Your gospel story quiz made me angry. I took it twice, the second time through I recorded the opposite response to each question and still received a zero. Maybe you think it's clever to quiz people on the contradictions, my time is valuable and you wasted it with your impossible quiz. Get a life. ~Alana Cooke, MA, MEd To monitor comments posted to this topic, use .

My name is Jayson Cooke and I am a Psych Science student at Griffith University Gold Coast campus in Queensland Australia. I am in the process of starting an on-campus cultural group "Griffith University Society for Skeptics and Freethinkers." I was hoping you may be able to help out in some way, any way really. I really believe we can contribute towards something great here and any assistance would be greatly appreciated. The Centre for Inquiry On Campus group ( http://www.campusfreethought .org/ ) has kindly provided promotional and educational material which has been a great help but in order to achieve our goals of not just preaching to the “converted” I will need all the help I can get. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated and I have just finished setting up a myspace group page to be found at http://groups.myspace.com /gussf Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this and for the inspiration. Jayson D Cooke To monitor comments posted to this topic, use...

A letter from Michelle N I have enjoyed reading this site for months now. I'm not good with computers and mine is an antique. I left the faith a few years ago. The main reason was the hell doctrine. My mother took me to a Lutheran church as a child (pretty laid back,no fire and brimstone). My dad would drop us off and go get a coffee. My mother had faith but was not fanatical: more of a "Sunday Christian." It was the warnings of hell by an elderly women at a friend's youth group that scared the shit out of me. I tried to feel close to god, but was convinced He hated me. I was also convinced at age 22 that I had somehow committed the Unpardonable Sin. I practically had a nervous breakdown, just waiting to die and face my unchangeable fate. Every night was spent weeping for all the people who were destined for hell. I started to realize that being a Christian meant shutting off the part of the brain that feels compassion. How could anyone accept their loved ones -...

Sent in by Cathy M I do not consider myself a part of the Christian-sect; however, I find this site to be filled with the most cynical of former Christians -- and what's the point? Why would these folks need encouragement? I think it's because they still carry the Christian belief that they will burn in a place called hell for turning their backs on a God whom they believe to be vengeful. (case in point: why does the anti-spam question ask if fire is hot or cold? Freudian slip?) It seems to me the whole purpose of this site is for folks to reassure themselves they made the right decision in leaving the Christian doctrine; yet over half of the arguments are illogical, lame -- as if the bloggers aren't quite sure they did the right thing. One blogger argues against God and somehow introduces religion as part of his argument against God -- there is no relation between the two: God is God. He did not create religion -- religions were invented by men who attempted to control t...

Sent in by BTG I would like to submit my full story sometime later on when I have the time. Until then, I would like to bring up something that crossed my mind as I was sitting down on a bench in the middle of a garden. I began to gaze at a mamey tree. The cycle of life came into my mind. Obviously, it was birthed out of a pod from a previous tree, and it grew into what it is right now. That tree, which is currently full-grown, has had many different pod-filled fruits come out which it will hope to birth dozens more trees. And then, someday that tree will die. What becomes of the tree? Surely, it's seedlings live on to hopefully become trees, but does the tree in question go to some sort of magical garden in Heaven? Or does it wither away and vanish from existence for all eternity, as I fear may be the truth? This applies to all living microbes, animals, insects, and humans that are on this earth right now. When we die, what becomes of our consciousness? Does our consciousness liv...

Sent in by The Atheist Tooth Fairy Before I state my question, first some basic history about myself. My wife is a very devout Christian woman, while I'm now a complete atheist, one who not only doesn't believe in God and the bible, but also sees zero evidence for anything supernatural on this earth as well. You can surely imagine how the debates must go between my wife and I. My ongoing efforts to show her with extensive proof that the bible is nothing supernatural to 'worship' and her telling me that she'll be praying for God to give me my faith back, for to my wife my problem is surely just a matter of 'fixing' my faith to get me back on track etc. In all my research of the supposed supernatural things of the bible that Christians and atheist debate about, there is one interesting item I never see anyone talk about. This subject came up during one of our many little debates with my wife, about the extraordinary claims of the bible. If one assumes that fol...

Sent in by Monk First, let me say that I am adamantly atheistic. I want to make that known to put my question(s) in the proper context and identify myself as a sincere seeker of knowledge (as opposed to a rabble-rousing “troll”). Having said that, I ask: How is it possible to make an informed decision about anything when so many sources claim to have the inerrant truth? (This could apply to several subjects, but let’s limit it to religion for now). I reasoned my way out of what little faith I ever had using solid, verifiable evidence…but what about the religious masses? The findings of science, scholarly history, atheism, etc., etc., are enough for me. Yet, what is true and reasonable to me may not seem that way to someone else. In my experience, you cannot combat faith with reason. Why? Because you cannot combat emotion with reason, and I would argue that faith is nothing more than an aberrant and misguided combination of otherwise healthy emotions. How can we, as non-believers, pro...

