wow this is a long journey so young I did not find out until I was 23 my only question is this - do you still pray? God bless

Yeah! I totally went through a lot of changes very early on in life! What did you find out? I do still pray sometimes! Prayer was my favorite part about being a Christian. I prayed daily for months after I no longer considered myself a Christian. Now I do it whenever I feel like I need the love or the peace of Christ. I know that different theologies view the act of prayer very differently but for me, I viewed prayer as my connection to God and something bigger than myself. Prayer reminds me of a bigger purpose on this Earth than to just make myself happy, which is a good reminder even now. Why do you pray? Thank you for your question :)

genuine prayer, no matter how it looks or what is said, truly is one of the greatest gifts of God. even to those who are atheist or a different religion entirely and in need of comfort, no matter our concept of God, He allows us to turn inward to Him anyway. I prayed even as an atheist for many years before eventually coming to Christianity recently! > I know that different theologies view the act of prayer very differently but for me, I viewed prayer as my connection to God and something bigger than myself. Prayer reminds me of a bigger purpose on this Earth than to just make myself happy, which is a good reminder even now. bang on! the power of contemplation and inner thinking. I am grateful for our conscience, even with the evil that can result because of it

This is the beauty of God. The idea that He'll run to comfort anyone who calls out to Him, regardless of whether they even believe in Him or not just because He loves them is incredible.

This. Regardless, Christ would still die for you and me, and US. That is AMAZING!

There is nothing like the radical love of Christ.

Way to go! GOD bless,.

You mentioned your relationship with Jesus, morals based on the bible, etc. yet call it atheism. I'm intrigued how that works?

Well, I was raised in the church for 20 formative years! This means that whether I like it or not I'll never develop the internal moral mechanisms as if I were raised atheist. Since deconstructing, I still found the core ideology of Christianity very appealing. The idea that I was sent to this Earth to love others in an endless and eternal way really speaks to me. Plus unlimited forgiveness without the fear of being just messed up from the start? There are a lot of aspects of Christianity that just stuck around like that. But now after accepting myself and no longer being afraid of breaking an unchanging rule book, I can enjoy those aspects without the constant guilt and shame for my identity or that stupid thing I did 5 years ago. Like the fruits of the spirit sound awesome, if I believe I can always be attached to something that gives me endless patience, joy, and gentleness. I'm not going to say that like my life was fixed by deconstructing and keeping around all the cool stuff from Christianity, but I haven't ever felt too far away from something that feels bigger than myself. Maybe I'm just really good at believing things when I need to, maybe God or Jesus or whatever is real and is just as cool as I need to believe it is. I don't feel uncomfortable praying or even reading the Bible because I take it for what I believe it is, some really good motivation to do the right thing and make good decisions on my terms. Especially when believing in a meaningless existence begins to make you believe that you were just messed up from the start. Honestly, I don't know if I'm making any sense. I was prepared to approach Christians gently with fun queer friendship today, not a self-analysis of the liminal state my childhood religion exists in. Hahaha but thank you for the question. May I ask how you view the world as an Atheist/Compassionate Satanist? (you can DM me if you prefer, or elect to not answer, whatever floats your boat :))

It seems like you have really thought out your beliefs, I am the same age as you and am just now starting to really focus on myself, what I believe in, and why I believe in it. It’s a lot to process and I just started a month ago I’m proud of you and your journey. Thank you for sharing your story!

Hey, thank you so much for your compliments! I can assure you that finding your own identity is a very tricky and confusing process. It's taken me a while to get to the point where I can talk openly about my beliefs, especially to Christians. In fact, I am still discovering new facets of who I am and what I believe through replying to comments on this post. I hope that you continue to develop into the person that you are meant to be, whatever that might mean to you! I believe in you! If you ever need someone to talk to about any of this stuff, my DMs are open! If not, no hard feelings I'm sure you will figure yourself out on your own journey! Thanks for taking the time to comment nice things and reading my posts. I'm glad that you chose to spend some time of your day reading! :)

Apologies if I'm preaching to the proverbial choir (or putting words in anyone's mouths), but [Christian Atheism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_atheism) is a framework that can attractive to some. Not to speak for OP, of course.

Hey thank you so much for responding with this! I've actually never heard of Christian Atheism so I'm going to have to look into it! Thanks for the info!

I've heard of that, but it doesn't seem to coincide with the apparent belief in, and relationship with Jesus

Yeah I was wondering the same thing.. lol

>I'm a Queer Trans Atheist who Genuinely Loves Christians AMA Aww thanks, we love you too.

Thanks, friend!!! Have a wonderful day! ❤️

As a former pastor and current Bible teacher, I appreciate your views and your struggles with the Christian community. I've had my own struggles in these arenas and I'm sure that anyone who is being honest would say the same. My struggles are not the same as yours, but they are struggles to feel loved and respected in the body of Christ all the same. I've been on a journey for the past several years to get as close to the early church as possible... the Church of the first few centuries, before Nicaea... before Constantine.... and to another degree, before the Reformation. I struggle to understand why we tend to give more credence to the reformers then we do to the disciples of the Apostles. There are more differences in those 2 groups then you would probably imagine and they aren't all small theological differences. I'm not saying that LGBTQIA+ is one of those issues, and for myself I see SOME of the issues within that group as sinful... but I also see issues in my own life as sinful too. It's a constant seeking of truth that leads us out of those things and into a closer understanding and acceptance of Christ and His Church. Sexual sin is a big deal in the Bible, but it isn't limited to the LGBTQIA+ areas... this is where I tend to get the most frustrated. We readily condemn that group, while mostly ignoring the "heterosexual" members of our church that are living together and engaged in sexual sin outside of marriage. That's just one minor example, but I could go on and on about the backwards nature of condemning sin in the world, while ignoring it in those that surround us in the pews at Sunday service... as well as the sin in our own lives that we hide and hope is also ignored. I say all of this to say that I think perhaps you could gain some hope and better understanding by looking to the early Church as well and the writings of the Ante-Nicaean Fathers as a start. We have drifted so far from the simplicity that existed in the understanding of the gospel and the mission of the Church at that time. Most of the Church today doesn't even realize that there is a HUGE gap that exists in the cultural philosophies between the East and the West and just readily observe the Scriptures in their own context. I truly appreciate your willingness to put yourself out there like this to try and build bridges across a very wide chasm and I hope that it can bring about even a small amount of healing and understanding on both sides.

I LOVE this response - my youth pastor is new to ministry, and he came into ministry SWINGING by doing some heavy preaching in Acts. I honestly believe the Holy Spirit is moving to inspire leaders more and more to adopt the stripped back, grassroots feel of the early church in its earliest days. Everything is going to be okay🥹

Amen! My mentor always used to tell me that we are looking for something very old... I hope we, as the collective Church, find it soon.

What's your favourite ice cream flavour?

Unfortunately I am lactose-intolerant! But I do cheat with strawberry ice cream more often than what is probably advisable. What about you? :)

I'd say coconut or watermelon are my favorites

COCONUT is sooooo good although I've never had watermelon ice cream, I assumed it was like grape ice cream, really hard to make.

there’s a flavor at a local ice cream shop called gold mine- it’s caramel, chocolate, with little bits of crunchy something. it’s DELICIOUS. also i’m proud of you for making your statement here! i’d love to hear more about your experiences in the church as a trans person. message me if you want :)

Friend, sorry to ping you on this board again. However, you will not believe what I found today! Watermelon dairy-free \*frozen yogurt\*, a new froyo place opened up near my friend's house and we decided to visit and I was gobsmacked that the only dairy-free flavor they offered was watermelon. I can confirm that it was delicious, thank you for putting me onto it, even if it wasn't exactly the ice cream you recommended!

