The closer you look at Christianity, the less it makes sense - Scott Staples

Today I spoke with Scott Staples, who grew up as a pastor's kid, went to Bible college and seminary, and worked extensively in missions, but eventually deconverted as the claims of Christianity made less and less sense.

As we walked through his story, we touched on topics such as:

• Recommitting his life to Jesus to ensure that he was acknowledging that Jesus is both Savior and Lord (Master).
• Doing missions via YWAM (Youth With a Mission) through their Discipleship Training School (DTS).
• Sharing the Gospel and "bringing others to Christ."
• Being taught that we are all born sinners, separated from god from birth, damaged, and on our way to hell if we don't "get saved."
• Hearing the Christian message that Jesus died on the cross to take our punishment and to cover our sins in order to make a way for us to go to heaven.
• Feeling called by god to be a pastor and seeing family respond by saying that they already knew he would have that calling.
• Thinking that the reason he was not hearing from god was because of a problem with himself.
• Observing people pick and choose which verses they did and did not want to take seriously and apply to their own lives.
• Seeing life events that didn't add up to the idea that god was in control.
• Feeling like the closer he got to the god character, the more that god appeared to be hurting him.
• Grappling with the immense suffering in the world in light of his understanding of the goodness, love, omnipotence, and omniscience of the god character in the Bible.
• How Christians develop theological constructs to try to pretend that Christianity makes sense, but the closer you look at its claims and details, the less it makes any coherent sense at all.
• Healing from religious trauma, especially from the idea that our extreme wickedness was the direct reason Jesus had to be tortured and killed.
• Learning how to grieve death healthily and fully after realizing that there is no afterlife and that we will not see our loved ones again who have already died.

Thanks to Scott for sharing his amazing story!

_________________________________________

Connect with Scott:

  / scottydoozle  

  / scottstaples  

_________________________________________

Mentioned in this video:

The interview with Lydie Bousch:
   • I am SO GLAD that I left Christianity! - L...  

My deconversion story:
   • Harmonic Atheist - My Deconversion from Ch...  
and
   • Christianity is Mythology: Reflections on ...  


_________________________________________


** Please subscribe to my other channels **
(many more channels and videos coming soon!)

https://linktr.ee/harmonicatheist

_________________________________________


Tim may be reached by email at: [email protected]

_________________________________________


Your support for my channel, Harmonic Atheist, is very appreciated.

Monthly
  / harmonicatheist  

One time
PayPal: paypal.me/harmonictim
Venmo: @harmonicatheist
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-tim-s...

Thanks!

--Tim

_________________________________________


Ending music by Eyal Raz, "Friends"

   • Friends  

_________________________________________