Sent in by Jim Before I ask my question, I want to provide a brief overview of my religious background--a mini-testimonial. My Mother was a very religious person (Southern Baptist) who dedicated me to God at birth, bred me for the ministry, read to me from the Bible every evening, required me to say my prayers with her every evening, and she took me to our church for every single event which occurred there: weekly prayer meetings; Sunday morning and evening Bible study and services; Bible Study classes during special weeks during the year; revival services; Vacation Bible School; etc. I attended the Baptist college in my state as a ministerial student, majoring in philosophy with a minor in religious studies. After graduation from college, I attended seminary and earned my B.D. degree. During my first year in seminary, mymother died, and as a result of that, I was able for the first time in my life to begin to "decide" what I really wanted to do with my life. During the secon...

Sent in by SailorFraud This is in reference to the YMCA evicting the atheist youth group, Camp Quest, posted in March 2007 . I sent a letter to Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) and got a response that they will respond when they have the time. AU recently sent me an email with detailed questions. The letter is posted below. Can you please answer their questions, or direct me to someone who can answer them, or perhaps post it on your site so the audience can answer them? Thanks! Thank you for contacting Americans United. I apologize that it has taken a while to get back to you. As you might imagine, our office has been extremely busy. Because the YMCA is not a public entity, its actions probably do not constitute an Establishment Clause violation. Do you know if the YMCA is receiving public funds to maintain these camp grounds? Do you know if the YMCA owns this land or if it rents it from the city? I look forward to your response. To monitor comments posted to...

On Sunday, July 1st, Internet Infidels released the first installment of a series of debates called The Great Debate: God or Blind Nature? Philosophers Debate the Evidence . It aims to bring together nine distinguished philosophers in a series of four debates, each with a different focus on evidence for and against naturalism and theism. You can view the first installment, a series of exchanges between physicalist Andrew Melnyk and dualists Stuart Goetz and Charles Taliaferro on "Mind and Will," here: http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/debates/great-debate.html This is the "live" table of contents for the entire series of debates, giving you a general idea of what's planned for the forthcoming installments. The remaining installments will be released about every two months after the release of the first, i.e., September 1, November 1, and January 1. In the meantime, I would appreciate it if you would assist me by linking to the Great Debate Project website i...

From Andrew D I am sorry that the curch as we know it has failed so many people. Chritianity is about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, not a personal relationship with man although that is part of it. If there is no love, all other things are meaningless. I would like to encourage those who have been hurt, neglected or condemned by fellow man, there is a thing called unconditional love but you won't experience it from man. Man will fail each other time and time again. We have to look past the ills of man and hope for better things. I am a Christian and I understand why people have turned there back on God, I have come close but I realise that it has always been because man has let me down or because I can't see the resons for certain things happening in my life. Our understanding is so limited and if we would realise surrendering our lives completely and trusting in God we would see drastic changes in our lives for the better but we fear not been in control of our...

Dear sir/madam, I am writing to you out of concern, and i really hope that you might spend a short time to read this email. i dont write this email to try to stir or offend you but i was googling "christian forums" when i stumbled upon your website. I attend christian forums as a born again believer and i believe they are helpful for dicussion of hard topics and current affairs etc that might be causing a christian some struggles etc. The chrisitan forums websites are used to encourage each other - and to lift one another up. Your website however seems to only have the sole purpose of bringing people down. I;m not the smartest or most knowledgable person around but i do know that what you are doing is sin and i think it a real trajedy that you would encourage others to leave behind God and to not return to Him after trials. Life is hard, i will grant you. But what do we deserve?? nothing! We are sinners, all of us - and there is no denying that every single person on the...

Sent in by Jake O i am extremely disapointed in this web site. indeed athiesm is a belief and should be repected, indeed religion has flaws and can be challenged, but at no time should you ever critisize others and put them down, and to insult them because you dont agree. you think you are so sophisticated and intelligent over those who believe in a higher being. you think that religion is the source of all of what is bad in the world when really the worst people in history were athiest. ex. adolf hitler, napolean, stalin. not to mention how many people has religion given hope, comfort, and healing to? To monitor comments posted to this topic, use .

I am hoping that you can give me some sort of rebuttal concerning the so-called fulfillment of Biblical prophecies, particularly the one involving the rebirth of Israel in 1948. I have been presenting various information to a friend of mine to illustrate that the Bible is full of errors and a very shady history as far as how it was constructed. This particular friend keeps harping on the fact that the rebirth of Israel was predicted in Ezekiel 37 & 38. He also constantly reiterates the fact that the much-hyped "Mark of the Beast" scenario was not ever possible until the generation that we are currently living in (computer technology, lasers, Digital Angel tracking, etc.) What would be your reply to such a person?

Sent in by Harry Hey everybody. This is my latest posting here on this site. I have written quite a few times before and at various points in time have had differing opinions. Despite having gone to church for years, and bible college, I have come to the conclusion (yet again) that I am not comfortable with religious doctrines/heaven and hell/salvation/etc. I'm not really sure whether I am an Agnostic or an Atheist. While I don't believe in a personal god that answers prayer and is in control of the universe, etc., I do have an appreciation for the beauty of life and nature. I understand why people believe the things they do about their respective religions: Faith is comforting (for the adherent). At this point in time, I am having mixed emotions at the prospect of not believing in the religious God(s) I have come to know over the years. I feel more free and clear-minded than I have ever felt before... yet at the same time, I feel nervous. This site has been a huge help to me ...