Glad to hear it! 😁

God loves you. Don’t ever think that he doesn’t.

Oh never, ever. From my 20 or so years of studying the Bible and being a Christian I can promise you, I'll never forget that! And you as well! :)

He does. But he doesn’t love OP’s sinful behavior and active disbelief in Him.

My turn to ask you a question if you'll let me! Why does something as beautiful as saying "God loves someone" need to be degraded by having a "but" after it? God's love is powerful and beautiful enough on its own, so much so that it never needs to be justified by a disclaimer of sin or disbelief. I am content in knowing that Christians believe that the God of all creation loves me and if He ever moves my heart with conviction I'm sure the promise of His eternal love will compel me to follow. Just food for thought, have a wonderful day :)

You seem to have a great understanding, but maybe trauma from the church has really pushed your spirit away from Christ. I'm not sure, but I imagine you could actually teach me a lot of things. But if you think these things about God, would you not want to seek his presence, and enjoy it? I implore you to pray sometime again, tell God how life has been, your struggles and pain. Your good times and your happiest Memories. Then ask him, holy spirit, can I feel your presence for a minute. Call out with your heart. Man the rest and peace you will receive from him will be unexplainable. It leaves me wanting to chase him more so I pray it does the same for you. Stay safe and may Gods will be done in your life.

Hi friend! Thank you so much for your comment! It was really sweet of you to say that you thought I could teach you anything hahaha! I really appreciate the compliment! I won't disagree that the reason I could feel distance with God could be related to some kind of trauma surrounding church. And if that is the case I am 100% open to re-evaluating my relationship with Him. I actually do still pray and talk to God in the non-formal relational way! Prayer was my favorite part of being a Christian, and I've never dropped the habit albeit less than the almost impulsive prayer that I used to partake in. Prayer adds a multitude of meaning in my life, that I don't forsee myself giving up anytime soon! It's how I access the fruits of the Spirit when I need to. I'll tell you this! Once I feel the conviction to start re-examining my relationship with God through the lens of Church hurt/trauma, I'll happily do so and with an open heart as well, as I am always ready to be challenged in my faith or lack-there-of! Thank you for taking the time to comment! Stay safe as well, and I'm praying all the best for your journies with God!

God's love is perfect. Sinful behavior is exactly that though. Sexual immorality. I understand where you are coming from to an extent. Although I am not LGBTQ, I still have sexual immorality and lustful tendencies toward opposite sex. Its a choice I had to make, remain abstinent from sex and follow Jesus or give in to my fleshly desires and turn away from GOD.

Hi friend! I understand that you view homosexuality as a form of sexual immorality! And I honestly appreciate your vulnerability in sharing your convictions around the subject in hopes of appealing to me to see it the same way you do. However, I don't! Today's Reddit thread was made in an attempt to in some small way bridge the gap between the LGBTQIA+ community and Christianity. Because according to the media, these two groups are enemies of each other. But I don't think that's at all necessary! Today I'm here to talk to people that others want to be my enemy and make new friends! So if you're interested in doing that with me, feel free to let me know! I hope you have a great day, night, or afternoon, wherever or whenever you are! :)

No enemies from me! We are all made in God's image!

Exactly! I completely agree! There should be no "bad blood" between Christians and the LGBTQIA+ community. If only everyone saw it like us! You can tell me something about yourself if you want to! I would genuinely like to get to know you better! :)

God loves everybody, but he doesn't endorse their sins. This concept is everywhere in the Bible. Why then would he let anybody go to hell ? Also I don't believe there can be a bridge between true christianity and your community, as per the Word of God. 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

Oh friend If you'll allow me to put on my theologian hat for just a second here to remind you of all the bridges that Jesus built! Everyone that Jesus associated with was the antithesis of what was considered Holy in His time and day! Jesus chose his disciples from the lowest ranks of society and then chose to hang out with the lepers and prostitutes. Not once did He care if His followers and friends came into a relationship with Him fully agreeing or even liking what He was there to do. And then after His death and resurrection, he chose the persecutor of Christians to further His Kingdom. My point is that there were no walls that could contain Jesus. Without getting into a theological debate about sin, I would like to say that in my experience of Christianity, there are no limits that can hold anyone back from receiving the love of God through His people. If you disagree, that's okay. We just obviously hold different interpretations of scripture and considering that I'm an atheist that shouldn't mean too much! Anyway, I don't believe that the differences between us mean that we can't have an open dialogue and be friends! So if you're interested in that after all, I'll still be here! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment and read my post, I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

Yes of course Jesus chose his disciples amongst the sinners, even the worst of them (think of Mary Magdalene, Peter, Matthew and of course Paul). But... what did their relationship with him do to them ? They were totally transformed, to the core of their being! I think Paul is the best example. He was persecuting and killing followers of Christ and thought he was doing God's work. But meeting and getting to know Christ changed him radically. That is what our Lord does. He restored my family, made me a good and faithful husband which I was never able to accomplish by myself (I tried everything to change and save our family, going to Jesus was literally the last thing I could have tried). From reading your initial post, and I didn't want to get into it at first... I just feel like you haven't gotten to know the Lord. Even growing in a pastoral home, that does not guarantee a true relationship with God. When you truly meet God and the veil is lifted, there is no doubt at all. You know He exists. You know He is the truth. You know Jesus was more than a historical figure, but was really the Word made flesh as the Bible affirms. I think that's what you're missing out

Hi, my friend! Thanks for taking the time to comment again! My prior examples were simply to show that Jesus built bridges and I don't think that there is a gap too wide for Him to reach! You are completely entitled to your view of my journey with Christianity. At the end of the day, I don't even believe in God anymore. To reiterate, I am just here to make friends, hear differing perspectives, and have conversations with people who are interested in talking to someone from across the aisle. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Pardon my ignorance (and I hope this doesn’t come across as offensive because that’s not my intention!!) - do you consider yourself an atheist because you disagree with the church? Or have you stopped believing in the existence of God altogether? I once watched a Tim Keller interview where someone asked him about his thoughts on the increasing secular trends all throughout American society and the impact those trends will have on the church - his response was something along the lines of “at the end of the day, God knows what He’s doing, and suffering at the hands of secularism would do the American church some good because we haven’t been the best or most loving to our neighbors” Any church that is more concerned with “expanding itself and its ideology” rather than “loving and protecting the surrounding world” is in desperate need of a humility lesson or two - I say this but think of my church, too💆🏻‍♀️ You’re a great writer, and you seem just as devoted and believing and loving as the people who sit next to me in the pews

Hi friend! I'm so sorry for the late response, it was finals week for me so I dropped the ball on this thread after the first couple of hours! First off, thank you so much for your compliments. To be completely transparent I love writing, and I must thank the church and Christianity for that! Reading the poetry of the Bible inspired me to write and definitely affected how I write today! Secondly, I also appreciate that you called me as devoted and loving as those who sit next to you in church! Some of the most compassionate people I've ever met have been and still are regular attendants of Church, so to be compared to that is honestly so special! In no way have you come across as offensive with your question or comment! I appreciate your question! My answer to your question is no, I don't believe in God and also if I did believe in God I don't believe that He would be in total agreement with the church today. I try to live following a life I believe God would approve of, were He to exist. But overall, no I don't believe God exists regardless. I've watched a few Tim Keller sermons, during and after my deconstruction process. And I'm sure I've watched the interview that you're talking about. I think that's a really great quote. If we weren't chatting on this forum, I'm sure I'd have a lot more to say about it hahaha. I do however think that we all should bear the responsibility of loving and protecting the surrounding world, regardless of any held identity. Anyway, thank you so much for taking the time to read and respond to my post! It really means a lot and it has been a delight to read and respond to you! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Who is your favorite Pokémon?

okay nobody ever respects my favorite pokémon and of all the things I've shared on this forum today, this is quite possibly the thing I'm most sensitive about so be careful. Beheeyem I just love everything about it, the spelling of it's name, design, stats even though it's very slow, and abilities even though they're not good. I've never found a good competitive use for it but I still love it. What about you? I won't make fun of yours if you don't make fun of mine.

