Coming out as an Agnostic

[Route_70]

you used exactly the wrong passage to make your point.  It actually undid your point.

No, Hebrews 11 makes my point exactly:  ALAYMAN said "There is plenty of credible evidence to establish."  To which I responded that Hebrews 11 says that the only evidence one has is "faith."  That is what I said; that is what the Bible says.  What's the problem?

 

[Twisted]

you used exactly the wrong passage to make your point.  It actually undid your point.

No, Hebrews 11 makes my point exactly:  ALAYMAN said "There is plenty of credible evidence to establish."  To which I responded that Hebrews 11 says that the only evidence one has is "faith."  That is what I said; that is what the Bible says.  What's the problem?

I see your point but it is illogical. (Illogical might not be the right word, but I'm off my meds)

Faith is the substance of things 1:  hoped for (your employer will give you your next paycheck)  and evidence of things 2:  not seen  (creation, love, etc.)

So do you need either to believe the sun is in the sky?  God is not against us "proving Him". 

 

[Route_70]

"Creation Science" is another oxymoron.  One cannot believe in Genesis 1 creation, while at the same time looking for scientific evidence for creation.

I give you Hebrews 11: 3:  "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

 

[Gringo]

I've been a fundamentalist my entire life. I even met my wife in a Christian college. But I am now agnostic. I need advice on the best way to talk to my wife about it. How do I tell her that I no longer believe the Bible is "the word of God"?  She is still a believer. Looking for people that have been in this situation before and how they handled it. Or a spouse that was on the receiving end of this kind of revelation.

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If you are intent on telling her, then I would just sit her down and tell her that you no longer are convinced that the Bible is "God's Word".  She will want to know WHY and you need to be prepared to tell her exactly why you no longer believe. Be kind and respectful to her but be truthful.  Assure her that you are not trying to belittle HER faith but that you simply no longer believe that you know what happens after death, etc and that you believe no one else knows either ("I don't know and neither do you")

I am assuming that you no longer want to be a part of an organized church.

If I am wrong on this and if you intend to continue going to church with your wife, I would simply ask you is it necessary to upset her with this news. What point would that serve?

As a fellow former fundamentalist, agnostic, I wish you the best in your discussion with your wife. Just be honest and you should get over this idea that you are telling her something bad or evil. You are not a bad person because you have come to terms with your lack of belief.

As an agnostic, you will not be telling your wife that there is NO god but simply that you don't know if there is or not.

I wish you the best.

Gringo

 

[Joseph007]

Is this something you have had to do yourself?

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[Joseph007]

I've been a fundamentalist my entire life. I even met my wife in a Christian college. But I am now agnostic. I need advice on the best way to talk to my wife about it. How do I tell her that I no longer believe the Bible is "the word of God"?  She is still a believer. Looking for people that have been in this situation before and how they handled it. Or a spouse that was on the receiving end of this kind of revelation.

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If you are intent on telling her, then I would just sit her down and tell her that you no longer are convinced that the Bible is "God's Word".  She will want to know WHY and you need to be prepared to tell her exactly why you no longer believe. Be kind and respectful to her but be truthful.  Assure her that you are not trying to belittle HER faith but that you simply no longer believe that you know what happens after death, etc and that you believe no one else knows either ("I don't know and neither do you")

I am assuming that you no longer want to be a part of an organized church.

If I am wrong on this and if you intend to continue going to church with your wife, I would simply ask you is it necessary to upset her with this news. What point would that serve?

As a fellow former fundamentalist, agnostic, I wish you the best in your discussion with your wife. Just be honest and you should get over this idea that you are telling her something bad or evil. You are not a bad person because you have come to terms with your lack of belief.

As an agnostic, you will not be telling your wife that there is NO god but simply that you don't know if there is or not.

I wish you the best.

Gringo

Is this something you have had to do yourself?

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[Gringo]

I've been a fundamentalist my entire life. I even met my wife in a Christian college. But I am now agnostic. I need advice on the best way to talk to my wife about it. How do I tell her that I no longer believe the Bible is "the word of God"?  She is still a believer. Looking for people that have been in this situation before and how they handled it. Or a spouse that was on the receiving end of this kind of revelation.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

If you are intent on telling her, then I would just sit her down and tell her that you no longer are convinced that the Bible is "God's Word".  She will want to know WHY and you need to be prepared to tell her exactly why you no longer believe. Be kind and respectful to her but be truthful.  Assure her that you are not trying to belittle HER faith but that you simply no longer believe that you know what happens after death, etc and that you believe no one else knows either ("I don't know and neither do you")

I am assuming that you no longer want to be a part of an organized church.

If I am wrong on this and if you intend to continue going to church with your wife, I would simply ask you is it necessary to upset her with this news. What point would that serve?

As a fellow former fundamentalist, agnostic, I wish you the best in your discussion with your wife. Just be honest and you should get over this idea that you are telling her something bad or evil. You are not a bad person because you have come to terms with your lack of belief.

As an agnostic, you will not be telling your wife that there is NO god but simply that you don't know if there is or not.

I wish you the best.

Gringo

Is this something you have had to do yourself?

