Realism (which was proven correct a year ago). Remove the contradictions and "life's biggest questions" become self-evident.
I would love if you did a video for us ex-pentecostals who believed in the gifts of the spirit. It's hard getting past some prophesies that that have come to pass or speaking in tongues. I doubt a lot of stuff now, but then it felt very real .
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. 1Peter 4:6 KJV 18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; 20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. 1Peter 3:18-20 KJV So, it looks like based on scripture that everybody will get that opportunity to learn about God and decide to rely on faith whether it’s in this life or after this life. So, what is the point of this video?
No it isn't. Asking God to reveal Himself to you then you'll believe is like a financial deadbeat asking for a statement proving they didn't pay: you'll just come up with another excuse to not do it, regardless of how nonsensical your excuse is
@@VictoriousCatholicmmm no. If God revealed himself in no uncertain terms we'd definitely believe he/she/it exists. Whether we worship it... Well, that's a whole other ballgame. It's like an adult meeting their deadbeat dad for the first time. We'll acknowledge he's alive and real. But give him love and attention or acknowledge they love me back? That stuff has to be earned still.
What really irritates me is when some Christians brag and boast about God's favor in their lives all the while oblivious and insensitive to those around them who are suffering. It really is disgusting.
Oh yeah, the gifts thing. The family-church my ex pulled me into convinced me that I was the "watcher" for them who could see things others could not, into the spiritual realm and even evil ghosts and demonic entities. I was so observant that I often had trouble sleeping because I was aware of so many evil spirits around me, funnily almost always of stuff I was already scared of and knew through movies and video games. They called it "The Gift of the Watcher/Lookout/Guardian" because I was able to see "the enemy" from far away and was able to warn them. My psychotherapist today calls it "induced psychosis".
I feel like this is literally the reason demons are a thing. The church convince people they are possessed or they break people mentally by not living in reality and conflating random chance to the super natural.
I consider myself 'blessed' with the gift of critical thinking, the capacity to accept that I don't know the answer to every question, the capacity to give my own personal meaning to life and accept that it's different for other people.
@@jackiepowell7513Ken Hamn is dishonest. Gutsick Gibbon has called him out and she _specialises_ in the study of apes and more! Ken Hamn was very dishonest, as usual.
@@FoursWithin building that ark did force him to apply the scientific method and admit that no way a couple of each would have fitted on that contraption... I think it's funny that him and that convicted criminal hovint later came to the conclusion that noah must have carried one 'primitive cat' from which then all tigers, lions, panthers, lynx and housecats evolved... funny how they reluctantly adopted science but only to a level that fit their narrative on that vessel.
I ‘got saved’ when I was 13 at a Revival service. My mind was not fully developed yet. Emotions were high, with the charismatic preacher, and the worship music tugging at my heart strings. I was a vulnerable young kid. I’m 24 now. It is exactly why I think that anyone who wants to convert to Christianity should 1) Read the Bible cover to cover. 2) Be at least 18+. 3) Have informed consent about the religion. It’s like reading over the document carefully, before giving your signature. When you look at Christianity critically and without the emotional manipulation, it is absurd. Keep up the great work, Brandon!
Man thats so true!! Couldnt agree more except id up the age to 25 once our brain is done developing. I have long said that if we could keep people in a bubble for 25 years and then introduce the concept of religion and have them simply just read a holy book from front to back with no influence, no one would embrace this
Facts!!! I tell my ex church friends to before they go inside the church to leave their emotions outside and just observe, and I guarantee them that they would see the truth!!! It’s completely emotional!!!
Honestly, it seems like a lot of Christians signed onto a religion they didn't understand or read in any detail, and now they're stuck making excuses for the problems they didn't realize they signed up for. I will admit to some enjoyment in my introductory college philosophy course as I watched some Christian students struggle with the concepts being introduced.
What I love about this guy is that he will pick the absolute BEST possible scenario for the Christian God to be able to “win” the case but still he will manage to get his point across
@@MindShift-Brandon you know of paul Wallace channel or the 5th kind. he used to teach priests how to interpret many different bible scrips in different languages. he doesn't believe god either anymore and bellives in maybe just conscious instead of a being. hes smart though. hes name is paul Anthony wallis.
In my upbringing, my late father was devoted to contributing 20% of his income to the church. The pastor had a persuasive pitch, emphasizing the idea of sowing seeds with God for future growth. However, when I was 13, my parents divorced, and he experienced significant losses. Despite these challenges, he held onto his faith, keeping a Bible on his nightstand until he reached the age of 90, although he was not as outspoken as he once was in his earlier years as a street preacher. He didn't even go to church anymore, lived with a lady he wasn't married to for 25 years. I engaged in numerous profound philosophical conversations with my dad, attempting to dissect the ideology behind his commitment. I could sense his discomfort, prompting me to refrain from pushing further. But he obviously shifted his beliefs to some degree. RIP Pops
We lived near the church. One day the priest came to visit and asked for donations. My father said “Why do you ask me? Why don’t you ask god?” I don’t remember what the response was, but I remember that my father’s next piece of advice was “Then get a job.” We were working class: my father was working hard to repay the mortgage taken out to buy the land for his farm. I don’t think the idea of “sowing seeds with god” would have found favor with him. As farmer he knew that if you want a harvest you have to put seeds in the ground, not in other people’s pockets. He had a great sense of humor and a great heart. At the funeral even people I barely knew told me how good a friend he had been to them, almost a brother. I miss him. 😭
@@pansepot1490 The Church (whichever one you can think of) tries to convince you they have a right to a part of your income. I like your Dad's pushing it back at the Priest. Yeah Get a job.
@Cuffsmaster - Yes, our church said if you don't pay your tithes you steal from God what belongs to God. They guilted everyone into paying by thanking those that pay during the Sunday service, not by name, but telling them how God will look after them for paying what is rightfully God's. We struggled financially. We just got married, I relocated to a new town and had to resign from my job, and we only had one income. But 10% was put in an envelope for tithes. After all the bills, we barely had money for food. And I am not exaggerating. We ate bread most nights for dinner, meat maybe once a week. God surely looked after us......
@pinky9440 it's a well crafted mind virus. But look at us, we see it. So we wouldn't have the same awareness without the experience of being duped. We can help others, maybe. Now the Christians are buying bombs to give Israel to slaughter babies.
@@pinky9440 "Chruch said if you don't pay your tithes you are stealing from god" I bet the Preacher was not struggling for food or he'd told you that God called him to preach at another Chruch.
One of the passages from the Tao Te Ching (which you've quoted before) says, "Simplicity, patience and compassion. These are your greatest treasures." Treasures, not gifts given from some outside entity but something we already possess. 👍🏻
The tao te ching also has a very famous saying, man follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows tao, and tao follows nature. The essence of everything that exists is simply naturalism not supernaturalism
I cried out and yelled for god to just give me a little bit of faith. Every day from January-August of 2023. I was terrified of hell and was scared that god was ignoring me, I wasn’t “chosen”, or I had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. I was terrified. I tried going to a therapist to see if he could help me find out ways I was wrong for not believing, pastors, anyone I could. It led me to which I think is now anxiety/depression and it has led to derealization/depersonalization. And I never believed in mental health, until this “god relationship” covered me with fear, anxiety, hopelessness, every single day. And he not once ever showed up. And then I found your account! You have helped me so much understand more questions and “doubts” I had that obviously make more sense now. But I love this channel. And please keep making this man!🤙🏽
I went through similar trauma when I first came to what I thought was "saving" faith. I tried for a couple years to be a "true" Christian- in hopes of alleviating this anxiety. Things got better, but I never got over the fear that I wasn't doing good enough for God until I started my deconversion process. I'm actually feeling better about myself now, and I wish you the best.
I had internalized and sympathized with this idea for years now, but somehow didn't think to articulate it this way until today: for a lot of religious believers, the core wound is equivalent to sunk cost fallacy. They have believed in it for so long that it's very similar to "I'm not really enjoying this movie, but I've already bought the ticket, already bought snacks and drinks, already watched an hour of it..."
For folks that believe who have invested so much time and so much effort AND THEN to not appear foolish in leaving their 'faith'--not to mention the alienation that they might face--would surely be real drivers for just retaining their status quos.
If that is the comparison used for their love for Jesus, it is pointless to continue with a phony life like that. I can understand why the fear of what others think controls their life, and their love for Jesus does not exist.
_for a lot of religious believers, the core wound is equivalent to sunk cost fallacy_ What of those for whom this is not the case, for those who know that it is true?
When I was a Christian, I had the "gift of Hospitality".. It totally had nothing to do with the fact that I was raised in the restaurant business.. nah... 😂
I spent years learning how to draw from adolescence to adulthood. It was a long tedious process that was not always fun or easy. It wasn't something i would ever claim came naturally to me. When i show my work to your standard Christian they say I'm blessed with a god given talent.... :/
@@gjhartist3685 and all of that work you put into it is dismissed with that single comment LOL. Frustrating. As a different type of artist, I feel you.
@@gjhartist3685 That really annoys me, too. I also draw, and for someone to say that it was a gift from God or it was God, then why aren't I a better artist?
@gjhartist3685 yeah my son taught himself to play piano and is an improvisational expert...went on to Australia's Got Talent and became a celebrity...and most people like to give 'god' the credit, saying it was a 'god-given gift' !! He was the one who practiced for hours and went from making bad sound to exceptional music that astounded people. It's very annoying this imaginary diety gets the credit... Feeling for you artists too, _you deserve_ the credit 🎉🎉
I was always troubled by so many denominations and doctrinal disputes among Bible-believing Christians who all claimed to have the gift of faith and received their doctrines through the Holy Spirit and the Bible. A typical answer was the others are not hearing the spirit properly or are deceived. Then there was “the spirit is perfect but the message can be misinterpreted by fallible man.” In which case, how reliable is any message from a perfect spirit?
Yes they were DUPED By Mr Naughty one and his Followers YWH put in as Rulers of this World. GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YWH LOVES YOU. WHAT DING BATS Can imagine YWH SAYING I AM PUTTING THE KING OF EVIL IN COMMAND OF ALL MY CHILDREN, HE HAS TO HAVE HIS FUN. YWH DING BATS CALL THAT LOVING
And the copious denominations have led to a history of relentless persecution, torture and bloodshed among christians themselves. You would think a supposedly omniscient being would be capable of inspiring a book that did not lead to such a scenario.
Growing up Calvinist, the parable of the pot maker (or whatever he made) was used all the time to basically shame people from even asking this question. If you were made to go to hell, then that was God's right. It's His right for you to suffer.
A person should not entertain the idea held by many fools, and what is claimed by some doctrines, that at the time of a person's conception or birth, the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees whether he will be righteous or a sinner. This is untrue. Each person is able to be righteous or bad. Similarly, he may be wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, miserly or generous, or he may acquire any other character traits. There is no one who compels him, sentences him, or leads him towards either of any two extremes. Rather, he tends to the character traits he chooses, based on his own initiative and decision.
Its obviously disgusting, but the funny part is Calvinist might be the most accurate. If this god were real and he really inspired the bible, there views (for the most part) would be what people have to come to terms with. Thank goodness hes not.
Has the potter the right to say to the clay, "Why were you formed so badly?" I dunno man, if you make bad pots, maybe you're a bad potter. If you're a good potter and make bad pots on purpose, you're a wasteful potter, or an avant-garde artist.
@@MindShift-Brandon I actually attribute my anxious desire to think logically (and my subsequent career as an engineer) to spending so much time as a child struggling with the logic of predestination. Back then i was motivated by fear to figure out another way, but Calvin kinda nailed it.