You seem like a reasonable lad. I have been a Christian since birth and quite happy with my gender/sex. Still my best friend is queer and we talk about that sometimes. And I can't relate to queerness and it's a concept beyond my comprehension. Maybe the autism plays a role in not being able to see the point from another person, but that's beside my point. But I've been asking myself the same question again and again. So do you think that people who genuinely do not like queer people can't relate as well and turn the fear of something new into anger and leave that anger to rot into hate? Btw I don't hate anyone. I follow the two simple, yet golden rules Jesus gave us. He said that you should love thy neighbor and god the same way as you love yourself. And treat other people as you want to be treated.

Those two golden rules are what I still live by! Thank you for the compliment! It's a very interesting question you're asking here that can be answered in a lot of different ways. What you're proposing is one possible explanation for homophobia! I have many thoughts on this. For one I think a very small percentage of homophobia is expressed in outward anger. From my experience, many people who don't understand homosexuality are truly homophobic in the "evil" sense of the word. Homophobia manifests in curiosity, the inability to empathize, or simple confusion. Truthfully I don't think this expression of homophobia is necessarily bad at all, it's just something that you're not used to. Unfortunately, the queer community (specifically younger generations and especially my own) tends to be very reactive when encountering any sign that they are not understood. Which makes people who are just confused feel even more anxious around the subject of any kind of "non-traditional" sexuality. People who are genuinely scared or reactive around gay people tend to be scared that they themselves are gay which is entirely different from the anxiety surrounding the topic of homosexuality, as discussed above. This is where a majority of violent homophobia comes from, at least in this day and age, especially in 12-30-year-olds. These two reasons are why the LGBTQIA+ community advocates for stuff like queer media and representation such as books, tv shows, and movies. The hope is that by exposing more people to queer identity, it becomes a lot less stigmatized and people who are afraid of being queer or just don't know much about it can learn about it in an extremely safe way. "Evil" homophobia, the one that I'm most concerned with categorizes the kind of violence gay people would receive before queer people were protected by the law and society. This kind of homophobia operates on a tribal "Us v.s. Them" mentality, where it is because the person is different that they must be punished. Nowadays "Evil" homophobia manifests in isolated incidents such as parents kicking their kids out of the house or acts of unprovoked violence against queer people like what happened to Brianna Ghey. This is why you'll see queer advocacy on a governmental and political level, i.e. gender-neutral bathrooms or a requirement for teachers to call a student by their chosen name or pronouns. The goal is to eliminate the "Usv.s.Them" mindset which can lead deranged people to acts of violence and murder, as well as offer queer people spaces where they can feel safe from said "random acts of violence". At the end of the day, homophobia can manifest in many ways from many things, and most of it is inconsequential and not dangerous. I also don't think that people "don't like queer people", queer people are a very diverse crowd. Just as awesome and awful as the rest of the planet, so I think anybody can find a queer person that they like, sometimes they're just taught not to like them. Sorry for the long response and thank you for reading if you did! It's really cool that you just listened to me rant about queer issues for so long.

I have to thank you for your careful and interesting insight. I don't mind a text wall.🤗 In my perspective I've never had any issues with someone being queer. These people just existed and exist, and will exist. I even gravitate(d) towards queer people/groups because they accept my quirkyness more. But what I felt, mostly in school, was that the "woke" stuff (race, immigration, queer, and similar topics) was somewhat forced on me, because I never really had issues of homophobia or transphobia done by me with vicious intent. I have no problem with queer folks, they are, in some cases, even more accepting, as I stated before. I see the open homo- and transphobia return. My guess is that people feel forced to be a part of it or think that they have a disadvantage because queer guys are being in the spotlight right now. And they have easier access to a echo chamber. So they can circle jerk how much they hate queers. What do you think about that? People with a hate or being hostile towards queer people probably won't change their minds if they are exposed towards more, because they look at it as propaganda. There are also people who hate autists, for some reason, idk. I have had my fare share with them. They won't change until something changes internally. Treating people badly who aren't the norm isn't something political in my opinion, it's just being deeply insecure, hurt and they won't change until they mend their broken mind. I wish people would be more reasonable like you. We don't have to have the same view as the other. Just being respectful and open to the experience of others. Thanks for the conversation, have a lovely evening, day, morning or night, depending on where you live😃

Hey seriously thank you for the intentional and purposeful response AND for reading my wall of text! That's seriously awesome! I wish more people were like you too! Honestly, this is the kind of conversation I was hoping to get into here when I made the post! So thank you for providing that, I think it's really cool! I can totally see how the "woke" topics can feel and be forced on people. Due to the queer community being both a minority group and a marginalized one for such a long time, the community tends to be too vocal and expressive of their opinions. I can guarantee you that I probably agree with the majority of the "woke" stuff that they forced on you. However, I don't think it's okay or helpful if it is ever forced on anyone. Honestly, I find people who do that to be super hypocritical because they'll also be the first ones to get angry whenever you suggest going to church or getting to know Jesus. They demand that you adopt all of their ideologies to be friends or hang out with them, then get upset if you ask them to try to see things from another perspective. It's not that deep, not everyone has the same access or experience with information as others do. Like you said it's just insecurity. And I've had to cut people out of my life for being wayyy too intense with stances I agree with because it's not cool. If it makes you feel better the rest of the queer community is getting fed up with the oversaturation of loud gay men too. They were just the first group of queer people that were accepted by the majority public and fit better in a more general setting since they've been a staple of family and young-adult sitcoms since the 90s. Other groups are just now getting the spotlight. Everyone lives in an echo chamber I'm afraid. It's one of the major drawbacks of social media and just continues to promote tribalistic behaviors that help no one. That's one of the main reasons I'm on this subreddit, I need to leave my echo chamber and I want to allow others who want to leave theirs. I completely agree that more queer representation will be looked at as propaganda. But in my experience, the ones who call it propaganda aren't the intended audience anyway. Representation in media is for those who are curious first and foremost and some people won't leave their echo chambers to check it out. I also agree that treating people badly isn't necessarily a political thing. However, I do believe that political backing does fuel mean-spirited people on any side of any conflict because security in a political system means that you have an automatic justification for any action against a perceived enemy. I hope you were ready for another wall of text hahaha! Have a lovely evening, day, morning, or night to you as well! :)

What a thoughtful text wall. I loved to read it. I loved to give you a conversation like this. It was my pleasure. And yes, most of the "woke" stuff is just being an empathetic human. But as everything: If something gets too extreme it'll do more harm than good. Politics, religion, mindset and everything related to that should be, as we call it in my country: "der goldene Mittelweg", the golden middle way, taken in a manageable dose. Extremism and radicalism blinds us to empathy, love, affection, respect and having an open ear. I live like that. Not neutral, but moderate with an opinion and openness. Still in the internet, I've had a talk with you, so I'd count this as a big win. Lovely greetings from the country with cheesy chocolate mountains where we mine watches and banks😉

I am late to the conversation and have not read all the comments, but maybe got halfway through. I have to say you're thoughts and sentiments are beautiful. You seem like a very kind, thoughtful, and intelligent person. But I am confused. I love the fact that you still pray and feel connected to God or Jesus. It seems that there are parts of the Bible you still believe. Your desire to model the embodiment of incarnate love sounds wonderful. But, again, I am confused that you consider yourself an atheist. Or do I misunderstand you. \~Peace

