PRAISE THE LORD, YAHWEH HATH OPENED MINE EYES

Thank God, I No Longer Peer Into the Darkness

Praise the Lord, Yahweh hath opened mine eyes and I see a light shimmering brightly ahead. Thank God, I no longer peer into darkness and no longer do I fear my convictions. A heavy burden hath been lifted from my bosom and my path glows clearly ahead.

I have found the answers to my long search for truth.

Ever since I became a born again Christian on my 24^th birthday over 47 years ago, I have sought after proof positive to my many unanswered misgivings; something beyond blind faith, something beyond, because the bible tells me so. I have always been a Doubting Thomas, and telling me to, ‘just accept it’ has never cooled my fire.

Until a few days ago, when I stumbled onto the correct pathway, I had been searching in all the wrong places. Mainly the sacred writings of the Christian’s Holy Bible, that which I now have proof, to my satisfaction,  is a blatant plagiarized myth filled with fictionalized characters. The Book is a product of man’s desire to prove to himself , as well as others, that the god of his dreams is truly a living god.

When I first became a believer all those decades ago, I was no different than other believers. I blindly and faithfully followed the doctrine of the church I joined. As I studied the bible, things I anguished over became more numerous, answers less satisfying. “Have faith Brother Ray,” became dreaded words. I was told to continue my studies; this happens to most newbie’s, I was assured.

After a few discontented years of unsatisfied answers, I gave up and became a guilt-ridden backslider. I blamed my lack of faith to be at fault. Several years ago, my desire to find truth began itching again. Now armed with the power of the internet, I renewed my search.

Still, an unsatisfying cloud hovered over me. As I studied religion after religion and learned their similarities and differences, it only reinforced my doubts. The things I originally doubted; i.e. who is God, was there really a Jesus, why was God so jealous, why did he allow, and even encourage, his people to war against one another, why is a child born a sinner, why does it appear he answers the prayers of one and not another? And the list goes on and on. This god I claimed as mine, just didn’t fit the profile he sat down for us to follow. I couldn’t see the reasoning behind His Words. They just didn’t tally.

I became a disbeliever. I feared labeling myself, (a fear installed in me as a child and reinforced when I became a believer), as an Atheist, because I still believed there was a god out there somewhere, but probably not the one described in the Book. Therefore, I chose the safer belief and considered myself an Agnostic. I still felt out of place as though I put myself in limbo. I felt sure something was amuck, not only with the Christian religion, but with all religions, they all had a familiarity about them. What I sought was there. I  just couldn’t see it.

Then, behold, there it was. I was in the process of writing a book on how I perceived my newfound beliefs as an agnostic. I researched religion clear back to prehistoric man. I thought I had conjured up a new phrase, i.e. MAN MADE GOD. So just to be on the safe side I googled it. Surprise, someone else had beet me to it. When I recovered from my depression, I began checking out these sites. And low and behold my prayers had been answered, a first for me,  even though I knew not whom I was praying to. I found a fabulous site; a young lady who has been researching and writing articles on this subject since 1995. I mean, she has gobs and gobs of them. I couldn’t consume then fast enough, and I still have a long way to go.

Now I’m convinced beyond a doubt there is no true or original religion on this planet, and probably not on any other planet. I now consider myself a firm non-believer. I’m not trying to convert anyone, and I do agree the Book is a good guide to live your life, there’s something in it for everyone, and therein lies its fallacy. If you are interested, check out the site below. It’s amazing. I wish I had found it long ago. I tell you, I’m exhilarated. I’m more excited than when I became a born again believer. I’m as a kid with a new toy.

Click here if you’re interested.   http://truthbeknown.com

Recovering from religion, who am I and who is God

Recovering from religion, who am I and who is God? PART ONE


I no longer claim to be a Christian, nor am I a conformed atheist. Neither of these religions, and they are religions, can prove or disprove their beliefs. So I take the stand of an agnostic, a word coined by Thomas Henry Huxley who said: “Agnosticism simply means that a man shall not say he knows or believes that for which he has no grounds for professing to believe.” That’s me 'show me brother,' I've been called a Doubting Thomas more than a few times in my life. Another Thomas, the disciple, I believe was the first agnostic long before the word was coined. But then, this was just a story which, many apostles, in a frenzy, jumped on the bandwagon to get their stories published. I feel sure there were others long before that.

In my opinion, there are too many religions, all claiming theirs to be the only true one. This makes for a lot of Gods. I offer a quote from Stephen F. Roberts: I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer God than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible Gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”

On the other hand, here is another quote this one from one of the Bible writers or editors and there are more than a few who have changed their views after editing the Bible. ??? Henry Cadbury, the biblical scholar who contributed to the new Revised Standard Version of the Bible said, "I can describe myself as no ardent theist or atheist." To me, hope, faith and belief mean little, if all one can say is, "it's in the Bible, it's God's will." No one can say they know God's will, and entity whose existence cannot be confirmed.
I'll post part two within the next two days.