EyeHateGod:
2011 News SMH

winner01:


So, I shouldn't share his testimony with people?

How about nairalanders that got converted, they must share their testimonies in their year of conversion alone shey?

EyeHateGod:
2011 News SMH

EyeHateGod:

Desperate Christians It was A Hoax

winner01:
The testimony of former atheist Darrin Rasberry. He used to write for John Loftus’ blog site Debunking Christianity, and is currently a math teacher at Ellsworth Community College.


To this end John Loftus (admin at DC) commits the No-True- Scotsman fallacy (to say that someone never really believed A before he rejected it to believe B, when he actually did initially believe A) by accusing Rasberry in saying that he “ was never an atheist in the first place .” Nevertheless, according to Rasberry:


“Some time last week, I realized that I could no longer call myself a skeptic. After fifteen years away from Christianity, most of which was spent as an atheist with an active, busy intent on destroying the faith, I returned to a church (with a real intention of going for worship) last Sunday. Although I know I may struggle with doubt for the rest of my life, my life as an atheist is over.


The primary motivator in my change of heart from a Christ-hater to a card-carrying Disciples of Christ member was apologetic arguments for God’s existence. Those interested in these arguments may pursue them in the comments section, but I don’t want to muddle this explanation up with formal philosophical proofs. Briefly, I grew tired of the lack of explanation for: the existence of the universe, moral values and duties, objective human worth, consciousness and will, and many other topics. The only valid foundation for many of those ideas is a personal, immaterial, unchanging and unchangeable entity. As I fought so desperately to come up with refutations of these arguments – even going out of my way to personally meet many of their originators, defenders, and opponents – I realized that I could not answer them no matter how many long nights I spent hitting the books. The months of study rolled on to years, and eventually I found an increasing comfort around my God-believing enemies and a growing discontent and even anger at my atheist friends’ inability to kill off these fleas in debate and in writing, an anger that gave birth to my first feeling of separateness from skepticism after reading comments related to a definitively refuted version of the Christ Myth theory, the idea that Jesus Christ never even existed as a person at all. Line after line after line of people hating Christianity and laughing at its “lie,” when solid scholarship refuting their idea was ignored completely. It showed that the motive of bashing and hating Christianity for some skeptics wasn’t based in reason and “free thinking” at all, although it would be unfair to lump many of my more intellectually rigorous and mentally cool skeptic friends in this way.


As time went on, I reverted the path I traced after giving up Christianity so long ago: I went from atheist to agnostic to … gulp … *leaning* in the direction of God, to finally accepting that he very well could exist, and then to coming out and admitting (quietly) He did exist. After considering Deism (the belief in a God who abandons His creation), Islam, Hinduism (yes, Krishna, don’t laugh), Baha’i, and even Jainism briefly, I have decided to select Christianity due to its superior model for human evil and its reconciliation, coupled with the belief that God interacted with man directly and face-to-face and had *the* crucial role in this reconciliation. This, of course, doesn’t prove that Christianity is absolutely true (although I can prove that God exists), but rather reflects my recognition that Christianity is exactly what I would expect to be the case given that God exists.


There are problems that I have with adopting any specific layout of Christianity, which explains my current attendance at what many of you may consider to be a very liberal denomination in the Disciples of Christ. Their aim is to unify all believers in the essentials, while leaving nonessential beliefs (however important) up to the member to decide. The essentials are about all I can honestly grasp at this moment.
At its philosophical core, I prefer the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition, perhaps by a long shot, but there are many very serious practical issues I can’t resolve. Conversely, Catholicism is a practical Godsend (pardon the term) but I have problems with their philosophy. And I don’t agree with many political issues of either of those branches or the majority of Christian branches in general. I have a long way to go and I know the many problems religion has in general and that Christianity has in specific, but they do not exceed the fatal problems in skepticism.