As a Christian I was guilty of that same kind of thinking; that any random thought that came to me when I had a problem was from God, and I would instinctively follow it, usually with disastrous results. And when it didn't work out? God was trying to communicate a deeper lesson. Looking back, what a dark and weird period that was in my life.
I feel you on this... It struck me after a while that "God's voice" sounded a hell of a lot like my own. Or I was to "wait on the Holy Spirit" to speak to me in that "small, still voice"... Which is really just my self talk. Nothing "super" happened outside the natural.
Dan Barker had a story something like this in his book. He was driving and he felt like god told him to take the next left and he thought god is leading me somewhere so he followed the directions expecting to maybe find someone who was in need. After a while he ends up in a dead end in the middle of nowhere. And instead of thinking how silly the whole situation was he was like oh god was testing me and I passed! Praise Jesus!
I was recently talking to one of my friends about this: what led me to deconvert and stop believing, how I used to pray every night but was never answered and every moment were I asked God to show up and it never happened. Her answer: "God makes you love Him either through love or pain, and maybe you need to go through the pain to get closer to Him". I mean, talk about a cop-out, and people have the courage to say that God is love, what kind of loving father abandones his kids and lets them suffer so they can love him more? I honestly don't know how to deal with these arguments, I really admire you and how you're able to express yourself, your videos have been of great help to me during my journey of deconversion, thank you so much! Cheers from Uruguay
"God told me to come to you to tell you that he loves and he knows you're suffering. He told me to tell you everything will be okay. " "What good does that do me? Why couldn't he just tell me that himself" It's funny that God only appears and talks to some and not to others.
I'm also trilingual, Brandon. I remember one time I was talking to a pentecostal (as an atheist) about my experiences preaching in Mexico when I was still a Christian. He tried to tell me that I had the gift of tongues and that I was spitting in God's face by turning my back on him since he had given me the gift of tongues. Well, English is my native language. I learned Spanish as a second language and Portuguese as a third language. I had to learn those languages. I didn't just magically know how to speak them all of a sudden. His argument was weak and laughable. It's not a gift if I had to learn them. @MindShiftSkeptic
Excellent as usual! The thought of having God's "favor" always bothered me. In my line of work I met many people that were suffering in many ways and I could not reconcile while some people could have "favor" and others seems utterly abandoned (particularly abused children and those with severe mental illness abandoned by society). I am supposed to happy that I have God's "favor" when I encounter so much hurt?! In my "Christian" life many people would reply with "I'm blessed and highly favored" when asked how they were doing. It was almost shameful NOT to give this reply. What the heck did that even mean?! Sorry I digress! When my doubt caused me to "pull the thread" on the sweater of Christianity, it wasn't long before that sweater was a big old pile of twisted messy yarn that no longer served a purpose in my life! Thanks so much Brandon!
Oooh spiritual gifts drives me nuts. I can play violin, Draw and even kind of sing. Every time I perform I hear Christian’s say: “Wow! You have God given talent!” My guy I literally slaved hours practicing and trying to “get good” especially when it comes to drawing and violin. It’s like all my hard work is gone and it’s just because of “God given talent” it’s always for God and no one else. ??? Not my own hard, and sweaty effort. 🙄 thanks again bro keep it up. Your videos, Holy Koolaid, and Religion For Breakfast have been really eye opening!
I hear you, Brandon 💯 %. How is it that Jesus, who we are meant to have a "personal" relationship with, never ever communicates with us, let alone assuring us that he is real, and even further...is God our "creator".
Yikes, I've been an atheist for over a decade but this woman's video is triggering feelings I had when I was in high school. I grew up in a protestant household. I went to church every Sunday, I attended Wednesday night Bible study at church, and helped teach Sunday school for toddlers. I KNEW God existed, but I felt like I was failing because I never felt God speak to me like everyone in my youth groups. I heard stories from people talking about how they felt God speak to them either on mission trips (that I never went on) or when they were in difficult times. This woman's rhetoric is what ramped up my depression and aided in my passive suicidal thoughts (I never tried to kill myself, but every night I PRAYED that I wouldn't wake up in the morning). I'm so glad to be out of that shit and my mental health is 1000x better than when I was a believer.
I so appreciate your compassion for those of us mid- deconstruction who feel broken and completely disoriented. It's good to be reminded that there's hope for a time when I maybe won't feel like an alien who just landed on another planet. Thank you.
Deconstruction is a process for sure! The fear and doubt and guilt slowly dissipate as you learn more truth about the origins and falseness of these religious claims. I can almost promise if you keep going, this secular side will become normal to you. I know its so hard for a while.
I think it's interesting that a good, fair, companionate, and loving god could just make some of his favorite people have an easier time in believing in him and enjoys watching some of his other favorite people struggle in believing in him.
Brandon! Laid-out so nicely, so effectively, and so clearly spoken to the nuanced and stealthy manipulative 'thought bombs' that Christianity planted in those of us from the time we were babes. From the moment our brains were just hearing and beginning to understand, they poured into us this poison before we even knew what it meant to give someone permission TO DO SO. You are nailing it! THANK YOU!
Spot On Brandon 🎉 no matter how dramatic or lackluster the ✌️christian experience ✌️for most professing believers I encounter, the overwhelming majority make it clear their holy scriptures are here for them to cherry pick what feels good and then it’s back to this emotionally charged, grace-walled and guilt ridden, narcissistic behavior that I’ve come to know as the true religion. Your channel has echoed deeply in my own choice to investigate and test the truth of it all. I’ve found that the above characteristics are the only power of spirit that seems to be oh so busy in the lives of so many that say they follow the way, the truth, and the life, and then the outcome is to forsake their selves permanently and cling to this delusional behavior and delusional validation. I too have over 30 years of deep connection, raised up and devoted to this religion and it’s done nothing but cause confusion for my friends and family, frustration and misery for my own life because of them, and paper relationships that burn up faster than a Gehenna trash fire when they are tested. Thank you man, this video is one, I think, will stand out to people that are really looking at life for what it is vs what traditions we don’t choose to be born into in the beginning 🤘👾🤘👾🤘👾🤘👾🤘👾
“ Reach out, touch faith Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who cares Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who's there Feeling unknown And you're all alone Flesh and bone By the telephone Lift up the receiver I'll make you a believer Take second best Put me to the test Things on your chest You need to confess I will deliver You know I'm a forgiver Reach out, touch faith Reach out, touch faith Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who cares Your own personal Jesus Someone to hear your prayers Someone who's there Feeling unknown And you're all alone Flesh and bone By the telephone Lift up the receiver I'll make you a believer I will deliver You know I'm a forgiver Reach out, touch faith Your own personal Jesus Reach out, touch faith Reach out, touch faith Reach out, touch faith (Reach out, reach out) Reach out, touch faith Reach out and touch faith” ‘Personal Jesus’ - Depeche Mode I never got this song until I started to question my beliefs, until I started to struggle Thanks,again, Brandon!
When I look back upon my life It's always with a sense of shame I've always been the one to blame For everything I long to do No matter when or where or who Has one thing in common too It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin It's a sin Everything I've ever done Everything I ever do Every place I've ever been Everywhere I'm going to It's a sin At school they taught me how to be So pure in thought and word and deed They didn't quite succeed For everything I long to do No matter when or where or who Has one thing in common too It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin It's a sin Everything I've ever done Everything I ever do Every place I've ever been Everywhere I'm going to It's a sin Father forgive me I tried not to do it Turned over a new leaf Then tore right through it Whatever you taught me I didn't believe it Father you fought me 'Cause I didn't care And I still don't understand So I look back upon my life Forever with a sense of shame I've always been the one to blame For everything I long to do No matter when or where or who Has one thing in common too It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin It's a sin Everything I've ever done Everything I ever do Every place I've ever been Everywhere I'm going to It's a sin It's a It's a It's a It's a sin It's a sin It's a sin It's a sin It's a sin
"How dare you doubt God! Who do you think you are?" WHO would I HAVE to be?? I shouldn't have to go anywhere or be anyone in particular. Thanks for the video
"feelings presented as facts" represents her argument just so accurately. This reminds me of one time i read in the comments section of a video, a woman going like "i know in my heart", i replied "despite your good intentions, people cannot know things in their hearts". it seems like if some religious people simply cant understand that.
I have brain and often struggle understanding critical thinking, but your communication is fantastic and I'm always able to understand you. We need all kinds of styles and voices and I sincerely appreciate all you do. A diversity of sceptics is wonderful and I just wanted you to know that your style, skill and teaching is reaching someone like me with brain damage. Thank you Sir
It is simply amazing how well you can articulate the thought patterns and feelings of someone knee deep into the Christian faith. For me personally, the part of being 'special' and 'elected' fueled me to hold on. Childlike faith though was something very far from me. In the end, I'm glad that I recently started to follow my doubts indtrad of blaming it on Satan. You are a big contribution to me waking up and starting to free myself from the shackles of this religion. You are right that the more you distance yourself from the belief system and the people, the more you are almost shocked by their thinking. Im glad thst we made it out, Brandon. Much love keep going ❤
Growing up religious, when I was told that the skills/"talents" I worked hard to develop and improve, were "God given" - it was as though the effort and hard work I put in were being undermined. That a God was the only reason I had such "gifts", and that I owe it all to him. It was something that always bothered me. And at times the occasional : " you would be nothing without God" " where would you be without Him?"
A common message from the Faithful is: "I am special", yes I have a church family, I sing in the choir, I teach Sunday school, I am a deacon, I have the mayor in my prayer group etc. Esp special is being saved and signs that I am saved; the Prosperity Gospel, look at all we have! God laid it on my heart, can mean anything you want. Yes! That is the fun of church! All is good, we all have grace. It is no different than not talking about politics to Uncle Billy at family gatherings. He's family and we put up with him. The Institution will be maintained b/c we need each other. Thanks, good vid.
Once again, thank you. You're sincere and peaceful. They cannot attack you for being a condescending and edgy atheist, because you're not. You're compassionate and kind. I hope this will help a lot of people. Please continue to do it the way you do it!
Another on point video. As an ex-Fundy who's named Faith, I was told the story of how and why that is my name. Hebrews 11:1, evidence of things hoped for and the substance of things unseen.. faith the grain of a mustard seed could move mountains....etc Being taught to listen to that still small voice or that god uses dreams to speak. And all that was needed is faith for discernment which are two different spiritual gifts (discernment and faith) to figure out what god was trying to say to me. All those lessons did was reinforce that god favors only special people. Good grief... so much convoluted nonsense!
This is one of my favorite channels. Thank you About 75% or more of the time when I believed, I had doubts. Sometimes just small doubts, sometimes huge doubts. I remember one Bible passage that caused me to temporarily walk away from religion. It was the story about Abraham being asked to be willing to sacrifice his son. So, so many things wrong with that. Well, I stayed away from religion for a few years, but went back. Probably mostly out of fear of hell, and secondly, I thought I was messed up, not religion. Fast forward about 16 years and the doubts just kept adding up. I tried to keep believing. A couple of years of that and then I finally walked away. I now realize religion is messed up and there's absolutely no reason to believe.
I totally agree with your friend who said they just know god is so real that they don’t need to read the Bible. Exactly. In my experience it is the Bible (or any other “holy” book) that shows how evil the Christian god is. I was raised mainstream Catholic so the only Bible stories and verses I was exposed to were sanitized. As an adult, I took a Bible study class and really read the Bible for the first time. Reading the Bible is what shook my beliefs to the core. I knew right away it was all a lie. The Bible reads EXACTLY like pagan mythology with the angry, revengeful god who must be worshipped properly. Anyone who has read a few articles or taken a high school class on the lives of ancient tribes can see the direct correlation between the Bible and mythology. So, for me, if you want to believe in god, don’t read the Bible.
