I was a Christian and I did a deep dive into the word and it only left me with so many unanswered questions. But in the end one thing was accurate. The truth will set you free. Just not the way you think that it would. 😊
First, I'm glad you made a sincere examination - the fact you have unanswered questions proves you did work and took it seriously instead of blindly accepting. But I have to ask, as a question of logic, if you have unanswered questions how can you determine you have the truth? If I'm trying to figure out why a light switch turns on a bulb and don't understand (i.e., have unanswered questions) about some of the details, I may come to the wrong answer. I should at least understand that wires are connected and electricity goes through so when someone tells me it's magical fairies I can understand why that's not true. I don't have to go all the way to the theory of electrons etc. (though I could), but there is a set of questions I should know the answers to before I say "I understand... enough". If you've done that, then my apologies for going on ranting. Really my comment is directed towards others thinking things through that may see what you wrote. I want to make sure people think through things to whatever conclusion they come up with and not just lazily go with what "sounds good". I respect anyone that puts the time in to figure stuff out, even if I disagree with their conclusion.
@annasmith7880, what is “sin” in a world guided by random mutations and natural selection? If your mind was “blown” by her statement then you haven’t given it a lot of thought.
@@whiskeredtunaa sin is doing something that decreases the happiness or well-being or causes unnecessary suffering of another living thing. What is your definition of sin?
@warmhandswarmheart, that’s also the definition of a “sin” in the Bible which is a religious term that you keep borrowing to try and make a point. Most atheists like yourself believe in “human rights” yet they don’t exist objectively. in fact, apart from God the idea of “human rights” are no less fantastical than believing in unicorns or leprechauns.
@@warmhandswarmheart A "sin" is a crime against God. No god, no sin. Your definition of sin lines very close with that of the definition of an "immoral act" under the philosophy of Utilitarian Morality.
The last time I went to church was in 2014: the Sunday after the antigay law was passed in Nigeria. I walked into church that day to meet an atmosphere of joy as fellow Christian folk, congregation and pastors alike, rejoiced over the fact that our president had sanctioned a target on the backs of every queer Nigerian living in Nigeria. It was evil. It was deplorable. I felt nauseated. To imagine that these people, with all their Christian love, were celebrating the pain of gay Nigerians. The pain of Me. I turned around and walked out. Considering that I'd been struggling so much before that day, struggling with making sense of my religion before that day, that was the last straw. I left and never looked back. So to listen to this man gaslight from his pulpit, to hear him dismiss the struggles and trauma that led people like me to leave the Christian faith is at once disheartening and laughable.
Yeah people in general annoy me about this, but especially Christians. People act like being gay is written in the Bible as unforgivable. God is against homosexuality, not homosexuals.
@@TallGlass-fh8qf And against foreskins. What, of it? And against many censuses - and, well, He seemed not very AGAINST slavery for life, or coerced marriages. So after a while, many may not much care, what 'He is against'. Wasn't openly against Torquemada, or Paul III, either, meanwhile?
@@TallGlass-fh8qf Maybe your fake God is, so the next time you want to know who's at fault, it's people like you who say stupid stuff about some fake God. The problem is you.
When I left the church 10 years ago, I was shunned by EVERYONE. All those so-called loving Christians that never judges, never spoke to me again. When I phoned a person I thought was a good friend, she bluntly told me she's busy and not to call again. It was a long, lonely, scary road with no support, but I made it.
@@gregstein3474 Jesus suggests god made another mistake after the flood. Jesus shouldn't be necessary, and his sacrifice only seems significant until you consider the sacrifice of 100's of 1,000's of veterans...
@@DavidWilkinsspinky left because pinky is a good person who does not like violence, genocide, murder, abuse, and other horrible things. We don’t crave evil things. We crave not being the victims of evil things and people.
I absolutely love your take "these people left the church because they HATE sin" not because they want to live in sin. That is refreshingly poignant and absolutely represents what I've been feeling and unable to articulate into words for YEARS.
I was a Muslim, and I was struggling because it felt like embracing Islam was also condemning millions, maybe even billions of people to hell. Embracing Islam meant that I was saying, "All of you are morally inferior and deserve an eternity of torment." That was painful and difficult for me. How was I supposed to rationalize that all these people are deserving of hellfire? Was I suppose to preach to them? Reform them? Cut them out of my life? When I left Islam, it was so nice that I could just be a good person and not have to make judgments about people in that way.
You say because you “Hate”sin. But who are you to say what’s a sin or not? I completely agree that the church is far from what the Bible says. I agree with you about that. But what churches say is not what the Bible says. In the Old Testament, God strikes down people who he finds wicked. Like the Canaanites for example. But think about what would the outcome be if he didn’t strike them down? What would have happened is continued baby sacrifices to a metal idol. All these Canaanite babies dying in vain. Is that not a good reason to wipe out the Canaanites. Remember, no one is perfect and that everyone has flaws, even the most righteous of Christians. Remember that people who leave the church rely on other people when they should be relying on God. ❤ to all who want to find the truth
@blazeyboy431 My morals and values I learned from my family, my culture, and my community during my lifetime. If God ordered me to do something terrible, like taking slaves from the nations around me or sacrificing my son to appease him, then I would ignore god because I know via my lived experiences on earth that owning slaves and killing kids is wrong.
His long pauses almost kill me. When you said "There's no empathy there" I felt no surprise. It sometimes seems to me that Christianity actively discourages empathy.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy ""NEIGHBOUR"". That's what they mean by, 'your own tribe'. And outside of your tribe you can do whatever you want. Rape, kill, steal the young women, for example.
It's so weird that I've seen multiple videos on TikTok of these kids that said they didn't learn empathy until college. I always remember that because it's crazy.
@@undrwatropium3724 Fundamentalism does that to you. America is the land of Christian fundamentalism, thanks to the founding fathers. It could have been worse if not for the Catholic Church.
Off the top of my head, I can think of a number of ways that Christianity (and many other religions) actively discourage empathy when interpreted too literally. If worshipping God is supposed to bring blessings in THIS life, then a literal believer can deduce that those who seem unfortunate are actually just 'sinners who should pray harder', not fellow humans in need of help. Also, viewing THIS life as merely a brief trial in preparation for eternal life can enable people to minimise the suffering they see around them - after all, 'God will sort it all out in the next life', right? In extreme cases, people can even come to see suffering as necessary for salvation. And then, of course, there's the in-group/out-group tribalism that inevitably accompanies literalistic belief, and that effectively dehumanises those who don't believe in 'the truth'. In all these ways, a literalistic belief in an intercessionary God can diminish the natural sense of responsibility/urgency that people might otherwise feel to alleviate each other's hardships, thereby creating an apathetic, callous acceptance of widespread suffering. Literalist religion can also blunt people's consciences when it comes to actively harming others. Ideas like 'original sin' and 'temptation by Satan' can sometimes make perpetrators feel less responsible for their actions against others - this can especially be seen in the victim-blaming of sexual assault victims. Also, the idea of atoning for sins to God (rather than to the VICTIMS of bad actions) can blur any moral sense of the real-life impacts on victims, and can even lead to a weaponisation of the 'duty to forgive' against victims. Finally, many religions are replete with examples of 'godly' people doing supposedly RIGHTEOUS harm to others, from child/spouse abuse to genocide; such stories encourage the worst behaviors in people with abusive/domineering tendencies who are just looking for an excuse to justify their actions. Overall, literalistic religious thinking has a tendency to interfere with people's understanding of social cause-and-effect by injecting supernatural intermediaries and abstractions into interactions between real people. However, it is only through a clear understanding of the real-life impacts of our actions on our fellow humans that we can develop a coherent sense of empathy and morality. In other words, If THIS is the only observable life that we have, and if we are NOT expecting an intercessionary God to address human suffering, then it is clearly up to US to alleviate suffering ourselves, to the best of our ability. Furthermore, if we do harm, and if there's NO supernatural absolution to be had, then WE are responsible for making restitution (insofar as possible) to those we hurt, and our only way to avoid further guilt is to learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them. We are NOT living in an irredeemably fallen world - our world is what WE make of it. I hope that, as a species, we can continue to listen to each other's varied experiences, learn more about ourselves and the world we live in, and always strive towards a tomorrow with less suffering and more fulfilment than today.
Kristi, seriously, you are on your way to be the best at what you do. Please persevere. Reason, evidence and kindness are what one should adhere to. Not religious charlatanism meant to enslave the mind and financially exploit the believer.
She's doing absolutely nothing, so why would you congratulate her for? She hasn't put the whole thing together yet. At this point she is doing nothing yet, but will she ever? I seriously doubt it.
Unfortunately, you've been duped into thinking that the TV preachers and megachurches represent the true Church. By and large, they definitively do not. There are many, many churches full of sincere believers who aren't out to entertain, deceive, or take money. Be on guard against false stereotyping.
😂😂😂😂 The Bible is the only religious text on the planet to contain real people, places and historical events that can be verified outside of its self and its also the only text in the world that is 100% on predictive prophecy. Mark Twain was clearly an idiot.
"...Being a defector from Christianity, in this culture, carries with it a kind of victimization heroism." That implies that Christianity is creating victims. Hmm....
@yadabub No, it doesn't mean Christianity is creating victims. It means people who are playing the role of victims after leaving a church are gaining hero like status because they gain a social media following.
I was deeply religious through my 20s and early 30s. I was also deeply closeted. My "friends" made comments that all gays should be sent to an island and then nuked. My pastor said it would be easier for a murderer to enter heaven than a gay person (side note: it was discovered that he had a 20 year extramarital affair with his secretary). My religious beliefs and who I knew myself to be were in such opposite places that I considered suicide quite often. I finally reached a point where I had to decide to come out or end it. I came out. I lost almost all of my church friends, which until then had been my entire social circle. I continued on in gay friendly churches but over time, I deconstructed my beliefs and now I'm an atheist. Over the last few years, I've grown more and more resentful about religion. There's a lot more to the story but I've already gone on too long. Bottom line: I love your videos. Because of them, I feel seen and understood. Thank you.
I used to think we all wanted to be a part of a community/family/ friend group etc. Some of us just want life to be about me. No US, no WE no OUR, just me. When everything is about me, like this young woman says, we all win.
@@Jarimir I grew up believing in rugged individualism but I couldn't have it without help. I was a drummer for 50 years and I could be one without a group. Even I didn't want to hear drums without others in the group. I was an upholsterer for 35 years but I couldn't be one without a group of people who wanted me to reupholster their chair. Do you see what I mean?
@@orangeandslinky my life has gotten progressively better the less I've come to rely on other people, ESPECIALLY the ones that pretended to care about me just because they wanted something from me while giving back as little as possible...
Ex-Mormon here. Thank you so much for the content you share. I cannot underscore enough how much you're helping during those moments of self doubt fuelled by the Church's manipulation and gaslighting.
@@markwildt5728 Nonsense. Just because the destination is usually deconversion doesn't mean that deconstruction is the same. That's like saying that bloodloss is the same as death because one can lead to the other. There actually are christians who deconstructed who still believe. For bad reasons, usually, but they exist.
My great grandmother, who read the bible everyday, told me when I was a child that as a Christian I should love everyone. She said to let God judge and God alone. I left the church when the church I grew up in turned it’s back on people and said they were not wanted. I no longer believe at all now. I’m not going back.
Man created God. Not the other way around. All I ever knew was Christianity but 2 years ago my daughter converted to Islam and I've done deep dive studies in both. They are both equally unbelievable. Christianity doesn't believe in Islam and Islam doesn't believe in Christianity. Religion cancels religion
@@IWantToMature85It isn't simply a matter of being "imperfect", these churches are consistently going against the very things they preach, and if we can't trust the church to lead by example at least more often then not, who can we trust?
This shunning thing is why so many people leave. He's pushing people away. I know more people who've left the church for unchristian-like behavior and beliefs than any other reason. You hit the ball out of the park with this analysis. I love it!
He is so tone deaf, he can’t even hear himself. “Let him who has ears, hear.” And you nailed it. It was continued study that lead me away. Not angry. I was surrounded by wonderful Christians for the most part. I just simply became unconvinced after much study.
There are a lot of things I don't like in the bible. I don't like how it advocates for slavery and how it allows you as a father to sell your daughter into slavery. I don't like how it tells you to let your disobedient child to be stoned to death in front of the village. I don't like that according to that book homosexuals are to be put to death. I don't like how women have a pretty much similar status like cattle and they are not self-determined people but property, first to their father and then to her husband, even if they have not been sold into slavery. And I fail to see how anybody of today's time could say something like: "I don't know what you are complaining about. These laws sound reasonable to me."
@7inrain it doesn't condone those things anywhere in the Bible. What did Jesus do when they brought the prostitute to Jesus to be stoned? The truth is you just don't like Jesus and don't want to repent like he said we should. If you don't want anything to do with God or Jesus then he will respect your wishes.
@@rudyferrell _"it doesn't condone those things anywhere in the Bible."_ You can find the laws about who you can enslave, where to buy your slaves and how to sell your own daughter all in Exodus 21 and in Deuteronomy 22:28. How to let your disobedient children be stoned: Deuteronomy 21:18. Killing homosexuals: Leviticus 20:13. About your wife and your daughter being your property with which you can do as you see fit: Judges 19:22 - 29. And there are a lot more immoral rules like that in the bible. So the question is: Are you really that clueless about your own holy book or are you just a liar? _"The truth is you just don't like Jesus"_ The truth is you don't have any clues about my motives being an atheist. And according to the bible Jesus was a wacky endtimes preacher who claimed that the end of the world would come during the lifetime of his contemporaries. Which is a pretty shoddy prediction for someone who is thought to be the son of god (or even god himself). But as we don't even know if he ever existed and wasn't fiction like so much in the bible I'm not in the position to "not like him". I simply don't care about what he allegedly said. _"and don't want to repent like he said we should."_ Repentence is just submission for something an immoral book claims to be sins (see the laws mentioned above as an example). So why should I abide by the rules this book puts up and the guilt complex it wants to induce in people?
@@rudyferrellyou haven't read the entire Bible and it shows It promotes it in the old testament and also Paul says to slaves to obey their masters Adultury is only when a married woman sleeps with a man who is not her husband, married men can sleep with whoever they want Genocide of babies and animals who were innocent
I love how he brought up abuse and bigotry in the church but doesn’t say it’s wrong 😂. He honestly was talking in circles. It’s clear as day that they are extremely afraid of losing people for their cult. The deconstruction and decolonization movement is strong. I’m so happy to be on the other side now.
When you see it you can't unsee it. Many people don't realize that christianity was also indoctrinated by the people who colonized the western world. It was convert or die, basically. They killed and raped for fun while they conquered, then their people went in after and evangalized the Jesus message because that keeps people controlled and gives them order.
@@sammur1977 What??? The bible or any abrahamic religion text books are the most degrading text books for women. Hasidic Jews have little respect for women and their well-being. The bible has several texts degrading women and clearly class them as less than: Women should be seen not heard: 1 Corinthians 14:34 Daughters can be bought and sold: Exodus 21:7 Collecting wives and sex slaves is a sign of status: 1 Kings 11:3 Used brides deserve death: Deuteronomy 22:20-21 Women, but only virgins, are to be taken as spoils of war: Numbers 31:17-18 A woman is twice as unclean after giving birth to girl as to a boy: Leviticus 12: 1-8 Women were created for men: 1 Corinthians 11:2-10 The colonialist used the bible for their wicked deeds and to brainwash their conquered lands. It was convert or die and even when people converted, women/slaves/indigenous women and sometimes men (to break them) were raped.
