----- Original Message -----
Sent: 16 December 1999 22:49
Subject: Re: Signed Guestbook
Thanks Ron for your reply.
I'm sorry you don't feel that
you can discuss this by email. There are a lot
of books on Christian
apologetics etc. that myself and fellow ex-Christians
have read. I indicated
this on my story. You can also see a sample by
following the links on
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/books.html
especially this one
http://www.underground-sound.com/books/books.html
The Internet Infidels
http://www.infidels.org/ also link to good
Christian apologist websites at
http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/theism/christianity/select.html
I
think I need some reason to think your book is particularly
enlightening
before I buy it. Unfortunately a wide range of Christian
apologetics in
books, on TV and radio, at church and on the Internet have
left me with
no reason to think that anyone has a secret that those of us who
do not
believe in Christianity really have missed. I also discuss this
at
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/conversion_asymmetry.html
and
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/seek.html
It seems that the opposite
is the case in that it is rare for Christians to
have a good grasp of
literature that is critical of Christianity. I could
find no examples of
members of freethought/atheist etc. organisations who
have converted to
Christianity and yet numerous examples of ministers,
missionaries etc. who
are now atheists. As I say on my website (how many
links have you been
down?) these people come from a full range of Christian
backgrounds and
doctrinal positions. Your claim that we have rejected
Christianity due to a
misunderstanding of scripture does seem rather unlikely
given this fact.
The discovery that supernatural Christianity is
untenable is like solving a
complex puzzle. There are many threads and I
found them chiefly through
psychology, comparative religion, Christian
history and philosophy amongst
other subjects. This lot really does demolish
the credibility of Christianity
that a reinterpretation of scripture is
unlikely to affect given the attempts
so far and the seriousness of the
problems with Christianity.
Have you had any feedback from critics of
Christianity on your book? If so I
would like to know what they said. If not
and you would send me a
complimentary copy then I will gladly review it for
you so that you will know
how much it convinces such a critic.
Anyway,
if your book does go on a website then please remember me
and let me know the
URL and I will check it out. If you won't dialogue now
then I would like to
discuss it with you after that if you are then willing.
I will nevertheless
do web searches for it every 6 months or so incase
you forget.
There
are some other matters that perturb me meanwhile. I hope you will
bare with
me and try to understand why these might be serious comments.
It is sad that,
as I said on my website, often Christians are only willing to
"explain where
we went wrong" rather than to open a true dialogue in the
spirit of finding
out what each of us (both current Christians and
ex-Christians) have found.
Why do I have to read your book first rather than
you listen to and dialogue
with me? Why you first in such a demanding way?
It is also disturbing that
the love of God and scripture takes a big book to
explain. Do you not think
it possible that if it takes so long to attempt to
"justify God's ways to
man" then there really is something unhealthy
about the relationship
Christians have with their God? This is what the
discussions on my site about
the Stockholm syndrome and an abused
wife's love for her husband are about.
No matter what the level of abuse
and neglect, still excuses are made for the
Christian God and the situation
is reinterpreted as "it's really because he
loves us so much" etc. (See
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/seek.html
)
Finally I see that despite my plea to Christian evangelists you do not
appear
to have checked out my previous email correspondence. Your words
here:
<< Steve, you are a good man, who is doing the
Lord's
work. Keep up your good work for the Lord. I
wish you all of God's blessings.
Your brother and
fellow traveler in Christ! - Ron >>
are, as I
have said before, quite odd to write to someone who clearly
states on their
website does not believe Christianity to be a good thing.
I would like to
know what your intentions were in writing this.
You started off wishing me a
merry Christmas and end up with what you
must surely appreciate is going to
look like goading.
Also a number of ex-Christians have written to me
privately expressing thanks
for putting up resources helpful in their
recovery from Christianity. If you
read http://www.eclipse.co.uk/thoughts/slocks.htm
and
http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/quotes.html
and follow up some of
the links you will soon see that, although the initial
shock of the discovery
that Christianity is untenable is sometimes (not
always) traumatic,
ex-Christians always report a better - and significantly
more loving and
inclusive - life once Christianity is left. If this the
Lord's work then I
would like to hear your explanation for
this.
Anyway, all said and done I would like you to reconsider and
attempt a
dialogue.
If the love of God is too complex to discuss
outside of a big book, then
that's a poor reflection on
Christianity.
Steve
----------------
Leaving Christianity (hundreds
of deconversion stories):
www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~slocks/decon.html
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