This article was posted on Ex-Christian.net back in 2005. Just type in "Pharisee of Pharisees" in Google and my article is #1:
My name is John Blatt and I am an ex-christian. The process of leaving christianity took a good two years, but now I am finally free from that fear and fear-based Cult. Fundamentalist christianity is a destructive mind-control Cult and the bible is primarily a series of psychological documents. It took many years to finally come to see this reality, because I didn't want it to be so. No one in the Cult can see with straight vision, thus, the more devoted and zealous one is for christianity the more blind they are to its psychological and spiritual damage and control.
I became a born-again christian at the age of twenty while I was in the U.S. Air Force in May of 1992. It was a powerful and moving experience and it did effect me deeply, being changed instantly. Before this, I had simply adopted my mothers metaphysical beliefs and so I had no true belief in anything that was truly my own.
Since the day that I had been "born-again" I began a long journey within the realms of christianity, seeking to find where I belonged and what I really believed. I began simply as non-denominational, not wanting to even go to church. My first belief was that one does not need a minister and a church to know god, yet this belief eroded over time. While stationed in South Korea I did not have much other than the bible to study. Then after a year I was shipped back to U.S. and I began seeking answers to all the different questions I had about denominations, churches, different "gospels" and many other things. No one could match my zeal or devotion to god and "His Word". Christianity was now my life and I severed life long friendships and relationships due to my new found beliefs, even "converting" my father and step-mother to "the Faith".
My searching for answers caused a lot of waves wherever I went and I quickly gained many christian friends and admiration by everyone I came into contact with.
Here is a chronological list of churches and theologies that I joined and embraced and studied through in my journey through Christianity:
Vineyard/Charismatic/Speaking in Tongues and Healing miracles.
Independent Messianic-Jewish Church/Jews for Jesus/Christian Zionism
Independent Baptist/Dispensational Theology/Pre-trib Rapture
Pentecostal/Hyper-Dispensational Theology/Post-trib Rapture
Charles Finney-ism
The 5-Point Calvinism/5-Point Arminianism Debate
Became a 5-Point Calvinist
Embraced Reformed Theology/Orthodox Presbyterian Church/Modern Puritanism
Paleo-Presbyterianism/Covenanters/Old-school Puritanism
The debate between infant baptism/adult baptism
The debate between mode of baptism: sprinkle/pouring/immersion
Became a Reformed (5-Point Calvinist) Baptist
Moved to NY and joined an Albert Martin Reformed Baptist church-cult/London Baptist Confession of Faith of 1689
Studied the forbidden Anabaptist writings (pre-1644 London Baptist Confession)
The debate between the Covenant of Grace (1689 Baptist Confession of Faith) and the Old-New Covenant separation (1644 Baptist Confession of Faith)
The debate between Reformed Theology and New Covenant Theology (NCT)
Left the Reformed Baptist church
Was castigated, harassed, and denounced as a heretic and immoral for leaving "The Faith" of the Reformed Baptists. I was stalked, physically harassed and secretly threatened by the leaders of the Reformed Baptist church
Embraced the Home Church Movement and New Covenant Theology
Embraced the teachings of Gene Edwards and Frank Viola
Became a member of one of Frank Viola's home churches
Saw the strange character and ways of Frank Viola and rejected the teachings of his books
Left the Home Church Movement
Was introduced to the concept of Universal Reconciliation (Jesus reconciled EVERY man to god regardless of belief or state of soul)
After long study I embraced Universal Reconciliation and the truth that there was no such thing as "Hell", Eternal Damnation, and that there was no condemnation in christ regardless of faith or deeds and christ reconciled every man back to himself, regardless of belief or unbelief.
This freed me to look into other non-christian views.
I have now come around full circle and after looking through many belief systems and religions. I now consider myself Metaphysical. I no longer believe that the bible is inerrant nor divinely inspired, but is one of the most brilliant psychological documents ever contrived. Christianity is a man-made religion specifically designed to control the masses and indoctrinate mankind with fear (sugar-coated with love, grace and redemption in christ) and is a truly destructive Cult (not because of its doctrines but because of how it thinks, behaves, and acts).