@@VictoriousCatholicOh, so you are one of those people who thinks that you can’t just read the Bible, but you need someone to explain why the moral nightmares aren’t really a problem.
I saw an example of that when I saw a Christian in the comments section of another video taking about how gay people being together is a sin. They then proceeded to say they were not being homophobic
Excellent articulation of a key "hard to put your finger on" issue. As I watched this it struck me that this charism stuff is basically what Stephen Colbert calls "truthiness": What matters is not whether something is true, but whether it feels true.
I think my affinity for fantasy and comic books was influential in my idea that some people are blessed with a conviction or power while most others aren’t . As a Star Wars fan when I was a kid, I was amazed at the few people who could “Use the Force” while the rest of the characters had to rely on brute technology to get things done. I loved and envied the power Luke Skywalker had and wished I could also use the Force. Hey, I was a kid. Then as a teenager, I would follow The X-Men. Each member had a one in a billion talent which bordered on the fantastic. Again, I identified with them because I had rare talent for visual art and writing. Again, at the same time, I envied the X-Men’s extraordinary powers. In college, I read all four volumes of Vasari’s “Lives of the Artists.” Vasari would say that the greatest painters and sculptors of the Renaissance, his contemporaries, were possessed of a “divine spark.” Yet again, though I was a talented artist, I would never be in the same league as the Great Men. I felt small and envious. At the same time, in high school and college, I learned about genetics and how each human is endowed with varying traits. So I learned that even the most extraordinary artists, writers, musicians, and scientists didn’t receive a bolt from the blue at birth. It was woven into their genes. It was a product of nature. So in the present day, I put super powered heroes like Luke Skywalker and the X-Men in my toy chest. The true movers and shakers of the world? Yes, I still envy them, but they are not godlike beings. They have their flaws, which reminds me they are but human and, like me, their time on this earth is brief. My two cents, anyway.
Thank you for sharing some of your thoughts and experiences. 👍 Often what we know of the greats is skewed to a romantic notion . Their "specialness" is evoked for everything it's worth for the dramatic sake of a good story. Most great people had great parents, great teachers , a strong focus , or a great spouse , ... something to give them a particular edge . and last but far from least they had what is only known as luck. Also plenty of greats had extra bad luck and were miserable besides having such great talent, knowledge, skills, i influence, or whatever looks so great from the outside.
I was sincerely "saved at a young age of about 7, in the 1960s at a bible camp. Raised in a small non denominational, evangelical church in Mpls. For 40 years I fought and struggled with the fact that I never felt Gods presence or the Holy Spirit. I lived a Christian life but never felt God did his part. It was all on me. I really relate to this vid Brandon. We were always told that God gave each of us "gifts" thru the Spirit. Somehow I was passed over. I love your channel. Thank you. Just turning 68 today and I'll continue to "Keep Thinking".
Thank you Brandon for more great insight! You have been helpful to me and obviously many others. When I saw the topic of the program, I was reminded of a christian I know who said she was chosen by god. When I believed in god, I was told was that as long as we believed in god and followed him, we would be "accepted" by him. The first thing I heard was an incredible amount of arrogance in that comment. At first, in our relationship, she didn't come across this way. She seemed like a caring person and I appreciated that but little by little I started to notice things. Yes, she has turned out to be judgmental and appears to have justification for that behavior. She has been unwilling to accept if she makes mistakes or admit when she has hurt my feelings and has put blame back on me. The thing is, I don't deal with people in that way. A friendship that started out in a good way, is over and there appears to be no way to discuss it any further if she continues to believe she is always right and has no room for differences. There seems to be this "black and white" thinking that some people can't see past. This doesn't represent empathy to me or a way of bringing people together. Relationships have always been difficult for me, because of trust and this one was yet another that has been blown out of the water, specifically because of religion. It's too bad because not everyone is this way. I am grateful that I have worked hard enough to "thicken my skin" and I trust in my boundaries. Thank you again, I appreciated this one.
I’m at a place where I’m kind of in a weird spot. I’ve been a Christian for a little over 20 years and I absolutely positively refused to listen to the “ other side”. I recently sort of said to myself that I owe it myself to hear other arguments, if my faith can’t stand up to that then what do I really have? That was a couple of months ago. Although I have not ‘de-converted’ I admit there are a lot of good arguments on the atheist side. Im still very much in the “weighing things out” phase and it still feels insane to me to even question it. One thing I really like about you Brandon is your compassionate approach,. We’re not on ‘sides’ here right? At the end of the day we’re all people. I don’t ‘hate’ atheists , or anyone, we’re all on a journey for truth. I hope everyone finds peace with wherever they land.
Trust me, I was in your same position. I was a Christian for many many many years, but I had to get the strength and courage to ask myself the tough questions, and when I honestly answered with my heart with compassion with human decency, it was far from what the Bible suggested the question was is there anything my child whom I love could ever do for me to sentence them to be tortured and burned for ever? The answer is no there is nothing my child could ever do for me to sentence them to such cruel punishment. I wouldn’t even sentence my worst enemy, but yet this biblical God will do it. But he loves me cus I’m his child??!!!🤷🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
Love your approach and attitude. Ideally we are all on the same side. Finding truth. I know how hard it is when you first choose to peak behind the curtains. I know how it feels like it would be insane to ever leave religion or not believe in god. If you had told me 5 years ago i would be here, i simply would not have believed you.
@@IDMtv Thank you for your response. I 100% totally understand where you’re coming from in the scenario that you described, and as a father myself, I absolutely agree. However, my understanding and my belief is,..God wouldn’t either, with his child. Romans 8:35-39 testifies that ‘nothing’ shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is, those that are “his”,. truly ‘saved’ born-again believers in Christ, which is clearly not everyone. I come from the camp that believes that you cannot lose your salvation. Again, in response to my original comment, I’m currently wrestling with some things, but at the moment ( and possibly forever or until whenever) still a believer.
@@cyraxox7440 ironically enough, that's the passage I quote for being able to "walk away" ... Apparently I don't fall into any of those categories that will not separate me from god. If nothing can separate me from god, then why were there no roadblocks or answers given to me on my way out? And yes, I get the "you were never really Christian" crap... But hey, I guess people knowing my life better than myself is a gift lol
@@CatDaddyGuitar My belief is that nothing CAN separate you from the love of God (including yourself),once you’ve been ‘born-again’, for those that are were truly ‘saved’. Just as you cannot become ‘unborn’ physically you cannot become ‘unborn’ spiritually. I will not, for one ,EVER profess to know someone else’s spiritual condition or position before God, nor do I believe that people that walk away ‘never really believed to begin with’. I think there are fine lines where we walk, we want to know the answers to everything and there are, unfortunately, not absolute, clearly defined lines sometimes,..
I am reminded of Romans 9 where Paul says that even if your works are good and your faith is strong, God may not favor you for special gifts or even Eternal Life (Paraphrasing)! And you are SO RIGHT, FEELINGS ARE NOT FACTS!! Thanks as always!!
I always tell my son that the person who will lie to you the most... is yourself. And that's extremely hard given the fact that we typically want to believe our own bs. And religion can be such a psychological crutch and the core to your social connections that we will go out of our way to justify our own criticisms and questions call the religious structure.
church communities have their ways of making their preachings a self-fulfilling prophecy... if you're turning your back to them they'll cut you off from the network they offer, so yeah, believers prosper, because the plumber that tells them he's an atheist doesn't get any jobs... just an example...
The deception is real, my friend. I shudder when I think about all the times I sang to my god in my car, at work, at home, TRULY thinking in my heart that I was WORSHIPING him. Christianity (and religion in general) is SO based on feelings! PS: I love how you kinda gave an Atheist Altar Call at the end there-speaking directly to the doubting Christian, asking them to consider if their doubts might be valid, etc. Heh heh. A reverse-altar-call, as it were. :)
What worries me most about people with this "gift" or people who just "know" when something is good or evil, from heavenly or demonic sources is what happens when something breaks in their neurology? We know that brains can have malfunctions in their empathy or aggression centers or in their ability to regulate emotions. What happens when something breaks in their brain enough that they now "know" that God is leading them to harm themselves or even someone else? Even more tragic and terrifying is that they have no critical thinking skills to fall back on, just "knowing" has always been enough for them and up until that point has worked out fine.
Wow. Exhilarating passion. Clarity, heart, focus and spirit. Truly important compassion and encouragement for those not blessed with the supernatural "pass go collect 200" card. All of us who's brains are fully engaged, curious and seeking, hungering for something more substantial than emotional wisps of smoke.
The main reason I get for becoming religious from believers is being born into it. The main reason for them believing is personal experience. The main excuse from them for me not believing is that I'm the problem. I no longer argue the existence of gods, that is pointless. I usually ask why they need a god when I don't and go from there. The last conversation i had, I mentioned that I don't fear death and the thought of not existing. The response was that I most likely hadn't really thought about it. Sigh...yes, I see I'm still the problem, even when I tell you my honest opinion. Thanks for sharing!
@@aheartonfire7191 Ok tell us about your supernatural experiences. Don't just say you've had them and not tell us about them. What about those experiences keeps you a believer?
@@aheartonfire7191 The technical term for these are "hallucinations", and the condition is called "psychosis". Keep an eye peeled for evil clowns, they're "out there" too. The real danger is when you start believing these things are real. Good luck.
I have likened it to a boardgame. Most people don't read the rules of a boardgame. Rather, they play it the way someone taught them. As a result they don't actually understand the game,and end up playing their version of the game. A version that exists only in their mind or in the mind of their friend group. Most people don't read the bible, and as a result they have a version of Christianity that only exists in their mind or the mind of their church.
My first bit of questioning was when I was taught about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in my Confirmation class. I remember wondering, "so the Catholic adults in my life actually have more Wisdom and Knowledge than everyone else?" It was the first thing that, somehow, seemed strange to me. The thought itself didn't really lead to anything, but I never forgot it either.
@@christophergibson7155 Having read through the verses I don't really see where your issue is. Wisdom and Knowledge are definitely listed, among many others. It does say everyone gets different Gifts, which of course was already covered in this video. So I suppose I should've thought "SOME of the Catholic adults in my life have more Wisdom OR Knowledge than everyone else, but not both?" I guess either the amount of Spirit Gift power available is limited, or a person can only handle so much without exploding... or God just wants some people to be unwise.
@@ArrantPrac I will try and further elaborate on the area of the "Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here is the portion of scripture that Paul the Apostle explains on the 9 gifts: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant...There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually AS HE WILLS."
A very common byproduct that people suffering from schizophrenia or bi-polar illness experience is 'feeling close to God'. This can be harmless but also can lead to pretty horrible actions. Do these people also have a 'special relationship with God?' 'Feeling' close to God really isn't always a positive thing.
I love how you just came out of nowhere and you're such a force to be reckoned with... You're a friggin hero. I read a lot and listen actively... I'm so in awe of your intellect and how you've taken this corner of RUclips by the balls... You are fucking incredible and I'm so grateful for your insight
@@MindShift-Brandon I literally listen to your videos on the way to work every single day... I was raised Catholic and denounced it all when I was ten years old... By the time I was fifteen, I didn't know I was an atheist because that wasn't a widely understood thing 23 years ago... I'm 38 now and I'm so grateful that you are on the forefront of this movement... You are brilliant and I love your work so much
WOW!! Brother I was just talking about this same subject with a Christian friend. I'm definitely sending her this one. Love ya bro always on point. Warrior on👍🏽😁
Nothing like waking up having a coffee, the cat snuggles up to you and Brandon on the tv, great video my man :) I have gone trough a lot of therapy (rough childhood) and after I did cbt (cognitive behavioral therapy) most of not all the voice of "god" went away, weird that when my emotions got under control that god disappeared? Ofc starting to use reason, actually reading the Bible from cover to cover and your videos have shown me the true face of god :) thank you :) also does it not really mess with free will that someone is born with an hotline to god?
