I know you're out there, but your voices are seldom heard. I'm not sure whether it's because there are so few of you or because you haven't yet taken the difficult step of letting others know where you stand. I'm referring to those of you who, having grown up in a warm, nurturing evangelical Christian home, eventually came to the realization that the faith of your youth had no foundation. This realization came suddenly, with horror, or over a period of years, with a mixture of anguish and excitement at what might lie over the horizon.
I have in mind those of you who eventually left the faith out of an informed conviction that the evidence not only did not support your former beliefs, but positively ran counter to them. It was a matter of integrity, a duty not to pretend to believe that which you no longer considered to be true. You looked at the alternatives and found some form of rationalism--deism, agnosticism or atheism--to be more consistent with your understanding of science, history and human nature.
But you had loved ones--parents, brothers, sisters, maybe even a spouse or children--for whom the evangelical faith remained dear. The last thing in the world you wanted to do was to hurt them. You read books and articles by unbelievers, some calm and conciliatory, others angry and condescending. You vowed not to become angry or bitter but to remain in good standing with your loved ones. You expressed your doubts to some or all of them, acutely aware of the object of scrutiny you would now become. You are now under the microscope and you want to show others that your unbelief is not rooted in some form of unthinking adolescent rebellion and that you are still every bit as moral now as you were when you believed. But you are lonely. There's no one else out there like you. Or so it seems.
This is my first blog post. I don't have a clear idea where it will go, but I'd be interested in hearing from any of you out there who identify with my story. I grew up the son of missionaries and became one myself, until I broke under the weight of biblical inconsistencies and a sense that the Christian world view is inconsistent with reality. I recount my journey at www.danielshouse.com/ken.html. It's not short, but I trust it will encourage you. I'd love to hear your own story!
Ken
I have in mind those of you who eventually left the faith out of an informed conviction that the evidence not only did not support your former beliefs, but positively ran counter to them. It was a matter of integrity, a duty not to pretend to believe that which you no longer considered to be true. You looked at the alternatives and found some form of rationalism--deism, agnosticism or atheism--to be more consistent with your understanding of science, history and human nature.
But you had loved ones--parents, brothers, sisters, maybe even a spouse or children--for whom the evangelical faith remained dear. The last thing in the world you wanted to do was to hurt them. You read books and articles by unbelievers, some calm and conciliatory, others angry and condescending. You vowed not to become angry or bitter but to remain in good standing with your loved ones. You expressed your doubts to some or all of them, acutely aware of the object of scrutiny you would now become. You are now under the microscope and you want to show others that your unbelief is not rooted in some form of unthinking adolescent rebellion and that you are still every bit as moral now as you were when you believed. But you are lonely. There's no one else out there like you. Or so it seems.
This is my first blog post. I don't have a clear idea where it will go, but I'd be interested in hearing from any of you out there who identify with my story. I grew up the son of missionaries and became one myself, until I broke under the weight of biblical inconsistencies and a sense that the Christian world view is inconsistent with reality. I recount my journey at www.danielshouse.com/ken.html. It's not short, but I trust it will encourage you. I'd love to hear your own story!
Ken
posted by Ken Daniels | 12:43 AM
2 Comments:
Ken, don't know if you're reading this three years later, but I live in DeSoto and work in D-ville and Cedar Hill. I'm an atheist PK with a divinity degree myself.
Lemme know if you want to shoot the shit sometime!
Steve
Gadfly,
Wow! Having left this blog dormant for several years, imagine my surprise after logging in and seeing a face I recognize (and admire) from the BSW Today Newspaper!
I must commend you on your courage in standing up for evolution back in one of your February columns. I wonder what percentage of the Today readership would go along with you. Did you receive a lot of flack for it? I had the same questions about your excellent article on sex education a while back.
Not sure whether you're still at this address, so will keep it short. It would be great to get together some time to compare notes. PK, divinity degree, atheist? Sound like a very interesting story. Would be glad to know more.
For what it's worth, last week I finalized my book, Why I Believed: Reflections of a Former Missionary. Feel free to check it out a full-length preview here. It should be available at Amazon in 5-7 weeks.
Let me know if you'd like to meet sometime.
Thanks,
Ken
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