Ex-Christadelphians

Quote of the day

"Humans tend to value most that which is rare and fleeting. Such is life."

Aron Ra

Christadelphian alternative reality

By Phynnodderee

Growing up Christadelphian, you grow up in a slightly different reality from everyone else. It’s not until you break free of the religion that you realise just how much it controls your perception of reality – and how much you need to unlearn.

"Two hands working can do more than a thousand clasped in prayer."

Madalyn Murray O'Hair

Video: Christadelphian History and Current Issues

This video from Carelinks has some interesting Christadelphian history in it, including the many divisions in the community's history and how it became increasingly dogmatic and authoritarian.

Quote of the day

"The death of dogma is the birth of morality."

Immanuel Kant

Video: A Few Things I've Learned About Creationists - PZ Myers

Frustrated by Christadelphian science denial? Biologist PZ Myers takes aim at the failings of creationists - and shares a few interesting discoveries from the world of evolutionary biology, including the evolution of antifreeze in icefish.

Quote of the day

"Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light years and in the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual... The notion that science and spirituality are somehow mutually exclusive does a disservice to both."

From The Demon-Haunted World by Carl Sagan

Why John Bedson Resigned As Editor

Guest article by John Bedson

In the 1980's I ran the Christadelphian ‘Lightstand’ operation supplying Christadelphian full colour pamphlets, booklets, posters and 16mm films and videos to every continent in the World except Antarctica. We sold millions of items and had stockists in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Canada, the East and also the West Coast of the US and the UK. I closed that operation because I realised that the religion could not be validated. If they can’t validate their religion they are thrashing around in the dark trying to pin the tail on the donkey and they will never succeed.

"Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs."

Leo Tolstoy

The hope of Israel?

By Jon Morgan

To many Christadelphians, the return of Israel to their land is considered the go-to argument in support of the Bible. The Christadelphian even has as its tag-line ‘A magazine dedicated wholly to the hope of Israel’. But how does this relate to Israel today?

Click here to read the rest of this article

Quote of the day

"I will not attack your doctrines nor your creeds if they accord liberty to me. If they hold thought to be dangerous - if they aver that doubt is a crime, then I attack them one and all, because they enslave the minds of men."

Robert G. Ingersoll

Quote of the day

"If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it."

Albert Einstein

Why Do Christadelphians Believe?

By Thom Jonas

Even though most Christadelphians might say they believe because of prophecy, or because of current events, I don't think that is actually the case. Most Christadelphians believe quite simply because they happened to be born into Christadelphian families, were taught Christadelphian doctrines from a young age, and were raised in a largely Christadelphian culture. The evidence is clear. Had they not been born into such an environment, it is almost certain they would not be Christadelphians today.

"Investigate everything you believe - if it is the truth it cannot be injured; if error, the sooner it is corrected the better. Never be afraid of results to which you may be driven by your investigations, as this will inevitably bias your mind and disqualify you to arrive at ultimate truth."

Dr. John Thomas

Seeing my old religion with new eyes

By Phynnodderee

Recently I was sorting through an old box of junk and I came across something I hadn’t seen for years. It was a ‘My Beliefs’ card, a preaching aid produced by the Christadelphians in the 1990s. Looking at it again for the first time since leaving the community, I suddenly found I was seeing it – and my old religion – with new eyes.

"Religion gives pseudo-answers to big questions that can’t be answered. This is what adherents discover when they make honest inquiry."

Marlene Winell, psychologist and former fundamentalist Christian

Worshipping Narcissists

Another brilliant video from TheraminTrees and QualiaSoup.

Narcissists often thrive in religious communities because both the drama they seek and easily manipulated people are readily available. This video is informative both in helping to identify narcissistic behaviour and also in offering ways to deal with it.

Quote of the day

"Is there anything that one couldn't believe based on faith?"

Matt Dillahunty, atheist activist

Stay or leave?

By Phynnodderee

Not everyone who becomes disillusioned with the Christadelphian community decides to leave. I’d like to look at some of the reasons for staying and the reasons for going – and explain why leaving was the best decision I ever made.

"The essence of the independent mind lies not in what it thinks, but in how it thinks."

From Letters to a Young Contrarian by Christopher Hitchens

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