It's a fictional example, but I'm reminded of a character from one of Sir Prachett's books, Small Gods. His name was Vorbis, and he was a deacon who was described as having a 'mind like a steel ball'. Nothing got in or out. He could not be swayed from his faith because he was sure he was hearing his god's words right in his head, which... meant he had to be infallible as well. He couldn't be convinced he was wrong or that anything he did was wrong, no matter how clearly bad it was. And since he was in a position of power, everyone else had to fall in line. Given all the other parallels to ... I feel like this was certainly a warning about that sort of person. A degree of doubt is needed just to think rationally, in a way.
I used to, at one time in my life, believe in ghosts. I truly believed that my house was haunted and at times would catch glimpses of objects out of the corner of my eye, would hear voices and footsteps, felt a close spiritual presence, even had photos I’d taken in which I could see the ghosts or spirits. However, there came a day that I no longer believed in the supernatural, including ghosts. Would you believe that as soon as that happened, ALL of those ghosts immediately moved out of my house for good? The obvious truth is that I wanted to believe in ghosts so my brain/mind was simply giving me what I wanted. Once I stopped believing, those “ghosts” disappeared and never came back, not even trying to convince me they were ever real. After over 30 years of a personal relationship with Jesus, I began to question the existence of God around that same time, and isn’t it also strange that neither He nor Jesus have spoken one word to me since? The truth is, my mind simply stopped giving me what I’d previously wanted to believe. For if I can only speak to a being in my head, and it can only speak to me in my head, it’s highly likely that it only exist in my head. For you can want to believe something so strongly that your brain/mind will give you what you want. Throw some ancient, Bronze Age literature in there and you’ll will convince yourself that the delusion is real and true.
Very true. I also thought I saw ghosts as a kid. Even one of my friends said, "the more you believe in ghosts, the more they are pulled to your energy." Funny how that works out, isn't it? Either we're all mildly psychically powerful and can influence the spiritual world with our beliefs or like you said, our brains are just giving us what we want. Our brains are trash at knowing the difference between fantasy and reality. To the mind, it's all the same.
Thank you for covering this topic. You are so right about people who don't study the Bible very much because the god in their head is enough. They are almost impossible to reason and rationalize with.
Brandon, love your content. Consider this analogous situation. You are on a call with someone and can hear it is outside and your friend is using the speaker mode. Then you hear your friend suddenly interrupt you and say “Oh wow, there’s a dragon flying across the sky!” Then you hear someone else respond, “Hey there’s no dragon, that’s just an airplane”. Then your friend says “no the dragon is to the right of the plane”. Then the other guy says “no there’s only a plane”. Then your friend says, “maybe you just can’t see dragons cause your too close-minded”. Now would you think the stranger is close-minded or that there’s something wrong with your friend?
Thank you Brandon so much for making these videos! Every video that I watch helps me so much I hope you and your family are doing really well Have a wonderful day!
I'm 100% in agreement with everything you said! These are the exact same problems I have with the anti-intellectualism n lack of critical thinking regarding how religious peoole very often operate in. Simply put: just because you think and/or feel something doesn't make it real or true!
This is such an important video and topic. Christianity is imbedded in superiority, there is no 2 ways about it. Saved and not saved, hearing god vs giving into satan. It's baked in at the very beginning as god chooses people and people groups.
At 68 I have been deconstructing my faith for about 3 months now. Brandon has been very helpful. Regarding spiritual gifts, I believed I had the gift of prophecy, which is speaking the truth - usually unpopular true to powerful people who can harm you, like the OT prophets. My nemesis, the home group leader and ex-pastor, who still saw himself as a shepherd, said "well, I have the gift of prophecy too!" ie, your words of truth will never trump MY words of truth. LOL
Reading the Bible means different things to everyone. My mom says she reads her Bible and truly believes it. She follows Bible study books that direct her to a few verses and she goes and finds those specific verses in her own Bible. Then back to the supplemental book that tells her what to think of what she just read.
The arrogance of thinking you’re special enough to have access to faith and supernatural powers that saves you from things like car accidents but others aren’t as lucky as them for this gift and they struggle through stuff I don’t have to. “Other people aren’t believing “hard enough” is another thing I hear all the time smh.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Christian missionaries. I didn’t know ppl still even did this until recently. My little cousin is raising money to fund a trip to “Southern Asia” to preach the gospels. His mission is to convert Hindu into Christian. “Because they don’t have access or info about Jesus.” This makes me so sad and a little angry. I have a lot of respect for Hinduism as it’s a beautiful culture with beautiful ethics. And to think Christians want to convert them seems insane to me. And awful. Naturally he’d have to cherry pick and leave out a vast majority of the Bible to convince them to abandon their gods that are older than the Bible says the earth is…just crazy. And to think it would work? Or why anyone would think that’s a good idea? Also, to add, both our moms (they’re sisters) are divorced, both of us have siblings that had children out of wedlock. My cousin himself has tattoos and a nose piercing. He’s also not a virgin and not married. Just seems so strange that he and his own family don’t follow the “rules” to the religion but he wants to go to Asia and convince them. My head is just spinning
Their just modern day colonizers, trying to replace other people cultures and religion with theirs. It’s the modern day version of “we have to help these savages and teach them how to behave like us.” It’s really gross
Here's hoping that at worst, the conversion goes the other way. At the very least, I think I'd be happier with more Hindus and fewer Christians in the world, if it could be arranged peacefully.
Reminds me of a story from a Wisconsin insane asylum with 3 patients, all of whom were fully persuaded they were Jesus reborn. Psychologists put them in a room together where each said it was obvious HE was the real Jesus, and the staff should believe them over the others.
After I left the church (just me, my husband stayed) the pastor said if I have any questions, they will gladly answer them, so that I can see the "wrong" in my ways. Very arrogant. So I got all my books full of notes on bible studies I did after I left church, ready, and if we go, they are going to "set me right". So I unpack all these books, 3 different translations of the bible, a Tanakh, name it. And he said "okay, let's start". So I asked him if he doesn't need a bible. And he arrogantly crossed his arms, smirked and said "I don't need a bible." It was downhill from there.
Thank you for the insights. Watching your video reminded me of doing quiet times with the Daily Bread series in middle school with my dad. The Daily Bread booklets would supply meditations on one verse and apply it to your daily, routine life. I enjoyed them as a kid and I enjoyed the time with my dad. However, it softens the Bible’s message and teaches you concepts which were more cultural than anything.
![Megan Thee Stallion - Roc Steady (feat. Flo Milli) [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HozPPyqW0dY/mqdefault.jpg)
Morning all! Let’s talk about the charism of faith today.
Just heard Frank Turek: you cannot have a moral standard without a god...
@MindShiftSkeptic
What does it mean to be locally real?
“Real,” meaning that objects have definite properties independent of observation-an apple can be red even when no one is looking; “local” means objects can only be influenced by their surroundings, and that any influence cannot travel faster than light.
[Locally real = fundamental, necessary]
What does it mean the universe is not locally real?
Under quantum (not-natural; 0D) mechanics, nature (1D, 2D, 3D and 4D) is not locally real: particles may lack properties such as spin up or spin down prior to measurement, and they seem to talk to one another no matter the distance. (Because the outcomes of measurements are random, these correlations cannot be used for faster-than-light communication.)
[Not locally real = not-fundamental, not-necessary]
This is important because Newton and Einstein's Materialist/Empiricist "3 + 1 space-time" says that 1D, 2D, 3D and 4D are fundamental/necessary while 0D is not-fundamental/not-necessary.
A year ago quantum physics proved that 0 is necessary (locally real) and nonzero is not-necessary (not locally real), proving Materialistm/Empiricism to be contradictory at the core, so outright false.
Leibniz and his Realist camp argued that zero is necessary and nonzero is not-necessary and his calculus and physics actually match reality.
TL;DR Zero has been proven "fundamental/necessary/locally real" for a year now. If you think the difference between 0 and 1 changing isn't epic just remember that Rick Sanchez collapsed a Galactic Federation by changing a 1 into a 0.
@MindShiftSkeptic
Our most important tools for determining reality (in order):
1. Math
2. Physics
3. Chemistry
4. Biology
The literal difference between 0 and 1 changed (which is necessary and which is not-necessary) a year ago.
Everyone can't stop repeating the same old tired Materialism/Empiricism Religion vs Science arguments we've heard for well over 300 years.
Under Materialism/Empiricism BOTH Religion and Science have interpreted their own positions in a fundamentally contradictory manner. Neither side can win without studying Realism (which was proven correct a year ago).
Remove the contradictions and "life's biggest questions" become self-evident.
I would love if you did a video for us ex-pentecostals who believed in the gifts of the spirit. It's hard getting past some prophesies that that have come to pass or speaking in tongues. I doubt a lot of stuff now, but then it felt very real
.
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
1Peter 4:6 KJV
18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:
19 By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison;
20 Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.
1Peter 3:18-20 KJV
So, it looks like based on scripture that everybody will get that opportunity to learn about God and decide to rely on faith whether it’s in this life or after this life.
So, what is the point of this video?
The "struggle to believe in God" has always been a crazy idea to me because God could reveal himself to every human being if he wanted to.
It really is that simple.
No it isn't. Asking God to reveal Himself to you then you'll believe is like a financial deadbeat asking for a statement proving they didn't pay: you'll just come up with another excuse to not do it, regardless of how nonsensical your excuse is
And put an end to thousands of years of bickering, segregation, oppression and wars based on differences of scriptures interpretation?
No way!
If God exists, he knows what it should take to convince me of his existence. @MrTrilliondollarman
@@VictoriousCatholicmmm no. If God revealed himself in no uncertain terms we'd definitely believe he/she/it exists.
Whether we worship it... Well, that's a whole other ballgame.
It's like an adult meeting their deadbeat dad for the first time. We'll acknowledge he's alive and real. But give him love and attention or acknowledge they love me back? That stuff has to be earned still.
What really irritates me is when some Christians brag and boast about God's favor in their lives all the while oblivious and insensitive to those around them who are suffering. It really is disgusting.
I know some who SWITCH to God. Outside of that, they hustle like all of us.
I saw this perfect picture yesterday: God is holding a sweating man over a barrel of fire, saying "Love me and be sincere about it!"
Oh yeah, the gifts thing.
The family-church my ex pulled me into convinced me that I was the "watcher" for them who could see things others could not, into the spiritual realm and even evil ghosts and demonic entities. I was so observant that I often had trouble sleeping because I was aware of so many evil spirits around me, funnily almost always of stuff I was already scared of and knew through movies and video games. They called it "The Gift of the Watcher/Lookout/Guardian" because I was able to see "the enemy" from far away and was able to warn them.
My psychotherapist today calls it "induced psychosis".
Holy shit. The insanity shouldn’t surprise me but it does
I feel like this is literally the reason demons are a thing. The church convince people they are possessed or they break people mentally by not living in reality and conflating random chance to the super natural.
I consider myself 'blessed' with the gift of critical thinking, the capacity to accept that I don't know the answer to every question, the capacity to give my own personal meaning to life and accept that it's different for other people.
The Book has all answers. Seek answer Books Ken Ham 1-4 compilation of great theological material.
Yes Marc that is a "blessing". 😊
@@jackiepowell7513
Recommending conmen apologists won't get you anywhere around here.
@@jackiepowell7513Ken Hamn is dishonest. Gutsick Gibbon has called him out and she _specialises_ in the study of apes and more! Ken Hamn was very dishonest, as usual.