I understand that this may confuse and even upset many of the friends I’ve had for a long time, both in my personal life and in the years-long journey I’ve made as a skeptic-to- believer. Christianity is not without its critics, and given the absolutely shameful way many “Christians” have treated homosexuals, drug addicts, people of other faiths (and of no faith) and races, and even people of different Christian denomination, and given the often intellectually embarrassing way we’ve handled science and philosophy, I would not blame you for a second if you did not want to associate with me based on the track record of those who claim to believe similarly to what I believe now. I am the same Darrin as I was before, a math teacher, a storm chaser, D& gamer, drunk philosopher, a lover of beer that’s too strong and spice that’s too hot, and all the rest of it. I just hope to be a little cleaner, more honest, more Christ-like. I won’t throw the Bible at you and I won’t preach to you with wild eyes and a million mile stare about how you shouldn’t be gay or how you should focus on what Hitch calls the “eternal theme park.” This is all the evangelism you’ll get from me and I do hope it’s quite enough to motivate you to study the evidence for God’s existence yourself and to read the Bible without the predetermined idea of tearing it apart.

God bless you.


https://jamesbishopblog./2015/05/21/arguments-for-gods-existence-leads-former-christ-hater-darrin-rasberry-to-christ-follower/

EyeHateGod:
2011 News SMH

4everGod:



http://journeytoorthodoxy.com/2014/01/the-journey-of-an-old-atheist-convert/

update yourself

winner01:
You might also need to read the story of beautiful ex-atheist Jordan Monge, who testified how she got converted at harvard.

EyeHateGod:

really is this what U going with? A Xtian website?

EyeHateGod:

really is this what U going with? A Xtian website? Something that has been debunked as a Hoax Since 2011

felixomor:


My brother no waste ur time o, there are countless other former atheists who have seen the light o and learned ones for that matter........

Them plenty.......

felixomor:


My brother no waste ur time o, there are countless other former atheists who have seen the light o and learned ones for that matter........

Them plenty.......

4everGod:

eyehategod is a a confirmed illiterate when it comes to those atiests who have embraced Christ yet he feels he is smarter than they are....no be small thing. The funny thing is that he is still using the quotes of some of these atheists while they have long abandoned atheism for Christ.

EyeHateGod:


What has illiteracy got to do with this?? Don't even start with me cause I won't put up with Ur rubbish

4everGod:



You enter threads at will and type bullcrap and your rubbish is being condoned and then when your literacy is being brought to question due to the incoherent posts you make you snap and threaten me? Shift abeg wetin you go do? The worst thing you would so would be to type your usual unconnected words. mtcheew na me do you?

Na me say make Christopher Hitchens pass you? Or were you hoping to be bigger and better than he was yet in all that awareness and acclaim he did not even dent the gospel with all his NO TO RELIGION AND NO TO GOD chants upandan! Carry your vex go meet am joor.

EyeHateGod:

Are U crazy or what? Well ill refuse to say anything else to an old fool & this should be the last time ull quote me keep Ur lane I'll keep mine same with U @felixomor

EyeHateGod:

Are U crazy or what? Well ill refuse to say anything else to an old fool & this should be the last time ull quote me keep Ur lane I'll keep mine same with U @felixomor

winner01:
The testimony of former atheist Darrin Rasberry. He used to write for John Loftus’ blog site Debunking Christianity, and is currently a math teacher at Ellsworth Community College.


To this end John Loftus (admin at DC) commits the No-True- Scotsman fallacy (to say that someone never really believed A before he rejected it to believe B, when he actually did initially believe A) by accusing Rasberry in saying that he “ was never an atheist in the first place .” Nevertheless, according to Rasberry:


“Some time last week, I realized that I could no longer call myself a skeptic. After fifteen years away from Christianity, most of which was spent as an atheist with an active, busy intent on destroying the faith, I returned to a church (with a real intention of going for worship) last Sunday. Although I know I may struggle with doubt for the rest of my life, my life as an atheist is over.


