I was a very devout believer, ranging from a bapist at salvation, to fundamentalist pentacostal, to a charismatic episcopalian of sorts. I never let the human failings of the church deter me from believing that Jesus was real, the bible was true, and that at least at the core what I believed was right. I also have extensive training in Bible, and some in theology and Greek as well. It was enough to step up to the challenge of examining the supposed "evidence that demands a verdict" when challenged to do so.

That challenge came from stumbling across the Walk Away page, and I had to take it once I got over the stupid comfort phrases of "It can't happen to me ... I'm different ... they never REALLY believed ... they're throwing the baby out with the bathwater ... if they only had a REAL personal relationship with Jesus, like I do, they wouldn't have left." Just having those words run through my mind made me feel horribly dishonest -- up to that point I hadn't really looked at the evidence; I just trusted some bumbling idiot behind a pulpit to have done the research for me. My experience with the evangelical clergy taught me these people weren't that well educated in what they believed in, just well indoctrinated. With full faith in the notion that Christianity was true, I put it all on the line, and said that I would follow the evidence where it leads. What did I have to lose? If it proved true, or at least neutral in the evidence, that would be a good thing to know in future discussions with unbelievers. And if it proved false, I shouldn't believe in it.

I am now a very happy atheist.

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