@@FoursWithin building that ark did force him to apply the scientific method and admit that no way a couple of each would have fitted on that contraption... I think it's funny that him and that convicted criminal hovint later came to the conclusion that noah must have carried one 'primitive cat' from which then all tigers, lions, panthers, lynx and housecats evolved... funny how they reluctantly adopted science but only to a level that fit their narrative on that vessel.
Not being able to doubt something is an impairment, not a gift.
100%!!!
I ‘got saved’ when I was 13 at a Revival service. My mind was not fully developed yet. Emotions were high, with the charismatic preacher, and the worship music tugging at my heart strings. I was a vulnerable young kid. I’m 24 now. It is exactly why I think that anyone who wants to convert to Christianity should 1) Read the Bible cover to cover. 2) Be at least 18+. 3) Have informed consent about the religion. It’s like reading over the document carefully, before giving your signature. When you look at Christianity critically and without the emotional manipulation, it is absurd. Keep up the great work, Brandon!
Man thats so true!! Couldnt agree more except id up the age to 25 once our brain is done developing. I have long said that if we could keep people in a bubble for 25 years and then introduce the concept of religion and have them simply just read a holy book from front to back with no influence, no one would embrace this
Yes read about YWH THE PEDO, BABY, PREGNANT WOMAN, ANIMAL. GENOCIDER. YWH THE SLAVERER, ALL TYPES OF SLAVERY. JUST A LITTLE of THAT EVIL PSYCHO BOOK
Facts!!! I tell my ex church friends to before they go inside the church to leave their emotions outside and just observe, and I guarantee them that they would see the truth!!! It’s completely emotional!!!
Honestly, it seems like a lot of Christians signed onto a religion they didn't understand or read in any detail, and now they're stuck making excuses for the problems they didn't realize they signed up for. I will admit to some enjoyment in my introductory college philosophy course as I watched some Christian students struggle with the concepts being introduced.
I got baptized around 13 I feel you
When people say they've never struggled with their faith, I wonder who they're trying to convince - me or themselves.
Ahh very true
What I love about this guy is that he will pick the absolute BEST possible scenario for the Christian God to be able to “win” the case but still he will manage to get his point across
Thats a wonderful compliment. Thanks!
@MindShiftSkeptic you're a true gentleman and a scholar🫡🫡
A real steelman user. The highest compliment for a philosopher/debater in my opinion.
@@MindShift-Brandon you know of paul Wallace channel or the 5th kind. he used to teach priests how to interpret many different bible scrips in different languages. he doesn't believe god either anymore and bellives in maybe just conscious instead of a being. hes smart though. hes name is paul Anthony wallis.
In my upbringing, my late father was devoted to contributing 20% of his income to the church. The pastor had a persuasive pitch, emphasizing the idea of sowing seeds with God for future growth. However, when I was 13, my parents divorced, and he experienced significant losses. Despite these challenges, he held onto his faith, keeping a Bible on his nightstand until he reached the age of 90, although he was not as outspoken as he once was in his earlier years as a street preacher. He didn't even go to church anymore, lived with a lady he wasn't married to for 25 years. I engaged in numerous profound philosophical conversations with my dad, attempting to dissect the ideology behind his commitment. I could sense his discomfort, prompting me to refrain from pushing further. But he obviously shifted his beliefs to some degree. RIP Pops
We lived near the church. One day the priest came to visit and asked for donations. My father said “Why do you ask me? Why don’t you ask god?” I don’t remember what the response was, but I remember that my father’s next piece of advice was “Then get a job.”
We were working class: my father was working hard to repay the mortgage taken out to buy the land for his farm. I don’t think the idea of “sowing seeds with god” would have found favor with him. As farmer he knew that if you want a harvest you have to put seeds in the ground, not in other people’s pockets.
He had a great sense of humor and a great heart. At the funeral even people I barely knew told me how good a friend he had been to them, almost a brother. I miss him. 😭
@@pansepot1490 The Church (whichever one you can think of) tries to convince you they have a right to a part of your income. I like your Dad's pushing it back at the Priest.
Yeah Get a job.
@Cuffsmaster - Yes, our church said if you don't pay your tithes you steal from God what belongs to God. They guilted everyone into paying by thanking those that pay during the Sunday service, not by name, but telling them how God will look after them for paying what is rightfully God's. We struggled financially. We just got married, I relocated to a new town and had to resign from my job, and we only had one income. But 10% was put in an envelope for tithes. After all the bills, we barely had money for food. And I am not exaggerating. We ate bread most nights for dinner, meat maybe once a week. God surely looked after us......
@pinky9440 it's a well crafted mind virus. But look at us, we see it. So we wouldn't have the same awareness without the experience of being duped. We can help others, maybe. Now the Christians are buying bombs to give Israel to slaughter babies.
@@pinky9440 "Chruch said if you don't pay your tithes you are stealing from god"
I bet the Preacher was not struggling for food or he'd told you that God called him to preach at another Chruch.
One of the passages from the Tao Te Ching (which you've quoted before) says, "Simplicity, patience and compassion. These are your greatest treasures." Treasures, not gifts given from some outside entity but something we already possess. 👍🏻
Man its so so good! Thats so beautiful especially up against the bible.
Love that book. So much wisdom.
The tao te ching also has a very famous saying, man follows earth, earth follows heaven, heaven follows tao, and tao follows nature. The essence of everything that exists is simply naturalism not supernaturalism
Couldn't agree More @CatDaddyGuitar! Brandon in general is a Wonderful human being in general! His Videos has helped me a lot ngl ❤
Unless we possess it because it was already given.
I cried out and yelled for god to just give me a little bit of faith. Every day from January-August of 2023. I was terrified of hell and was scared that god was ignoring me, I wasn’t “chosen”, or I had blasphemed the Holy Spirit. I was terrified. I tried going to a therapist to see if he could help me find out ways I was wrong for not believing, pastors, anyone I could. It led me to which I think is now anxiety/depression and it has led to derealization/depersonalization. And I never believed in mental health, until this “god relationship” covered me with fear, anxiety, hopelessness, every single day. And he not once ever showed up. And then I found your account! You have helped me so much understand more questions and “doubts” I had that obviously make more sense now. But I love this channel. And please keep making this man!🤙🏽
So glad to be helping. Thanks for sharing and just keep learning man. One really can come to know this is a myth and lose all the fear.
I went through similar trauma when I first came to what I thought was "saving" faith. I tried for a couple years to be a "true" Christian- in hopes of alleviating this anxiety. Things got better, but I never got over the fear that I wasn't doing good enough for God until I started my deconversion process. I'm actually feeling better about myself now, and I wish you the best.
I had internalized and sympathized with this idea for years now, but somehow didn't think to articulate it this way until today: for a lot of religious believers, the core wound is equivalent to sunk cost fallacy. They have believed in it for so long that it's very similar to "I'm not really enjoying this movie, but I've already bought the ticket, already bought snacks and drinks, already watched an hour of it..."
Perfect
For folks that believe who have invested so much time and so much effort AND THEN to not appear foolish in leaving their 'faith'--not to mention the alienation that they might face--would surely be real drivers for just retaining their status quos.
"If I'm this far in, I may as well see it to the end..."
If that is the comparison used for their love for Jesus, it is pointless to continue with a phony life like that.
I can understand why the fear of what others think controls their life, and their love for Jesus does not exist.
_for a lot of religious believers, the core wound is equivalent to sunk cost fallacy_
What of those for whom this is not the case, for those who know that it is true?
When I was a Christian, I had the "gift of Hospitality"..
It totally had nothing to do with the fact that I was raised in the restaurant business.. nah...
😂
Lol! Love this
I spent years learning how to draw from adolescence to adulthood. It was a long tedious process that was not always fun or easy. It wasn't something i would ever claim came naturally to me.
When i show my work to your standard Christian they say I'm blessed with a god given talent.... :/
@@gjhartist3685 and all of that work you put into it is dismissed with that single comment LOL. Frustrating. As a different type of artist, I feel you.
@@gjhartist3685
That really annoys me, too.
I also draw, and for someone to say that it was a gift from God or it was God, then why aren't I a better artist?
@gjhartist3685 yeah my son taught himself to play piano and is an improvisational expert...went on to Australia's Got Talent and became a celebrity...and most people like to give 'god' the credit, saying it was a 'god-given gift' !! He was the one who practiced for hours and went from making bad sound to exceptional music that astounded people. It's very annoying this imaginary diety gets the credit... Feeling for you artists too, _you deserve_ the credit 🎉🎉
100% you’re on point. “God put it on my heart” is total bs, it’s a product of their feelings and thoughts
I was always troubled by so many denominations and doctrinal disputes among Bible-believing Christians who all claimed to have the gift of faith and received their doctrines through the Holy Spirit and the Bible. A typical answer was the others are not hearing the spirit properly or are deceived. Then there was “the spirit is perfect but the message can be misinterpreted by fallible man.” In which case, how reliable is any message from a perfect spirit?
Right?! Damn what an absolute mess.
Yes they were DUPED By Mr Naughty one and his Followers YWH put in as Rulers of this World. GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE YWH LOVES YOU. WHAT DING BATS
Can imagine YWH SAYING I AM PUTTING THE KING OF EVIL IN COMMAND OF ALL MY CHILDREN, HE HAS TO HAVE HIS FUN. YWH DING BATS CALL THAT LOVING
And the copious denominations have led to a history of relentless persecution, torture and bloodshed among christians themselves. You would think a supposedly omniscient being would be capable of inspiring a book that did not lead to such a scenario.
Everybody is mistaken except for me.
@@andrewanastasovski1609No, *I'm* mistaken!
Growing up Calvinist, the parable of the pot maker (or whatever he made) was used all the time to basically shame people from even asking this question. If you were made to go to hell, then that was God's right. It's His right for you to suffer.
A person should not entertain the idea held by many fools, and what is claimed by some doctrines, that at the time of a person's conception or birth, the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees whether he will be righteous or a sinner. This is untrue. Each person is able to be righteous or bad. Similarly, he may be wise or foolish, merciful or cruel, miserly or generous, or he may acquire any other character traits. There is no one who compels him, sentences him, or leads him towards either of any two extremes. Rather, he tends to the character traits he chooses, based on his own initiative and decision.
Its obviously disgusting, but the funny part is Calvinist might be the most accurate. If this god were real and he really inspired the bible, there views (for the most part) would be what people have to come to terms with. Thank goodness hes not.
Has the potter the right to say to the clay, "Why were you formed so badly?"
I dunno man, if you make bad pots, maybe you're a bad potter. If you're a good potter and make bad pots on purpose, you're a wasteful potter, or an avant-garde artist.
@@MindShift-Brandon I actually attribute my anxious desire to think logically (and my subsequent career as an engineer) to spending so much time as a child struggling with the logic of predestination. Back then i was motivated by fear to figure out another way, but Calvin kinda nailed it.
@@Uryvichk Post-modern neo-Ceramicist...
As a Christian I was guilty of that same kind of thinking; that any random thought that came to me when I had a problem was from God, and I would instinctively follow it, usually with disastrous results. And when it didn't work out? God was trying to communicate a deeper lesson. Looking back, what a dark and weird period that was in my life.
I feel you on this... It struck me after a while that "God's voice" sounded a hell of a lot like my own. Or I was to "wait on the Holy Spirit" to speak to me in that "small, still voice"... Which is really just my self talk. Nothing "super" happened outside the natural.
Yup! This has got to be the case for a vast majority of us.
Same here! But we are supposed to trust this god with everything? It seems he is very incompetent then.