The primary motivator in my change of heart from a Christ-hater to a card-carrying Disciples of Christ member was apologetic arguments for God’s existence. Those interested in these arguments may pursue them in the comments section, but I don’t want to muddle this explanation up with formal philosophical proofs. Briefly, I grew tired of the lack of explanation for: the existence of the universe, moral values and duties, objective human worth, consciousness and will, and many other topics. The only valid foundation for many of those ideas is a personal, immaterial, unchanging and unchangeable entity. As I fought so desperately to come up with refutations of these arguments – even going out of my way to personally meet many of their originators, defenders, and opponents – I realized that I could not answer them no matter how many long nights I spent hitting the books. The months of study rolled on to years, and eventually I found an increasing comfort around my God-believing enemies and a growing discontent and even anger at my atheist friends’ inability to kill off these fleas in debate and in writing, an anger that gave birth to my first feeling of separateness from skepticism after reading comments related to a definitively refuted version of the Christ Myth theory, the idea that Jesus Christ never even existed as a person at all. Line after line after line of people hating Christianity and laughing at its “lie,” when solid scholarship refuting their idea was ignored completely. It showed that the motive of bashing and hating Christianity for some skeptics wasn’t based in reason and “free thinking” at all, although it would be unfair to lump many of my more intellectually rigorous and mentally cool skeptic friends in this way.


As time went on, I reverted the path I traced after giving up Christianity so long ago: I went from atheist to agnostic to … gulp … *leaning* in the direction of God, to finally accepting that he very well could exist, and then to coming out and admitting (quietly) He did exist. After considering Deism (the belief in a God who abandons His creation), Islam, Hinduism (yes, Krishna, don’t laugh), Baha’i, and even Jainism briefly, I have decided to select Christianity due to its superior model for human evil and its reconciliation, coupled with the belief that God interacted with man directly and face-to-face and had *the* crucial role in this reconciliation. This, of course, doesn’t prove that Christianity is absolutely true (although I can prove that God exists), but rather reflects my recognition that Christianity is exactly what I would expect to be the case given that God exists.


There are problems that I have with adopting any specific layout of Christianity, which explains my current attendance at what many of you may consider to be a very liberal denomination in the Disciples of Christ. Their aim is to unify all believers in the essentials, while leaving nonessential beliefs (however important) up to the member to decide. The essentials are about all I can honestly grasp at this moment.
At its philosophical core, I prefer the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition, perhaps by a long shot, but there are many very serious practical issues I can’t resolve. Conversely, Catholicism is a practical Godsend (pardon the term) but I have problems with their philosophy. And I don’t agree with many political issues of either of those branches or the majority of Christian branches in general. I have a long way to go and I know the many problems religion has in general and that Christianity has in specific, but they do not exceed the fatal problems in skepticism.


I understand that this may confuse and even upset many of the friends I’ve had for a long time, both in my personal life and in the years-long journey I’ve made as a skeptic-to- believer. Christianity is not without its critics, and given the absolutely shameful way many “Christians” have treated homosexuals, drug addicts, people of other faiths (and of no faith) and races, and even people of different Christian denomination, and given the often intellectually embarrassing way we’ve handled science and philosophy, I would not blame you for a second if you did not want to associate with me based on the track record of those who claim to believe similarly to what I believe now. I am the same Darrin as I was before, a math teacher, a storm chaser, D& gamer, drunk philosopher, a lover of beer that’s too strong and spice that’s too hot, and all the rest of it. I just hope to be a little cleaner, more honest, more Christ-like. I won’t throw the Bible at you and I won’t preach to you with wild eyes and a million mile stare about how you shouldn’t be gay or how you should focus on what Hitch calls the “eternal theme park.” This is all the evangelism you’ll get from me and I do hope it’s quite enough to motivate you to study the evidence for God’s existence yourself and to read the Bible without the predetermined idea of tearing it apart.