Out here in secular land, I'm finding it rather difficult to figure out where the "crowd" is and how I should follow it. It was a lot easier in Christianity, when I could easily predict what each Christian thought about any given subject.
Thanks! For many years I have watched a lot of former Christian people that have enlightened me and helped with the fears of damnation that were instilled in me during my childhood that are difficult to overcome even when you know that these beliefs are actually an insult to any creator that wasn’t evil. Kristi comes across in a very understandable and compassionate way and I appreciate it.
@@jezebelvibes Well your video is very insightful and it’s helping people to understand reality and it’s not like you’re asking for 10% of my income before taxes or anything.
@@j919or Yeah, as long as I don’t reply. Once you start looking at it you realize that Christians don’t have a leg to stand on in a debate with anyone that knows much about the topic. I have watched the best and it’s like shooting fish in a barrel as the old saying goes.
I've recently come across your videos and I have to say, your takes on most of them really speak to me. As a black person living in the south, I've spent most of my life in Christianity starting from an infant until recently (I'm 30) and never really questioned it. I've been on a deconstruction journey for the past couple years and it finally feels like I have control over my own life and dont have to worry about appealing to an unknown. Thanks so much, I know these videos go a long way in helping others like me.
I am a black person living in the north and I congratulate you on your deconstruction journey. However, it would not surprise me if you were to say that your greatest obstacles were black Christians.
You absolutely hit the nail on the head. It has taken me 2-3 years to find the words to explain why I decided to walk away. I couldn’t stand the hypocrisy and the false “love” that was spread. Thank you for your platform ❤️
Why do you let people who aren't truly in Christ, let you turn away from Christ? Jesus is not wrong, the people are. And in the worst case, you can have no community but still follow Jesus and pray, or not?
@@PaulaSays123 I actually have a more supportive community now, then when I was in the church “community”. As far as letting ppl who “aren’t truly in Christ” turn me away, the whole church, including big name pastors, did a great job of helping me see the hypocrisy that they teach.
@@ChristineinNM I get your point. Many people aren't truly in Christ. But still the question: Why do you turn away from Christ because of fake people? Or do you think Jesus is not worth following him and praying to god?You can have both. Your new community and Jesus.
I think a lot of people, like myself, had the same experience. You’re raised in a religion, which you were, let’s face it, forced to comply with because your parents made you. Yet there are always things that secretly, deep down, you can’t go along with. But, as a child, you can’t do anything about it. Once we come into our own, some of us start searching. In my 20s, I hopped from church to church, all different religions, and studied a lot. I had the idea that there was a correct religion, I just had to find it! After about 10 years, I suddenly had the revelation that none of them knew what they were doing! It was still a few more years until I realized that god wasn’t real either. Once you see it, there’s no going back. And it becomes so obvious! This is the actual enlightenment, in my opinion. ❤️
“I get it” - John McArthur No John, you don’t get it, not even a little bit. You have never met it, talked to it, wouldn’t know it if it poked you in the eye.
Leah Remini said the difference between religion and a cult is how they treat you when you leave. Talking of course of scientology but appropriate for any religion
yeah, that. And 1 more difference between religi0n and cult: Public Relations. just imagine my new religi0n. (just a hypothetical one. No worries) It will be like christianity, but my g0d in its tale needs a donkey sacrificed with a chain saw. Not a human, and it dies way quicker than any crucifixion victim ever. So that the g0d can forgive our sins, obviously. people would lose their fukkn minds over 1 dead donkey. And nobody would invite me to tell the story to any children. Because my P.R. is at 0.0000
That's why I liken my experience in evangelical baptist churches growing up to being in a cult. Because we were so utterly cut off from secular influences (as in very few allowed in our home) and because of the treatment of members. When I left, it felt like I no longer mattered at all to any of them. I might as well have been dead. Except they probably would have treated that as better because in their mind I would have been one of the saved ones. Leaving showed me exactly how much value I had in their eyes: nothing.
Thank you Kristi, you are so spot on. I also gave up Christianity a long time ago for the same reasons you have mentioned. Keep up the good work sweety .
Please keep going with your videos, Kristi. You certainly give us plenty to think about. I love your phrase: "I left the church to become a better Christian." How ironical that it takes such a move in order to more genuinely embody the message of Christ! Even if you no longer subscribe to a religious explanation of life, you are still a lover of humanity. For those of us who still retain a religious or spiritual faith, it is such a good corrective to listen to your 'deconstructing.' It restores our sanity and promotes a rational and charitable relationship with the secular world. Thank you.
@@Marcelo.1927 huh?? Yet according to financial statements and tax forms obtained by The Roys Report, John MacArthur and his family preside over a religious media and educational empire that has over $130 million in assets and generates more than $70 million a year in tax-free revenue. MacArthur and his family and related companies have been paid more than $12.8 million from ministry and donor funds. And MacArthur owns three luxury homes worth millions. In one year alone, MacArthur made more than $402,000 for part-time work at his broadcast ministry, Grace to You (GTY), and another $103,000 from The Master’s University and Seminary (TMUS). This was in addition to MacArthur’s salary from the megachurch he pastors, Grace Community Church, as well as book royalties and speaking fees...who said anything about poor???!
Yep, Donald Trump. I could not believe that 81% of Evangelicals voted for him. We had just moved from the university town where I grew up and had worked until I retired and moved to a very Red, small rural community. These people WERE the 81%. I stayed for almost 2 years and finally decided to leave. I set a date, but before it came, I discovered atheist TH-cam content and left an agnostic atheist. Love your stuff. Content, I mean.
@Flockmeister, I’d vote for a sinner (Trump) before I’d vote for a party that looks to undermine Christianity completely (Democrats). The left is taking over that party and would love nothing more than to suppress freedom of speech and ultimately faith. The fact you even wonder why Christians would vote for DT reveals to me that you were either a progressive-Christian or never really was one.
Same with me. I live in the south & moved from a major city to a small rural town 4 years ago. I am an undercover atheist; or as Kristi says "A questioner who doesn't have the answers & is fine with that." I have been attending my local Baptist Church for the last 2 years because it is the only place I can meet & socialize with my neighbors. They are good people - generous, forgiving & kind to their fellow believers. I have never heard then criticize those who attend the "false churches" (ie Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian), but they all share the same Republican political views. But they like to create out groups - everyone on MacArthur's list of baddies but Democrats & LBGT are favorite targets of outrage & mockery. They believe that one is saved by Faith and not by works. You aren't saved by "feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, or visiting the prisoner" as Jesus said in Matthew 25:35-37. That would be claiming that you can save yourself, which is an arrogant assertion that you can do God's work for Him. God has to reach out to YOU, you can't reach out to HIM. The Holy Spirit will enter your heart & may make you more kind & generous to others, but that doesn't earn your salvation. And that creates in them a total lack of compassion towards their outgroups. If you have to write off billions of people because they don't share your particular doctrine, you tend to be cold hearted towards them. As a matter of fact, the time will come when you will join Jesus, take those guns you are stockpiling & mow them down. Because Jesus loves YOU but not THEM. (They tend not to say this quiet part out loud, but they dog whistle it.) So if you were raised believing in a Jesus who loved all mankind & wonder why He seems to be missing in Evangelical doctrine, this is your answer
@@Herschel1738 Let me know what you think. The second explanation will put in perspective the Calvinist beliefs you're rightly critiquing. Occamism (short explanation) - th-cam.com/video/wp3vbgU8HR4/w-d-xo.html Occamism (long explanation) - th-cam.com/video/CTMX4C169bg/w-d-xo.html
It is amazing the so-called church sold its soul to the "devil" in Trump embodiment. (please don't take the word "devil" as literal...but you know what I mean)
You were only a Christian in name. If you had a true relationship with Jesus Christ you would never have left it. You were one of the people Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:21-23. That passage of scripture says that Jesus never knew you. it doesn't say that he knows you no longer. It says that he never knew you. Read also: 1 John 2:18-22 Romans 8:37-39
@@tadmoon8281maybe you're only a Christian in name. If someone like OP can genuinely be wrong about believing she was a Christian, so, too, can you. Maybe you're wrong about having true belief. Regardless, your post was uncalled for and it isn't the top notch evangelism you think it is. I guarantee you'll push almost every person away with that. You're better than that, mate.
I’ve not heard of this guy before (I’m British) but he seems like one of those people who enjoys hating people he doesn’t know more than he enjoys loving the ones he does know. Dopamine is a powerful chemical.
Hating people is a great reason to join a religion like Christianity. It appeals especially to low self-esteem people who haven't achieved much in their lives or at their workplace or in society, and find religion a convenient umbrella to berate others, an opportunity they would otherwise not have
He also protects and defends men who are domestic violence abusers and paedophiles. He tells women who are victims of domestic violence that they will go to hell of they leave their abusive husbands. Even if those husbands are abusing and raping children. Which is unsurprising as he advocates patriarchal, male headship based on genitals rather than merit and that women must obey these men.
@@robinharwood5044 Only idiots who have not realised the fact you have presented. It is more sensible to hate the people we don't know in advance, because we would hate them anyway if we knew them. It avoids disappointment and is less exhausting.
Wow, this is absolutely eye opening, and as someone that has fully deconverted, I’m absolutely disgusted at how deceptive and manipulative this really is. John macArthur is one of the absolute WORST most ABUSIVE, NARCISSISTIC pastors is the christian cult. When you fully out, highly educated on the origins and actually KNOW what’s in the biblical writings, sermons like these are disturbing in ways in which written words do no justice! Awesome job! Your brilliant ❤️✌🏼
You can't deconvert. Your unbelief only shows you weren't truly converted. You attended and were involved, perhaps, but according to Jesus' words, you weren't converted.
@@justinhornsby6742If you had bothered to actually listen to the video, you'd realize that there are people who have genuinely dedicated themselves to studying the bible with nothing to show for it. Kristi is one of those people and you have no right discredit other's experiences because you haven't seen or felt what they've gone through. Also Macarthur details about actual reasons why there are people leaving the church, racism, misogyny, hypocrisy, unkindness, etc but he just labels anyones who disconnects to just love sin. Beliefs have real world impact on people and society and if these prove to be harmful, we should be calling it out wherever we find it.
Hearing "you were never a real Christian in the first place" is so infuriating, given that in middle school I used to go to bed every night sobbing because I thought all my atheist classmates were going to hell... I can guarantee that I was more of a Christian than these people are. I hated the sins of wrath, pride, and injustice so much that I could no longer worship a god who would torture a 12 year old for eternity because that 12 year old didn't know he existed.
And that's the common story. Same story as Jerry DeWitt, Matt Dillahunty, I think Seth Andrews a little bit, and whole bunch of the other big names. Bart Ehrman and Robert Price (admitting that the latter is a bit of a kook in other respects) cared enough to enter into biblical scholarship and this choice eroded their faiths (or, at least, their faith in the 100% reliability of scripture - Ehrman has a complicated story). Now, you might continue on in "the faith" if that's where you get your social status (like with MacArthur) or if it's your cowardly answer to an existential crisis. If, however, you take the core issues seriously and you earnestly set out to examine the faith and learn the truth so that you can better help the "unsaved," the foundations of your belief are liable to become slowly eroded away. We hear this story over and over again. The people who stick around are those with such a powerful and selfish desire to believe that they'll shut off their minds the second they run into challenges. Those who sincerely want the truth, because they sincerely want to know they are doing the right thing, are the ones who tend to encounter at least part of the truth.
@Marcelo.1927 The only way this no-true-scotsman of yours would make any sense is if your criteria for being a "christian" included a willingness to sacrifice the truth to preserve belief. If that's the case, then 100% of "true christians" are about as craven and pathetic as a human being can get. This trait is the result of selfishness and cowardice. It's not admirable. Certainly, this is the case for some of y'all. I've met more than a few of you who'd do anything, no matter how shameful, just to preserve the fantasy. Someone like John MacArthur, whose entire status depends on the preservation of the cult, isn't going to give it up for anything. Countless others forfeit truth just to get a quick fix for their petty existential crises. The people you describe exist, but their existence is anything but a mark in favor of christianity.
I completely understand this. I would constantly pray for people in my family and for friends and the world because I didn't want anyone suffering forever. It was terrifying and I believed it with every fiber of my being just as much as I believed the earth revolved around the sun and in gravity. Maybe moreso because I was terrified that I didn't pray for salvation correctly and might secretly get "left behind" and/or end up in hell anyway. John MacArthur can't possibly have examined why he believes things if he can think people leave the faith so easily. It's just so easy to be dismissive than to really seriously consider why someone might lose their faith.
The more i learned about the bible the more it came across as being man made. I also listened to all the apologetics and was horrified at some of the things that they were rationalising.
The Bible is incomprehensible. If a statement is so vague it can be interpreted many different ways and there is no standard to determine which interpretation is correct, the communication is a failure. The Bible constantly contradicts itself (Thou shalt not Kill, then God orders the Jews to massacre all the people in neighboring villages). The Bible is fill with information easily demonstrated to be false (the earth was created in seven days). The Bible is filled with ethical advice that is appallingly immoral (captive virgins can be used as sex slaves & slavery is Ok.) Apologists argue that at one time the Bible should be interpreted poetically, at another time factually, that at one time it is historical and another a parable and the reader has to figure that out by himself, it's not stated in the Bible. Prophesies are usually not declared to be prophesies so the vaguest reference can be interpreted as a prophesy after the fact. The books of the Bible are written by authors with dramatically conflicting agendas (one epistle claims Christianity is only for the Jews while another claims it is for the general public). There are thousands of versions of the Bible, which include or exclude various books, each which can be interpreted differently. There is not a passage in the Bible that theologians agree on its message. In that anyone can interpret the Bible to say anything, it says nothing. And because the Bible is the word of God, who are you to question it? God's love for you is infinite, but he will burn you in Hell without mercy or forgiveness at the drop of a hat. That my friend is true love.
@@patbrumph6769 I know. A lot of the things that you have mentioned are some of the things that really had me questioning, re-examining and deconstructing. It has eventually led to me deconverting. Also the whole theology just doesn't make sense when critically scrutinised (especially if God is the tri - omni one).
@@ThefrenchFranz Good morning. Christianity is full of bad ideas, untruths, harmful practices, and ant-human sentiment. MacArthur runs with it and spreads its cancer to many other people, perpetuating humanity's toxic relationship with Christianity.
@kristiburke - I used to be a very strong evangelical true-believing Christian - going to Bible college, playing in worship bands, preaching, teaching, evangelizing, studying the Bible constantly, etc. Anybody who knows/knew me would have told you I was a Christian if anybody was. At one point I wanted to take my faith to the next level by re-examining the Bible from the point of view of someone who didn't start out believing the Bible was true - in order to become a better evangelist and strengthen my faith. I spent several agonizing years studying Christian apologetics, wrestling with the evidence/arguments, all the while trying to base my conclusions on an honest assessment of the evidence. Eventually, I just stopped believing. There was no decision involved any more than I could decide to believe that gravity wasn't real...no "decision to turn my back on Jesus" or anything....the balance of the evidence was just strongly against Christianity being true from what I could see. I had much anxiety over this - and cried out to God to help me find a way to reconcile the evidence...but I never found any truly convincing arguments. It's not the outcome I set out for or wanted. I genuinely thought I would just become a better Christian. And what do those of us like you and me get for our efforts (that are far more than 90% of the "true" Christians out there)?? We get told that we were never true Christians! It makes me so angry to hear stuff like that because I know what I went through and they want to pretend they know me better than I do. Really, they just want to self-soothe by using the "No True Scotsman" fallacy so they can sleep better at night. I used to follow this guy, John MacArthur - listened to him all the time - and was in perfect agreement with much of what he preached - so I know where he's coming from, but it does tick me off. If it's any consolation, there are many theologians and preachers who say that MacArthur preaches a false gospel because he believes in "Lordship Salvation". So there ya have it.