Dan Barker had a story something like this in his book. He was driving and he felt like god told him to take the next left and he thought god is leading me somewhere so he followed the directions expecting to maybe find someone who was in need. After a while he ends up in a dead end in the middle of nowhere. And instead of thinking how silly the whole situation was he was like oh god was testing me and I passed! Praise Jesus!
@@a.b.2405
Yes the Bible God is a bumbler
of cosmic proportions
I was recently talking to one of my friends about this: what led me to deconvert and stop believing, how I used to pray every night but was never answered and every moment were I asked God to show up and it never happened. Her answer: "God makes you love Him either through love or pain, and maybe you need to go through the pain to get closer to Him". I mean, talk about a cop-out, and people have the courage to say that God is love, what kind of loving father abandones his kids and lets them suffer so they can love him more?
I honestly don't know how to deal with these arguments, I really admire you and how you're able to express yourself, your videos have been of great help to me during my journey of deconversion, thank you so much!
Cheers from Uruguay
Thanks so much for sharing. Glad to be helpful!
"God told me to come to you to tell you that he loves and he knows you're suffering. He told me to tell you everything will be okay. "
"What good does that do me? Why couldn't he just tell me that himself"
It's funny that God only appears and talks to some and not to others.
Man thats such a great point!
I'm also trilingual, Brandon. I remember one time I was talking to a pentecostal (as an atheist) about my experiences preaching in Mexico when I was still a Christian. He tried to tell me that I had the gift of tongues and that I was spitting in God's face by turning my back on him since he had given me the gift of tongues.
Well, English is my native language. I learned Spanish as a second language and Portuguese as a third language. I had to learn those languages. I didn't just magically know how to speak them all of a sudden.
His argument was weak and laughable. It's not a gift if I had to learn them.
@MindShiftSkeptic
Ever heard folks say “im blessed and divinely favored!” There’s definitely an inherent arrogance in there
Excellent as usual! The thought of having God's "favor" always bothered me. In my line of work I met many people that were suffering in many ways and I could not reconcile while some people could have "favor" and others seems utterly abandoned (particularly abused children and those with severe mental illness abandoned by society). I am supposed to happy that I have God's "favor" when I encounter so much hurt?! In my "Christian" life many people would reply with "I'm blessed and highly favored" when asked how they were doing. It was almost shameful NOT to give this reply. What the heck did that even mean?! Sorry I digress! When my doubt caused me to "pull the thread" on the sweater of Christianity, it wasn't long before that sweater was a big old pile of twisted messy yarn that no longer served a purpose in my life! Thanks so much Brandon!
Thank you for sharing!
Oooh spiritual gifts drives me nuts. I can play violin, Draw and even kind of sing. Every time I perform I hear Christian’s say: “Wow! You have God given talent!” My guy I literally slaved hours practicing and trying to “get good” especially when it comes to drawing and violin. It’s like all my hard work is gone and it’s just because of “God given talent” it’s always for God and no one else. ??? Not my own hard, and sweaty effort. 🙄 thanks again bro keep it up. Your videos, Holy Koolaid, and Religion For Breakfast have been really eye opening!
Love this example. Thank you
I hear you, Brandon 💯 %. How is it that Jesus, who we are meant to have a "personal" relationship with, never ever communicates with us, let alone assuring us that he is real, and even further...is God our "creator".
Yikes, I've been an atheist for over a decade but this woman's video is triggering feelings I had when I was in high school. I grew up in a protestant household. I went to church every Sunday, I attended Wednesday night Bible study at church, and helped teach Sunday school for toddlers. I KNEW God existed, but I felt like I was failing because I never felt God speak to me like everyone in my youth groups. I heard stories from people talking about how they felt God speak to them either on mission trips (that I never went on) or when they were in difficult times. This woman's rhetoric is what ramped up my depression and aided in my passive suicidal thoughts (I never tried to kill myself, but every night I PRAYED that I wouldn't wake up in the morning). I'm so glad to be out of that shit and my mental health is 1000x better than when I was a believer.
Thanks for sharing. So much of this triggers me too all the time but at least we made it out!
I so appreciate your compassion for those of us mid- deconstruction who feel broken and completely disoriented. It's good to be reminded that there's hope for a time when I maybe won't feel like an alien who just landed on another planet. Thank you.
Good luck in your journey, wherever you end up. At least you’ll understand exactly why you are there.
Deconstruction is a process for sure! The fear and doubt and guilt slowly dissipate as you learn more truth about the origins and falseness of these religious claims. I can almost promise if you keep going, this secular side will become normal to you. I know its so hard for a while.
I wish you the best 👌
thank you @@weirdwilliam8500
thanks very much
@@TerryCrosslin
I think it's interesting that a good, fair, companionate, and loving god could just make some of his favorite people have an easier time in believing in him and enjoys watching some of his other favorite people struggle in believing in him.
I’m a Christian and I like your channel. You deal with all the “tough questions” that every Christian struggles with whether they admit it or not.
Appreciate that
Brandon! Laid-out so nicely, so effectively, and so clearly spoken to the nuanced and stealthy manipulative 'thought bombs' that Christianity planted in those of us from the time we were babes. From the moment our brains were just hearing and beginning to understand, they poured into us this poison before we even knew what it meant to give someone permission TO DO SO.
You are nailing it! THANK YOU!
So generous and encouraging. Thank you!
Spot On Brandon 🎉 no matter how dramatic or lackluster the ✌️christian experience ✌️for most professing believers I encounter, the overwhelming majority make it clear their holy scriptures are here for them to cherry pick what feels good and then it’s back to this emotionally charged, grace-walled and guilt ridden, narcissistic behavior that I’ve come to know as the true religion. Your channel has echoed deeply in my own choice to investigate and test the truth of it all. I’ve found that the above characteristics are the only power of spirit that seems to be oh so busy in the lives of so many that say they follow the way, the truth, and the life, and then the outcome is to forsake their selves permanently and cling to this delusional behavior and delusional validation. I too have over 30 years of deep connection, raised up and devoted to this religion and it’s done nothing but cause confusion for my friends and family, frustration and misery for my own life because of them, and paper relationships that burn up faster than a Gehenna trash fire when they are tested. Thank you man, this video is one, I think, will stand out to people that are really looking at life for what it is vs what traditions we don’t choose to be born into in the beginning 🤘👾🤘👾🤘👾🤘👾🤘👾
Thank you so very much for taking the time to wrote this really thoughtful comment. It is appreciated!
“ Reach out, touch faith
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who's there
Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer
Take second best
Put me to the test
Things on your chest
You need to confess
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver
Reach out, touch faith
Reach out, touch faith
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who cares
Your own personal Jesus
Someone to hear your prayers
Someone who's there
Feeling unknown
And you're all alone
Flesh and bone
By the telephone
Lift up the receiver
I'll make you a believer
I will deliver
You know I'm a forgiver
Reach out, touch faith
Your own personal Jesus
Reach out, touch faith
Reach out, touch faith
Reach out, touch faith
(Reach out, reach out)
Reach out, touch faith
Reach out and touch faith”
‘Personal Jesus’ - Depeche Mode
I never got this song until I started to question my beliefs, until I started to struggle
Thanks,again, Brandon!
I remember feeling icky about this “secular song” talking about Jesus. Id turn the station lol.
What if God smoked cannabis
Is also a good song for any struggling theist....🫠
When I look back upon my life
It's always with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common too
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin
At school they taught me how to be
So pure in thought and word and deed
They didn't quite succeed
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common too
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin
Father forgive me
I tried not to do it
Turned over a new leaf
Then tore right through it
Whatever you taught me
I didn't believe it
Father you fought me
'Cause I didn't care
And I still don't understand
So I look back upon my life
Forever with a sense of shame
I've always been the one to blame
For everything I long to do
No matter when or where or who
Has one thing in common too
It's a, it's a, it's a, it's a sin
It's a sin
Everything I've ever done
Everything I ever do
Every place I've ever been
Everywhere I'm going to
It's a sin
It's a
It's a
It's a
It's a sin
It's a sin
It's a sin
It's a sin
It's a sin
I listen to this weekly.
I remember feeling the same with Jesus Christ superstar and even DaVinci code. @@MindShift-Brandon
"How dare you doubt God!
Who do you think you are?"
WHO would I HAVE to be??
I shouldn't have to go anywhere
or be anyone in particular.
Thanks for the video
"feelings presented as facts" represents her argument just so accurately. This reminds me of one time i read in the comments section of a video, a woman going like "i know in my heart", i replied "despite your good intentions, people cannot know things in their hearts". it seems like if some religious people simply cant understand that.
100%!
I have brain and often struggle understanding critical thinking, but your communication is fantastic and I'm always able to understand you. We need all kinds of styles and voices and I sincerely appreciate all you do. A diversity of sceptics is wonderful and I just wanted you to know that your style, skill and teaching is reaching someone like me with brain damage. Thank you Sir
Correction start should say brain damage.
So very kind. Thank you dearly!
It is simply amazing how well you can articulate the thought patterns and feelings of someone knee deep into the Christian faith.
For me personally, the part of being 'special' and 'elected' fueled me to hold on. Childlike faith though was something very far from me. In the end, I'm glad that I recently started to follow my doubts indtrad of blaming it on Satan.
You are a big contribution to me waking up and starting to free myself from the shackles of this religion.
You are right that the more you distance yourself from the belief system and the people, the more you are almost shocked by their thinking.
Im glad thst we made it out, Brandon. Much love keep going ❤
Thats so nice to hear. Happy to have been of help at all! Thank you so much
Growing up religious, when I was told that the skills/"talents" I worked hard to develop and improve, were "God given" - it was as though the effort and hard work I put in were being undermined. That a God was the only reason I had such "gifts", and that I owe it all to him. It was something that always bothered me. And at times the occasional : " you would be nothing without God" " where would you be without Him?"
Yeah. It’s all the methods and tactics of an emotionally abusive person.
A common message from the Faithful is: "I am special", yes I have a church family, I sing in the choir, I teach Sunday school, I am a deacon, I have the mayor in my prayer group etc. Esp special is being saved and signs that I am saved; the Prosperity Gospel, look at all we have! God laid it on my heart, can mean anything you want. Yes! That is the fun of church! All is good, we all have grace. It is no different than not talking about politics to Uncle Billy at family gatherings. He's family and we put up with him. The Institution will be maintained b/c we need each other. Thanks, good vid.
Once again, thank you. You're sincere and peaceful. They cannot attack you for being a condescending and edgy atheist, because you're not. You're compassionate and kind. I hope this will help a lot of people. Please continue to do it the way you do it!
Thanks for the lovely encouragement!
Another on point video. As an ex-Fundy who's named Faith, I was told the story of how and why that is my name. Hebrews 11:1, evidence of things hoped for and the substance of things unseen.. faith the grain of a mustard seed could move mountains....etc Being taught to listen to that still small voice or that god uses dreams to speak. And all that was needed is faith for discernment which are two different spiritual gifts (discernment and faith) to figure out what god was trying to say to me. All those lessons did was reinforce that god favors only special people. Good grief... so much convoluted nonsense!
This is one of my favorite channels. Thank you
About 75% or more of the time when I believed, I had doubts. Sometimes just small doubts, sometimes huge doubts.
I remember one Bible passage that caused me to temporarily walk away from religion. It was the story about Abraham being asked to be willing to sacrifice his son. So, so many things wrong with that. Well, I stayed away from religion for a few years, but went back. Probably mostly out of fear of hell, and secondly, I thought I was messed up, not religion.
Fast forward about 16 years and the doubts just kept adding up. I tried to keep believing. A couple of years of that and then I finally walked away. I now realize religion is messed up and there's absolutely no reason to believe.
Thanks so much for sharing here and for the kindness!