God bless you.


https://jamesbishopblog./2015/05/21/arguments-for-gods-existence-leads-former-christ-hater-darrin-rasberry-to-christ-follower/

TheSixthSense:


Not entirely good news for me because he isn't born again and doesn't know Christ from what I read, more disturbing is that he seems uninterested. He wasn't getting answers from angry atheists so he aligned with christians who are calmer and more accommodating but he is/was only looking for friends and a middle ground in order not to hurt feelings particularly of his atheist and gay friends. Hence, his decision to a 'liberal' (I'm sure one the seeker-friendly) church.
On the bright side, he supports, although unaware, my observation that atheism is anti-Christ. I recently watched a Dawkins vs John Lennox argument as a christian and was not surprised, despite all the evidence by historians, that he denied that Jesus ever existed in his 'the God delusion' book. He, however, apologised during the debate but it only adds more weight to my claim about the anti-Christ spirits behind atheism.

As for this man, since he won't throw the bible at us, preach about 'eternal theme park' and continue living like he was 'only more Christ-like' -whatever that means - He is still lost and I doubt with his lukewarm attitude he would remain in church. Anyway, it's 2016, I'll look him up to see if he is now in the faith.

Touchnot01:
You're right, but I believe he is on the right track.

AnonyNymous:
I came back here to leave a comment. It's sad that you crawled, to pick this up and outline parts, just to suite/justify your own beliefs. I was intrigued by his story, and luckily for me, I have a friend schooling in Iowa who was able to get his contacts for me. I spoke to the guy(Darrin), and he is a very nice guy. I now understand his reasons, his explanations and we had very civil discussions on the topic of religion. He still strongly dislikes the Protestant churches for the same reasons most atheists on Nairaland are repulsed by religion. My advice to agnostics and atheists on Nairaland is not to waste your time here with these childish people and actually spend more time engaging your mind in productive discussions. Let them wallow in their ignorance. If you feel compelled to correct misconceptions, do so. . . but as I, and most others have realised, spending hours engaging in long arguments is not productive, the indoctrination is strong (lol). Ignorance, is bliss, they say.

AnonyNymous:
I came back here to leave a comment. It's sad that you crawled, to pick this up and outline parts, just to suite/justify your own beliefs. I was intrigued by his story, and luckily for me, I have a friend schooling in Iowa who was able to get his contacts for me. I spoke to the guy(Darrin), and he is a very nice guy. I now understand his reasons, his explanations and we had very civil discussions on the topic of religion. He still strongly dislikes the Protestant churches for the same reasons most atheists on Nairaland are repulsed by religion. My advice to agnostics and atheists on Nairaland is not to waste your time here with these childish people and actually spend more time engaging your mind in productive discussions. Let them wallow in their ignorance. If you feel compelled to correct misconceptions, do so. . . but as I, and most others have realised, spending hours engaging in long arguments is not productive, the indoctrination is strong (lol). Ignorance, is bliss, they say.

4everGod:



wow what a convenient lie! Keep up the lying work AnonyNYmous!

TheSixthSense:


Not entirely good news for me because he isn't born again and doesn't know Christ from what I read, more disturbing is that he seems uninterested. He wasn't getting answers from angry atheists so he aligned with christians who are calmer and more accommodating but he is/was only looking for friends and a middle ground in order not to hurt feelings particularly of his atheist and gay friends. Hence, his decision to a 'liberal' (I'm sure one the seeker-friendly) church.
On the bright side, he supports, although unaware, my observation that atheism is anti-Christ. I recently watched a Dawkins vs John Lennox argument as a christian and was not surprised, despite all the evidence by historians, that he denied that Jesus ever existed in his 'the God delusion' book. He, however, apologised during the debate but it only adds more weight to my claim about the anti-Christ spirits behind atheism.

As for this man, since he won't throw the bible at us, preach about 'eternal theme park' and continue living like he was 'only more Christ-like' -whatever that means - He is still lost and I doubt with his lukewarm attitude he would remain in church. Anyway, it's 2016, I'll look him up to see if he is now in the faith.