I can relate too. Your history is so much like mine. I figured out that THEY are not real believers. WE were. True beliefs bring expectations. And we want that expectations to become true. When those expectations never become true, there must be something wrong there. Those who do not believe (as much) don't have expectations, so it's OK for them to live believing in theologies.
@@ovelhoranzinza4021 yours is an unusual and interesting point of view. Definitely most mainstream Christians don’t have strongly held beliefs. Christianity is part of the cultural environment that they have grown up in and learned to accept without much questioning or expectations.
@Stag van Heuten I'm sorry but you are in error in your statement. Of course there's plenty to deconstruct about human reasoning! If there wasn't then science would never have advanced beyond the most primitive assumptions. It is the deconstructing of reasoning and questioning of it, that has led to re-thinking or even completely abandoning 'reasons' which formerly seemed rational! There's nothing 'cute' about what AurorXZ said - its completely rational, but your response isn't and if I might say, your patronising remark about being 'silly' and needing to 'grow up', is more applicable to yourself!
@@thatsalligot2say Might the problem be that we have a higher expectation of a Christian than we do of others, so when they let us down, we feel let down by the faith itself or Jesus? ......and is it possible that it is our own error that places a higher expectation upon a Christian to live by a high standard of the New Testament, instead of understanding that they too, just like you and me are ordinary people with faults and failings travelling along this journey through life, just like we are? .....could it be that Jesus asks us to be an example of his love to them, even if and when they have failed us? .....maybe they need someone living the example of Christ, so that they can be helped?
@@theonlyway5298 Thanks, and that's exactly what I was talking about. :-) Deconstructing how we "know" what we know, and why our groups-in our time and place-believe what they do. When my certainty about my religious group's sincere understandings was shaken, the idol of God fell.
Oh guuurrrl, preach it sister! Thank you so very much for posting your story and all these extremely helpful videos! I so appreciate it! I am deconstructing from my life long, born and raised, Pentecostal life and these videos are so helpful in my journey. I can’t thank you enough. My whole world was church and now I’ve lost most of my family and friends for not believing this crap anymore and it’s very lonely so these videos help more than you realize. ❤ keep on with your good work!
It's less money in his offering plate. He's scared he won't be able to afford his mansion and expensive car. Thank you for posting these videos. It's very enlightening. Your life seems to mirror mine in a lot of ways concerning religion. I'm also grateful for your stance on Donny T. Makes me like you even more.
Nice to see more people coming to their senses. I'm tired of people believing so stubbornly in fairy tales that it shapes their entire lives and "allows" them to judge others.
Yeah, the same guy who overlooked sexual assault allegations in his church and advised women to stay in abusive marriages? He shouldn’t even be in any sort of leadership role right now let alone offering advice on anything.
I remember my old pastor telling a woman to stay in an abusive marriage with a man with anger issues because divorce was sinful. It's naive at best, sinister and evil at worst.
Kristi, you're spot on as always. These bigots have to be shown up for what they really are. They also need to be shown compassion, we need them as an example to reveal what we shouldn't be doing to ourselves and others. I forgive you for spending your hard earned on his books.
I'm still a Christian, but I've been re-examining my beliefs a lot over the past few years. It's disheartening to hear Pastor MacArthur bring up abuse, mistreatment, etc., but then just moved on. He doubled down on just blaming the person who leaves for being not a real Christian anyway. It seems like any Christian listening to him will either feel anxious that they could be shown to be not a true Christian (and should be shunned, apparently) OR will feel more pride that they are the ones who are doing it all right and know all the right answers.
The Quran teaches its bibliolaters to be as nice and genuine as possible, especially upon first meeting… this is similar to most Christian bibles, but then again in a similar way to bibles, it also lays out foundations for the idea that people can ( AND SHOULD IF THEY FEAR DEATH/GOD FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FUTURE GENERATIONS ) use it for their own political ends once they get a good chance/opening.
@@letsomethingshine yes we still have to be careful, it takes a long time for me to trust someone, that's why when I do, I value that relationship and don't take it for granted
I love you, kid! Congratulations for your presentations. As a fellow Freethinker, I can genuinely appreciate your examinations of religious thought. Please keep up your good work.
Here's to reaching 10k subscribers! Next stop, 15k! I really appreciate you making this video. And also all of the videos you made. It took me a while to get out of Christianity myself. I didn't know how much I didn't know until I began to question everything about what I believed and why I believed it, or why i wanted to believe it. There's no easy road to self-discovery. And with every piece of information... a person that wants to believe as many true things as possible and cut away any false things out of their life, that takes a lot of being honest with yourself and it also takes a lot of work too. But I did it! I got away from the manipulation, and from the psychological abuse. I survived and now I'm just trying to be the best person I can, and I know I won't ever be perfect. But i won't beat myself up over my failures and my mistakes now. I'm not broken, even though religion could have kept me believing that I was/I am. I'm just trying to leave this place in a little better if possible than it was before I was born into it. Again thank you for all that you are doing here and anywhere else you're making a difference. ❤
Pastors using christianity to hurt political dissenters really does drive people away. Growing up I was told that this sort of thing only occurs in other countries but here it is happening in the good ol' usa
@@justinhornsby6742 I can give an example-a very pertinent example. Three years ago, there was a certain Protestant minister in southern California who rejected the counsel of Romans chapter thirteen by openly rebelling against the “higher powers”, “the powers that be”, by continuing to conduct religious services for his congregation when ordered to make other arrangements (such as telephone hookups or Zoom) during the pandemic. The authorities were not absolutely prohibiting religious services or any other public gathering, simply requiring such to be held separately in order to protect people’s health. In the process, this minister railed against any and all who sought to follow this vital health directive. The Protestant minister in question was one John MacArthur, the very minister who went on the diatribe against serious and honest examination of one’s faith in this sermon.
@@justinhornsby6742 Greg Locke and Matt Walsh are good examples of people who weaponize christianity against their own countrymen. Beyond that look at the attitudes of local christians where you live; odds are that they have a low opinion of anyone with different political beliefs
"Could you imagine that people are leaving churches because people voted for Trump?" Much laughter from crowd. And this is coming from churches that have made an unholy alliance with the Republican Party in order to gain secular power. Whose members & pastors have demonized Democrats, Clinton & Biden as Marxists & pedophiles. Who support Dominionists who think God appointed then to rule the country, who want to reinstate Mosiac Laws (what happened to Jesus fulfilling those Laws?) and to destroy Democracy because kingships aren't democracies - and Jesus is the King. The cool part is that these bastards claim that they, and only they, have the right to rule over us until Jesus shows up & claims his throne.
@@thomash.schwed3662 The stats show otherwise. Lots more people actually went to Grace Church. The numbers speak for themselves. Check it out for yourself.
I remember when I became apostate. When I caught my snap and realized the mind control tactics that were being used against us. I can still remember declining to attend. I can still remember the beatings that I endured. Mostly by leather belts , sometimes by razor strop. I still refused to comply..I was 8 years old.
If you're a true believer, the Bible says that every one of your prayers will be answered. How many prayers of hope and love, peace and happiness, have been answered? So... I guess that the number of true believers can be counted on the fingers of an amputee.
Based on the idea that God answers all our prayers, are we to presume that Christians are not praying for God to solve the gun massacres in the USA or that they are praying and his answer is no?
Imagine feeling like a “ true Christian “ your whole life & at the end when you face God you find out he never knew you. Like what?!?!😭😭😭😭 You’re telling me some ppl dedicate their whole lives to God just to be thrown in hell because they weren’t perfect enough? That’s crazy. I love your videos so much, you articulate things into words things I never could !
That is not what scripture says. Jesus was addressing the danger of hypocrisy. It's a warning to anyone who proclaims to be a follower of Christ while intentionally and wilfully refusing to submit to his lordship. A person may be an active member of church, say all the right things and believe they are a follower of Jesus, but at the same time be unwilling to deny themselves and submit their will to God. Only God truly knows what's in a person's heart. This scripture is a strong reminder that to follow Jesus requires a daily commitment of "not my will but yours, God."
@@metrodrumstv What it really was, was the anonymous author of Matthew threatening anyone who didn't follow his sect of Christianity, even if they could cast out demons and perform miracles in Jesus's name. There is no way I could ever perform a miracle. If Jesus is going to condemn miracle performers and perjure himself before the father, you and I are screwed.
@@metrodrumstv If only god truly knows whats in a person heart, then the person couldn't know their own heart. Judgement day would be like a raffle for christians.
@@downshift4503 John 5:24: "He who hears my word, and believes him that sent me, has eternal life, and comes not into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."
Great video. This is exactly the type of man who my mum listens to and I was very hurt by my mum telling me reproachfully that I didn't try hard enough when I was the child who clung onto Christianity for as pong as possible before the inconsistency and blindness was too clear to ignore. They never look at themselves, the stubbornness is off yhe chart.
I'm over 60 and I love your videos. I haven't been anything near a believer in any religion in over 40 years and even then it was more a fear of hell than a belief in a god. Regardless, it's refreshing to hear the perspective of a person who is, from my POV, recently freed from it's grip. I haven't been able to listen to a preacher in more than 30 years as it all sounds like purposeful BS to me but listening to a young person (subjectively) not only recognize it's BS but publicly demonstrate it is wonderful. Didn't have such a forum when I stopped believing 40+ years ago and the fact that I can listen to you explain how it happened for you now is evidence of progress. Thanks for your videos, it give me a bit more hope for the future.
I subscribe to a channel led by a Franciscan monk and also now to you. Don't know how I ended up like that, but for some reason it's compelling to cherish certain things about my Catholic faith while thinking and questioning at the same time. Thank you for your videos!
I prefer Jesuit pursuits over Franciscan ones myself, but over both I would prefer a well-read high-IQ Buddhist monk. I know that wouldn’t necessarily appeal to everybody. I think monkhood has a way of distancing a person from the mundane daily pressures of normal societal life, which can feel very suffocating and hard to wrestle with from an outside perspective. Monks can train their thoughts and observations to sort of look at society a different what not from within society itself. It’s too bad non-mendicant monks are often reliant on rich-influenced institutions and no one really wants to bite the hand that feeds them or allow someone into their group that might do it.
@@letsomethingshine I also like Jesuits, when I was in college there was this Jesuit priest who based his homilies on a piece of art - a painting or a music piece that is related to Christian faith. I always felt so inspired afterwards, just admiring art and God at the same time. Good point on influence of the money on monks' lives, chances are when someone decided so become a monk they have no clue some rules will be quite similar to corporate rules in the secular places of work.
I had never heard of him until I watched this video and I immediately saw a really nasty, poisonous, hate filled man spouting lies and deception. Glad to hear that you escaped👍
I think your a good person. And you have a good way of thinking out of the box. I have learned some things from you. I'm about 5 years out of christianity. It feels good to be free. keep up the good work. you have a nice way of explaning how I and others feel.
Another wonderful and thought provoking video Kristi. My wife is a born again Christian (I'm a non believer) and for years she would ask me to go online and download John MacArthur's sermons. My wife would play his sermons as she was working in the kitchen or housecleaning and I've heard far too many of them throughout the years. So much of what you were saying really hit home with my sense of who this loathsome man is. He may be highly intelligent and learned but he's also pompous, arrogant, bigoted, misogynistic and intolerant. He has an extremely narrow view of life and religion and he's far too quick calling others out who don't accept or follow his beliefs!
In other words, you don't like that Jesus says of Himself that "(He) is the Way, the Truth, and the Life...and no one comes to the Father except through (Him)." (John 14.6) A faithful pastor would, and should, point people to the person and way of Christ. It is by nature exclusive. And it is true. It only seems bigoted, arrogant, etc. because you don't like it or agree with it. However, that doesn't change the fact that the only way to true and eternal Life is through Jesus Christ.
@@justinhornsby6742 Nooooo....it bigoted and unjustified because I CAN UNDERSTAND right and wrong...and WHATEVER a persons failings including not accepting Christ as the savior because it makes zero sense...just because MAN ...speaking for godcould come up with ..claims it..doesn't make it so...punishing people for ANY REASON!....FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER...with NO RELIEF!...for the pitiiful.wrongs or failings of this world....IS ..EVIL!...AND DISGUSTING!...and I judge the Christian way as wrong...and NOT speaking for the afterlife...it makes NO SENSE!...and the totality of the belief...is completely unfair...you can't apply a different standard to the Christian God..and I dont...you believe... But I cant...no matter how much I try and try...as nothing to do with sin..or pride..it SIMPLY...TO MY MIND!...makes no sense...a lowly man like me could come up with a better afterlife judgement and plan than what Christianity purports to do...there is nothing EVEN HANDED about that faith...and I have to believe... If there is a Deity...He's GOTTA be bettor than that...I didn't create my own mind or personality , or circumstances... So a eternal judgement after one little crappy lifetime...IS INSANE!...it also means that God is gonna end up with a bunch of shitty self righteous believers while HELL will end up chock full of truly lovely humans who 's only sin was not jumping on the heavenly fathers Christian bandwagon outta sheer fear of Devine retribution.... But....He loves us..bullsh$t!... L
Interesting to note Abraham deconstructed from his father's faith; Moses helped the Israelites deconstruct from their "pagan" beliefs; and Jesus taught his disciples to deconstruct the faith they were raised in. It's natural and good to examine what you were taught and think critically about what you believe. Knowledge is empowering. "Deconstruction is not Deconversion" #Brilliant
Studying the Bible and realizing Christianity isn't true, does happen. I'm really a universalist, I think the Bible has some great wisdom, but in my studies... very flawed. Loving your videos! ❤
couldn’t agree more. Real God is not the God of the Bible! I believe God made everyone in his/her image, and ultimately there is nothing to be saved from, because we are all loved. But i have to give the Bible credit, despite its flaws and other horrible things that have been added to it, it does have great wisdom especially in the teachings of Jesus. Just like any other book for life guidance!
@@alyssaastengo7591 After leaving the Chruch I first stopped off and visited the Deist idea for a few years. Now I see that no god can be proven and with a lack of proof three is no compelling reason for me to believe on exist. I don't think the existence of a god is necessary .
@@brialapoint2608 "Christianity ..opposite of wisdom" I love how Christian apologist can put together complete b/s and call it logic in an attempt to justify their faith. It is fun to watch them try to explain the supernatural events of the bible.
Studying the Bible is what actually made me walk away from the faith. It's just not a good book or even a good god. I found it to be pretty evil and man-made with man-made incentives
I became an agnostic in the spring of 79' due to an interest in science. (I was raised Mormon.) In February of 2016 I read a book on cosmology and quantum physics and so became an atheist, which is what i still am. While science led me away from Christianity, a critical examination of the Bible has kept me away. I just cannot fathom believing in such an abhorent, vicious book.
Just like you I too use to listen to Johnny Mac and even bought his study bible. I was busy studying and doing my masters in Theology when I started deconstructing. And for him to say that people follow the crowd is such BS, because leaving your faith that you have believed and followed most your life is a very lonely thing to experience.