I have studied the bible and church history and all aspects of christian theology for over 13 years and was the most devoted and passionate Christian that could be imagined. Though the further I went into christianity the more it sucked the life out of me. The more intolerant, the more fearful, the more Law-ful I became. I generally studied an average of 25-45 hours a week on my own. Bible study, church history, hermeneutics, exegetical commentaries, Greek and Hebrew lexicons, apologetics, polemics, systematic theology, and many other christian disciplines. When I was stationed in Saudi Arabia for six months I took only my bible and studied it 10-12 hours a day on average. I did take some days off to recover, but my devotion to God and his truth was that great - it was my life and my passion.
Looking back now I see how much of my vital years (age 20-32) were wasted in all of my searching and studying. I viewed myself as a modern-day Apostle Paul, yet I was actually a pharisee of pharisees. I treated anyone who did not see eye-to-eye with me as inferior and treated others with pity because of how lost or confused they were. I knew more about the bible and its interpretation than the pastors that I sat under. I had to act ignorant most of the time just so I would not be a threat to the elders of the churches I was in. My closets were literally stuffed with books. I hid most of them in my closet so that my fellow brothers and sister in the lord I didn't want them to treat me differently then a normal christian.
I share all this not to boast in my worthless christian devotion and knowledge, but as a testimony to free thinking. Question everything. If I had grown content in my searching and closed my eyes, I would still be bound by unbreakable chains of indoctrination and thought-reform. I can honestly say now that I truly know the bible and christianity, especially after loving it and sacrificing so much for it.
This is why I am using my knowledge and experience in writing a book on christianity and the bible. I hope to some day help free the minds of others and help heal the pour souls who manage to free themselves from the clutches of the Beast, the true "spirit of Antichrist".
Feel free to contact me through Yahoo Instant Messenger: psychicevolution
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I posted this article about two years ago on ex-christian.net. Since then I have pondered the state of religion, christianity (of all levels and liberalness) and the general consensus of the population on the christian bible. I believe now, more than ever, that the bible is not "the truth" and liberal christianity and even gnosticism is very inconsistent with the bible itself. There is no greater series of books (the bible is a series of books) that were written specifically designed to enslave the mind and polarize humanity. This is the purpose of "the Good Book" and thus the religion: to divide humanity in order to conquer it. Yet the bible, more than any other thing in Western Civilization, has one of the greatest protective defaults in history, its extremely deep-set program embedded in almost every American that the bible is the truth, and that Jesus actually existed. This is the greatest deception ever to take over the minds of humanity. If you still have this programming intact within your subconscious and conscious minds you will scoff at what I say here. If you feel insulted or threatened by these words you still have the program - a program that is not of your own mind but is of someone elses. A program-matrix of religion that creates emotions, experiences, sensations, that seeks to protect itself within you. Like a parasite, living off your energy, it gives you feelings to sustain its hold over you, supported by the religion-matrix that humanity is enslaved by.
I write this not just to say christianity is a mind control system that the majority are enslaved by, but that if you truly desire to live a life of freedom for your mind and heart then examine your own view of this religion (christianity IS a religion. Many christians have told me "seek Jesus not religion" but the delusion has blinded them. Jesus is the delusion. He never existed. Jesus is the religion, regardless of its denominational or non-denominational bent). Do the research on the word Religion. It comes from the Latin word religio which means "to constrain", literally: to bind.
How can you free your mind if you don't believe you are enslaved? This is the deepest deception. Thee great conspiracy.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
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2 comments:
Amazing! Thanks for sharing! I guess I went through a similar evolution, but got stuck at the "universalism" point. I think this is because I see the evidence of God all around me, in nature, in people, in thoughts and ideas that come from within me. But, I can't believe even for a moment, that this "God" would create something He intended to destroy. If that were possible, there could be no hope, because non of us can ever measure up to the image of an angry God that has been painted throughout time. Religious people know that a free person cannot be controlled and manipulated, so they devised a story of a bi-polar God who simply cannot be trusted. So, "listen to us... we will show you the way! Do this, say that, think this, hate that!" A free people will not listen to that drivel, nor will they look for men to trust. Freedom is a dangerous thing to men who have an agenda to rule.
Can't wait to read more of your thoughts!
Well, the beginning statement WAS true for several years until ExChristian.net removed their old archives. This article isn't #1 any more. ;)
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