I’m very very proud of my roll as a skeptic. Just remember it’s the things Christians say that gets you told “go from me I never knew you”. Matt 7
So, so, so, SO proud of you, Brandon - "Deepest Well" (proud supporter) Keep it up!
I totally agree with your friend who said they just know god is so real that they don’t need to read the Bible. Exactly. In my experience it is the Bible (or any other “holy” book) that shows how evil the Christian god is. I was raised mainstream Catholic so the only Bible stories and verses I was exposed to were sanitized. As an adult, I took a Bible study class and really read the Bible for the first time. Reading the Bible is what shook my beliefs to the core. I knew right away it was all a lie. The Bible reads EXACTLY like pagan mythology with the angry, revengeful god who must be worshipped properly. Anyone who has read a few articles or taken a high school class on the lives of ancient tribes can see the direct correlation between the Bible and mythology. So, for me, if you want to believe in god, don’t read the Bible.
That show me you either never read the Bible or won't admit you don't understand it
@@VictoriousCatholic He literally just said he took a Bible Study Class. Try reading the entire context, like you should be doing with the Bible.
Apologies.. I didn't look at the name LOL. She (liz.. correct?)
@@VictoriousCatholicOh, so you are one of those people who thinks that you can’t just read the Bible, but you need someone to explain why the moral nightmares aren’t really a problem.
@@VictoriousCatholicjust commenting to see if you say any other stupid things
True belief is the end of all reason, knowledge and wisdom.
I saw an example of that when I saw a Christian in the comments section of another video taking about how gay people being together is a sin. They then proceeded to say they were not being homophobic
Keep them coming Brandon...you're a fantastic communicator.
Thanks so much!
Excellent articulation of a key "hard to put your finger on" issue. As I watched this it struck me that this charism stuff is basically what Stephen Colbert calls "truthiness": What matters is not whether something is true, but whether it feels true.
I think my affinity for fantasy and comic books was influential in my idea that some people are blessed with a conviction or power while most others aren’t .
As a Star Wars fan when I was a kid, I was amazed at the few people who could “Use the Force” while the rest of the characters had to rely on brute technology to get things done. I loved and envied the power Luke Skywalker had and wished I could also use the Force. Hey, I was a kid.
Then as a teenager, I would follow The X-Men. Each member had a one in a billion talent which bordered on the fantastic. Again, I identified with them because I had rare talent for visual art and writing. Again, at the same time, I envied the X-Men’s extraordinary powers.
In college, I read all four volumes of Vasari’s “Lives of the Artists.” Vasari would say that the greatest painters and sculptors of the Renaissance, his contemporaries, were possessed of a “divine spark.” Yet again, though I was a talented artist, I would never be in the same league as the Great Men. I felt small and envious.
At the same time, in high school and college, I learned about genetics and how each human is endowed with varying traits. So I learned that even the most extraordinary artists, writers, musicians, and scientists didn’t receive a bolt from the blue at birth. It was woven into their genes. It was a product of nature.
So in the present day, I put super powered heroes like Luke Skywalker and the X-Men in my toy chest. The true movers and shakers of the world? Yes, I still envy them, but they are not godlike beings. They have their flaws, which reminds me they are but human and, like me, their time on this earth is brief.
My two cents, anyway.
Thank you for sharing some of your thoughts and experiences. 👍
Often what we know of the greats is skewed to a romantic notion . Their "specialness" is evoked for everything it's worth for the dramatic sake of a good story.
Most great people had great parents, great teachers , a strong focus , or a great spouse , ... something to give them a particular edge .
and last but far from least
they had what is only known
as luck.
Also plenty of greats had extra bad luck and were miserable besides having such great talent, knowledge, skills, i influence, or whatever looks so great from the outside.
I was sincerely "saved at a young age of about 7, in the 1960s at a bible camp. Raised in a small non denominational, evangelical church in Mpls. For 40 years I fought and struggled with the fact that I never felt Gods presence or the Holy Spirit. I lived a Christian life but never felt God did his part. It was all on me.
I really relate to this vid Brandon. We were always told that God gave each of us "gifts" thru the Spirit. Somehow I was passed over.
I love your channel. Thank you. Just turning 68 today and I'll continue to "Keep Thinking".
Thanks for sharing with us!
Thank you Brandon for more great insight! You have been helpful to me and obviously many others. When I saw the topic of the program, I was reminded of a christian I know who said she was chosen by god. When I believed in god, I was told was that as long as we believed in god and followed him, we would be "accepted" by him. The first thing I heard was an incredible amount of arrogance in that comment. At first, in our relationship, she didn't come across this way. She seemed like a caring person and I appreciated that but little by little I started to notice things. Yes, she has turned out to be judgmental and appears to have justification for that behavior. She has been unwilling to accept if she makes mistakes or admit when she has hurt my feelings and has put blame back on me. The thing is, I don't deal with people in that way. A friendship that started out in a good way, is over and there appears to be no way to discuss it any further if she continues to believe she is always right and has no room for differences. There seems to be this "black and white" thinking that some people can't see past. This doesn't represent empathy to me or a way of bringing people together. Relationships have always been difficult for me, because of trust and this one was yet another that has been blown out of the water, specifically because of religion. It's too bad because not everyone is this way. I am grateful that I have worked hard enough to "thicken my skin" and I trust in my boundaries. Thank you again, I appreciated this one.
Thanks for sharing. I can completely relate with the scenario you laid out. Sorry to hear about the lost friend!
"You just need more faith" is the religious equivalent to pouring gas all over the car hoping some makes it into the tank.
Thats a great saying!
I’m at a place where I’m kind of in a weird spot. I’ve been a Christian for a little over 20 years and I absolutely positively refused to listen to the “ other side”. I recently sort of said to myself that I owe it myself to hear other arguments, if my faith can’t stand up to that then what do I really have? That was a couple of months ago. Although I have not ‘de-converted’ I admit there are a lot of good arguments on the atheist side. Im still very much in the “weighing things out” phase and it still feels insane to me to even question it. One thing I really like about you Brandon is your compassionate approach,. We’re not on ‘sides’ here right? At the end of the day we’re all people. I don’t ‘hate’ atheists , or anyone, we’re all on a journey for truth. I hope everyone finds peace with wherever they land.
Trust me, I was in your same position. I was a Christian for many many many years, but I had to get the strength and courage to ask myself the tough questions, and when I honestly answered with my heart with compassion with human decency, it was far from what the Bible suggested the question was is there anything my child whom I love could ever do for me to sentence them to be tortured and burned for ever? The answer is no there is nothing my child could ever do for me to sentence them to such cruel punishment. I wouldn’t even sentence my worst enemy, but yet this biblical God will do it. But he loves me cus I’m his child??!!!🤷🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
Love your approach and attitude. Ideally we are all on the same side. Finding truth. I know how hard it is when you first choose to peak behind the curtains. I know how it feels like it would be insane to ever leave religion or not believe in god. If you had told me 5 years ago i would be here, i simply would not have believed you.
@@IDMtv Thank you for your response. I 100% totally understand where you’re coming from in the scenario that you described, and as a father myself, I absolutely agree. However, my understanding and my belief is,..God wouldn’t either, with his child. Romans 8:35-39 testifies that ‘nothing’ shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. That is, those that are “his”,. truly ‘saved’ born-again believers in Christ, which is clearly not everyone. I come from the camp that believes that you cannot lose your salvation. Again, in response to my original comment, I’m currently wrestling with some things, but at the moment ( and possibly forever or until whenever) still a believer.
@@cyraxox7440 ironically enough, that's the passage I quote for being able to "walk away" ... Apparently I don't fall into any of those categories that will not separate me from god. If nothing can separate me from god, then why were there no roadblocks or answers given to me on my way out? And yes, I get the "you were never really Christian" crap... But hey, I guess people knowing my life better than myself is a gift lol
@@CatDaddyGuitar My belief is that nothing CAN separate you from the love of God (including yourself),once you’ve been ‘born-again’, for those that are were truly ‘saved’. Just as you cannot become ‘unborn’ physically you cannot become ‘unborn’ spiritually. I will not, for one ,EVER profess to know someone else’s spiritual condition or position before God, nor do I believe that people that walk away ‘never really believed to begin with’. I think there are fine lines where we walk, we want to know the answers to everything and there are, unfortunately, not absolute, clearly defined lines sometimes,..
I am reminded of Romans 9 where Paul says that even if your works are good and your faith is strong, God may not favor you for special gifts or even Eternal Life (Paraphrasing)! And you are SO RIGHT, FEELINGS ARE NOT FACTS!! Thanks as always!!
I always tell my son that the person who will lie to you the most... is yourself.
And that's extremely hard given the fact that we typically want to believe our own bs. And religion can be such a psychological crutch and the core to your social connections that we will go out of our way to justify our own criticisms and questions call the religious structure.
Lucky son!
church communities have their ways of making their preachings a self-fulfilling prophecy... if you're turning your back to them they'll cut you off from the network they offer, so yeah, believers prosper, because the plumber that tells them he's an atheist doesn't get any jobs... just an example...
I was given the gift of skepticism.
Ha! Yes!
The deception is real, my friend. I shudder when I think about all the times I sang to my god in my car, at work, at home, TRULY thinking in my heart that I was WORSHIPING him. Christianity (and religion in general) is SO based on feelings! PS: I love how you kinda gave an Atheist Altar Call at the end there-speaking directly to the doubting Christian, asking them to consider if their doubts might be valid, etc. Heh heh. A reverse-altar-call, as it were. :)
Atheist altar call would have been an awesome channel name! Thank you!
What worries me most about people with this "gift" or people who just "know" when something is good or evil, from heavenly or demonic sources is what happens when something breaks in their neurology? We know that brains can have malfunctions in their empathy or aggression centers or in their ability to regulate emotions. What happens when something breaks in their brain enough that they now "know" that God is leading them to harm themselves or even someone else? Even more tragic and terrifying is that they have no critical thinking skills to fall back on, just "knowing" has always been enough for them and up until that point has worked out fine.
I'm so thankful I found your channel. Thank you for all you do!
Thabks so much for this. It is my pleasure!
Wow. Exhilarating passion. Clarity, heart, focus and spirit. Truly important compassion and encouragement for those not blessed with the supernatural "pass go collect 200" card. All of us who's brains are fully engaged, curious and seeking, hungering for something more substantial than emotional wisps of smoke.
Always appreciated, Deb. Thank you!
You hit the nail on the head once again.
Many thanks!
The main reason I get for becoming religious from believers is being born into it. The main reason for them believing is personal experience. The main excuse from them for me not believing is that I'm the problem. I no longer argue the existence of gods, that is pointless. I usually ask why they need a god when I don't and go from there. The last conversation i had, I mentioned that I don't fear death and the thought of not existing. The response was that I most likely hadn't really thought about it. Sigh...yes, I see I'm still the problem, even when I tell you my honest opinion.
Thanks for sharing!
If you thought about it and didn't reach the conclusions of our cult ideology then for God's sake you didn't really think about it.
Honesty be damned.
They can't understand how i can be an atheist, but i totally understand how they are believers.
I have had supernatural experiences so it’s impossible for me to be an atheist, there’s stuff beyond this world man
@@aheartonfire7191 Ok tell us about your supernatural experiences. Don't just say you've had them and not tell us about them. What about those experiences keeps you a believer?
@@aheartonfire7191 I also do drugs, man.
@@aheartonfire7191 The technical term for these are "hallucinations", and the condition is called "psychosis".
Keep an eye peeled for evil clowns, they're "out there" too.
The real danger is when you start believing these things are real.
Good luck.
@@aheartonfire7191 I didn't realize that you're a Southern Babtist AND a Calvanist!