Honestly, my friend, you weren't deconstructing but actually asking questions you're entitled to. An invisible God who doesn't speak for himself but instead "through" his enlightenment. Again back to my go-to example. If you are God why do you need my starship "Quote Jim Kirk"
When he said "examine your own heart to make sure you're in the faith", he wasn't asking them to deconstruct their faith to see if they really BELIEVED it. He was telling them to make sure they REALLY believed it. He doesn't want them asking questions, he wants them to believe harder. At least that's the way it looks to me.
That's fair. I just find it so interesting that he encourages people to question their beliefs, not realizing that deconstruction is the process of questioning what you believe.
@@jezebelvibes It does seem ironic haha. I see it as another very subtle manipulation on his part. He doesn't want or expect people to question their faith like you and I have, obviously. He "encourages" people to ask questions, but only after he led them to the conclusion he wants them to come to. For years I would have said that I had questioned my faith, but I was only ever asking in order to find the answers I wanted and expected to find. It wasn't until I threw all of my preconceived notions and expectations that I was able to see that what I believed didn't make sense.
What he left out was the mass leaving of religion in Europe following the Second World War and the beginning of mass ownership of televisions. Because people in Europe experienced the war happening around them and started to question authorities, church, and God. Though they would take old beliefs with them because they still lived in officially Christian countries. Those who left did not have the Intern
New sub here, wanted to say you are a very talented speaker and topic presenter. Your genuineness and truth shows through as you share your personal journey with us. Thank you for sharing. Question, do you have or plan on having a podcast?
My sister always listening to him as if he's a god or something. I'm the first in our family to leave Christianity and I felt free. I'm kinda scared to come out Atheist because I don't want any argument of some sort. I don't want to explain my side since I know for a fact that they won't listen to me and will definitely call me some Demon or something 😂 Thank you for this Kristi. ❤
I haven't come out as atheist because my daughter converted to Islam. She's a Muslim now after being a Christian her whole life. Now that I've studied both they're equally unbelievable. I'm scared she would block me and never speak to me
Hello, I mean this sincerely, and I was wondering if you could share some insight with me. Now that you have left Christianity, have you ever, seriously considered, if there is some form of morality worth more than 2 shits? I mean this in the most honest way possible, and NOT as a rhetorical question. I myself after some though have only managed to reach this conclusion: that if God does not exist, morality is a combination of evolutionary and socially conditioned behavior for humans to survive in a community, even if that involves unspeakable things towards other communities for their own self interest/ entertainment. Which I understand, for many people and also psychopaths, is extremely liberating. But I am hoping for another way of looking at things.
@@Ty-v6v-c4r psychopathological is the perfect description for the “morality” of the god of the Bible. Trying reading the book, all of it, not just some cherry picked verses.
@@pansepot1490 i mean, that words sound bad, but if there is no divine standard of morality, how can any particular standard be an objective one? If so, psychopathic is just a subjective word, and I am sorry you feel that way
MacArthur doesn't get it. He doesen't WANT to get it. If he were to face reality on this topic then he would have to address the real reasons why people are deconstructing and he wouldn't dare do that.
Thank you for your content. After what happened to me in my country, Honduras, being an active servant, believer, preacher, youth pastor, preacher's kid, etc (tongue speaking, baptised with fire and power, also in water xD , etc etc). Well, I'm not sure if I believe anymore. Still struggling with a few internal thoughts... Then again, I do suffer from PTSD as a direct result of the nature of the accident, so it's kinda hard to juggle with everything, lol. Thankfully I'm making progress in my recovery, training my dog, and slowly moving away from these kinds of people that preach prosperity gospel or that teach to not accept people just for being different
This is excellent. Thanks for making this!! Yeah, John MacArthur encourages deconstruction without realizing it. As long as it’s not deconstruction away from how *he* sees and uses the Bible…if people are deconstructing their faith into *his* version of Christianity, then he is all right with that. But if not, then to him, it’s apostasy.
No he doesn't, you're just misunderstanding what he's saying. If they do leave because of what he says then they'll aren't true believers to begin with.
@@rudyferrell No, I am fully aware that MacArthur believes that those who leave “aren’t true believers to begin with.” To MacArthur, apostasy is being exposed as never having really believed. But he would commend people for examining the Scriptures and deconstructing other versions of Christianity as long as they end up concluding that *his* version is right.
What is his version? Is there some place where it can be found, kinda containing 66 different books, I guess, written close to 1900-2000+ years and longer ago?
This year has been extremely tough on me, physically & emotionally. Back-to-back struggles. My faith has shattered because I do not feel God's presence. My husband is disappointed and thinks all of this "bad luck" is happening to me because my faith is gone. And so called Christian family members & friends have not stepped up to help me and just say "I'll pray for you". I want to tell everyone just worry about yourself because you obviously don't care about me. I thought being Christian meant to help each other out during difficult times. I feel alone when I shouldn't & I am starting to get the realization that maybe we reallybare alone.
I learned in a class once that Jews are taught to question everything to solidify faith. How can you believe what you are taught blindly without understanding and knowing if it is true to your soul. That really resonated with me and caused me to question the faith I grew up with. Believing without thought is not how true belief works. Blind faith allows for whoever in charge to manipulate the masses who will believe anything.
That's why Paul commended the Bereans - they searched the scriptures to see if what he said was true. All people listening to preachers should do the same.
@@istvansipos9940 Interesting comment - the big bang and evolutionary religion (humanist religion) also calls on magical, supernatural events which the adherents have to accept by sheer blind faith.
I’m an atheist since forever, from a majority secular country, but since the year of the plague I’ve watched a lot of TH-cam videos on this topic. It is fascinating. And frightening. I spent seven years in the US going to college in the last decade of the previous millennium and encountered some people who did not understand that religion is not compulsory, but I never understood the trauma and abuse those people were victims of. Now I do.
I'm still used to the standard philosophical definition of Deconstruction, referring to the important movement of the 1960s and 1970s led by Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, et alia. So it rather bothered me when this new usage began to emerge, applied to Christianity; it seemed another example of an excellent word being rather spoiled by imprecise usage. But the more I study it, the more I realize that your usage of it is completely consistent with even the old philosophical usage; it's growing on me! And I like the clarity of your commentary and criticism. Nice job. MacArthur (not for the first time) needed someone like you to call him on the ideas he misquotes and misuses...
That is definitely a sobering thought that you would serve God all your life, only to find out you were “too minimal.” I thought it was by grace that you were saved” and it wAs available to anyone. Sounds like works to me.
Kristi, you are a beautiful person. Intelligent and clever….you make some of the most salient points on YT. More than anyone else, you’ve helped me in my deconstruction. I’m 62, and I feel as though I’m only just now starting to live.
It would be interesting to know how many ex Christians come from MacArthur's churches? So much of Christianity has been and continues to be a group of different denominations mutually finger pointing each other and accusing each other of being "wolves in sheep's clothing".
MacCarthur says they follow the crowd. I have isolated myself and spent time in study, prayer and all the traditional christian practices. I came to an intellectual and emotional conclusion within those self imposed confines. I am deeply greiving from losing a life and father I thought was the true way. I am very sad for the dogmatic "crowd" that rejects those they claim to love.
@@jezebelvibes yeah that is straight up hilarious. I’ve gotten pure flux ads when I watch belief it or not or maybe when watching prophet of zod (I’m not sure.) and well, they’re funding someone they would consider the enemy.
he was executed. If magic is not real, he is soil now. You won't find him. And if magic is real, then he went 1 floor up. Again, you won't find him. my critical semi-jokes aside, how is it going? I mean, how do you even start such a project?
@@istvansipos9940.... Not sure if the person will reply, but I also left the church many years ago to find Yeshua. I do that by meditating. I have been able to connect to a source, you could think, Im high, but i have only tried shrooms in 2012. And I still saw many things. I mean, we are not the only ones on this planet, by meditating you can also visit other dimensions.
Great program, Kristi you're a bright light always. Yea common sense is far better than supernatural speculations. Now I'm relieved not having the devil and his demoms around and inside my house and also the 24/7 surveilance of the father/jesus. Life is more joyful, the fear has gone
She's very good IMO. I've seen so many atheist based channels I can't count but she's so seasoned for such a young person. She's going to grow like crazy. ✌️
IMHO if there ever was a divine truth there wouldn't be any argument about it because a divine truth would be so obviously clear and correct that there'd be nothing to argue over or interpret.
I was only 10 yr. Old little girl. We went to church. My whole family was Christian. But where was Jesus when I was getting sexual abused by my stepdad? Then later, my mom s next boyfriend. What did I do to deserve such horrible treatment? Why does God allow abuse of children?
I’m experiencing rapid deconstruction. Almost overnight. The lot story absolutely blows my mind. What loving god would call a man who sanctioned the rape of his “pure” daughters righteous?
Not to mention he then raped his daughters later himself: I mean, do you really believe his daughters "got him drunk and seduced him"? What daughter would want to do that? How often do we hear "she was asking for it" about rape cases to this day? And pretty sure it was a man who wrote that story; much easier to blame incest on the daughters than the father.
the lot story is fuggd up. But the characters are all there. They have some limited chance to try something, even if sh!t hits the fan. The mob have a chance to chillax and go home. The daughters could grab a knife and stab the old jerk, etc. The concept of the original sin is tougher. Pre-scientific (or even modern 1st world) child birth, because 1 apple was eaten by a long dead couple. And none of the mothers can try anything about it. They have 0.0000 chance to avoid that pain. That's way less than anybody's chance against any rapist
People leave for all kinds of reasons. One that is not often spoke about is mental illness. In my case, I have schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a disease where people have difficulty deciphering reality. I heard voices that were telling me that my prayers aren't being answered. They told me that if I didn't do something correct, terrible things would happen, and if I did things that where sin, terrible things would also happen. I didn't know whether it was Satan or not. I can't see Satan, or demons, or angels, or God. Schizophrenia will make anything out of anything. Therefore, it came to a point where I had to ask myself if these things were actually true, if there was a God, if what I was being talked about things was actually true. Once I did that, I honestly did an examination, thinking that if Christianity was actually true, it would fit the bill. examination deconstructed what I had been taught.
I was a Christian and I did a deep dive into the word and it only left me with so many unanswered questions. But in the end one thing was accurate. The truth will set you free. Just not the way you think that it would. 😊
you say that u were a christian
Well said
First, I'm glad you made a sincere examination - the fact you have unanswered questions proves you did work and took it seriously instead of blindly accepting. But I have to ask, as a question of logic, if you have unanswered questions how can you determine you have the truth? If I'm trying to figure out why a light switch turns on a bulb and don't understand (i.e., have unanswered questions) about some of the details, I may come to the wrong answer. I should at least understand that wires are connected and electricity goes through so when someone tells me it's magical fairies I can understand why that's not true. I don't have to go all the way to the theory of electrons etc. (though I could), but there is a set of questions I should know the answers to before I say "I understand... enough".
If you've done that, then my apologies for going on ranting. Really my comment is directed towards others thinking things through that may see what you wrote. I want to make sure people think through things to whatever conclusion they come up with and not just lazily go with what "sounds good". I respect anyone that puts the time in to figure stuff out, even if I disagree with their conclusion.
See I feel the same way
@@j919or As do you, I guess.
Did you fulfil John 14:13, also...?
I'm glad you watched it so I don't have to.
doing the lords work, lol!
Amen. @@jezebelvibes
😂
I wish someone watched this video for me. 😢
@jezebelvibes Read your Bible and remain quiet woman
“They’re not leaving because they love sin. They’re leaving because they hate sin.” Mind blown 🤯
@annasmith7880, what is “sin” in a world guided by random mutations and natural selection? If your mind was “blown” by her statement then you haven’t given it a lot of thought.
@@whiskeredtunaa sin is doing something that decreases the happiness or well-being or causes unnecessary suffering of another living thing.
What is your definition of sin?
@warmhandswarmheart, that’s also the definition of a “sin” in the Bible which is a religious term that you keep borrowing to try and make a point. Most atheists like yourself believe in “human rights” yet they don’t exist objectively. in fact, apart from God the idea of “human rights” are no less fantastical than believing in unicorns or leprechauns.
@@whiskeredtunasin is a man made construct.
@@warmhandswarmheart A "sin" is a crime against God. No god, no sin.
Your definition of sin lines very close with that of the definition of an "immoral act" under the philosophy of Utilitarian Morality.
The last time I went to church was in 2014: the Sunday after the antigay law was passed in Nigeria. I walked into church that day to meet an atmosphere of joy as fellow Christian folk, congregation and pastors alike, rejoiced over the fact that our president had sanctioned a target on the backs of every queer Nigerian living in Nigeria.
It was evil.
It was deplorable.
I felt nauseated. To imagine that these people, with all their Christian love, were celebrating the pain of gay Nigerians. The pain of Me.
I turned around and walked out. Considering that I'd been struggling so much before that day, struggling with making sense of my religion before that day, that was the last straw. I left and never looked back.
So to listen to this man gaslight from his pulpit, to hear him dismiss the struggles and trauma that led people like me to leave the Christian faith is at once disheartening and laughable.
Yeah people in general annoy me about this, but especially Christians. People act like being gay is written in the Bible as unforgivable. God is against homosexuality, not homosexuals.
@@TallGlass-fh8qf And against foreskins. What, of it?
And against many censuses - and, well, He seemed not very AGAINST slavery for life, or coerced marriages.
So after a while, many may not much care, what 'He is against'.
Wasn't openly against Torquemada, or Paul III, either, meanwhile?
@@TallGlass-fh8qf Maybe your fake God is, so the next time you want to know who's at fault, it's people like you who say stupid stuff about some fake God. The problem is you.
The antigay law was passed in Uganda.
@@TallGlass-fh8qfyes! and He's for genocide and sexual slavery.
When I left the church 10 years ago, I was shunned by EVERYONE. All those so-called loving Christians that never judges, never spoke to me again. When I phoned a person I thought was a good friend, she bluntly told me she's busy and not to call again. It was a long, lonely, scary road with no support, but I made it.
@@gregstein3474 Jesus suggests god made another mistake after the flood. Jesus shouldn't be necessary, and his sacrifice only seems significant until you consider the sacrifice of 100's of 1,000's of veterans...
@@DavidWilkinsspinky left because pinky is a good person who does not like violence, genocide, murder, abuse, and other horrible things. We don’t crave evil things. We crave not being the victims of evil things and people.
@@DavidWilkinss if it’ll take me away from people like you
You disobey God because of man?
@@DavidWilkinssshame on you for saying that! How dare you suggest pinky should have to live a lie to stay in contact with their family and friends
I absolutely love your take "these people left the church because they HATE sin" not because they want to live in sin. That is refreshingly poignant and absolutely represents what I've been feeling and unable to articulate into words for YEARS.
I was a Muslim, and I was struggling because it felt like embracing Islam was also condemning millions, maybe even billions of people to hell. Embracing Islam meant that I was saying, "All of you are morally inferior and deserve an eternity of torment." That was painful and difficult for me. How was I supposed to rationalize that all these people are deserving of hellfire? Was I suppose to preach to them? Reform them? Cut them out of my life?
When I left Islam, it was so nice that I could just be a good person and not have to make judgments about people in that way.