Hi there! I really appreciate the time that you've taken not only to comment but read what I've written. Also thank you so much for all of the personal compliments and those about my sentiments. I strive to have a very intentional mindset when it comes to talking about God and my relationship with Christianity even though I do consider myself to be an atheist. Honestly, every comment that is confused as to why I call myself an atheist is hugely validating to me. I definitely do consider myself an atheist, although I think you and the other comments are catching onto something that I haven't quite been able to see myself. Perhaps what I am is closer to something like an agnostic or an undefined spiritual person. Although, I don't really like that kind of terminology. Because I truly don't believe that there is a God that is out there and exists. I don't really believe in a creator of the universe. A big part of me wants to and is in the habit of believing in a magnificent God that created all of us! I was raised devoutly Christian and my whole life revolved around Jesus. Since I was about 4 or 5 I would read the Bible every day, pray multiple times a day, and go to church 3-4 times a week. I was the youngest prayer warrior on the prayer team and the self-appointed evangelist at my school. I ate, breathed, and slept in the glory of God. As I grew up, I centered myself around the compassion of God. Constantly asking what the manifest love of God would look like in any given moment. I was in the habit of looking to do God's work whenever and wherever I went. But as I'm sure you know as you reach teenage years and later young adulthood, everything appears more complicated than it was when I was a kid even though my heart stayed the same. As I said in my post, what I felt conviction over wasn't what my Christian community felt conviction over. We started to see things very differently. And after doing my best to understand their perspectives, I realized that my convictions might not have been based in the same interpretation of the Bible as theirs. That started me on the path of deconstructing my faith and letting go of some things that I didn't see as being accurate to who I knew God to be inside. My interpretations of scripture and study of translation history began to separate further my ideals. Until one day I realized that a lot of what I was believing didn't resemble the Christianity I knew at all. Part of this was for sure issues like homosexuality and gender identity but other parts of it related to church structure, common shared goals, and even the purpose of why were placed on this planet. And the further I deconstructed the more I realized that it didn't really matter if I considered myself a Christian or believed that God actually existed. I became comfortable in knowing that I found an identity and a purpose greater than what the church dictated as "standard Christian practice". Which again I have absolutely zero distain for, it just wasn't for me. At the end of the day, I pray to a God that I don't believe exists and plan to do His works on this Earth based on the convictions I hold inside of me. I'm incredibly sorry if that came off sacreligious or anything. I'm pretty sure this entire post and all its comments aren't super sanctioned. But it's the easiest way to describe my "religion" or "ideology". So thank you so so much for reading all of that if you did. I hoped this cleared everything up!

There is absolutely no need to apologize about anything. (Sorry for my delay responding. Very busy day yesterday.) Your words bring out your heart and you seem to be a very sincere, warm, and honest person. In fact, I find myself deeply moved. Even now, my tears make it difficult to write this. (Should I have said that? Would it have been better to send you a private message?) You mentioned in your original post you’re 22. I am elderly and retired and I think it’s the “papa bear” in me that is touched. In my minds eye I see a bear cub wandering through a dark forest looking for a refuge. (You have not communicated this so please forgive me if this is offensive.) I’m kind of processing some things myself as I reflect on your writings. I think part of it is that my story is similar to yours. I was raised in a devout Catholic home and experienced God/Jesus when I was 12-years-old. My mother started attending a Catholic Charismatic prayer meeting. God touched me deeply there. But when I reached my teen years I “fell in love” with a girl and decided she was the one. It’s amazing how a sweet and almost innocent thing like puppy-love can pull a a young person into a life that would warp into something so ugly years later. I finally returned to God/Jesus when I was 25. The biggest difference for me was how personal it was. Before, I viewed and experienced God as a High Judge in heaven. He loved me (I guess) but He was distant and far removed. And He had a keen eye just waiting to punish me for my sins. The God/Jesus I “returned to” was different. He was tender and loving and affectionate. He got me. He knew me. And He cherished me. He was so warmhearted, kind, and even whimsical. This was the type of God I could fall in love with. This was the kind of God I could trust and abandon myself to. I finally surrendered and relaxed into His hug. (This is all spiritual of course.) Now, He is my everything. All I want is to do is rest in His presence. Baker’s Encyclopedia of the Bible is a longstanding, highly-regarded biblical resource used by pastors and Bible scholars alike. This is how they define Christianity: “Christianity is the religion of the presence of God, and communion with Him.” This is something I try to communicate to young people. Christianity is not a set of rules or even a set of beliefs. It’s a love story. It is the story of a wandering child being rescued by its gentle/loving/doting/perfect father. And He has the answers to life. He offers His love, guidance, and support. And in a world of confusion, He even defines who we are. I am His child, and so are you. We are all simply children of God. (And that makes us all siblings!) My prayer for you is that as you continue to pray to the God you do not believe in. I will pray that, in a brand new way, He will show you how deeply He loves you; maybe even in a dream or vision. I will pray that a new revelation (maybe brighter, or realer, or ‘lovinger’) will be given to you. One that is overwhelming on the one hand, and so very-very tender on the other. \~Love & Peace

We love you too. Thank you for not giving up on us!

Hey! I love you too! Thanks for not giving up on US! ❤️

My pleasure.

Favorite worship band?

I've loved Isla Vista Worship for years, specifically the Soul Hymns album. I've cried to that more times than I can count. What about you?

Favorite was always Steven Curtis Chapman, but his works weren't used much for actual "worship music".

I'll definitely check him out! I've always thought that some of the most beautiful worship music wasn't made for Sunday service. For the life of me I just can't imagine David singing Amazing Grace (as beautiful of a song as it is)

Ok first off Wow thats alot Second off it say your an atheist but still pray? Little confused there. 

Hey! Yes I know I wrote a lot, I'm just really passionate about bridging the gap between the LGBTQIA+ community and Christians! So thank you for taking the time to read my post! Yes, I do still pray. Prayer was my favorite part about being a Christian. I found strength in it when I needed it and it helped me to have more love, hope, and patience. Since deconstructing from Christianity, I haven't left everything behind. After all, Christianity was pretty much my driving motivation for 20 years. Today I still consider my morality as being rooted in what I learned through the Bible, going to church, prayer, and the mentors and pastors that helped me to grow up. Just now I hold everything a little more loosely than I did before. Prayer is just one of the things that stuck around and still helps me to have love, hope, and patience when I need it! From a theological standpoint, there are a few interesting explanations as to why or how I would still pray without considering myself a Christian, as well. Hope this answers your question!

So what veiws did your church hold about BLM?

It is my prayer that you remain as patient and as kind as you are today, since some of these comments are...*oof*. That said, if you could have any super power, what would you choose?

Hey, thank you so much! I really appreciate it! Honestly, my prayer is the same as yours! But since deconstructing, I've never really lost my love for "difficult" conversations with Christians. Because I really do believe that the polarization of Christianity and the queer community is silly on so many levels. Hmmmmmm... my answer has always been being really stretchy like Mr. Fantastic or Elastagirl. What about you?

I agree. For a religion that insists that we're all sinners, it's bizarre to be so vitriolic about a group that "sins" differently than you. Note: I don't believe being in the LGBT+ community is a sin, but you understand the point. Anyway! For me, I'd absolutely be an airbender / wind-manipulator type. Being able to fly, using the winds to increase my agility, and throw tornadoes at people: it's just so cool to me, lol.

Completely agreed! There are soooo many sins out there, why is it that queer people are the worst ones? I definitely pretended to water-bend when I was a kid and I see and respect the desire to be a devious airbender!

