Greg Fish at Weird Things has an interview with yours truly entitled “To Christendom and Back.” I answer questions like:
- What was your experience as a devout Christian?
- What did you like about your faith?
- What did you dislike about your faith?
- As a theist, what was your conception of atheists?
- When did you turn to atheism and why?
- What would you identify as the driving factors to rejecting a faith?
- Do you believe that atheism can become radical or radicalized?
- How do you define what’s moral and immoral?
- Do you feel your theistic upbringing had any effect on your conceptions of morality?
- What is the role of science in your life? How do you see science and secularism?
- If you had the chance to give a message for all theists, what would it be?
It was a great interview to take part in. Thanks, Greg.
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12 Comments
I thoroughly enjoyed that interview. Thanks for linking to it.
Great interview Daniel. Your answer on the Religion = morality question was a little soft for my taste – it’s my personal pet peeve that religious people consider atheists to be immoral, when there is solid evidence that points to the exact opposite. I consider religion to promote IMmorality more than morality, as it encourages lying, deceit, and arrogance, and serves as a breeding ground for more extremist attitudes.
I like discovering the various paths non-believers have taken leading them away from theological beliefs. But I suppose the same is true for theists, but in the reverse direction.
Nice interview Daniel! I actually enjoyed the interview format more than your bio. Thanks for linking
Excellent interview.
As someone who was never really had “faith” (my vague, child-like belief in God evaporated before I hit my teens), I am fascinated by examinations of a believer’s experiences.
Thank you, Daniel, for talking about a de-conversion as ‘intellectual’.
I am so tired of the ’someone christian must have hurt you, and that’s why you hate god’ assertion.
Uh, no, no one hurt me. I read a book. Poof, end of magical thinking.
@Daniel-
So thats it huh? Thx for sharing…I appreciate your courage and candor. You are a man of convictions and that is, afterall what society glorifies. One thing is quite clear and that is your life-long pursuit of “truth” and the freedom it brings which I find extremely admirable despite our contrasting views regarding the source of said freedom.
May I share my thoughts in a similar fashion? (ok thx…lol) Unfortunately this medium does not allow for full creative expression ie voice inflection etc so I will have to trust that you know me well enough by now to receive it in the spirit in which it is intended.
Daniel-one thing is obvious from the get go. You were in a fundamentalist or religious climate. These portend to legalism, heaviness and condemnation and are often accompanied by the “boomerang effect” we see in you now. You are not the only one on this forum with this condition…there are at least two others that will remain nameless.
If you came in expecting the life & liberty that your heart desired but rather found the opposite (in the institutionalized church, IC) then this is the common result…rebellion, resentment and naturally so. Who could blame you for wanting your freedom. Certainly not Freedom Himself.
For you, I am happy that you have found a measure of peace and divorced yourself from all the religious nonsense. Jesus is adamant about our freedom…you know Gal 5, at least from a topical, literal textual interpretation that we not be subject again to a yoke of slavery (religion, endless rule-keeping dogma devoid of love) since Christ came to abolish it and now the only remaining law being the law of love and all others being subject to it, the head.
Man(kind) always tends back to legalism, rule keeping and dogma due to his history and indoctrination into it through societal, religious and cultural influences. This goes back to the garden, be it literal or parabolic (or both…hmm) it matters not. The result is shame and shaming tactics, loss of hope, authenticity and ultimately more…religion which in the end is greatly despairing. The cycle unfortunately repeats itself until one is eventually liberated from its venomous fangs.
The orphan perspective that you have now adopted (no pun intended) is reasonable but not necessarily permanent as Love is not after your indoctrination into a system but rather your very heart…even still. All things are subject to change but I doubt you will ever set foot back in a fundamentalist snare…and thank God for that. You have found that religion is not what you were searching for in the first place. This is a good thing.
The lack of appreciation for symbolism in ancient text acts as spiritual GPS of sorts pointing to your condition of being, that is your spiritual maturity which in itself is paradoxical in that we only mature as we…become more child-like, trusting and devoid of self-reliance. No, reason can not be enthroned here but rather entombed then resurrected in its higher, revelationally adjusted light.
Most “christians” are no different (interiorly). They are merely religious and not truly spiritual although the latent potential is resident within. There is no penetration from the natural, soulish, human realm into the liberating realm of the spirit wherein the heart-life is freed. The ensuing joy and liberty is wildy disparate from the religious “experience” many unfortunately endure before bolting for the door…of religion. This is perfectly understandable and yes even…reasonable.
So, what appears to be a complete stop in the journey is often a (albeit severe) bend in the road and not the end of the story. Peter denied Him three times. What was Love’s reaction? More…Love.
The journey…continues…round and round it goes where it stops nobody knows…or maybe it….doesn’t.
JC
That was great! I love this quote: “Religion is a fantasy that’s created by the blind, science is a method that cures our blindness.”
John C, just so you know, I was only in fundamentalism for a while. I got out of legalism for quite a while during my Christian journey.
Thanks D…you made a good decision that not many have the guts to make once “indoctrinated”.
I think your whole story is fascinating, un-finished but fascinating nonetheless…lol.
Take care,
JC
I like you more and more as the posts roll on. You’re a good, decent person. Thanks for your honesty and integrity and for putting it out there for us to read, whoever we are.
Seriously, if you’re ever in town, I’ll buy you a beer or a glass of wine. You’ve got a place to hang out with a friend.
Thanks for the ongoing inspiration.
Thanks Daniel for sharing your story more in detail. Like most of the people above, I just loved your interview. It is a piece to study carefully.