You say because you “Hate”sin. But who are you to say what’s a sin or not? I completely agree that the church is far from what the Bible says. I agree with you about that. But what churches say is not what the Bible says. In the Old Testament, God strikes down people who he finds wicked. Like the Canaanites for example. But think about what would the outcome be if he didn’t strike them down? What would have happened is continued baby sacrifices to a metal idol. All these Canaanite babies dying in vain. Is that not a good reason to wipe out the Canaanites. Remember, no one is perfect and that everyone has flaws, even the most righteous of Christians. Remember that people who leave the church rely on other people when they should be relying on God. ❤ to all who want to find the truth
@blazeyboy431 My morals and values I learned from my family, my culture, and my community during my lifetime. If God ordered me to do something terrible, like taking slaves from the nations around me or sacrificing my son to appease him, then I would ignore god because I know via my lived experiences on earth that owning slaves and killing kids is wrong.
@@nujumkey I am unclear on whether you are talking about Christian laws or Islamic because you said you were Muslim.
@blazeyboy431 I was referencing the Bible, but you can take my methodology of developing your morality and pitting that against the Quran as well.
His long pauses almost kill me.
When you said "There's no empathy there" I felt no surprise. It sometimes seems to me that Christianity actively discourages empathy.
"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy ""NEIGHBOUR"". That's what they mean by, 'your own tribe'. And outside of your tribe you can do whatever you want. Rape, kill, steal the young women, for example.
It's so weird that I've seen multiple videos on TikTok of these kids that said they didn't learn empathy until college. I always remember that because it's crazy.
@@undrwatropium3724 Fundamentalism does that to you. America is the land of Christian fundamentalism, thanks to the founding fathers. It could have been worse if not for the Catholic Church.
Off the top of my head, I can think of a number of ways that Christianity (and many other religions) actively discourage empathy when interpreted too literally.
If worshipping God is supposed to bring blessings in THIS life, then a literal believer can deduce that those who seem unfortunate are actually just 'sinners who should pray harder', not fellow humans in need of help. Also, viewing THIS life as merely a brief trial in preparation for eternal life can enable people to minimise the suffering they see around them - after all, 'God will sort it all out in the next life', right? In extreme cases, people can even come to see suffering as necessary for salvation. And then, of course, there's the in-group/out-group tribalism that inevitably accompanies literalistic belief, and that effectively dehumanises those who don't believe in 'the truth'. In all these ways, a literalistic belief in an intercessionary God can diminish the natural sense of responsibility/urgency that people might otherwise feel to alleviate each other's hardships, thereby creating an apathetic, callous acceptance of widespread suffering.
Literalist religion can also blunt people's consciences when it comes to actively harming others. Ideas like 'original sin' and 'temptation by Satan' can sometimes make perpetrators feel less responsible for their actions against others - this can especially be seen in the victim-blaming of sexual assault victims. Also, the idea of atoning for sins to God (rather than to the VICTIMS of bad actions) can blur any moral sense of the real-life impacts on victims, and can even lead to a weaponisation of the 'duty to forgive' against victims. Finally, many religions are replete with examples of 'godly' people doing supposedly RIGHTEOUS harm to others, from child/spouse abuse to genocide; such stories encourage the worst behaviors in people with abusive/domineering tendencies who are just looking for an excuse to justify their actions.
Overall, literalistic religious thinking has a tendency to interfere with people's understanding of social cause-and-effect by injecting supernatural intermediaries and abstractions into interactions between real people. However, it is only through a clear understanding of the real-life impacts of our actions on our fellow humans that we can develop a coherent sense of empathy and morality. In other words, If THIS is the only observable life that we have, and if we are NOT expecting an intercessionary God to address human suffering, then it is clearly up to US to alleviate suffering ourselves, to the best of our ability. Furthermore, if we do harm, and if there's NO supernatural absolution to be had, then WE are responsible for making restitution (insofar as possible) to those we hurt, and our only way to avoid further guilt is to learn from our mistakes and avoid repeating them.
We are NOT living in an irredeemably fallen world - our world is what WE make of it. I hope that, as a species, we can continue to listen to each other's varied experiences, learn more about ourselves and the world we live in, and always strive towards a tomorrow with less suffering and more fulfilment than today.
@@richardfeverel99 A good reasonable critique of Protestantism.
Kristi, seriously, you are on your way to be the best at what you do. Please persevere. Reason, evidence and kindness are what one should adhere to. Not religious charlatanism meant to enslave the mind and financially exploit the believer.
Thank you for your support!
I totally agree with you !
She's doing absolutely nothing, so why would you congratulate her for? She hasn't put the whole thing together yet. At this point she is doing nothing yet, but will she ever? I seriously doubt it.
@@Imahuckleberryare you okay?😂
Unfortunately, you've been duped into thinking that the TV preachers and megachurches represent the true Church. By and large, they definitively do not. There are many, many churches full of sincere believers who aren't out to entertain, deceive, or take money. Be on guard against false stereotyping.
"The best cure for Christianity is reading the Bible." -Mark Twain
what a crock of woopie cushion sounds bro
@@daughterofthemoon22 Reading the Bible is what broke my faith...
@@Jarimir same here
😂😂😂😂
The Bible is the only religious text on the planet to contain real people, places and historical events that can be verified outside of its self and its also the only text in the world that is 100% on predictive prophecy.
Mark Twain was clearly an idiot.
@@DavidWilkinss wow really? That nuts.
"...Being a defector from Christianity, in this culture, carries with it a kind of victimization heroism."
That implies that Christianity is creating victims. Hmm....
Good one!
@yadabub No, it doesn't mean Christianity is creating victims. It means people who are playing the role of victims after leaving a church are gaining hero like status because they gain a social media following.
@@SeanR.L Not according to the "who hurt you" Christians.
@@yadabub I don't know who the 'who hurt you' Christians are.
I was deeply religious through my 20s and early 30s. I was also deeply closeted. My "friends" made comments that all gays should be sent to an island and then nuked. My pastor said it would be easier for a murderer to enter heaven than a gay person (side note: it was discovered that he had a 20 year extramarital affair with his secretary).
My religious beliefs and who I knew myself to be were in such opposite places that I considered suicide quite often. I finally reached a point where I had to decide to come out or end it. I came out. I lost almost all of my church friends, which until then had been my entire social circle. I continued on in gay friendly churches but over time, I deconstructed my beliefs and now I'm an atheist. Over the last few years, I've grown more and more resentful about religion.
There's a lot more to the story but I've already gone on too long.
Bottom line: I love your videos. Because of them, I feel seen and understood. Thank you.
I used to think we all wanted to be a part of a community/family/ friend group etc. Some of us just want life to be about me. No US, no WE no OUR, just me. When everything is about me, like this young woman says, we all win.
@@orangeandslinky what happened to the "rugged individualism" of western culture/philosophy? Can't have communism without community!
@@Jarimir I grew up believing in rugged individualism but I couldn't have it without help. I was a drummer for 50 years and I could be one without a group. Even I didn't want to hear drums without others in the group. I was an upholsterer for 35 years but I couldn't be one without a group of people who wanted me to reupholster their chair. Do you see what I mean?
@@orangeandslinky so you are pro-communism, now?
@@orangeandslinky my life has gotten progressively better the less I've come to rely on other people, ESPECIALLY the ones that pretended to care about me just because they wanted something from me while giving back as little as possible...
Ex-Mormon here. Thank you so much for the content you share. I cannot underscore enough how much you're helping during those moments of self doubt fuelled by the Church's manipulation and gaslighting.
You’re brilliant. Deconversion is not deconstruction. Thank you so much.
Deconversion is a made up term. It's doesn't exist.
Same thing. NO difference because in the end it all ends up in the same hot place.
You misspelled "Deceptive." Deconstruction is essentially deconversion.
@@markwildt5728 Nonsense. Just because the destination is usually deconversion doesn't mean that deconstruction is the same. That's like saying that bloodloss is the same as death because one can lead to the other.
There actually are christians who deconstructed who still believe. For bad reasons, usually, but they exist.
My great grandmother, who read the bible everyday, told me when I was a child that as a Christian I should love everyone. She said to let God judge and God alone. I left the church when the church I grew up in turned it’s back on people and said they were not wanted. I no longer believe at all now. I’m not going back.
Man created God. Not the other way around.
All I ever knew was Christianity but 2 years ago my daughter converted to Islam and I've done deep dive studies in both. They are both equally unbelievable. Christianity doesn't believe in Islam and Islam doesn't believe in Christianity. Religion cancels religion
So, being mad at others who are imperfect made you stop believing?
@@IWantToMature85 He/she proves McArthur's point.
@@IWantToMature85It isn't simply a matter of being "imperfect", these churches are consistently going against the very things they preach, and if we can't trust the church to lead by example at least more often then not, who can we trust?
Your granny was a wise woman!
This shunning thing is why so many people leave. He's pushing people away. I know more people who've left the church for unchristian-like behavior and beliefs than any other reason. You hit the ball out of the park with this analysis. I love it!
He is so tone deaf, he can’t even hear himself.
“Let him who has ears, hear.”
And you nailed it. It was continued study that lead me away. Not angry. I was surrounded by wonderful Christians for the most part. I just simply became unconvinced after much study.
There are a lot of things I don't like in the bible. I don't like how it advocates for slavery and how it allows you as a father to sell your daughter into slavery. I don't like how it tells you to let your disobedient child to be stoned to death in front of the village. I don't like that according to that book homosexuals are to be put to death. I don't like how women have a pretty much similar status like cattle and they are not self-determined people but property, first to their father and then to her husband, even if they have not been sold into slavery.
And I fail to see how anybody of today's time could say something like: "I don't know what you are complaining about. These laws sound reasonable to me."
@7inrain it doesn't condone those things anywhere in the Bible. What did Jesus do when they brought the prostitute to Jesus to be stoned? The truth is you just don't like Jesus and don't want to repent like he said we should. If you don't want anything to do with God or Jesus then he will respect your wishes.
@@rudyferrell _"it doesn't condone those things anywhere in the Bible."_
You can find the laws about who you can enslave, where to buy your slaves and how to sell your own daughter all in Exodus 21 and in Deuteronomy 22:28. How to let your disobedient children be stoned: Deuteronomy 21:18. Killing homosexuals: Leviticus 20:13. About your wife and your daughter being your property with which you can do as you see fit: Judges 19:22 - 29. And there are a lot more immoral rules like that in the bible.
So the question is: Are you really that clueless about your own holy book or are you just a liar?
_"The truth is you just don't like Jesus"_
The truth is you don't have any clues about my motives being an atheist. And according to the bible Jesus was a wacky endtimes preacher who claimed that the end of the world would come during the lifetime of his contemporaries. Which is a pretty shoddy prediction for someone who is thought to be the son of god (or even god himself).
But as we don't even know if he ever existed and wasn't fiction like so much in the bible I'm not in the position to "not like him". I simply don't care about what he allegedly said.
_"and don't want to repent like he said we should."_
Repentence is just submission for something an immoral book claims to be sins (see the laws mentioned above as an example). So why should I abide by the rules this book puts up and the guilt complex it wants to induce in people?
@@rudyferrell go away ,,demonize others elsewhere ..No ONE here is interested in your nonsense and self aggrandizing...
@@rudyferrellyou haven't read the entire Bible and it shows
It promotes it in the old testament and also Paul says to slaves to obey their masters
Adultury is only when a married woman sleeps with a man who is not her husband, married men can sleep with whoever they want
Genocide of babies and animals who were innocent
I love how he brought up abuse and bigotry in the church but doesn’t say it’s wrong 😂. He honestly was talking in circles. It’s clear as day that they are extremely afraid of losing people for their cult. The deconstruction and decolonization movement is strong. I’m so happy to be on the other side now.
I don't think he'll run out of cultists or their money, do you?
@@stephenvanwoert2447 Not in his lifetime unfortunately. But I do see drastic changes coming and many of them will have to adjust their lifestyles.
You were always on the side you are on now......
When you see it you can't unsee it. Many people don't realize that christianity was also indoctrinated by the people who colonized the western world. It was convert or die, basically. They killed and raped for fun while they conquered, then their people went in after and evangalized the Jesus message because that keeps people controlled and gives them order.
@@sammur1977 What??? The bible or any abrahamic religion text books are the most degrading text books for women. Hasidic Jews have little respect for women and their well-being. The bible has several texts degrading women and clearly class them as less than:
Women should be seen not heard: 1 Corinthians 14:34
Daughters can be bought and sold: Exodus 21:7
Collecting wives and sex slaves is a sign of status: 1 Kings 11:3
Used brides deserve death: Deuteronomy 22:20-21
Women, but only virgins, are to be taken as spoils of war: Numbers 31:17-18
A woman is twice as unclean after giving birth to girl as to a boy: Leviticus 12: 1-8
Women were created for men: 1 Corinthians 11:2-10
The colonialist used the bible for their wicked deeds and to brainwash their conquered lands. It was convert or die and even when people converted, women/slaves/indigenous women and sometimes men (to break them) were raped.
“They follow the crowd,” he said to the crowd.
💀
Out here in secular land, I'm finding it rather difficult to figure out where the "crowd" is and how I should follow it. It was a lot easier in Christianity, when I could easily predict what each Christian thought about any given subject.
@@somexp12 I would say amen, but it feels wrong to say.
Is it not alittle ironic to you that this girl is also speaking to a crowd and yet you fail to see that?
Wow. I cant even… this guy is SUCH a piece of work.
Thanks! For many years I have watched a lot of former Christian people that have enlightened me and helped with the fears of damnation that were instilled in me during my childhood that are difficult to overcome even when you know that these beliefs are actually an insult to any creator
that wasn’t evil. Kristi comes across in a very understandable and compassionate way and I appreciate it.
Thank you so much for your support!
@@jezebelvibes Well your video is very insightful and it’s helping people to understand reality and it’s not like you’re asking for 10% of my income before taxes or anything.
@@timphillips1218 obviously you never overcame your own corrupt mine just like
@@jezebelvibes debate me on every one of your topics and I will decimate your arguments in seconds
@@j919or Yeah, as long as I don’t reply. Once you start looking at it you realize that Christians don’t have a leg to stand on in a debate with anyone that knows much about the topic. I have watched the best and it’s like shooting fish in a barrel as the old saying goes.
I've recently come across your videos and I have to say, your takes on most of them really speak to me. As a black person living in the south, I've spent most of my life in Christianity starting from an infant until recently (I'm 30) and never really questioned it. I've been on a deconstruction journey for the past couple years and it finally feels like I have control over my own life and dont have to worry about appealing to an unknown. Thanks so much, I know these videos go a long way in helping others like me.
I am a black person living in the north and I congratulate you on your deconstruction journey. However, it would not surprise me if you were to say that your greatest obstacles were black Christians.
I hope you both find the strength you need to be free from the psychological propoganda of Christianity! The truth surely does set us free!
You absolutely hit the nail on the head. It has taken me 2-3 years to find the words to explain why I decided to walk away. I couldn’t stand the hypocrisy and the false “love” that was spread. Thank you for your platform ❤️
Why do you let people who aren't truly in Christ, let you turn away from Christ? Jesus is not wrong, the people are. And in the worst case, you can have no community but still follow Jesus and pray, or not?
@@PaulaSays123 I actually have a more supportive community now, then when I was in the church “community”. As far as letting ppl who “aren’t truly in Christ” turn me away, the whole church, including big name pastors, did a great job of helping me see the hypocrisy that they teach.
@@ChristineinNMthere’s no hate like Christian love
@@ChristineinNM I get your point. Many people aren't truly in Christ. But still the question: Why do you turn away from Christ because of fake people? Or do you think Jesus is not worth following him and praying to god?You can have both. Your new community and Jesus.