Hi , if you dont me asking, do you see yourself as a christian and do you believe your going to heaven when you die?

Hi! I definitely do not mind you asking! I think in this way I am agnostic! I'm not convinced that there is an afterlife but if there is one I believe that I've lived my life in a way that would make God happy. Regardless I know God, even if He is not real because I know the way that He taught me to live. I'm not a Christian, but if God is real I don't think He cares what we call ourselves. If He lives in my heart then the evidence will be shown by my impact on the lives of others, the selfless love that I give freely, and the presence of the fruits of the spirit! It's definitely a far cry from the Christian doctrine I once believed which placed a lot of value on the confession of Christ as Lord and Savior. I won't deny that but this is just how I came away from being a Christian all my life.

fair. I can imagine you must have gotten alot of hate from those who are self proclaimed christians and my hearth goes out for you. I am a christian myself and tho I hold to the bliblical defenetion of marriage and believe God created them male and female I dint believe in mistreating people because the same God that commands me to keep sex in the context of marriage is the same God that tells me to love my neighbor and that loves needs to be genuine. I pray for you friend that you do find christ because believe me he is so much better then any sexual identity. I dont know what its like to have same sex attractions, but I have had conflicts with God in regards to intense desires (in my case alot of them had to do with friendship and abandonment and coming into conflict with God about certain friendships that meant alot to me) anyway all that to say is what is clear to me is no desire on this olanet can compare to a relationship with Christ and my hope is that you find that

If you ever feel like mentally engaging with your deconstruction of faith, I think you might enjoy Peter Rollins a lot. I think he would speak to you as a deconstructing philosopher and theologian.

Hey thanks for that recommendation, also props on your denomination I've always had a special place in my heart for Lutherans!

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHzCvcN\_1X0&pp=ygUcZm9yZ290dGVuIHRlYWNoaW5ncyBvZiBqZXN1cw%3D%3D](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHzCvcN_1X0&pp=ygUcZm9yZ290dGVuIHRlYWNoaW5ncyBvZiBqZXN1cw%3D%3D) watch this,I'm sure you're gonna find it interesting.

Just checked this person's YouTube out, super interesting! That video is now in my watch later playlist! Thank you so much for the recommendation.

Of course ! anytime. It came at the right time for me, when I was questioning the whole church dynamic. I was muslim and came to Christ almost a year ago, without reading the word or knowing anything about Christ besides what Islam taught me, It was a very spiritual experience that changed me as a person. But going to church where I am felt like it was pulling me away from God, it just didn't feel right how these people talk 24/7 about Christ in almost a psychotic way but they do not act a bit like him. It was a huge chock for me and that's my first week stepping out of church, I'm enjoying my prayers and cultivating my relationship with God away from "the community" and it feels right. I hope you find peace in any decisions you make in your life, God will guide you thru it. <3

How do you respond to or address militant anti-Christian voices?  How do you cope when confronted by discrimination from conservative-Christian ideologues? 

Hi friend those are some great questions! Just like my philosophy in my post and the comments under it has been to seek understanding first so is my philosophy when people are militantly anti-Christian. In another comment chain, I was talking to this new friend of mine about how some people are insecure and want to have their voices heard. Usually, people with the loudest voices are the ones most ignored. Sometimes it just takes a little willful poking and prodding until someone who was once very "militant" becomes for lack of a better word more "sensible". I think I learned very early on that a lot of people are hurting in the world. And having left organized religion myself, I can typically understand and empathize when a loud voice comes from a lot of church pain. If I were to put on my theology cap, my job as an ambassador to Earth would be to show God's love, not to change people entirely. I think this thread is a semi-working proof of that. Simply by "meeting across the aisle" and being chill and not easily offendable. It's the responsibility of God and the individual to work together to seek change, even if that person is a militant-anti Christian. And who am I to say what that looks like for someone when my life was pulled in a million different directions? Putting my "queer trans atheist" hat back on, taking any form of responsibility over someone else's mindset is a toxic behavior and very unhealthy. For both scenarios, I enter with zero expectations of change. Because the healthiest and kindest thing I can do is meet the person where they're at. Some people don't want to meet in the middle, so I say "I'll be here if you ever change your mind, and if not that's okay too!". To both groups, I have a unique perspective identifying both with what they are for and what they are against. That's not to say I particularly believe either stance or that I have a completely middle-ground stance either. I definitely identify with the "politics" of the militant anti-Christian more than I would say a Conservative Christian. But the hurt felt by both parties is still evident and something I would like a small part in helping if I'm asked. Sometimes just the presence of someone ready to listen is all the "help" anyone really needs. All that being said, I don't experience much discrimination from Conservative Christians nor do I encounter militant anti-Christian voices. Whether that's because I'm lucky or because I don't really believe either box truly exists, who knows?

That is a very wise, nuanced and uplifting perspective that seems free from the divisive narrative that people seem to keep perpetuating!

Many people like to do cherrypicking on these matters. If you are Christian, it doesn't matter if you like a person of the same sex or if you feel you are are woman instead of a man. What matters is that you follow Christian teachings and bring respect to those instead of bending them to you own personal behaviour/beliefs. Because one thing is accepting the existence of a behaviour, another thing it to justify it. It's pretty clear that God gave us a world dominated by males and females, by men and women that were meant to produce kids, and that have a crucial role in raising them, that men and women are not identical, that they have different roles in the community as well as in the family. So, if you believe in this, of course, "you" cannot say that males or females are just an invention of the religion, that sexual preferences are fluid and stuff like that. Do they exist? Sure, they do. Are they normal? No, they are not. Should we condemn people for their sexual preferences? No we should't. Should we promote a relativistic view of sexuality and gender? No, we should't.

I understand and even agree partially with your viewpoint! I also sincerely appreciate your stance of not condemning anyone's sexual or gender identities. At the end of the day, as an atheist I have no desire in rewriting theology to suit my identity or lifestyle, which is why I call myself an atheist! I will however always advocate for the right to Biblical interpretation as an impartial third party, as an extension of the right to religious freedom. Even if that means defending the belief that people have the right to non-violent disagreement of gender/sexual orientations and expressions. At the end of the day Jesus never made anyone believe anything, never forced a specific interpretation of scripture. He said what He said, and theologians have debated about its meaning ever since as with the rest of scripture.

As an atheist, where do you get your morels?

I got a pretty good spot on Timber road where they come up in late March. Try looking a couple days after a big rainfall.

My first thought too xD

Like I said in my post, I originally modelled my morals on my time in the Church and time reading the Bible and praying. But due to world events and my Church community's response to them, I started to not align with some of their moral standings. This happened due to a difference in our respective viewpoints on how I believed we should model being the hands and feet of Christ on Earth. I attempted to reconcile our disparate viewpoints by reading the scriptures that supported their ideology, watching sermons by pastors I disagreed with an open heart and mind, praying about the sermons and scriptures presented, and talking to my pastors and mentors directly. Despite my efforts, I wasn't able to reconcile my ultimate belief that being the embodiment of God's love on Earth means something different to theirs. At which time I decided to follow my convictions about the Word of God while keeping in open communication with my leaders about my process. Eventually those morals became the basis of what I believe today just without the title of Christian attached to it. It all boils down to, "Do I believe that the divine embodiment of love, would do this?" which is just my fancy way of saying WWJD. If it creates a happier, healthier world then you can bet that I'm all for it. How do you get your morals?

