Testimonial 7 - Marke

This is written so that you the gentle reader can understand atheists better. Mine is but one of literally thousands of deconversion stories, there are several here, I encourage you to read them all.

I was raised by quite religious parents in a relatively small Christian sect known as “Church of Christ”. My dad had a degree in theology from Harding University and was a preacher for some years from before I was born till I was a toddler. By the time I can remember he was driving truck to support the family as he had profound hearing loss from childhood that made some duties of a preacher very hard. I grew up being in church tree times a week plus bible studies. Six or more times a year my dad would be ask to preach in some small town that was without or between full time evangelists.

Having been completely indoctrinated, I bought in whole hog and at the age of about eight was baptized into “Christ”.

Well the years past, and even after leaving home I continued on this path. So complete was my indoctrination that despite being of at least average intelligence I believed the world was 6000 years old, the earth was formed in 6 days and the world was saved by a man putting two of all species of animals into a boat. I find this profoundly embarrassed and ludicrous today but I share it to show there is hope for all to be released from delusional thinking no mater how thorough the indoctrination.

More years past and I’m 34 and married, and never had had a serious doubt about the existence of God and all of a sudden things just are not adding up, well I know how to fix this! A quick review of apologetics and I’ll be as good as new.

Wrong! For some reason this time around I could see that the theists where grasping at straws and had no real arguments of there own, just able to take pot shots at the other side.

God did not die easy for me, I had one-on-one bible study with the local preacher for several weeks till finally he threw up his arms and said “there is nothing more I can say”.

For several years after that I called myself a wayward Christian with serious doubts. For years after that I called myself an agnostic.

Only recently I have come to self identify as an atheist.

I am the happiest I have ever been, I do good for goodness sake, not because I want to please a invisible superman that made everything but still somehow has time to watch me all day.

Sincerely, Marke