@@jamie5mauserwow, your statement made me smirk. I know nice and kind Christians. I live in Europe.
I think a lot of people, like myself, had the same experience.
You’re raised in a religion, which you were, let’s face it, forced to comply with because your parents made you. Yet there are always things that secretly, deep down, you can’t go along with. But, as a child, you can’t do anything about it.
Once we come into our own, some of us start searching. In my 20s, I hopped from church to church, all different religions, and studied a lot. I had the idea that there was a correct religion, I just had to find it! After about 10 years, I suddenly had the revelation that none of them knew what they were doing!
It was still a few more years until I realized that god wasn’t real either. Once you see it, there’s no going back. And it becomes so obvious! This is the actual enlightenment, in my opinion. ❤️
“I get it” - John McArthur
No John, you don’t get it, not even a little bit. You have never met it, talked to it, wouldn’t know it if it poked you in the eye.
Explain it to everyone.
Leah Remini said the difference between religion and a cult is how they treat you when you leave. Talking of course of scientology but appropriate for any religion
All religions are a form of cult and are based on power and control.
yeah, that. And 1 more difference between religi0n and cult: Public Relations.
just imagine my new religi0n. (just a hypothetical one. No worries) It will be like christianity, but my g0d in its tale needs a donkey sacrificed with a chain saw. Not a human, and it dies way quicker than any crucifixion victim ever. So that the g0d can forgive our sins, obviously.
people would lose their fukkn minds over 1 dead donkey. And nobody would invite me to tell the story to any children. Because my P.R. is at 0.0000
That's why I liken my experience in evangelical baptist churches growing up to being in a cult. Because we were so utterly cut off from secular influences (as in very few allowed in our home) and because of the treatment of members. When I left, it felt like I no longer mattered at all to any of them. I might as well have been dead. Except they probably would have treated that as better because in their mind I would have been one of the saved ones. Leaving showed me exactly how much value I had in their eyes: nothing.
Thank you Kristi, you are so spot on. I also gave up Christianity a long time ago for the same reasons you have mentioned. Keep up the good work sweety .
Please keep going with your videos, Kristi. You certainly give us plenty to think about. I love your phrase: "I left the church to become a better Christian." How ironical that it takes such a move in order to more genuinely embody the message of Christ! Even if you no longer subscribe to a religious explanation of life, you are still a lover of humanity. For those of us who still retain a religious or spiritual faith, it is such a good corrective to listen to your 'deconstructing.' It restores our sanity and promotes a rational and charitable relationship with the secular world. Thank you.
This guy is hilarious. “Most people follow a crowd “ Said the man speaking in front of a CROWD.
and not only the crowd physically in front of him, but all the people like my parents who download his sermons every week and hang on his every word
The crowd that throw their money at him too....
@@QuestionThingsUseLogicso he shall be poor?
You guys are hilarious!!
@@Marcelo.1927 huh?? Yet according to financial statements and tax forms obtained by The Roys Report, John MacArthur and his family preside over a religious media and educational empire that has over $130 million in assets and generates more than $70 million a year in tax-free revenue.
MacArthur and his family and related companies have been paid more than $12.8 million from ministry and donor funds. And MacArthur owns three luxury homes worth millions.
In one year alone, MacArthur made more than $402,000 for part-time work at his broadcast ministry, Grace to You (GTY), and another $103,000 from The Master’s University and Seminary (TMUS). This was in addition to MacArthur’s salary from the megachurch he pastors, Grace Community Church, as well as book royalties and speaking fees...who said anything about poor???!
@@Marcelo.1927so every one who isn’t a well known PREACHER is poor
😂😂😂😂😂
Ok donut
Yep, Donald Trump. I could not believe that 81% of Evangelicals voted for him. We had just moved from the university town where I grew up and had worked until I retired and moved to a very Red, small rural community. These people WERE the 81%. I stayed for almost 2 years and finally decided to leave. I set a date, but before it came, I discovered atheist TH-cam content and left an agnostic atheist. Love your stuff. Content, I mean.
@Flockmeister, I’d vote for a sinner (Trump) before I’d vote for a party that looks to undermine Christianity completely (Democrats). The left is taking over that party and would love nothing more than to suppress freedom of speech and ultimately faith. The fact you even wonder why Christians would vote for DT reveals to me that you were either a progressive-Christian or never really was one.
Same with me. I live in the south & moved from a major city to a small rural town 4 years ago. I am an undercover atheist; or as Kristi says "A questioner who doesn't have the answers & is fine with that."
I have been attending my local Baptist Church for the last 2 years because it is the only place I can meet & socialize with my neighbors. They are good people - generous, forgiving & kind to their fellow believers. I have never heard then criticize those who attend the "false churches" (ie Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian), but they all share the same Republican political views. But they like to create out groups - everyone on MacArthur's list of baddies but Democrats & LBGT are favorite targets of outrage & mockery.
They believe that one is saved by Faith and not by works. You aren't saved by "feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, or visiting the prisoner" as Jesus said in Matthew 25:35-37. That would be claiming that you can save yourself, which is an arrogant assertion that you can do God's work for Him. God has to reach out to YOU, you can't reach out to HIM. The Holy Spirit will enter your heart & may make you more kind & generous to others, but that doesn't earn your salvation.
And that creates in them a total lack of compassion towards their outgroups. If you have to write off billions of people because they don't share your particular doctrine, you tend to be cold hearted towards them. As a matter of fact, the time will come when you will join Jesus, take those guns you are stockpiling & mow them down. Because Jesus loves YOU but not THEM. (They tend not to say this quiet part out loud, but they dog whistle it.)
So if you were raised believing in a Jesus who loved all mankind & wonder why He seems to be missing in Evangelical doctrine, this is your answer
@@Herschel1738 Let me know what you think. The second explanation will put in perspective the Calvinist beliefs you're rightly critiquing.
Occamism (short explanation) - th-cam.com/video/wp3vbgU8HR4/w-d-xo.html
Occamism (long explanation) - th-cam.com/video/CTMX4C169bg/w-d-xo.html
It is amazing the so-called church sold its soul to the "devil" in Trump embodiment. (please don't take the word "devil" as literal...but you know what I mean)
What was the alternative?
BRILLIANT, Kristi. I was an evangelical Christain--quite devout--until I was 45 years old. Your insight is spot on.
You were only a Christian in name. If you had a true relationship with Jesus Christ you would never have left it. You were one of the people Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:21-23.
That passage of scripture says that Jesus never knew you. it doesn't say that he knows you no longer. It says that he never knew you.
Read also:
1 John 2:18-22
Romans 8:37-39
@@tadmoon8281maybe you're only a Christian in name. If someone like OP can genuinely be wrong about believing she was a Christian, so, too, can you. Maybe you're wrong about having true belief. Regardless, your post was uncalled for and it isn't the top notch evangelism you think it is. I guarantee you'll push almost every person away with that. You're better than that, mate.
@@tadmoon8281You hear this alot. Its a cliche by now and you do not know anything about his faith.
@@myjessicajourney1915 I’m amazed at the hubris of some people. How is it that you know more about my life than I do? Amazing.
@@tadmoon8281 you reach out and make that claim like a good evangelical. You know more about my life, what I went through, what I believed? Wow.
I’ve not heard of this guy before (I’m British) but he seems like one of those people who enjoys hating people he doesn’t know more than he enjoys loving the ones he does know.
Dopamine is a powerful chemical.
Hating people is a great reason to join a religion like Christianity. It appeals especially to low self-esteem people who haven't achieved much in their lives or at their workplace or in society, and find religion a convenient umbrella to berate others, an opportunity they would otherwise not have
That's pretty spot on from what I've seen of him
Most of us prefer to love the people we don’t know and hate the ones we do know.
He also protects and defends men who are domestic violence abusers and paedophiles. He tells women who are victims of domestic violence that they will go to hell of they leave their abusive husbands. Even if those husbands are abusing and raping children. Which is unsurprising as he advocates patriarchal, male headship based on genitals rather than merit and that women must obey these men.
@@robinharwood5044 Only idiots who have not realised the fact you have presented. It is more sensible to hate the people we don't know in advance, because we would hate them anyway if we knew them. It avoids disappointment and is less exhausting.
Wow, this is absolutely eye opening, and as someone that has fully deconverted, I’m absolutely disgusted at how deceptive and manipulative this really is. John macArthur is one of the absolute WORST most ABUSIVE, NARCISSISTIC pastors is the christian cult. When you fully out, highly educated on the origins and actually KNOW what’s in the biblical writings, sermons like these are disturbing in ways in which written words do no justice!
Awesome job! Your brilliant ❤️✌🏼
You can't deconvert. Your unbelief only shows you weren't truly converted. You attended and were involved, perhaps, but according to Jesus' words, you weren't converted.
@@justinhornsby6742 cool story
@@logicsetsyoufree9052 Thank you. And not only cool, but more importantly, true.
@@justinhornsby6742 cool
@@justinhornsby6742If you had bothered to actually listen to the video, you'd realize that there are people who have genuinely dedicated themselves to studying the bible with nothing to show for it. Kristi is one of those people and you have no right discredit other's experiences because you haven't seen or felt what they've gone through. Also Macarthur details about actual reasons why there are people leaving the church, racism, misogyny, hypocrisy, unkindness, etc but he just labels anyones who disconnects to just love sin. Beliefs have real world impact on people and society and if these prove to be harmful, we should be calling it out wherever we find it.
Hearing "you were never a real Christian in the first place" is so infuriating, given that in middle school I used to go to bed every night sobbing because I thought all my atheist classmates were going to hell...
I can guarantee that I was more of a Christian than these people are. I hated the sins of wrath, pride, and injustice so much that I could no longer worship a god who would torture a 12 year old for eternity because that 12 year old didn't know he existed.
And that's the common story. Same story as Jerry DeWitt, Matt Dillahunty, I think Seth Andrews a little bit, and whole bunch of the other big names. Bart Ehrman and Robert Price (admitting that the latter is a bit of a kook in other respects) cared enough to enter into biblical scholarship and this choice eroded their faiths (or, at least, their faith in the 100% reliability of scripture - Ehrman has a complicated story).
Now, you might continue on in "the faith" if that's where you get your social status (like with MacArthur) or if it's your cowardly answer to an existential crisis. If, however, you take the core issues seriously and you earnestly set out to examine the faith and learn the truth so that you can better help the "unsaved," the foundations of your belief are liable to become slowly eroded away. We hear this story over and over again. The people who stick around are those with such a powerful and selfish desire to believe that they'll shut off their minds the second they run into challenges. Those who sincerely want the truth, because they sincerely want to know they are doing the right thing, are the ones who tend to encounter at least part of the truth.
Yet the Satan played you and you turned away from God.
@Marcelo.1927 The only way this no-true-scotsman of yours would make any sense is if your criteria for being a "christian" included a willingness to sacrifice the truth to preserve belief. If that's the case, then 100% of "true christians" are about as craven and pathetic as a human being can get. This trait is the result of selfishness and cowardice. It's not admirable.
Certainly, this is the case for some of y'all. I've met more than a few of you who'd do anything, no matter how shameful, just to preserve the fantasy. Someone like John MacArthur, whose entire status depends on the preservation of the cult, isn't going to give it up for anything. Countless others forfeit truth just to get a quick fix for their petty existential crises. The people you describe exist, but their existence is anything but a mark in favor of christianity.
I completely understand this. I would constantly pray for people in my family and for friends and the world because I didn't want anyone suffering forever. It was terrifying and I believed it with every fiber of my being just as much as I believed the earth revolved around the sun and in gravity. Maybe moreso because I was terrified that I didn't pray for salvation correctly and might secretly get "left behind" and/or end up in hell anyway. John MacArthur can't possibly have examined why he believes things if he can think people leave the faith so easily. It's just so easy to be dismissive than to really seriously consider why someone might lose their faith.
@@Marcelo.1927the irony is that we all used this sentence of your at least once in our lives
You are too afraid to even think rationally
The more i learned about the bible the more it came across as being man made. I also listened to all the apologetics and was horrified at some of the things that they were rationalising.
The Bible is incomprehensible. If a statement is so vague it can be interpreted many different ways and there is no standard to determine which interpretation is correct, the communication is a failure. The Bible constantly contradicts itself (Thou shalt not Kill, then God orders the Jews to massacre all the people in neighboring villages). The Bible is fill with information easily demonstrated to be false (the earth was created in seven days). The Bible is filled with ethical advice that is appallingly immoral (captive virgins can be used as sex slaves & slavery is Ok.) Apologists argue that at one time the Bible should be interpreted poetically, at another time factually, that at one time it is historical and another a parable and the reader has to figure that out by himself, it's not stated in the Bible. Prophesies are usually not declared to be prophesies so the vaguest reference can be interpreted as a prophesy after the fact. The books of the Bible are written by authors with dramatically conflicting agendas (one epistle claims Christianity is only for the Jews while another claims it is for the general public). There are thousands of versions of the Bible, which include or exclude various books, each which can be interpreted differently. There is not a passage in the Bible that theologians agree on its message. In that anyone can interpret the Bible to say anything, it says nothing. And because the Bible is the word of God, who are you to question it? God's love for you is infinite, but he will burn you in Hell without mercy or forgiveness at the drop of a hat. That my friend is true love.
@@patbrumph6769 I know. A lot of the things that you have mentioned are some of the things that really had me questioning, re-examining and deconstructing. It has eventually led to me deconverting. Also the whole theology just doesn't make sense when critically scrutinised (especially if God is the tri - omni one).
Man would have never said what he did about himself it were just a man-made book. He would've left a lot of that out!
@@amy_pieterseWhat did you reconvert to?
@@ziploc2000 Sorry, autocorrect. I meant to say deconvert.
John MacArthur is a perfect example of the kind of monster that can be created by Christianity.
Will you please explain?
@@ThefrenchFranz Good morning.
Christianity is full of bad ideas, untruths, harmful practices, and ant-human sentiment. MacArthur runs with it and spreads its cancer to many other people, perpetuating humanity's toxic relationship with Christianity.
I absolutely agree . John MacArthur is a Christian monster and probably would have been a slave owner and use the bible to justify it all
John MacArthur is a monster?
@@timothykeith1367 Yeah, read my reply to the previous commentor.
"We read the Bible and didn't like what we found in it." The #1 reason I left. Like button X22
@kristiburke - I used to be a very strong evangelical true-believing Christian - going to Bible college, playing in worship bands, preaching, teaching, evangelizing, studying the Bible constantly, etc. Anybody who knows/knew me would have told you I was a Christian if anybody was. At one point I wanted to take my faith to the next level by re-examining the Bible from the point of view of someone who didn't start out believing the Bible was true - in order to become a better evangelist and strengthen my faith. I spent several agonizing years studying Christian apologetics, wrestling with the evidence/arguments, all the while trying to base my conclusions on an honest assessment of the evidence. Eventually, I just stopped believing. There was no decision involved any more than I could decide to believe that gravity wasn't real...no "decision to turn my back on Jesus" or anything....the balance of the evidence was just strongly against Christianity being true from what I could see. I had much anxiety over this - and cried out to God to help me find a way to reconcile the evidence...but I never found any truly convincing arguments. It's not the outcome I set out for or wanted. I genuinely thought I would just become a better Christian. And what do those of us like you and me get for our efforts (that are far more than 90% of the "true" Christians out there)?? We get told that we were never true Christians! It makes me so angry to hear stuff like that because I know what I went through and they want to pretend they know me better than I do. Really, they just want to self-soothe by using the "No True Scotsman" fallacy so they can sleep better at night. I used to follow this guy, John MacArthur - listened to him all the time - and was in perfect agreement with much of what he preached - so I know where he's coming from, but it does tick me off. If it's any consolation, there are many theologians and preachers who say that MacArthur preaches a false gospel because he believes in "Lordship Salvation". So there ya have it.
