2.0 Deconversion: The God Concept


The concept of God, while having the appearance of being a single, coherent belief is often actually supported by multiple pillars of intertwined sub-beliefs. I give an overview of some of the most important sub-beliefs for my personal conception of God here. I will detail how at least most of these sub-beliefs fell for me, under the weight of logic and evidence, in later videos. All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music: "Deus" by Electric Skychurch


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A "Deconversion": Part I, Driving Guilt


Eternal separation from family/threat of hell. Ratings temporarily disabled due to rumored vote-bot activity.


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2.4 Deconversion: The Bible (Part 1)


I explain how, through my own personal readings, I came to see the Bible from a less literal and more liberal perspective. Verses Mentioned: Matthew 7:6 (Pearls to pigs) Proverbs 3:5 (Your own understanding) Romans 1:22 (Wise but fools) Genesis 12:11-20 (Lying Sarah) Exodus 9:12 & 10:20 (Hardening Pharaoh's heart) Leviticus 2 (Mundane flour rituals) Numbers 2 (Counting Hebrews) Romans 2:14-15 (Written on our hearts) Acts 1:18 v Matthew 27:5 (Judas's death) All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music: "Mass for Four Voices: Agnus Dei" by The Sixteen


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2.2 Deconversion: Morality


I explain how, through the study of Ethics, I came to believe that morality was something separate from God that He wanted us to discover using reason, evidence, and experience. All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. A special thanks to snap2objects for providing the Creative Commons 3.0 licensed vectors used for the figures representing myself and my teacher in this video. Another thank you to graphicssoft.about.com for providing the Christian dove brush used to represent the guidance of the Holy Spirit in my videos. Music: "Be Still My Soul" by Libera .


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2.1 Deconversion: Prayer


I explain why, for theological reasons, I stopped believing in the validity of intercessory prayer as a Christian. I also comment on the famous 2006 study on intercessory prayer[1] and present GIIVideo's argument against the validity of the "Yes", "No", and "Wait" heuristic that many theists use to justify the practice of intercessory prayer. All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music: "Ave Maria" by The Sixteen "Jaracanda" from the iLife Sound Effects library 1. "Study of the Therapeutic Effects of Intercessory Prayer (STEP) in cardiac bypass patients: a multicenter randomized trial of uncertainty and certainty of receiving intercessory prayer." Benson, Dusek NYTimes article: www.nytimes.com


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My Deconversion Story: Introduction


My story. What I was taught as a Christian child. Basic understandings of what kind of Christianity I came from. I was raised Non-Denominational, with a preference in the Pentecostal belief in the Holy Spirit, charismatic worship, and prophecy. I was NOT raised Fundie, but only in certain interpretive areas. I have never been so afraid in my life of uploading a video before. This was a risk, but one I decided to take. It is sad that people like me have to be afraid of directly addressing our childhoods for fear of loved ones finding out. Many do not understand where I came from. This video is for people who think I never had an understanding of the Bible and have no idea what I'm talking about. Maybe I'm not an expert on Christianity, but like you, I was also raised on it. Pics from google images


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2.6 Deconversion: The End


I explain the end of my confident faith in God and the beginning of what became irreparable doubts about God's existence, given the current lack of motivating evidence for believing in Him. All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music: "Deus" by Electric Skychurch .


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Deconversion of a fundamentalist christian - part 1


Story of my deconversion from christianity


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2.7 Deconversion: Losing God


I explain the torturous emotional roller-coaster and eventual desolate hopelessness and terror that resulted from losing my theistic God. For progress updates on the next video, subscribe to: twitter.com All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music (in order of appearance): "Swamp" by Télépopmusik "Bloodstone" by Amon Tobin "Welcome to the Real World" by Don Davis Image Attributions: commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org commons.wikimedia.org .


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2.5 Deconversion: Personal Relationship (Part 1)


I explain how I was raised to see God in everything, how I came to believe I had a personal relationship with him, and how I began to enter a personal crisis in college when that relationship started failing and feeling distant and confused. All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music: "Recordare" by Libera .


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2.4 Deconversion: The Bible (Part 2)


I explain how the professor's knowledge of the Bible's construction brought into question my belief that it was divinely inspired. Verses Mentioned: 2 Kings 2:24 (Children killed by bears) Deut. 20:16 (Leave alive nothing that breathes) The Documentary Hypothesis en.wikipedia.org The Bible with Sources Revealed en.wikipedia.org www.amazon.com All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music: "Mass for Four Voices: Agnus Dei" by The Sixteen .