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I did not have a spouse so it wasn't necessary for me to sit any one person down and tell them.

I simply removed myself from church. But over the years, to anyone who has confronted me on the subject, I have told them exactly what I told you to tell your wife.

I have many friends still today who are very firm believers and I have tried to be kind and respectful to them, but honest. My FACEBOOK page is full of them and they have remained my friends all these years even though they disagree with me firmly. Many of my friends on my Facebook page, I either grew up with in church or went to Bible college with.  And yet, they are still my friends.

My point: if you are kind and respectful to them, or to her, even though they or she will not like what you tell them, they will not turn their back on you - for the most part. Some will. But most won't. And I'm convinced that the one person that LOVES you,  will not. She very well may not like what you tell her,  but she'll survive the news and get over it.

 

[Joseph007]

Finally, a response from someone in a similar situation. You weren't married but you did go to Bible college. Thank you for the response. I plan on talking to her this Monday.

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[Twisted]

I plan on talking to her this Monday.

Live stream on Facebook?

 

[Joseph007]

I plan on talking to her this Monday.

Live stream on Facebook?

Ummm. No.

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[FSSL]

Will you be apologizing and seeking her forgiveness for the charade?


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[LongGone]

Will you be apologizing and seeking her forgiveness for the charade?


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Maybe I am missing something but if he was a sincere believer when he married her and has since moved from that position how would that be a charade?

 

[FSSL]

Maybe I am missing something but if he was a sincere believer when he married her and has since moved from that position how would that be a charade?

Sincere believers do not come to a point in their life where they ultimately reject God.

It?s called perseverance.

 

[Route_70]

Sincere believers do not come to a point in their life where they ultimately reject God.

You cannot reject that which does not exist.

 

[FSSL]

You cannot reject that which does not exist.

You do a lot of debating over someone who ?does not exist.? Why does He bother you so much? He gave you the liberty to be able to type your post and breathe another breath. He seems awfully patient and generous.

 

[Route_70]

He gave you the liberty to be able to type your post and breathe another breath. He seems awfully patient and generous.

And for that I am indeed thankful!

 

[LongGone]

Maybe I am missing something but if he was a sincere believer when he married her and has since moved from that position how would that be a charade?

Sincere believers do not come to a point in their life where they ultimately reject God.

It?s called perseverance.

So we are mincing words here. So we assume he wasn't a true believer because he did not persevere. It is fair to say he sincerely thought he was a believer but doesn't think that he is a believer any longer. It is still not a charade.

 

[FSSL]

Maybe I am missing something but if he was a sincere believer when he married her and has since moved from that position how would that be a charade?

Sincere believers do not come to a point in their life where they ultimately reject God.

It?s called perseverance.

So we are mincing words here. So we assume he wasn't a true believer because he did not persevere. It is fair to say he sincerely thought he was a believer but doesn't think that he is a believer any longer. It is still not a charade.

He didn't wake up, surprised, one morning and say, "Oh my deity!! I am an agnostic!"

There has been a long period of troubling questions going on... My spouse has seen me change positions FAR less important than a rejection of Christianity. It is a long discussion and involved input back and forth. This guy has HID this from his spouse for a long time.

His wife deserves a very contrite, repentant husband.

 

[LongGone]

Maybe I am missing something but if he was a sincere believer when he married her and has since moved from that position how would that be a charade?

Sincere believers do not come to a point in their life where they ultimately reject God.

It?s called perseverance.

So we are mincing words here. So we assume he wasn't a true believer because he did not persevere. It is fair to say he sincerely thought he was a believer but doesn't think that he is a believer any longer. It is still not a charade.

He didn't wake up, surprised, one morning and say, "Oh my deity!! I am an agnostic!"

There has been a long period of troubling questions going on... My spouse has seen me change positions FAR less important than a rejection of Christianity. It is a long discussion and involved input back and forth. This guy has HID this from his spouse for a long time.

His wife deserves a very contrite, repentant husband.

It may have been a long road getting there but at some point he had to come to the realization that he was an agnostic.

I think you are making a huge assumption that he hid this from his wife for a long time.

My guess is that his wife has much more of an idea than he realizes.

I think his wife deserves an honest husband.  I think he should realize and appears to understand the emotion his wife may experience with this change.

If they had both been agnostics and he became a born again believer would you say that she deserved a very contrite and repentant husband?

 

[FSSL]

Your approach to the situation is only considering it from the agnostics side of view. It is neither a loving nor Just idea to defend him.

what this woman is going to be faced with is a total rocking of her world. Her covenant basis of marriage was based on a mutual understanding and commitment to God and understanding his work in their lives.

Now he is going to complete undermine his vows. He is declaring that he intends to live as a biblical fool. Which means that all of the characteristics of a fool in the proverbs are open game.

That is why Paul takes this very seriously when he instructs the woman who is now living with an unbelieving husband to be willing to let him go.

So we?re not just simply talking about a change of politics or feelings. We are talking about a total undermining of this marriage.

That is why I am so committed to the idea that he needs to approach this as humbly and apologetically as possible. Because it would?ve been far easier for her to hear that he no longer loves her. It?s going to be much harder for her accept the fact that he does not love God.


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