I can relate to your comments so much. It frustrates me to hear them disparage our experiences, too. Glad you got out!
I can relate too. Your history is so much like mine.
I figured out that THEY are not real believers. WE were. True beliefs bring expectations. And we want that expectations to become true. When those expectations never become true, there must be something wrong there.
Those who do not believe (as much) don't have expectations, so it's OK for them to live believing in theologies.
@@ovelhoranzinza4021 yours is an unusual and interesting point of view. Definitely most mainstream Christians don’t have strongly held beliefs. Christianity is part of the cultural environment that they have grown up in and learned to accept without much questioning or expectations.
Where are the 2000 year old believers that Jesus said would be alive when he returned?
@@stephenvanwoert2447 Not sure but if you ever find them let me know. ;)
My deconstruction wasn't about my faith in God. It was about my faith in human reasoning.
I love the way she's reasoned her way out of religion
@Stag van Heuten I'm sorry but you are in error in your statement. Of course there's plenty to deconstruct about human reasoning! If there wasn't then science would never have advanced beyond the most primitive assumptions. It is the deconstructing of reasoning and questioning of it, that has led to re-thinking or even completely abandoning 'reasons' which formerly seemed rational! There's nothing 'cute' about what AurorXZ said - its completely rational, but your response isn't and if I might say, your patronising remark about being 'silly' and needing to 'grow up', is more applicable to yourself!
I hear you. When we look at the Christians that let us down, we find that it isn't difficult to deconstruct the people of God,
@@thatsalligot2say Might the problem be that we have a higher expectation of a Christian than we do of others, so when they let us down, we feel let down by the faith itself or Jesus?
......and is it possible that it is our own error that places a higher expectation upon a Christian to live by a high standard of the New Testament, instead of understanding that they too, just like you and me are ordinary people with faults and failings travelling along this journey through life, just like we are?
.....could it be that Jesus asks us to be an example of his love to them, even if and when they have failed us? .....maybe they need someone living the example of Christ, so that they can be helped?
@@theonlyway5298 Thanks, and that's exactly what I was talking about. :-) Deconstructing how we "know" what we know, and why our groups-in our time and place-believe what they do. When my certainty about my religious group's sincere understandings was shaken, the idol of God fell.
Watching this on a Sunday morning instead of going to church, I won't return no matter how hard my mum begs me to
Oh guuurrrl, preach it sister! Thank you so very much for posting your story and all these extremely helpful videos! I so appreciate it! I am deconstructing from my life long, born and raised, Pentecostal life and these videos are so helpful in my journey. I can’t thank you enough. My whole world was church and now I’ve lost most of my family and friends for not believing this crap anymore and it’s very lonely so these videos help more than you realize. ❤ keep on with your good work!
This sounds horrible. I wish you all the best!
It's important to regain your identity too. You are important, you matter and you deserve love and kindness. I hope you come across nice people!!
It's less money in his offering plate. He's scared he won't be able to afford his mansion and expensive car. Thank you for posting these videos. It's very enlightening. Your life seems to mirror mine in a lot of ways concerning religion. I'm also grateful for your stance on Donny T. Makes me like you even more.
Nice to see more people coming to their senses. I'm tired of people believing so stubbornly in fairy tales that it shapes their entire lives and "allows" them to judge others.
If he is a calvinist, why would he object to people leaving the church?
They are then leaving because God wants them to leave.
lol this is a great point!
they are leaving the W R O N G church :- )
Yeah, the same guy who overlooked sexual assault allegations in his church and advised women to stay in abusive marriages? He shouldn’t even be in any sort of leadership role right now let alone offering advice on anything.
I remember my old pastor telling a woman to stay in an abusive marriage with a man with anger issues because divorce was sinful. It's naive at best, sinister and evil at worst.
Kristi, you're spot on as always. These bigots have to be shown up for what they really are. They also need to be shown compassion, we need them as an example to reveal what we shouldn't be doing to ourselves and others. I forgive you for spending your hard earned on his books.
I'm still a Christian, but I've been re-examining my beliefs a lot over the past few years. It's disheartening to hear Pastor MacArthur bring up abuse, mistreatment, etc., but then just moved on. He doubled down on just blaming the person who leaves for being not a real Christian anyway. It seems like any Christian listening to him will either feel anxious that they could be shown to be not a true Christian (and should be shunned, apparently) OR will feel more pride that they are the ones who are doing it all right and know all the right answers.
He shunned a woman who got a divorce because her husband was abusing her. He should be sued.
show me a "real" Christian, and I will expose them as a fraud, with the Bible.
@@2degucitasWho is he?
@@dblev2019 a mega church pastor with a radio program
It's too bad that you referred to him as "Pastor MacArthur" when his true and more appropriate title should be "Pimp MacArthur."
My new standard as of late has been when i meet ANYONE who is genuinely nice, i appreciate them regardless of their beliefs....
I think that's a great way to approach it!
Brilliant. I agree 100%.
The Quran teaches its bibliolaters to be as nice and genuine as possible, especially upon first meeting… this is similar to most Christian bibles, but then again in a similar way to bibles, it also lays out foundations for the idea that people can ( AND SHOULD IF THEY FEAR DEATH/GOD FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FUTURE GENERATIONS ) use it for their own political ends once they get a good chance/opening.
@@letsomethingshine yes we still have to be careful, it takes a long time for me to trust someone, that's why when I do, I value that relationship and don't take it for granted
You wouldn't like me, because at this point during this memocide I hate everybody because they are allowing it to happen. Odds are I hate you too.
I love you, kid! Congratulations for your presentations. As a fellow Freethinker, I can genuinely appreciate your examinations of religious thought. Please keep up your good work.
Here's to reaching 10k subscribers! Next stop, 15k! I really appreciate you making this video. And also all of the videos you made. It took me a while to get out of Christianity myself. I didn't know how much I didn't know until I began to question everything about what I believed and why I believed it, or why i wanted to believe it. There's no easy road to self-discovery. And with every piece of information... a person that wants to believe as many true things as possible and cut away any false things out of their life, that takes a lot of being honest with yourself and it also takes a lot of work too. But I did it! I got away from the manipulation, and from the psychological abuse. I survived and now I'm just trying to be the best person I can, and I know I won't ever be perfect. But i won't beat myself up over my failures and my mistakes now. I'm not broken, even though religion could have kept me believing that I was/I am. I'm just trying to leave this place in a little better if possible than it was before I was born into it.
Again thank you for all that you are doing here and anywhere else you're making a difference. ❤
She is at 37.6K subscribers now! What an increase for the last 3 months.
Pastors using christianity to hurt political dissenters really does drive people away. Growing up I was told that this sort of thing only occurs in other countries but here it is happening in the good ol' usa
Can you give an example?
@@justinhornsby6742 I can give an example-a very pertinent example.
Three years ago, there was a certain Protestant minister in southern California who rejected the counsel of Romans chapter thirteen by openly rebelling against the “higher powers”, “the powers that be”, by continuing to conduct religious services for his congregation when ordered to make other arrangements (such as telephone hookups or Zoom) during the pandemic. The authorities were not absolutely prohibiting religious services or any other public gathering, simply requiring such to be held separately in order to protect people’s health. In the process, this minister railed against any and all who sought to follow this vital health directive. The Protestant minister in question was one John MacArthur, the very minister who went on the diatribe against serious and honest examination of one’s faith in this sermon.
@@justinhornsby6742 Greg Locke and Matt Walsh are good examples of people who weaponize christianity against their own countrymen. Beyond that look at the attitudes of local christians where you live; odds are that they have a low opinion of anyone with different political beliefs
"Could you imagine that people are leaving churches because people voted for Trump?" Much laughter from crowd.
And this is coming from churches that have made an unholy alliance with the Republican Party in order to gain secular power. Whose members & pastors have demonized Democrats, Clinton & Biden as Marxists & pedophiles. Who support Dominionists who think God appointed then to rule the country, who want to reinstate Mosiac Laws (what happened to Jesus fulfilling those Laws?) and to destroy Democracy because kingships aren't democracies - and Jesus is the King.
The cool part is that these bastards claim that they, and only they, have the right to rule over us until Jesus shows up & claims his throne.
@@thomash.schwed3662 The stats show otherwise. Lots more people actually went to Grace Church. The numbers speak for themselves. Check it out for yourself.
I remember when I became apostate.
When I caught my snap and realized the mind control tactics that were being used against us.
I can still remember declining to attend.
I can still remember the beatings that I endured.
Mostly by leather belts , sometimes by razor strop.
I still refused to comply..I was 8 years old.
If you're a true believer, the Bible says that every one of your prayers will be answered.
How many prayers of hope and love, peace and happiness, have been answered?
So... I guess that the number of true believers can be counted on the fingers of an amputee.
Based on the idea that God answers all our prayers, are we to presume that Christians are not praying for God to solve the gun massacres in the USA or that they are praying and his answer is no?
Kristi thank you so much for making videos like this you are really changing people's lives for the good have a great day 😊
This video is amazing on so many levels. Thank you for so eloquently explaining these things and helping others.
Imagine feeling like a “ true Christian “ your whole life & at the end when you face God you find out he never knew you. Like what?!?!😭😭😭😭
You’re telling me some ppl dedicate their whole lives to God just to be thrown in hell because they weren’t perfect enough? That’s crazy. I love your videos so much, you articulate things into words things I never could !
That is not what scripture says. Jesus was addressing the danger of hypocrisy. It's a warning to anyone who proclaims to be a follower of Christ while intentionally and wilfully refusing to submit to his lordship. A person may be an active member of church, say all the right things and believe they are a follower of Jesus, but at the same time be unwilling to deny themselves and submit their will to God. Only God truly knows what's in a person's heart. This scripture is a strong reminder that to follow Jesus requires a daily commitment of "not my will but yours, God."
@@metrodrumstv What it really was, was the anonymous author of Matthew threatening anyone who didn't follow his sect of Christianity, even if they could cast out demons and perform miracles in Jesus's name. There is no way I could ever perform a miracle. If Jesus is going to condemn miracle performers and perjure himself before the father, you and I are screwed.
@@metrodrumstv If only god truly knows whats in a person heart, then the person couldn't know their own heart. Judgement day would be like a raffle for christians.
@@downshift4503 John 5:24: "He who hears my word, and believes him that sent me, has eternal life, and comes not into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."
@@metrodrumstv Yes I'm familiar with the bible. Who wrote Johns gospel and when, roughly, was it written?
Great video. This is exactly the type of man who my mum listens to and I was very hurt by my mum telling me reproachfully that I didn't try hard enough when I was the child who clung onto Christianity for as pong as possible before the inconsistency and blindness was too clear to ignore. They never look at themselves, the stubbornness is off yhe chart.
I'm over 60 and I love your videos. I haven't been anything near a believer in any religion in over 40 years and even then it was more a fear of hell than a belief in a god. Regardless, it's refreshing to hear the perspective of a person who is, from my POV, recently freed from it's grip. I haven't been able to listen to a preacher in more than 30 years as it all sounds like purposeful BS to me but listening to a young person (subjectively) not only recognize it's BS but publicly demonstrate it is wonderful. Didn't have such a forum when I stopped believing 40+ years ago and the fact that I can listen to you explain how it happened for you now is evidence of progress. Thanks for your videos, it give me a bit more hope for the future.
The channel is growing fast. Let's keep on liking and sharing her videos. The world need Kristi's help with deconstruction
My filipina wife has rejected me, verbally abused me since I told her I no longer believe in a Christian God. Now what do I do? How do I handle this?
You get a better wife. Simple enough. What do you want a wife for who loves god more than you? Would you tolerate it if she loved Tom more than you?
Sorry to hear that but it sounds like she didnt love you much in the first place to say that.
I subscribe to a channel led by a Franciscan monk and also now to you. Don't know how I ended up like that, but for some reason it's compelling to cherish certain things about my Catholic faith while thinking and questioning at the same time. Thank you for your videos!
I prefer Jesuit pursuits over Franciscan ones myself, but over both I would prefer a well-read high-IQ Buddhist monk. I know that wouldn’t necessarily appeal to everybody. I think monkhood has a way of distancing a person from the mundane daily pressures of normal societal life, which can feel very suffocating and hard to wrestle with from an outside perspective. Monks can train their thoughts and observations to sort of look at society a different what not from within society itself. It’s too bad non-mendicant monks are often reliant on rich-influenced institutions and no one really wants to bite the hand that feeds them or allow someone into their group that might do it.
@@letsomethingshine I also like Jesuits, when I was in college there was this Jesuit priest who based his homilies on a piece of art - a painting or a music piece that is related to Christian faith. I always felt so inspired afterwards, just admiring art and God at the same time. Good point on influence of the money on monks' lives, chances are when someone decided so become a monk they have no clue some rules will be quite similar to corporate rules in the secular places of work.
I spent hours listening to MacArthur when I was a believer. This was so painful to listen to now. Really good response. 👍👍
I had never heard of him until I watched this video and I immediately saw a really nasty, poisonous, hate filled man spouting lies and deception.
Glad to hear that you escaped👍
my parents are calvinists and think he's the greatest thing since sliced bread; they affectionately refer to him as "johnny mac" lol
@@pilyglot3037same here
I think your a good person. And you have a good way of thinking out of the box. I have learned some things from you. I'm about 5 years out of christianity. It feels good to be free. keep up the good work. you have a nice way of explaning how I and others feel.
Another wonderful and thought provoking video Kristi. My wife is a born again Christian (I'm a non believer) and for years she would ask me to go online and download John MacArthur's sermons. My wife would play his sermons as she was working in the kitchen or housecleaning and I've heard far too many of them throughout the years.
So much of what you were saying really hit home with my sense of who this loathsome man is. He may be highly intelligent and learned but he's also pompous, arrogant, bigoted, misogynistic and intolerant. He has an extremely narrow view of life and religion and he's far too quick calling others out who don't accept or follow his beliefs!
How in the world did you make your marriage work?
@@brettrobinson2901 LOL, 53 years and still going strong. The art of compromise!
And the people who support him are the same way.
In other words, you don't like that Jesus says of Himself that "(He) is the Way, the Truth, and the Life...and no one comes to the Father except through (Him)." (John 14.6) A faithful pastor would, and should, point people to the person and way of Christ. It is by nature exclusive. And it is true. It only seems bigoted, arrogant, etc. because you don't like it or agree with it. However, that doesn't change the fact that the only way to true and eternal Life is through Jesus Christ.