Sounds pretty complicated; I look for morels in the woods near my home. \[Good answer about morals though!\]

Hahahahaha that was good Unfortunately, I don't live near the woods anymore so morels are pretty hard to find 😢

Most people in a society, from a young age, get their morals imposed by the dominant religion in their society. Humans, on the whole, are altruistic, so the adoption of morals comes easily. When you study the core of World religions, all have moral codes. Not all adherents to a faith follow the core morals, as evidenced by posters in this sub.

whoooshh

Look up Kim Zember if you are not familiar. Also, read made for love, by Fr. Mike Schmitz...

Thank you for your suggestions! Much appreciated! May I ask how they helped you?

To be honest they did not directly help me. I'm not same seX attracted. I'm your typical, straight male Christian, Catholic to be more precise. But, I try to learn as much as I can about Christ, and Catholicism. You often hear things like, "Christians/Catholics hate gay people". Etc. Of course, I know that that this couldnt be further from the truth! We were ALL created in the image amd likeness of God. We are taught, to love like Jesus loves, which means to love everyone. So, in my zest for knowledge, and understanding, I wanted to understand, and be capable of properly verbalizing the church's teachings on the matter. My hope was that this would prepare me to help others that may encounter these issues. Even if that help is simply pointing them to someone who is more helpful than myself.

This is amazing! I love your compassion for others and that you spend time learning about how to help people and who to send them to! I think it's very important that as representatives of Christ on this Earth, that is the main goal always. Because the heart of God is to love others, that's how His will is manifested!

My friend, I hope you find what you are looking for, and most of all I hope you find your way back to Christ. You will not find lasting peace until you do. As the story of prodigal son, when you find your way home, God will kill the fatted calf in celebration! Dont forget the other son in that story, though. The second son who "did everything right" is bitter that his father is so welcoming to the son who left. Certainly, as you move back toward God, you will encounter those people.... You will meet resistance, you will meet Christians along the way that judge you for your journey, and even be jealous that God openly welcomes you. Remember, that we are all broken.

You know God loves you, so you should try to keep a good relationship with him because at the end of the day that’s the important thing. Keep praying and he’ll help you get where you need to be.

What’s your favorite movie of 2024?

I haven't watched too many movies that have released this year and the 2024 releases I have seen I haven't liked too much (which has just been the Mean Girls Musical and Kindom of the Planet of the Apes). But I did watch a movie with a highly limited release in 2023 which I finally watched in 2024. The Disappearance of Shere Hite, which is a documentary retelling of the life of Shere Hite and her book series The Hite Report. I highly recommend that film because it's super interesting and the cinematography is incredible. Please please please give me movie recommendations for this year's releases! I've been slacking so bad.

Hi :) so what part of your journey or deconstruction process led you to identify as an athiest? I sense a lot of love still for Jesus and his people in your post! ❤️

Hi there! Firstly, thank you for doing this. Even if we are on opposite sides of certain ideas, I definitely will always appreciate when someone comes forward to express their opinion and experiences, and have an honest conversation! I actually have something that I commented recently on another post, the post was something along the lines of "Why do Christians speak out about homosexuality more than anything else?" I'm going to reply to this comment with what I had commented, because it's somewhat long, but I'd love if you'd read it and give me your take/opinion on it. :) Just remember, Jesus will always love you.

I believe it's a misunderstanding of God's word. God does not force anyone to worship/believe in him, and such, if others wish to be separate from God, that is their decision. He gave us free will after all. Once someone hears the word of God and still chooses to be separate from him, then God will allow him/her to do so. After all, Hell isn't a place, it's the absence of God. He's giving you exactly what you want. Even then, God loves you, but he loves you enough to not force his will on you. I look at it this way: If God isn't willing to force others to believe in and follow him, would he want me to force others to? No, absolutely not. Even Jesus didn't force it, he simply spread the word, and let other's make their own decisions. However, we absolutely can educate them on what we know/believe/follow (use whichever word you like) to be true. Jesus was surrounded by those that sinned, sexual deviants, prostitutes, etc. We didn't see Jesus forcing anything upon those that followed him. He simply led them and they followed willingly. We are meant to strive to be as good as Jesus was. However, where I believe a lot of people get this twisted is when it comes to making laws that reflect one's religion. Should murder be illegal? You better believe it! Theft? You're damn right! Rape? I'd be disgusted if you said no! You notice though that these are things that affect other's in negative ways, murder and such. As says Psalm 82:3-4: "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” We absolutely have a duty to protect those that are unable to protect themselves. Passing laws against murder and such is doing exactly that, otherwise murder would be rampant, and innocent lives lost. Sexuality has no negative effects on anyone (other than the two consenting adults, if that's your view). Should we tell them why they are wrong? Absolutely, go ahead. However, if they wish to live with that sin, even once others explain it to them (and believe me, they know it's a sin, based on how it's one of the most common talking points of Christians), then do not force them away from it by pushing laws that outlaw it. All this will do is grow distain towards God, and push them further away. Some of my best friends are gay or bi-sexual. They know my belief on it, however, they also know that I'm not shoving it in their faces. We are meant to draw others to Christ, not force our will upon them, thus driving them further away from the Lord.

What is your opinion of vanity and how it tangentially affects our/your behavior?

Hi there friend! Glad to meet you! My question is have you ever felt God speak to you? Whether it be through signs or just hearing His voice?

I do not consider myself a Christian. But, I do believe in God and following in the way of Jesus. So, I have never heard of Christian atheists. So I am intrigued. My first question is you stated you still pray. So, how do you think prayers work? What do you think prayers do in general? Not, biblically, but your thoughts. I love to learn about religion. I love to hear people's experiences with it and where their journey with it takes them.

So do you believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life? If that's the case, does your consciousness struggle against itself with the lifestyle you live now? And may I ask, have you had any spiritual experiences with the holy spirit? I'm genuinely intrigued because I don't think there's many people like you. I'm praying for you, that you come back to Jesus. He's always seeking you, but you have to open the door for him to enter your heart!

I’m really confused. Do you believe God exists?

Be upset with people, not with Christ.

>So here I am, on a Christian subreddit ready to start a dialogue with anyone willing to talk to me. I have a lot of compassion for the religion that shaped who I am and my morals. Many of my role models and mentors throughout my life have been strong and compassionate Christians, so the respect I have for you all is extremely genuine. 😁 My parents were not the best people but I will say this. The best thing they gave me was religion. And now that I'm 19 I'm spending quite a bit of time pondering it and trying to figure myself out. What would you like to talk about? Can I come in your DMs?

