My Story part 2

So I started to take part in the ordination process. A year later I was the children's pastor, I was not ordained yet this was part of my proving. I was almost all set to be ordained. Just before I was to be ordained one of the pastors told me there was just one more thing I needed to do. Get healed! They were not going to ordain me until I got healed, since it was a sin to be ill. So once I was healed I would be ordained, but not until then.

Well one morning pastor Ted, the pastor that told me I would only be ordained if I were healed, got up in the pulpit and says he just became a grandfather. The crowd went wild Praise the Lord, glory to god Ted stopped the cheering. He went onto tell us that god would have to keep the baby alive supernaturally because the child was born without any pulmonary arteries or veins. These blood vessels bring blood to the lungs and then to the rest of the body. This allows oxygen to get to the rest of the body, without them you cant live. He said that god would intervene on behalf of the child because the parents repented of their sin. The baby was born out of wedlock, as Ted said that day We all know these things happen when a child is born of a SINFUL SEED. He looked directly at me when he said this.

Well at this point I was a sophomore in college, and was exposed to other ideas, more logical ideas, and started to question what I was being taught in church. This sinful seed thing was the straw that broke the camels back. It was not uncommon for people to stand up and give prophesy. They would stand up and speak as though god was speaking through them. They would speak in the first person as if channeling god. Thus says the lord you will go forth in my name and do great and mighty things. So I got up and said Pastor Ted I have a word from the lord for you. I put my arms over my head and shouted thus says the lord. The one who flung the stars through the universe and hung the earth in the sky. . . then I extended both middle fingers and walk out.

Well now I was in a scary place. I believed that I needed some type of spiritual connection so I explored new age movement, Wiccen, and other forms of spirituality. I found all of them to be silly, a way to control people, and a way to get money from those who can least afford it.

After I left religion I earned a Masters degree in educational psychology, a second degree in graphic arts in web design, and a certification to teach English from the state of Rhode Island. The funny thing is as soon as I left religion I became more Christ like then when I was involved in this pathology. I am more compassionate, more caring and more involved in the lives of others.
This brings me to the purpose of this channel. There are many great people on You Tube who do a great job of dealing with specific issues, politics and religion, creationism and versus evolution and the like. Most of these folks have much more training than I in science and political science. So I am not going to do another channel like that, they can do a much better job than I, and besides another channel with the same information would be redundant. What this channel will do is look at the thinking of religious people, and how they use literature. No matter how well you understand the evidence of evolution over creationism, or how well informed you are in the political issues. If you fail to understand how these people think, you will never be able to help them, and they do need help I see the need for religion as a form of illness. This is also another important tenet of this channel. I am here to help, not mock, or insult. I hope you would not mock someone with cancer or insult an AIDS patient. I come from the standpoint that these people are wounded and often abused, physically, emotionally and sexually. These people need compassion and healing, not judgment and ridicule. So please keep your comments in this spirit. Finally like any other disease we need a forum to organize to stop its spread. We removed asbestos from buildings to stop the spread of cancer, we made an effort to pass out condoms to slow the spread of HIV. We need to keep this in mind as we stop the spread of this epidemic. Dont blame the victims and do all you can to stop it from spreading. Also keep in mind that although I spoke mainly of my experience with Christianity, I do not what to limit this dialogue to Christianity, all forms of religion are dangerous. We need to help stop its spread and help society evolve immunity to it. Please join me in this effort.

Thank you and have a great day!

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[educatedAtheist]

Charities (the Soup kitchens you mentioned) be careful here just because a religious organization hands out a warm meal it is seldom with no strings attached. Often it is served AFTER a service, you dont go to service you dont eat. Other times help is denied because the client may not fit the mold of the church they may be homosexual for example. The Salvation Army is notorious for this. This is nothing to hold up as an example.

[educatedAtheist]

Communication-(the literature and painting and music you mentioned) the church has done more to stop free speech. Think about how they reacted to things that they perceive as being against them. They wanted to band the Golden compass. Tried to keep Piss Christ from traveling around the country, and wanted statues that have been in the nations capitol for years to be cover because they show cleavage.

No the church does not contribute to theses thing rather it retards them.

[BroKenBerggren]

My point is that this "new form of KOO-KOO" has been (and remains) the motivation for many of these good things in society. Mine was a very short list! If you eliminate this "new form of KOO-KOO", you would eliminate them, too.

