Updated August 3, 2023
It has been sixteen years since I left Christianity and declared myself to be an atheist – sixteen years of countless emails and comments from primarily Evangelical Christians asking me to explain WHY I am no longer a follower of Jesus. It has been a long time since someone has asked me a question that hasn’t already been asked by someone else. This is to be expected. There are only so many ways I can explain my reasons and motivations for becoming an atheist after spending twenty-five years in the ministry.
To help me better manage my time, I have created a WHY page that I can point people to when they have questions about my deconversion. After the questioner has read some or all of the following posts, I will then be quite happy to answer whatever questions they might have. These posts will likely answer 99% of the questions people ask me about my journey from Evangelicalism to Atheism.
My Journey
My Baptist Salvation Experience
From Evangelicalism to Atheism Series
Please Help Me Understand Why You Stopped Believing
16 Reasons I am Not a Christian
The Danger of Being in a Box and Why It Makes Sense When You Are in It
What I Found When I Left the Box
The Michael Mock Rule: It Just Doesn’t Make Sense
Why Am I the Only One Who Changed My Beliefs?
Bruce, What’s the REAL Reason You Left the Ministry?
An Email From a Former College Acquaintance
Why I “Retired” From the Ministry
Bruce Gerencser CLAIMS He Once Was a Christian
It’s Time to Tell the Truth: I Had an Affair
Bruce, I Feel Sorry for You, Says Evangelical Man
Why Am I Different From My College Classmates?
Evangelical Man Doubts I Was a “True” Christian
It’s My Story and I’m Going to Tell It
Leaving the Evangelical Bubble and Entering the “World”
Letters
Dear Family, Friends, and Former Parishioners
Dear Family and Friends: Why I Can’t and Won’t Go to Church
Interviews
Preacher Boys Podcast with Eric Skwarczynski
Interview with Neil the 604 Atheist
Atheist Talk Interview with Scott Lohman
The Angry Atheist Podcast with Reap Paden
The Corpsepaint Interview with Jay
The Freethought Hour Interview with John Richards
Freedom From Religion Foundation Article
VICE News Story on the Intersection of Evangelical Christianity and QAnon
Vice News Interview: QAnon Conspiracies Are Tearing Through Evangelical America
Better Late Than Never — Talk Given to Secular Humanists of Western Lake Erie
Interview with Jonathan Pearce, A Tippling Philosopher
Interview with Clint Heacock on the Mindshift Podcast
Interview with Courtney Simmonds for the Q-Dropped Podcast
Interview with Tim Mills, The Harmonic Atheist
Thank you for taking the time to read these posts. If you have any questions, please use the contact form to email me. If you are an Evangelical, I ask that you read one more post, Dear Evangelical, before sending me your question, sermon, prayer, rebuke, or denunciation. Thanks!
“This investigation led me to conclude that the claims of Christianity and the teachings of the Bible could not rationally and intellectually be sustained.”
It’s funny how we came to opposite conclusions. Here is a little personal background:
I also could read before kindergarten. I love learning, love books.
I first majored in psychology but found they took a whole chapter to say what could be said in a paragraph. I surprised myself by loving science instead (I sometimes wonder if I would have enjoy a literature major more; I definitely wish I had gone to Bible college and studied Greek). I became a dentist.
I had been a hippie. I was always somewhat rebellious- I was voted girl most likely to join women’s lib in hs.
I became disillusioned with the pot smoking hippie scene, I found from personal experience that all was not love and peace in hippiedom.
I developed a deep hunger for truth, and read all kinds of books about all kinds of topics that were around in that era – Chariots of the Gods, books on the occult, Eckankar. Astral projection. Eastern religions. Then my ex brought home The Late Great Planet Earth. Funny, I no longer believe all of Hal Lindsey’s assertions, but it was like a light that went on. I was convinced that the Bible held the answers to my search.
50 years have passed. In that time I went back to school and majored in biology as a pre-dental student. I had world renowned evolutionists as professors. I just figured evolution and the Bible could be reconciled somehow. I was busy trying to get A’s while working at the same time so I didn’t really have time to think about it. I did years later, though.
The point that I want to get to is this: in those 50 years I have questioned literally everything about my faith. I would read something in the Bible,eg, that was contradicted in another place. I spent years wrestling with God about hell… it troubled me immensely. I questioned the truth of the Bible because it seemingly contradicted science.
All I can tell you is that every question I have had, and there were many, was answered. The questions dealing in hard facts and not philosophical questions were the most convincing to me. From my education, I had learned to think more like a scientist, evaluating hard evidence, not nebulous theory.
I’m not going to say I will pray for you. I think you need to make up your own mind to either re- investigate your decision or stand pat.
A lot rides on it in the Christian view, which you well know.
Thanks for reading!
Shirley