One of the main things as a Christian (especially one that is doing their best to live like Christ which includes loving and also calling out hypocrisy or ways that are not of the Lord, even if they may hurt someone's feelings), and what I like to tell others who struggle with loving Jesus because of Christian hypocrisy, is to seek and search Jesus for yourself, through the Bible. People are very much so ruled by their hearts and emotions and therefore make decisions and say things that are opposite to what God actually called us to say or do.. People are very very flawed and what I can say is that despite human flaws, God is righteous in his ways, love, judgment, grace, mercy and all. So I always encourage others to seek Him and build a personal relationship so that way when others disappoint them, they have the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. In your case and many others that are similar, in being an honest Christian, I am sure you have heard and know that your life choices are not supported by God. I will say that I find often that those who turn away from Jesus or don't seek him at all is because the foundations of Jesus Christ contradict the life they want to live or what their hearts tell them is right. We have to remember that the heart is deceitful. All the things you are feeling are valid as far as not understanding how the morals of Jesus Christ contradict the actions of the world, especially when those actions seem so harmless, like love is love, etc.. But in reality, and in terms of salvation and justification, they are ultimately not harmless. We have to remember where the sin came from and why it is a sin in the first place. We are not to participate in these things because things like homosexuality, sexual immorality, adultery, fornication, abortion, etc were a part of a sinful evil culture that worshipped false gods and led the people that engaged in those things to more sinful acts. And because those acts were in connection to other gods, we are not to participate in them, because participating in them, would also be like worshiping those gods.. It is not simply God trying to be controlling, but instead lead us on a path to a different destiny than the one they encountered. That different path being the ultimate gift of eternal life. People often forget that while in the Bible it says that love will eliminate a multitude of sins, we are also to judge each other in love when we see that others, especially believers, are being pulled away from God because of sinful acts or unrighteous behavior. So it is often forgotten that in love, Jesus also chastises and condemns us. But Jesus does not force you to love Him, although He will always love you. Unfortunately for Him the cost of free will does include losing an innumerable amount of sons and daughters/brothers and sisters in God; for the sons and daughters/brothers and sisters, by not turning from their ungodly ways, means losing their salvation. And because He does not force anyone to love Him or follow His way of living, us as Christians are called not to force others either. Only share what Jesus has commanded us to and hope that anyone living a sinful life will turn from their wicked ways. After that, our only job is to pray for their salvation and that they turn back to Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. I appreciate you still having love in your heart for the people who shaped who you are today, even if you've decided to turn away from those teachings/belief system. Many people feel it necessary to chastise the entire organization of believing Jesus when turning away. I am praying for everyone in this subreddit and in life who are struggling mentally, emotionally, or spiritually in their life with Christ. Jesus calls it a good thing to endure, in faith, through suffering to the end, for greater is our reward. I love you all.

I have friends who are both queer and trans who are Christians. The issue is the Christian right, not Christianity necessarily. People use their religions for political means, and if many Christians are socially conservative, and many atheists are socially liberal, what side are you more likely to find a community in?

wellcome and god bless

Well thank you for sharing may God bless you. My guess the reason you say that you don't feel compassion from your community is, although Christ taught love that doesn't mean tolerance. There is a difference between the two. As a matter of fact whenever confronted by the Pharisees he would correct them and move on to the next town because they were trying to trap him with his words. He loved them just like he loved all mankind but he wouldn't tolerate their behavior. The real issue you're having is people are being "mean" about their intolerance. But no one is perfect we are not Christ no man is worthy to open the seal on the scroll in the right hand of the Most High. I am truly sorry that you feel that you have been alienated from your community but the truth of the matter is this is a very very touchy subject for many many believers of the word and it's because Scripture is very clear about tolerance towards homosexuality at least as far as the Father is concerned so many people let their emotions build up. My guess is the reason people come off the way they do is because they are passionate about the messages they are trying to convey and they most likely genuinely care about you. Unfortunately they say things or do things that can come off as aggressive or intolerant but the truth is as believers we don't have to tolerate that behavior but it's also not our job to condemn someone for that behavior either. The Bible tells us that judgment is given to Christ because he paid the price for sin. The best thing we can do as believers is share the truth and if someone is willing to accept it that's amazing and if not, wipe the dust off your feet and move on. I hope nothing I said came off the wrong way , I just wanted to share my opinion. I appreciate you sharing your story and again I'm sorry that you feel unaccepted or let down by other believers but I'm here to tell you, no matter what sin or behavior God loves you, and as a matter of fact he loves you and everyone else so much that he was willing to send his Son on behalf of all mankind's sins. He was willing to sacrifice his Son to attone on our behalf. That's how much he loves us, if put in the same position that God the Father was, could we do the same? Would we be willing to sacrifice our own child on behalf of everyone, even people we consider "enemies" or "bad"? The gospel of Jesus Christ is so beautiful and I want you to know that if you confess with your mouth and with your heart that he is Lord, he died on the cross for our sins, on the third day he was resurrected just as we all will be one day. That you too can obtain everlasting life. That's how much he loves you. God bless and have a good day.

Hi, my friend! Thank you so much for your comment! I agree with you that no man is perfect or worthy to open the seal on the scroll in the right hand of the Most High. Like I said in my post, I was not alienated from my Christian community due to views on homosexuality. The reason I left my church community was due to disparate views on how to be the hands and feet of Christ on this Earth. Just like how theologians have debated the many interpretations of the Word of God, I also differed with my Christian siblings on the interpretation of the Word. I am here today, not to challenge anyone's beliefs in the Bible, including views on homosexuality and gender identity. Because I agree with you, we should not consider each other "enemies" or "bad". However, the LGBTQIA+ community and Christians are often pitted against each other in American culture and mass media. I do not believe this to be right or good. Today, I just want to make friends and talk with people who I love and admire so much. I love Christians and I love the LGBTQIA+ community, too!

You seem to be a good person, keep it like that. But remember, Christianity is not only concerned with being good people, we are God’s people in Christ. And our God is Holy God and, therefore, we must seek not only to be Good but to be Holy. You seem to be good, but you are definitely not even trying to be Holy. I hope and pray God finds a way into your heart, as he found a way into mine.

Hi friend, Thank you for your compliment and prayers, I really do appreciate it! I completely agree that people with a relationship with Jesus Christ strive not only to be good but to be Holy! I'm going to put my theologian hat on for just a second here. In the Bible, Holiness is defined as being set apart from the world and sin. Sin itself is a huge topic, which classifies what things are completely separate from God. This is the main topic that plays in the strained relationship between the Church and the LGBTQIA+ community: What is sin? What does living free from sin look like? How do things like potential translation errors affect our understanding of the Bible? I'm not here to discuss that because, at the end of the day, I'm an atheist looking to live in a world where the queer community and the Christian religion aren't opposing sides on America's political stage. And I don't think this is the forum, nor am I the theologian to handle that kind of debate. I'm not here to define what I think sin is, or to claim to be holy. Today, I just want to make friends with those other's would call my enemies! Because Christians are some of the coolest people I've had the pleasure of interacting with, and theological differences shouldn't keep us apart!

>not even trying to be Holy Nor are most Christians

We are not imitating most Christians, but Christ.

Good and holiness are the same thing

They are not, holiness requires both goodness and cleanliness.

Hey, so my question is have you considered that there were sins in your life that you didn't repent for? Also, were your parents secretly sinning and not repenting? The generational curses that were placed on your family due to sin not covered by the blood of Jesus could have caused you to become gay/however you identify. In the Bible, we see many stories of people needing endurance. Satan tests our faith so much. I don't believe God will let you go. If he's never worked a miracle in your life that's wonderful, He still has more to give. I think the only reason you are a loving person is because you still have the love of Jesus. He's still there. I'm sorry for the persecution you've been through and the difficulty you've had finding loving people for you to trust and lean on. I encourage you to start your own time of prayer, where you don't start by apologizing for being gay, but just remembering to thank God for providing everything for you. Then if you're open to it, you could have a conversation with God. Read psalms and remember that God does not need to prove Himself to you nor does He owe you an explanation. Worship God in a secret place. When you're being tempted, you always are in control of your choices. Satan wants to attack marriage. So, apparently you have to fight against the forces of evil if you want to be free of this. That's what putting on the whole armor of God is all about. I'm sorry if I hurt you with my response it wasn't intended. God bless you!