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2.3 Deconversion: Other Christians (Part 1)


I explain how I came to see science and the Bible as compatible and started sharing this argument with atheists and non-believers through the Internet. Books Mentioned: The Science of God by Gerald Schroeder A History of God by Karen Armstrong Who Wrote the New Testament? by Burton Mack All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. A special thanks to snap2objects for providing the Creative Commons 3.0 licensed vectors used for the figures representing myself and the professor in this video. Music: "Voca Me" by Libera .


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2.3 Deconversion: Other Christians (Part 2)


I explain how I came to meet a true Christian who had deconverted and how I came to believe that I was at a different rational stage of development than some believers. Books Mentioned: Some Mistakes of Moses by Robert Ingersoll (written in 1880) All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. A special thanks to snap2objects for providing the Creative Commons 3.0 licensed vectors used for the figures representing myself and the professor in this video. Music: "Voca Me" by Libera .


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2.5 Deconversion: Personal Relationship (Part 2)


The beginning of my final battle with the professor and the professor's perspective of the concept of a personal God. All excerpts used in this video are either copyright-free or covered under "fair use" in Title 17 § 107 of the USC. Music: "Recordare" by Libera "Agnus Dei, Op. 11" by The Sixteen .


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De-Conversion Stories - The Thinking Atheist Radio Podcast #28


On BlogTalkRadio at www.blogtalkradio.com Also available on iTunes. You were a religious person, but you ultimately came to reject superstition. You gained education. You sought information. You took your stand. Your calls and emails. (NOTE: This show has been edited from its original recording for time and to remove technical glitches.)


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Christian Missionary Deconverted by Tribe (proteanview)


Pirahã tribe of Brazil returns Christian Missionary, Daniel Everett, to atheism More on the Pirahã tribe & linguist, Daniel Everett - www.youtube.com www.newscientist.com www.llc.ilstu.edu www.damninteresting.com www.newyorker.com centripetalnotion.com proteanview


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Leaving Christianity: Deconversion story from Christianity to Atheism Part 1


The following video outlines my journey from christianity to Atheism. I feel that telling my deconversion story might be useful especially as a black/african american atheist. It is a story you don't usually hear about. Part one talks about how I became a Christian and came to know Jesus as a child. Hope this will be some use to you. enjoy


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My Deconversion Part 1: Everybody is born an atheist


Everybody is an atheist with respect to most of the gods humanity has ever believed in; some of us just go one god further...


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Leaving Christianity: Deconversion story from Christianity to Atheism Part 2


The following video outlines my journey from christianity to Atheism. I feel that telling my deconversion story might be useful especially as a black/african american atheist. It is a story you don't usually hear about. Hope this will be some use to you. This video is part two of my journey. It talks about how I left christianity during college mostly due to slowly leaving church, becoming unsatisfied with the chrisitian community and then learning atheist arguments online on ex-christian.net. Anyway please enjoy!!!


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My Deconversion Story


EDIT 5/24/2010: There seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding going on in the comments section about what atheism entails. Allow me to explain: 1. ATHEISTS ARE NOT ANGRY AT GOD. I even state that in this video, very explicitly and loud enough for even my craptacular mike to pick up. Why aren't we angry at God? Because we don't believe God exists. For an atheist to be angry at God would be every bit as ridiculous as a theist being angry at a jackalope, for whatever reason. 2. ATHEISM IS MERELY THE NON-BELIEF IN THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. It does not automatically entail an argument against Christianity or religion in any way, shape, or form. As a matter of fact, some religions are atheistic: Buddhism, Jainism, Taoism, even Universal Unitarianism are, or can be, godless. Simply put: Atheism =/= A need for an argument, good or bad, against religion. 3. IF YOU HAVE RELIGION, GREAT. STOP SHOVING IT DOWN MY THROAT. Self-explanatory. Already did the "born-again" thing; don't need to do it twice. But thanks for your concern. 4. IF YOU ARE A CHRISTIAN AND HAPPY ABOUT IT, I'M HAPPY FOR YOU. But again, I'm not interested in being converted, thanks anyway. -------- The story of how I de-converted from radical Christianity to atheism.


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Deconversion: Jesus & Young People - Part 1


My hope in making this is that I can be, for one person, the person I never had in my life through the years of losing everything I believed in. It is ok to not be a Christian. This is a tragic love story of unusual nature, but it happens - and not enough people are talking about it. Not enough people can. Music by Prplfox sites.google.com Watercolors by Prplfox. Background images from the artists of deviantart.com.