@@justinhornsby6742 Nooooo....it bigoted and unjustified because I CAN UNDERSTAND right and wrong...and WHATEVER a persons failings including not accepting Christ as the savior because it makes zero sense...just because MAN ...speaking for godcould come up with ..claims it..doesn't make it so...punishing people for ANY REASON!....FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER...with NO RELIEF!...for the pitiiful.wrongs or failings of this world....IS ..EVIL!...AND DISGUSTING!...and I judge the Christian way as wrong...and NOT speaking for the afterlife...it makes NO SENSE!...and the totality of the belief...is completely unfair...you can't apply a different standard to the Christian God..and I dont...you believe... But I cant...no matter how much I try and try...as nothing to do with sin..or pride..it SIMPLY...TO MY MIND!...makes no sense...a lowly man like me could come up with a better afterlife judgement and plan than what Christianity purports to do...there is nothing EVEN HANDED about that faith...and I have to believe... If there is a Deity...He's GOTTA be bettor than that...I didn't create my own mind or personality , or circumstances... So a eternal judgement after one little crappy lifetime...IS INSANE!...it also means that God is gonna end up with a bunch of shitty self righteous believers while HELL will end up chock full of truly lovely humans who 's only sin was not jumping on the heavenly fathers Christian bandwagon outta sheer fear of Devine retribution.... But....He loves us..bullsh$t!...
L
Interesting to note Abraham deconstructed from his father's faith; Moses helped the Israelites deconstruct from their "pagan" beliefs; and Jesus taught his disciples to deconstruct the faith they were raised in.
It's natural and good to examine what you were taught and think critically about what you believe.
Knowledge is empowering.
"Deconstruction is not Deconversion" #Brilliant
Nice observation!
Studying the Bible and realizing Christianity isn't true, does happen. I'm really a universalist, I think the Bible has some great wisdom, but in my studies... very flawed. Loving your videos! ❤
The bible has no "great wisdom" not founded in logic and common sense and human nature. You don;t need the bible for the good stuff only the bad
couldn’t agree more. Real God is not the God of the Bible! I believe God made everyone in his/her image, and ultimately there is nothing to be saved from, because we are all loved.
But i have to give the Bible credit, despite its flaws and other horrible things that have been added to it, it does have great wisdom especially in the teachings of Jesus. Just like any other book for life guidance!
@@alyssaastengo7591 After leaving the Chruch I first stopped off and visited the Deist idea for a few years. Now I see that no god can be proven and with a lack of proof three is no compelling reason for me to believe on exist. I don't think the existence of a god is necessary .
From experience, Christianity is the opposite of wisdom. If you wan compassion tolerance and kindness, christianity isnt the place
@@brialapoint2608 "Christianity ..opposite of wisdom"
I love how Christian apologist can put together complete b/s and call it logic in an attempt to justify their faith.
It is fun to watch them try to explain the supernatural events of the bible.
Studying the Bible is what actually made me walk away from the faith. It's just not a good book or even a good god. I found it to be pretty evil and man-made with man-made incentives
I became an agnostic in the spring of 79' due to an interest in science. (I was raised Mormon.) In February of 2016 I read a book on cosmology and quantum physics and so became an atheist, which is what i still am. While science led me away from Christianity, a critical examination of the Bible has kept me away. I just cannot fathom believing in such an abhorent, vicious book.
Just like you I too use to listen to Johnny Mac and even bought his study bible. I was busy studying and doing my masters in Theology when I started deconstructing. And for him to say that people follow the crowd is such BS, because leaving your faith that you have believed and followed most your life is a very lonely thing to experience.
It’s very hard. It’s like loosing your identity… almost like being painfully born again.
Honestly, my friend, you weren't deconstructing but actually asking questions you're entitled to. An invisible God who doesn't speak for himself but instead "through" his enlightenment. Again back to my go-to example. If you are God why do you need my starship "Quote Jim Kirk"
When he said "examine your own heart to make sure you're in the faith", he wasn't asking them to deconstruct their faith to see if they really BELIEVED it. He was telling them to make sure they REALLY believed it. He doesn't want them asking questions, he wants them to believe harder. At least that's the way it looks to me.
That's fair. I just find it so interesting that he encourages people to question their beliefs, not realizing that deconstruction is the process of questioning what you believe.
@@jezebelvibes It does seem ironic haha. I see it as another very subtle manipulation on his part. He doesn't want or expect people to question their faith like you and I have, obviously. He "encourages" people to ask questions, but only after he led them to the conclusion he wants them to come to. For years I would have said that I had questioned my faith, but I was only ever asking in order to find the answers I wanted and expected to find. It wasn't until I threw all of my preconceived notions and expectations that I was able to see that what I believed didn't make sense.
What he left out was the mass leaving of religion in Europe following the Second World War and the beginning of mass ownership of televisions. Because people in Europe experienced the war happening around them and started to question authorities, church, and God. Though they would take old beliefs with them because they still lived in officially Christian countries. Those who left did not have the Intern
@@jezebelvibes You bought the product without reading the label.
@@andrewt3768 Do you believe that 2.3 billion people are stupid beyond belief?
New sub here, wanted to say you are a very talented speaker and topic presenter. Your genuineness and truth shows through as you share your personal journey with us. Thank you for sharing. Question, do you have or plan on having a podcast?
When Christian fundamentalists can't argue they resort to the classic narcissist tactics: manipulation, gaslighting, projection, ect.
My sister always listening to him as if he's a god or something.
I'm the first in our family to leave Christianity and I felt free. I'm kinda scared to come out Atheist because I don't want any argument of some sort. I don't want to explain my side since I know for a fact that they won't listen to me and will definitely call me some Demon or something 😂
Thank you for this Kristi. ❤
I haven't come out as atheist because my daughter converted to Islam. She's a Muslim now after being a Christian her whole life. Now that I've studied both they're equally unbelievable. I'm scared she would block me and never speak to me
Hello, I mean this sincerely, and I was wondering if you could share some insight with me.
Now that you have left Christianity, have you ever, seriously considered, if there is some form of morality worth more than 2 shits? I mean this in the most honest way possible, and NOT as a rhetorical question. I myself after some though have only managed to reach this conclusion: that if God does not exist, morality is a combination of evolutionary and socially conditioned behavior for humans to survive in a community, even if that involves unspeakable things towards other communities for their own self interest/ entertainment.
Which I understand, for many people and also psychopaths, is extremely liberating. But I am hoping for another way of looking at things.
@@Ty-v6v-c4r psychopathological is the perfect description for the “morality” of the god of the Bible. Trying reading the book, all of it, not just some cherry picked verses.
@@pansepot1490 i mean, that words sound bad, but if there is no divine standard of morality, how can any particular standard be an objective one? If so, psychopathic is just a subjective word, and I am sorry you feel that way
@@Ty-v6v-c4r In my opinion there is no objective morality - even if a god or several gods exist.
Thank you for breaking this down in your gentle sweet manner very intelligently and with empathy.
MacArthur doesn't get it. He doesen't WANT to get it. If he were to face reality on this topic then he would have to address the real reasons why people are deconstructing and he wouldn't dare do that.
One salient consideration is that religion is big bucks $$$
Wonderful analysis, Kristi. I thought this format was great. Keep up them Jezebel vibes.
Good vid. MacArthur is so self-righteous that he thinks only he and Jesus will be in the Kingdom of Heaven and he's got some doubts about Jesus!!!!
Thank you for your content. After what happened to me in my country, Honduras, being an active servant, believer, preacher, youth pastor, preacher's kid, etc (tongue speaking, baptised with fire and power, also in water xD , etc etc). Well, I'm not sure if I believe anymore. Still struggling with a few internal thoughts... Then again, I do suffer from PTSD as a direct result of the nature of the accident, so it's kinda hard to juggle with everything, lol.
Thankfully I'm making progress in my recovery, training my dog, and slowly moving away from these kinds of people that preach prosperity gospel or that teach to not accept people just for being different
This is excellent. Thanks for making this!!
Yeah, John MacArthur encourages deconstruction without realizing it. As long as it’s not deconstruction away from how *he* sees and uses the Bible…if people are deconstructing their faith into *his* version of Christianity, then he is all right with that. But if not, then to him, it’s apostasy.
Isn't that, um... pride? I think soapboxing is considered a sin, something about not showing it off.
Jinger Duggar
No he doesn't, you're just misunderstanding what he's saying. If they do leave because of what he says then they'll aren't true believers to begin with.
@@rudyferrell No, I am fully aware that MacArthur believes that those who leave “aren’t true believers to begin with.” To MacArthur, apostasy is being exposed as never having really believed.
But he would commend people for examining the Scriptures and deconstructing other versions of Christianity as long as they end up concluding that *his* version is right.
What is his version? Is there some place where it can be found, kinda containing 66 different books, I guess, written close to 1900-2000+ years and longer ago?
This year has been extremely tough on me, physically & emotionally. Back-to-back struggles. My faith has shattered because I do not feel God's presence. My husband is disappointed and thinks all of this "bad luck" is happening to me because my faith is gone. And so called Christian family members & friends have not stepped up to help me and just say "I'll pray for you". I want to tell everyone just worry about yourself because you obviously don't care about me. I thought being Christian meant to help each other out during difficult times. I feel alone when I shouldn't & I am starting to get the realization that maybe we reallybare alone.
what about Job?
I learned in a class once that Jews are taught to question everything to solidify faith. How can you believe what you are taught blindly without understanding and knowing if it is true to your soul. That really resonated with me and caused me to question the faith I grew up with. Believing without thought is not how true belief works. Blind faith allows for whoever in charge to manipulate the masses who will believe anything.
That's why Paul commended the Bereans - they searched the scriptures to see if what he said was true. All people listening to preachers should do the same.
true faith is an oxymoron. Unless you can show me a religi0n with no lies at its core. All the major religi0ns talk about magic, so they're all out.
@@istvansipos9940 Interesting comment - the big bang and evolutionary religion (humanist religion) also calls on magical, supernatural events which the adherents have to accept by sheer blind faith.
Christianity is a great way of selling books
Just ask John MacArthur
and John Piper and particularly Lee Strobel
I’m an atheist since forever, from a majority secular country, but since the year of the plague I’ve watched a lot of TH-cam videos on this topic. It is fascinating. And frightening.
I spent seven years in the US going to college in the last decade of the previous millennium and encountered some people who did not understand that religion is not compulsory, but I never understood the trauma and abuse those people were victims of. Now I do.
I read a LOT of deconversion stories, and I have NO CLUE who Johnny boy is talking about
Johnny boy is making up his own reality.
about strawmen. Well, and strawwomen. To his flock, who DON'T read any deconversion stories.
I used to respect JM. But then I heard him defend slavery and say that the earth is 6,000 years old 🤨
I'm still used to the standard philosophical definition of Deconstruction, referring to the important movement of the 1960s and 1970s led by Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, et alia. So it rather bothered me when this new usage began to emerge, applied to Christianity; it seemed another example of an excellent word being rather spoiled by imprecise usage. But the more I study it, the more I realize that your usage of it is completely consistent with even the old philosophical usage; it's growing on me! And I like the clarity of your commentary and criticism. Nice job. MacArthur (not for the first time) needed someone like you to call him on the ideas he misquotes and misuses...
“God” has given you the gift of discernment. Preach it sister!
That is definitely a sobering thought that you would serve God all your life, only to find out you were “too minimal.” I thought it was by grace that you were saved” and it wAs available to anyone. Sounds like works to me.
This is nothing more than fear mongering.
Kristi, you are a beautiful person. Intelligent and clever….you make some of the most salient points on YT. More than anyone else, you’ve helped me in my deconstruction. I’m 62, and I feel as though I’m only just now starting to live.
It would be interesting to know how many ex Christians come from MacArthur's churches? So much of Christianity has been and continues to be a group of different denominations mutually finger pointing each other and accusing each other of being "wolves in sheep's clothing".
I’m not a member of his church but my aunt is and seeing her turn into a Trump-supporting homophobe was one of the things that led me to deconstruct.
There's 45,000 denominations of Christianity globally and they all don't agree w each other
Thanks for everything.
Keep up the good work
❤👌🤘
MacCarthur says they follow the crowd. I have isolated myself and spent time in study, prayer and all the traditional christian practices. I came to an intellectual and emotional conclusion within those self imposed confines. I am deeply greiving from losing a life and father I thought was the true way. I am very sad for the dogmatic "crowd" that rejects those they claim to love.
Omg kristi the ad that played before the video started was of a man asking me to pray with him-
Even TH-cam is throwing shade at you lol
Not gonna lie, I take great satisfaction in the fact that christian organizations are helping fund my channel.
@@jezebelvibes yeah that is straight up hilarious. I’ve gotten pure flux ads when I watch belief it or not or maybe when watching prophet of zod (I’m not sure.) and well, they’re funding someone they would consider the enemy.
It’s also comforting to know that advertising algorithms are still massively inaccurate lol
I left the church to find Jesus.
he was executed. If magic is not real, he is soil now. You won't find him. And if magic is real, then he went 1 floor up. Again, you won't find him.
my critical semi-jokes aside, how is it going? I mean, how do you even start such a project?
@@istvansipos9940.... Not sure if the person will reply, but I also left the church many years ago to find Yeshua. I do that by meditating. I have been able to connect to a source, you could think, Im high, but i have only tried shrooms in 2012. And I still saw many things.
I mean, we are not the only ones on this planet, by meditating you can also visit other dimensions.
Great program, Kristi you're a bright light always. Yea common sense is far better than supernatural speculations. Now I'm relieved not having the devil and his demoms around and inside my house and also the 24/7 surveilance of the father/jesus. Life is more joyful, the fear has gone
Another great video thanks Kristi you are getting pretty good at this
She's very good IMO. I've seen so many atheist based channels I can't count but she's so seasoned for such a young person. She's going to grow like crazy. ✌️
IMHO if there ever was a divine truth there wouldn't be any argument about it because a divine truth would be so obviously clear and correct that there'd be nothing to argue over or interpret.
I was only 10 yr. Old little girl. We went to church. My whole family was Christian. But where was Jesus when I was getting sexual abused by my stepdad? Then later, my mom s next boyfriend. What did I do to deserve such horrible treatment? Why does God allow abuse of children?
I’m experiencing rapid deconstruction. Almost overnight. The lot story absolutely blows my mind. What loving god would call a man who sanctioned the rape of his “pure” daughters righteous?
I went through about a month of "but what if" and just like that I knew it was all bullshit. Nobody in the sky is watching me
Not to mention he then raped his daughters later himself: I mean, do you really believe his daughters "got him drunk and seduced him"? What daughter would want to do that? How often do we hear "she was asking for it" about rape cases to this day? And pretty sure it was a man who wrote that story; much easier to blame incest on the daughters than the father.
@@sundayoliver3147 facts
the lot story is fuggd up. But the characters are all there. They have some limited chance to try something, even if sh!t hits the fan. The mob have a chance to chillax and go home. The daughters could grab a knife and stab the old jerk, etc. The concept of the original sin is tougher. Pre-scientific (or even modern 1st world) child birth, because 1 apple was eaten by a long dead couple. And none of the mothers can try anything about it. They have 0.0000 chance to avoid that pain. That's way less than anybody's chance against any rapist
@@sundayoliver3147 yes. plus the old man offs himself mentally, but can get busy down there? No.
People leave for all kinds of reasons. One that is not often spoke about is mental illness. In my case, I have schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a disease where people have difficulty deciphering reality. I heard voices that were telling me that my prayers aren't being answered. They told me that if I didn't do something correct, terrible things would happen, and if I did things that where sin, terrible things would also happen. I didn't know whether it was Satan or not. I can't see Satan, or demons, or angels, or God. Schizophrenia will make anything out of anything. Therefore, it came to a point where I had to ask myself if these things were actually true, if there was a God, if what I was being talked about things was actually true. Once I did that, I honestly did an examination, thinking that if Christianity was actually true, it would fit the bill. examination deconstructed what I had been taught.
As always, this was so impactful. I hope the people who need to hear this actually do just that.
Good job!