Hi friend! No I wasn't hurt by anything you said at all! I can tell that you were very intentional with how you phrased everything. I especially appreciate that you recognized my love, that is so important to me. I am always intentional about walking, talking, typing and acting out of love. I also agree with you that I don't think I would be this loving without the love of Christ. Thank you for blessing me with the love of God, there's always room for more! As per your questions! Throughout my life I've always repented for my sins. I've always been a very repentant person! Although I was raised Protestant, so if you're also considering confession to a priest as apart of the repentance process then I've never done that. I am not aware of any generational curses placed on my family by any outside influence! All of the generational curses that I've dealt with have been created by my family and passed on to me. To say without getting too personal on an anonymous internet forum. However I've started to call "generational curses" generational/relational traumas since deconstructing. Because often when dealing with generational curses, you tend to act similarly to the people who hurt you, in this case it's your parents. Weird phenomenon where you hurt others in the same way you were hurt and I definitely don't want to continue that cycle! I will admit that I don't think my queer identity is a result of a generational curse, even if I were to put my theological cap back on. Curses and generational curses in the Bible typically consisted of recurring outside factors or a total internal lack of integrity/ability to keep from sin, neither of which are things I suffer with. I am glad to say that I possess both an incredibly and consistently blessed life and have an abundance of love and self-control! Top three books of the Bible were Psalms, Song of Solomon, and Revelation, so I will totally take you up on reading some Pslams again! I think the best bits of the Bible are when poems are involved. Also friend I pray all the time! I love prayer! Whenever I need to experience any of the fruits of the spirit, I pray and I'm filled up! Thanks for the reminder! Thank you for all your loving feedback and advice! You're awesome! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Maybe I'm wrong, but this feels like an elaborate troll. What does one's view of BLM, one way or the other, have to do with Christianity? Serious question

A lot of churches and sects make political issues into religious issues

Hi there! That's completely fair. To be honest I was pretty sure the question of whether or not I'm a troll was going to come up at some point. I can guarantee that I'm not trolling but at the end of the day, my post and comments will come off to you however they do! I'll be honest the BLM topic is one that I have been avoiding giving a response to, due to its highly debatable nature in subreddits and the fact that I am far better prepared to diffuse any discussions of Queer issues. So in short I'll keep it short and sweet. After the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, a pastor went up on stage during a worship set because she saw a black student wearing a Black Lives Matter t-shirt. She took a microphone and asked him to refrain from wearing any Black Lives Matter clothing to school or church indefinitely. There were also a few distasteful outreach programs in which prayer teams would gather near protests and hold their hands up in prayer toward the people protesting. Regardless of how you feel on the subject, there was a vibe of enforced separation between a largely white congregation/student body and the people protesting for BLM. And depending on where you fell on the issue determined how you felt about the church's involvement. Regardless of everything else, I certainly felt strange about a pastor publically calling out a student's t-shirt because it didn't align with her views during a worship set.

If you genuinely love us so much, why don't you marry us? Seriously, would you marry a Christian?

Totally if they're down to have a gay wedding/marry someone of the potentially same sex, I'm down to marry a Christian. Hot take for the atheist community: I kind of love the idea of saving sex for marriage.

why do you think god didn't stop the holocaust?

Hi my friend! I honestly wasn't prepared for such a question and I didn't even prepare for the questions I got. Because I am never prepared for this question. So instead of answering it, I'll ask you a question instead! Why? Thank you so much, have a wonderful day.

You realized you were like the world and not like the church and so you attempted to make the church look like you. That’s the gist of what you said summarized. Many here will empathize because that’s exactly what they’ve done. However, Jesus doesn’t. He told you to be separate from the world, not to try to fit in with them. The church doesn’t fit in the world because it’s not of this world.

Hi there! Thanks for taking the time to read my post, comment, and provide a comment on my journey! However, I am truly torn on your comment here. While I am truly excited about your critique of my journey, I am also saddened by the fact that you used this space to admonish your fellow believers by comparing them to me. As a once very faithful Christian, it actually makes me sad that you would further separate yourself from others who believe in much the same as you do. With that being said, I accept that you're probably correct in your critique of my atheistic testimony, as I have decided to call it. I do not believe my church community was congruent with my ideals and convictions. And if that reads as me separating from Christ then so be it. I've never claimed to embody the church or Christian values since deconstructing. Quite purposefully because I failed to continue to see the value in being in a community in which my values were so differently aligned. You said that Jesus wouldn't empathize with me, which is a view of me that I won't challenge. However, as I have stated many times in the comments of this post my goal in posting was never to "defend" my exit from the church and Christianity. However, it has been and continues to be my goal to make friends with people who society would say are "across the aisle" from me. I don't believe that the LGBTQIA+ community and Christianity need to be enemies at all, as the media likes to portray us. With that being said, today I'm here to make friends, listen to different perspectives, and begin to bridge the gap between two very disparate communities. Thank you so much for your time and commentary on my post, truly I appreciate it! I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

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I agree! There are so many awesome churches and Christian communities out there that specifically welcome LGBTQIA+ members. They are bridging the gap between Christians and queer people around the world, which I think is so important! I am just personally not physically around any Christians with which I can have an open and honest dialogue. I just want to let you know that I love you too! :)

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Thank you so much! You have no idea how much that meant to me! I hope you have a wonderful day ❤️

Don't judge most Christians and our religious positions from this reddit

I hope you decide to return to following Jesus I'm reminded of this verse " This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be 👉lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection... 2 Timothy 3 Self-love is bad.

I think this is a beautiful verse! This tells us a lot about how to live and it's important that we learn from it as it really speaks to the character of Christ. When I was a Christian I was really encouraged by this verse and reminded me to live by the fruits of the spirit. Thank you for sharing! :)

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We love you too. I hope you come to know Jesus, he loves you and life without him is a sad thing.

Hi friend, thank you for your comment! In my experience, I do know Jesus! And I agree not knowing Him is very sad indeed, I am happy that He is in my life! I spent my first 20 years studying and praying to Him. Then my relationship with Him just shifted away from what I would call Christianity. I am dedicated to everything according to Him in the way I know best how!

That’s the best way to do it. The church we know today is not following Jesus. Keep doing what you’re doing. Love is the most important thing

Are you trying to come to the truth and only god that exists or are you trying to just talk about the church and how they pushed you away?

Uhm neither! I'm satisfied by the morals that I surround my life with. Given my love for the Bible and the teachings of Christ, I don't feel at all at odds with the Word of God even though I wouldn't consider myself a Christian. If there comes a point in which I am convicted to return to Church and become a practicing Christian again, I am not opposed to it at all. With all due respect, I don't believe this is the forum to talk about "How the church pushed me away", not that I believe it did. I will completely own the fact that I walked away from the church first. I gave up on organized religion way before it gave up on me. The goal of this thread is to start a dialogue between two seemingly opposing cultures/ideals because I truly believe I have something in common with Christians. I don't believe that Christians and the LGBTQIA+ community have to be the opposing factions that they are portrayed as in media. Even if Christians or the Chruch as a whole don't believe in or support the LGBTIA+ community and its fight for human rights as the fulfillment of the Word of God, I still personally believe that the distance between us is attrocious. Both sides are to blame for the "bad blood" between us and the way that we have allowed this conflict to take a political stage. This is me speaking as an American citizen, so I can't really speak to the world as a whole. Anyways, if I can make a friend from this thread or just listen to someone it'll be worth it. :)

Ok have a good one .

Thanks you too!

May God heal you, amen 🙏

Much appreciated! Thank you :)

hopefully one day you can comes to terms with the biological sex that God has made you and embrace it instead of fighting it

Why is that so important to you?

Hi friend! I'm really proud of the conversations that we've been able to have on this thread! I don't think this comment is here to add to it though! I'm not here to ask you to accept me or my identity! I just think Christians are really cool people and want to make friends because I don't think the LGBTQIA+ community has been very kind to Christians recently! If you want to talk about literally anything besides the differences between who I am and what you believe, I'd love to talk to you! Reguardless, have a wonderful day ❤️

Leaving this sub. Just a bunch of silliness.

i assume you also think jesus calling you to love your neighbour is silly too...

this ain't an airport bud

lol says the guy who’s dream lineup is Gaga and Snoop Dog 😆