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Atheist Deconversion Part 1


My short explanation of why I deconverted from evangelical christianity to metaphysical naturalism


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Deconversion: Jesus & Young People - Part 3


My hope in making this is that I can be, for one person, the person I never had in my life through the years of losing everything I believed in. It is ok to not be a Christian. This is a tragic love story of unusual nature, but it happens - and not enough people are talking about it. Not enough people can. Music by Prplfox. sites.google.com Animation intro made in Google SketchUp. Imagery from the artists of deviantart.com.


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"My name is Nick and I'm an Ex Mormon."


www.i-am-an-exmormon.com www.exmormonfoundation.org http www.exmormon.reddit.com http My name is Nick Godfrey. I was raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. My dad is a lifelong member, while my mom converted to the church when I was three years old. Throughout my life I chose to believe and participate in the church. I always attended my church meetings and fulfilled my callings. I strove to obey the doctrines and practices of the church as strictly as possible. I drew a great deal of comfort from my beliefs. Mormonism was at the core of my identity. In July 2010 I started questioning whether I had a solid basis to believe in Mormonism. I concluded that I couldn't base my testimony on subjective feelings or personal spiritual experiences because first, people of all faiths feel similar emotions when they worship their gods, and read their holy books and if that is the standard of evidence that I accept Mormonism under, I would have to extend the same standard of evidence to these theologies. Second, the emotions and feelings that lead me to accept Mormonism, no matter how strongly they felt, or how externally generated they felt, could too easily be a product of self-delusion, hallucination, miss-perception, pattern-seeking, or wishful-thinking. I concluded that I needed to look for objective evidence if I was going to accept Mormonism. As I began to study Mormon history and doctrine deeper than I ever had in my life I began to discover many parts of <b>...</b>


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Deconversion: Jesus & Young People - Part 4


My hope in making this is that I can be, for one person, the person I never had in my life through the years of losing everything I believed in. It is ok to not be a Christian. This is a tragic love story of unusual nature, but it happens - and not enough people are talking about it. Not enough people can. Music by Prplfox. sites.google.com Imagery from the artists of deviantart.com and from personal photographs. Pencil & watercolor drawings of "split" "bound by straps" and Liam by Prplfox. Videos (Fair Use 17 USC § 107): Pawan Sinha on how brains learn to see www.youtube.com Revival Fire Falls at His Way Church www.youtube.com Jars of Clay - Worlds Apart www.youtube.com


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The deconversion of Dan Barker


This was taken from a podcast available for free download at ffrf.org. Used with Dan Barker's permission. :)


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A "Deconversion": Part II, The Evolution of Thought


Creationism is born of human arrogance. Get over yourself, Christians.


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Deconversion 3: Becoming Bart Ehrman


Part 3 of my deconversion from Christianity series. Part 1: www.youtube.com Part 2: www.youtube.com Clips from "My Man Godfrey" (1936) public domain from archive.org Music composed and performed by: www.youtube.com This video may or may not contain images under copyright. Use of these images in this video are for the purpose of education or criticism, and fall under "Fair Use" US Copyright Act of 1976, 17 USC § 107


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Deconversion 1: A Christian Foundation


This is my first Youtube video laying the groundwork for a Deconversion from Christianity series. It covers my childhood to age 15 when I 'became' a fundamentalist. Many thanks to a special few Youtubers whose stories have inspired me to tell mine: Prplfox, Evid3nc3, anubis2814, and EdwardTarte. Part 2: www.youtube.com Part 3: www.youtube.com Electronic music: Another Electronic Musician, ""Fields and Axioms" Acoustic guitar: Me www.youtube.com www.youtube.com www.youtube.com www.youtube.com This video may or may not contain images under copyright. Use of these images in this video are for the purpose of education or criticism, and fall under "Fair Use" US Copyright Act of 1976, 17 USC § 107


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My Deconversion Part 2: My Pillars of Faith (revised)


"Everybody is an atheist with respect to most of the gods humanity has ever believed in; some of us just go one god further..." - Richard Dawkins "For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as t really is, than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring." - Carl Sagan. I'm what you might call a New Atheist, and I'm new here on YouTube. There are several people here on YouTube to whom I owe my sanity and I will get around to thanking them personally in later videos. I hope you'll all pull up a spare seat and treat me nicely :) Note: This is the second revision of this video to be published. The original was made available five days earlier and had some factual errors with respect to the earlier gods with christ-like attributes. I have corrected these errors and re-uploaded the video. The important moral to learn from this experience and this video series is this: I am not a Creationist or a fundamentalist-anything. If I get something wrong and am shown the evidence, I change my mind. When you are presented with evidence that is contrary to your beliefs what do you do? Do you change your beliefs to be in line with new and current and confirmed evidence or do you sit tight to your old ideas? I know which side of the evidence-based fence I sit on. How about you?