[educatedAtheist]

Oh! I BEG to differ. The fact is that religion has done more to hider these things than it has to promote them

Education-(the universities you mentioned) I am an educator by trade. If the religious right had its way we would be teaching loads of misinformation, a skewed view of history, intelligent design, Abstinence only education for example.

[educatedAtheist]

Science-(the hospitals you mentioned) Science and religion are like oil and water they dont mix. In fact religion is anti-science. Take a look at the whole evolution creation debate. Most creationist try to debate this topic without even an elementary understanding of what evolution actually is. For example most creationist equate evolution with the beginning of the universe, the 2 are not one in the same.

[educatedAtheist]

Religion has worked to stop the progress of science stem cells for example. In addition the spiritual mafia has work to make medical treatments inaccessible (Dr. Tiller) and eliminate the right of individuals to make their own medical decisions (Terri Schiavo). In addition to all this the church also give out boat loads of medical misinformation think of the Pope and what he said about condoms in Africa. This is not new; think about Galileo the church has a history of being anti-science!

[themsfightinwoids]

I read the vids' descriptions and appreciate your story and your candour. I'm not sure I agree about "not blaming the victim", because in the case of religion, the victims are usually the victimizers of the next generation. Confrontation or ridicule is often the most effective way to make such a person look at the weaknesses of their belief system, and given the harm they often do to trusting children (who are taught that they are evil by nature and must submit or else face eternal damnation).

[richardmoz]

good luck on that one. Most people believe in some god and it is i feel to cover up their fear of life. I've been atheist for most of my life 45 years or more and believe me it has been a happy and fullfulling life. I doubt you will ever get people to take a look at their beliefs in a logical fashion. Hell look at the junk that is sold on Tv to heal this or make one feel good and it's crap yet everyone still buys it. Can i tell an astrologist that he believes in crap i don't think so.

[benthemiester]

There are a lot of people out there in all religions and including world views like atheism, that will teach false doctrines, whether on a spiritual level or a humanist level. Jesus Christ himself said there would be wolves in sheep's clothing and to test the spirit's first. This whole notion of blind Christianity is not Christian like, and if you believe blindly you will be disappointed. U seem to be very intelligent, so let me remind u to not judge an entire group by the actions of a few.

[RoyZimmerman]

Hey Paul,

Just wanted to wish you a happy new year - I hope to swing through Rhode Island sometime in the first half of 2010.

All the best,

Roy

[miraenna]

I got active about atheism after I suffered a bad Christmas sermon that tried to hook people by tring to fire guilt-trips. I just went to greet people and have nice cultural experience at a village curch. But I got bad demagogy that topped with money begging.

It's true... Christians love and need 'sin' and 'guilt' without it they don't have much to stand on. There are various misfunctions and things can cause real pain that need to be learnt to dealt with but that's all...

Take care

[Shawneha]

He wouldn't have been able to show you therefore he would have been shamed in front of the congregation for teaching a false teaching. The word is not unto someones personal interpretation. What another believer gains from a scripture is the same understanding another should get if they both be full of repentence and thirst for wisdom from the Most High. Christianity has turned more people into athiest than any other religion. What religion was Christ? He had none.

[Shawneha]

Because if he truly served the Most High and kept his commandments he would not have treated you in that fashion. I would advise that you read the bible for yourself and pray to the most high so that you gain an understanding of this life. The road you are now taking is a broad road that will only lead to misery and destruction. Precept upon Precept, Line upon Line. Instead of flicking him off you should've asked him to show you that in scripture.

[Shawneha]

Everything you use has a craftman behind it. The human body is a wonderfully created speciman. Who created it though? Evolution doesn't explain nothing. U see Christ came to warn the people who were caught up in religion that you should obey God and not follow the traditions of Men. Traditions of Men is still being taught inside the churches today basically polluting whatever it touches. I believe that is the main reason your pastor acted the way he did.

[TheStokers]

You are an inspiration,

keep up the good work!

[BroKenBerggren]

You write as if religion is monolithic and universally fundamentalist. As an educated person, you know better than that. Your implied disavowal of the histories of education (Harvard, Princeton, et. al.) and science (Michael Faraday comes to mind) and hospitals (How many atheist hospitals are there?) is beneath you. Your exclusive focus on religionists that you don't like is quite disappointing.