Are you also a 6th grade graduate?
I have likened it to a boardgame. Most people don't read the rules of a boardgame. Rather, they play it the way someone taught them. As a result they don't actually understand the game,and end up playing their version of the game. A version that exists only in their mind or in the mind of their friend group. Most people don't read the bible, and as a result they have a version of Christianity that only exists in their mind or the mind of their church.
My first bit of questioning was when I was taught about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in my Confirmation class. I remember wondering, "so the Catholic adults in my life actually have more Wisdom and Knowledge than everyone else?" It was the first thing that, somehow, seemed strange to me.
The thought itself didn't really lead to anything, but I never forgot it either.
That is not what the "Gifts of the Holy Spirit" are. Read 1 Corinthians Chapter 12:1-11 for your information.
@@christophergibson7155 You'll have to take it up with the Catholic Church, not me.
@@ArrantPrac I don't need the RCC to tell me. What don't you find out for yourself in the Holy Bible?
@@christophergibson7155 Having read through the verses I don't really see where your issue is. Wisdom and Knowledge are definitely listed, among many others. It does say everyone gets different Gifts, which of course was already covered in this video. So I suppose I should've thought "SOME of the Catholic adults in my life have more Wisdom OR Knowledge than everyone else, but not both?"
I guess either the amount of Spirit Gift power available is limited, or a person can only handle so much without exploding... or God just wants some people to be unwise.
@@ArrantPrac I will try and further elaborate on the area of the "Gifts of the Holy Spirit. Here is the portion of scripture that Paul the Apostle explains on the 9 gifts: "Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be ignorant...There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually AS HE WILLS."
Faith is nothing more than telling yourself you’re right in spite of the evidence. Faith is not a virtue nor a reliable or pathway to truth.
A very common byproduct that people suffering from schizophrenia or bi-polar illness experience is 'feeling close to God'. This can be harmless but also can lead to pretty horrible actions. Do these people also have a 'special relationship with God?' 'Feeling' close to God really isn't always a positive thing.
The only Blind Faith I respected had Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, and Ginger Baker in it.
Can't find my way home...
I love how you just came out of nowhere and you're such a force to be reckoned with... You're a friggin hero. I read a lot and listen actively... I'm so in awe of your intellect and how you've taken this corner of RUclips by the balls... You are fucking incredible and I'm so grateful for your insight
Comment of the month! Thank you so much for all the love!
@@MindShift-Brandon I literally listen to your videos on the way to work every single day... I was raised Catholic and denounced it all when I was ten years old... By the time I was fifteen, I didn't know I was an atheist because that wasn't a widely understood thing 23 years ago... I'm 38 now and I'm so grateful that you are on the forefront of this movement... You are brilliant and I love your work so much
WOW!! Brother I was just talking about this same subject with a Christian friend. I'm definitely sending her this one. Love ya bro always on point. Warrior on👍🏽😁
Glad it’s timely. Thank you!
God gives us the gift of gullibility as long as your willing to sacrifice your creativity.
I have the supernatural ability to see through bs
Exactly. When you put feelings first, above intelligence, you are headed for trouble. And it's accurate to say "Faith = Feelings".
Thank you so much.
It is always my pleasure!
Nothing like waking up having a coffee, the cat snuggles up to you and Brandon on the tv, great video my man :) I have gone trough a lot of therapy (rough childhood) and after I did cbt (cognitive behavioral therapy) most of not all the voice of "god" went away, weird that when my emotions got under control that god disappeared? Ofc starting to use reason, actually reading the Bible from cover to cover and your videos have shown me the true face of god :) thank you :) also does it not really mess with free will that someone is born with an hotline to god?
Man what a great point! I am a huge advocate of CBT and i love how you out that. Might make for a good video topic soon. Thanks!
@@MindShift-Brandon definitely that would be a good video!
you are slowly becoming my favourite lumberjack : )
calm voice, good points, serious beard, what more can i ask for?
Haha comment of the day. Thank you!
A plaid shirt and a Carhartt stocking cap?
@@mjjoe76 i mean, you do rise some valid points here mate...
It's a fictional example, but I'm reminded of a character from one of Sir Prachett's books, Small Gods. His name was Vorbis, and he was a deacon who was described as having a 'mind like a steel ball'. Nothing got in or out. He could not be swayed from his faith because he was sure he was hearing his god's words right in his head, which... meant he had to be infallible as well. He couldn't be convinced he was wrong or that anything he did was wrong, no matter how clearly bad it was. And since he was in a position of power, everyone else had to fall in line.
Given all the other parallels to ... I feel like this was certainly a warning about that sort of person. A degree of doubt is needed just to think rationally, in a way.
Appreciate this!
I used to, at one time in my life, believe in ghosts. I truly believed that my house was haunted and at times would catch glimpses of objects out of the corner of my eye, would hear voices and footsteps, felt a close spiritual presence, even had photos I’d taken in which I could see the ghosts or spirits. However, there came a day that I no longer believed in the supernatural, including ghosts. Would you believe that as soon as that happened, ALL of those ghosts immediately moved out of my house for good? The obvious truth is that I wanted to believe in ghosts so my brain/mind was simply giving me what I wanted. Once I stopped believing, those “ghosts” disappeared and never came back, not even trying to convince me they were ever real.
After over 30 years of a personal relationship with Jesus, I began to question the existence of God around that same time, and isn’t it also strange that neither He nor Jesus have spoken one word to me since?
The truth is, my mind simply stopped giving me what I’d previously wanted to believe. For if I can only speak to a being in my head, and it can only speak to me in my head, it’s highly likely that it only exist in my head.
For you can want to believe something so strongly that your brain/mind will give you what you want. Throw some ancient, Bronze Age literature in there and you’ll will convince yourself that the delusion is real and true.
Very true. I also thought I saw ghosts as a kid. Even one of my friends said, "the more you believe in ghosts, the more they are pulled to your energy." Funny how that works out, isn't it? Either we're all mildly psychically powerful and can influence the spiritual world with our beliefs or like you said, our brains are just giving us what we want. Our brains are trash at knowing the difference between fantasy and reality. To the mind, it's all the same.
Thank you for covering this topic. You are so right about people who don't study the Bible very much because the god in their head is enough. They are almost impossible to reason and rationalize with.
Another great video!
Your topics are novel and informative.
Please make more
So glad to hear it. Thank you!
Brandon, love your content. Consider this analogous situation. You are on a call with someone and can hear it is outside and your friend is using the speaker mode. Then you hear your friend suddenly interrupt you and say “Oh wow, there’s a dragon flying across the sky!” Then you hear someone else respond, “Hey there’s no dragon, that’s just an airplane”. Then your friend says “no the dragon is to the right of the plane”. Then the other guy says “no there’s only a plane”. Then your friend says, “maybe you just can’t see dragons cause your too close-minded”. Now would you think the stranger is close-minded or that there’s something wrong with your friend?
Thank you Brandon so much for making these videos! Every video that I watch helps me so much I hope you and your family are doing really well
Have a wonderful day!
Thanks so much, Terry. So kind!
Well done, once again.
Thank you Branden.
beautiful and very compassionate message as always. Thanks.
The gift of doubt is precious.
I'm 100% in agreement with everything you said! These are the exact same problems I have with the anti-intellectualism n lack of critical thinking regarding how religious peoole very often operate in.
Simply put: just because you think and/or feel something doesn't make it real or true!
Exactly! Thanks for being here.
Wow, another great video. Thank you for it.
Glad you enjoyed it!
This is such an important video and topic. Christianity is imbedded in superiority, there is no 2 ways about it. Saved and not saved, hearing god vs giving into satan. It's baked in at the very beginning as god chooses people and people groups.
I have a prophecy for you: this channel will become much bigger in the future, much more than you expect.
Thats very kind. I am already way bigger than i ever expected.
At 68 I have been deconstructing my faith for about 3 months now. Brandon has been very helpful. Regarding spiritual gifts, I believed I had the gift of prophecy, which is speaking the truth - usually unpopular true to powerful people who can harm you, like the OT prophets. My nemesis, the home group leader and ex-pastor, who still saw himself as a shepherd, said "well, I have the gift of prophecy too!" ie, your words of truth will never trump MY words of truth. LOL
Damn did you live that whole life as serious Christian?
Reading the Bible means different things to everyone. My mom says she reads her Bible and truly believes it. She follows Bible study books that direct her to a few verses and she goes and finds those specific verses in her own Bible. Then back to the supplemental book that tells her what to think of what she just read.
The arrogance of thinking you’re special enough to have access to faith and supernatural powers that saves you from things like car accidents but others aren’t as lucky as them for this gift and they struggle through stuff I don’t have to. “Other people aren’t believing “hard enough” is another thing I hear all the time smh.
Yes all too common and so so sad
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Christian missionaries. I didn’t know ppl still even did this until recently. My little cousin is raising money to fund a trip to “Southern Asia” to preach the gospels. His mission is to convert Hindu into Christian. “Because they don’t have access or info about Jesus.” This makes me so sad and a little angry. I have a lot of respect for Hinduism as it’s a beautiful culture with beautiful ethics. And to think Christians want to convert them seems insane to me. And awful. Naturally he’d have to cherry pick and leave out a vast majority of the Bible to convince them to abandon their gods that are older than the Bible says the earth is…just crazy. And to think it would work? Or why anyone would think that’s a good idea?
Also, to add, both our moms (they’re sisters) are divorced, both of us have siblings that had children out of wedlock.
My cousin himself has tattoos and a nose piercing. He’s also not a virgin and not married.
Just seems so strange that he and his own family don’t follow the “rules” to the religion but he wants to go to Asia and convince them. My head is just spinning
Maybe both the Christian and the Hindu might learn to take another look at their 'gods', so it might not be ALL bad.
Their just modern day colonizers, trying to replace other people cultures and religion with theirs.
It’s the modern day version of “we have to help these savages and teach them how to behave like us.”
It’s really gross
Here's hoping that at worst, the conversion goes the other way. At the very least, I think I'd be happier with more Hindus and fewer Christians in the world, if it could be arranged peacefully.
Maybe I’m being bigoted in a way but I have no sympathy for missionaries
@@dwightfitch3120 right. It’s one thing to be religious but to try to convert other people is not cool
Good morning! Always a pleasure to be here!
Thanks for stopping by!
Reminds me of a story from a Wisconsin insane asylum with 3 patients, all of whom were fully persuaded they were Jesus reborn. Psychologists put them in a room together where each said it was obvious HE was the real Jesus, and the staff should believe them over the others.
After I left the church (just me, my husband stayed) the pastor said if I have any questions, they will gladly answer them, so that I can see the "wrong" in my ways. Very arrogant. So I got all my books full of notes on bible studies I did after I left church, ready, and if we go, they are going to "set me right". So I unpack all these books, 3 different translations of the bible, a Tanakh, name it. And he said "okay, let's start". So I asked him if he doesn't need a bible. And he arrogantly crossed his arms, smirked and said "I don't need a bible." It was downhill from there.
Ugggg what a tragic but perfect example
It’s so funny that she’s in essence saying God gives the gift of gullibility. Honestly, it is a gift. Questioning things takes energy.
Lol thats a good point!
Thank you for the insights.
Watching your video reminded me of doing quiet times with the Daily Bread series in middle school with my dad. The Daily Bread booklets would supply meditations on one verse and apply it to your daily, routine life. I enjoyed them as a kid and I enjoyed the time with my dad. However, it softens the Bible’s message and teaches you concepts which were more cultural than anything.
Great Job Brandon
Many thanks!
"It may mean nothing to y'all, but understand nothing was done for me."
Its that need to feel special. I always felt like something was wrong with me when i couldn't hear god's voice.