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Deconversion: Jesus & Young People - Part 5


*A note about Liam: I left what happened with Liam intentionally vague. This was in respect for and protection of those whose lives were affected. This is, after all, a real story. He did something that hurt a lot of people and severed our relationship, the specifics of which are not relevant to why I deconverted. I included this event because of its affect on my relationship with Jesus and how it necessitated the prolonged survival of my faith. Ultimately, this series isn't meant to just be about me. This is a human story and I'm only doing this right if you can connect in some way with your own story through it. I promise eventually there is a turnaround and there will be resolution and a new life as an atheist, it just isn't yet. I wanted to represent the reality of what happens sometimes in a young person who becomes trapped in a deconversion and what the consequences of that can be. Music by Prplfox. sites.google.com Imagery from the artists of deviantart.com, by Prplfox, and from personal photographs. Links: Ex-christian.net Forum www.ex-christian.net Main page new.exchristian.net Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) new.exchristian.net Complex-PTSD en.wikipedia.org outofthefog.net Videos (Fair Use 17 USC § 107): Marlene Winell on CNN - Church shooting in CO www.youtube.com "Persevering Grace" sermon www.youtube.com "Life will send us Tsunamis" sermon www.youtube.com Hillsong -- This is Our God www.youtube.com


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The Deconversion of Former OTVII Scientologist Tory Magoo


Tory 'Magoo' Christman tells the touching story about how her deconversion from Scientology started. From the video series 'Scientology: Tory at the CFI' by Xenu TV. - Xenu TV: youtube.com/xenutv1 -- xenutv.com - Tory Magoo: youtube.com/ToryMagoo44 -- torymagoo.org - Andreas Heldal Lund's site: xenu.net


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My Deconversion Story


Here it is - at last!


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The 2009 Deconversion Challenge (Awards Gala)


PlayfulGibbon presents the 2009 Deconversion Challenge. Congratulations to all the participants and especially to the final 10 finalists. Please feel free to visit the channels of the 10 distinguished finalists : AronRa ZOMGitsCriss MontyPython philellenes StanfordUniversity NephilimFree AtheistMediaBlog richarddawkinsdotnet patcondell venomfangX (closed pending investigation) ★★ ALL RESULTS BASED ON UNSCIENTIFIC AND COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE DATA ★★


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A "Deconversion": Part III, Sexism


Religion=forced dependency on males. Oh, and I like piano music. It helps me reflect, so you can all shut your whiny asses up. Don't like it? Don't watch it! SONG: Soaring Mesa Cliffs by Jeff Bjorck. Please support this up and coming artist by checking out his music on iTunes. Ratings temporarily disabled due to rumored vote-bot activity.


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My Deconversion Part 5(a): Morality Introduction


This is a slightly different take on 'biblical morality' than other videos you may be used to. It's just a taster of how I viewed the world in my Christian life and demonstrates how such a world view can be hazardous to your health. This is the fifth video in the "My Deconversion" series, a set of videos in which I explain some of the highlights of the turning points from my fundamentalist Christian viewpoint to a more rational and clear-headed world view. I would encourage your comments and thank you for stopping by my channel!


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Atheist Deconversion Part 2


The contiuation of my deconversion summary.


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Deconversion 2: A Serious Case of Religion


Part 2 of my deconversion from Christianity series. Part 1: www.youtube.com Part 3: www.youtube.com Music by Astral Projection This video may or may not contain images under copyright. Use of these images in this video are for the purpose of education or criticism, and fall under "Fair Use" US Copyright Act of 1976, 17 USC § 107


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A "Deconversion": Part IV, A Child's Testimony


"A Child's Testimony" Part 4 of a series exploring my apostasy from the mormon church. My MySpace, add me! www.myspace.com Non-Atheist Channel www.youtube.com Twitter www.twitter.com Song: Yiruma, River Flows in You Ratings temporarily disabled due to rumored vote-bot activity.


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An Atheist Deconversion Part 4 (Final)


A quick summary of the deconversion


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Deconversion story 1 of 2


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