In article <7o8cd2dln8a4jltmr0q8enjqnejos63m3e@4ax.com>,
stoney <stoney@the.net> wrote:

On 2 Aug 2006 17:29:46 -0700,

JB wrote:

Just curious what you all think.. I do not know if there is a god or
not, but I was raised as a christian. Get this: I go to church every
week and try to follow the "10 commandments" even though I have serious
doubts as to whether they are but the work of a human hand. My faith
is nil but I try to act "as if" Jesus is Christ because i fear hell.
Would you classify me as a christian or just a plain old agnostic? (i
have had spells of near-atheism in the not-so-distant past).

I identify with you, dude. I have considered myself a "christian" for
most of my 50+ years, but lately I have had serious doubts. I almost
believe at this point that if god does, in fact, exist, that he is one
sadistic *****. I base that not only on what has happened in
my own life in recent years, but on all the cruelty that he allows to
happen in the world. Doubt is healthy; most "christians" are afraid to
admit doubt because they think they will go to hell.

Not doubting won't keep them out of hell. Job illustrates that and
*whatever 'God' does is good. Then if you factor in the Omni
characteristics one has no option but to follow the script.

Posting this in alt.atheism because i don't trust the reception in a
christian group,

You are wise not to trust an xtian group. Those people only care about
one thing: trying to "prove" they are right. But they can't, no
matter how hard they try. Hang in there and don't be afraid to express
your doubts to other people -- that will help you keep your sanity.

I wonder how sane people who've been indoctrinated since birth into the
horror story are. I'm including those such as myself who managed to
escape long ago and spent years deprogramming myself.

Same here. I spent years ridding myself of what the nuns and priests
force fed my brain in Catholic school.

"Michael Gray" <fleetg@newsguy.spam.com> wrote in message
news:uvb3d211t2ktpn60hv7e9fjhuvg33hg8fe@4ax.com...

On 2 Aug 2006 17:29:46 -0700,

JB wrote:

Just curious what you all think.. I do not know if there is a god or
not, but I was raised as a christian. Get this: I go to church every
week and try to follow the "10 commandments" even though I have serious
doubts as to whether they are but the work of a human hand. My faith
is nil but I try to act "as if" Jesus is Christ because i fear hell.
Would you classify me as a christian or just a plain old agnostic? (i
have had spells of near-atheism in the not-so-distant past).

Superstition is a fear that if you don't do a certain thing, something bad
will happen.
You don't believe but you fear hell, so you pretend to worship God.
You are not a Christian, you are merely superstitious.
I can't criticise you for your superstitions, I still have one or two
remnants myself- mostly concerning magpies.
Some superstitions are do deeply ingrained, it is often difficult to leave
them behind.
It's easy enough to stop worrying about magpie superstitions or stepping on
the cracks in the pavement after childhood, but a little more difficult to
drop the God superstition after it has been force fed to you through most of
your formative years.
Not impossible, though.
Just figure it through yourself.
Approach religion with the mind set of someone who is completely unfamiliar
with it or hadn't heard about it before.
All religions seem ridiculous and preposterous when viewed that way.
None of them hold up to scrutiny at all - just like the magpies.