Deconversion part 1: Jesus & Young People

My hope in making this is that I can be, for one person, the person I never had in my life through the years of losing everything I believed in.

It is ok to not be a Christian.

This is a tragic love story of unusual nature, but it happens - and not enough people are talking about it. Not enough people can.

Music by Prplfox
https://sites.google.com/site/eliprplfox/music

Watercolors by Prplfox. Background images from the artists of deviantart.com.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Christian
• deconversion
• ex-christian
• Jesus
• former
• born-again
• YoungLife
• Young Life
• Christ
• bible
• intervarsity
• christian
• fellowship
• atheist
• belief
• Christianity
• faith

[forest51690]

I don't get it.. you talk about not believing in God and at the same time talk about Jesus as a real person at some points in your story. How could you not believe in God and at the same time believe that Jesus was real?

[Prplfox]

@forest51690 In psychology they call it cognitive dissonance, and it can be extremely painful. It's not easy to explain, so I'm trying the best I can with this series. As my Christian concepts shattered, I still held on to a relationship with God, because I was able to separate that ("look at Christ not Christians"). As counterintuitive as this sounds, by part 5 I simultaneously believed and did not believe. The brain compartmentalizes, and I couldn't let go, trapped in a deconversion.

[kookoo78]

Were you inspired by Evid3nc3? Glad you were able to put your story out here

[Prplfox]

@kookoo78 Yes it's very much inspired by him

[OldHippieChickster]

Thank you. I'm going through my own deconversion process. I live in the bible belt. Yesterday my dad told me I was an idiot. Christians are so very cruel. I cried all the way home and then I went home and blocked his phone number. I am 51 years old. I feel as alone as an orphaned child. thank you for sharing your story.

[Prplfox]

@OldHippieChickster It makes me so sad to hear stories like this when a loved one hurts you to protect a belief. I'm sorry, hold your heart, make some muffins, what is happening to you happens all over, you will be ok. Thank you for sharing.

[Prplfox]

@BroJustin I saw some of your videos. In your words "We will perish if we have no hunger for the truth."  That is what caused my deconversion: I wanted to know the truth, and it is what compels me to make these videos. Your 'encouraging deconversions' video comes across as uncompassionate, makes blanket statements and misrepresents the heart of these people to preserve your own beliefs, which is the very thing you accuse others of.

[Prplfox]

@judesama11 I feel what you are saying, but you can be light without Jesus

[mookins45]

@OldHippieChickster There's a book called 'Jesus and the lost Goddess' that tells a bigger story than the Christians' personality cult.

[xxmsp91]

had a little trouble listening to the video because a lot of your statements had a rising intonation at the end and made them sound like questions....

[ExMormon66]

If there is such a thing as evil, all that stuff about your relationship with God and Jesus is what is the real evil.

[truckcompany]

I think your video clip at 8:14 is the only video ive seen where it shows someone before they deconverted from Christianity.

[wellthenif]

@Prplfox Very articulate....I'm beginning to watch your series. I was (& still am) devastated by 2 fundamentalist siblings 25years ago now & to this very day. Compartmentalizing is the key to the dissonance & ignore-ances they perfect, I feel sure, because there's so much one has to ignore to push this stuff. Unfortunately it is effective & creates the vicious circle that forces these folks to get their anesthesia @ church 2-3-10x/week.

[forest51690]

I encourage everyone to watch this video without being swayed by emotion, but focusing on his words and his arguments. Don't watch the video; just listen to the audio.

[4whatwhycool]

It's good Eli ... really good. It's moving and touching and yes, quite sad ... I hate that you went through this but grateful for the person you are today... I have to admit .. I'm a little disappointed because I really want to know how you came out on top ... You know... that place where the free thinkers sit in peace ...

[TheSomnambulist06]

Deconverted in my teens a decade ago, and still processing it. It's great what you're doing.