Divine Dysfunction: God's Guidance Vs. Modern Mental Health

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Morning all! Hope you enjoy it. I'll be a bit slow to responding to comments for the next hour, but will be on after that. Thanks for being here!

[@berkah6240]

Thank you! I like how you touched on so many different aspects of how following the Bible can be a disadvantage. This topic is very close to my heart, as the Bible and Christianity have wreaked havoc and intense suffering upon my family in which my mother is Schizoaffective. After decades of no improvement from trusting Jesus, leading to years of trauma, she is now dramatically improved since trusting "the world" and getting actual help from psychiatrists. I shared the video on my Facebook🤞

[@raya.p.l5919]

Jesus ❤ power So why most haven't felt the holy Spirit. Because the devil Change the word ( ask) it means ( demand ) so anything asked will be denied.

[@hunnybadger442]

I hope you get a chance to see my post... I left you some friendly constructive criticism... Because I really want to see you grow, prosper and succeed... Keep up the good work... Much 💕

[@veronicascott313]

​@@raya.p.l5919watching more mind shift seems like a good idea.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Oh wow. What a great example! Thanks for sharing

[@jenna2431]

My c-ptsd carried over into marrying a flaming narcissistic. But the church told me to be submissive, listen to my husband and hearken to his voice. I got so ground down that my prayers to heaven consisted of begging to die just to get out of there without the "sin" of divorce. Coming and going, they get you.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Isnt it insane what this does to us! So sorry to hear but thanks for sharing here.

[@kevinstclair7692]

Naturally the church will tell you to be submissive, and inflict you with the fear, if you divorce it's a sin. The f**king system was built by a bunch of misogynistic, narcissistic, misanthropic f**kers. That's the best way to describe these SOB's.

[@badger1296]

I was lucky: My flaming narcissist spouse cheated on me. It's the best thing that she ever did for me. Now, I've gone back to school, I'm faithless, and I have a really awesome relationship with a former JW. Keep the faith that life can get better. 💔

[@Johnmhatheist]

As a former Christian, I'm truly sorry about that.

[@amaraci]

Similar story, only that I convinced myself that I heard God’s voice through a few Bible verses, telling me to “stand firm”, and so I kept praying for him to come back and for us to be “restored” even after he did me the great favor of getting the heck out of my life. 3 years of my life I spent miserable, “waiting on God to restore”. Thank goodness that did not happen, because now I am in a healthy, happy relationship with a man who is not a malignant narcissist… and I have recovered my sanity far away from Christianity.

[@unsilencedderp9411]

As a recently deconverted Christian, it is satisfying to hear all of my unspoken thoughts said aloud by someone else.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So glad to help normalize!

[@dasbus9834]

A popular rebuttal against atheists is that religion should be respected because it helps so many people. In reality, it's an endless source of bad or toxic advice. Nobody uses the Bible to treat infections or cancer, and the same should be true for mental health issues.

[@jenniferhunter4074]

It's bargaining. They just didn't bother to write down the cons in this pro/con list. They treat their religion as a perfect good and I'm not sure a perfect good can be good. Think about it. Water is good. You need it to live. Too much is a problem. You can die. Same for food. Or charity to the point that you need to use that same charity. There is a cost to everything because we live a finite life in a finite world with finite resources. If you use your money to buy a house, you do not get to use that money to go to Las Vegas. If you go to church service, you do not have that time to invest in your hobbies or your friendships outside the church. Religion is a placebo drug that we use just like the platitude 'thoughts and prayers". It's not meant to cure. It's meant to waste our time and tire us so we don't demand a fix and hold the people in power accountable for the mess they create. I mean.. how many republicans are out front and center answering questions about Kate Cox. I just want to see them go through that but they can't handle that while they demanded that Kate Cox suffer a non-viable pregnancy .. a pregnancy that had already forced Cox to seek medical attention at the emergency ward in the Hospital several times. What were republicans gong to do if she died? Thoughts and prayers and pointing to the good that the hospital has done for some cancer patient? It's a very zero sum bs line of logic. *let's not pretend that this anti-abortion movement arose from a secular source. It was a Catholic position and the more corrupt Christians chose to adopt this position so they could gain political power.. via sacrificing women's human rights. Where's the higher morals/ethics of this group when it came to protecting a woman's right as a human being? Notice how little we talk about men in the same dehumanizing fashion.. especially white men? And I do think that a believer is mentally ill. I like santa claus.. I like the idea of flying reindeer. I do not believe that Santa exists nor do I leave out cookies and milk for this intruder. To be an adult and to still believe the nonsense of religion is a sign of mental illness. We just haven't figured out the terminology. It's some form of pathology.. I mean.. look at the morons who actually believed Harold Camping? They lost their entire life savings because they believed. -Mental illness is a far more expansive domain. It can include things like OCD (I have that and it's a nightmare when I can't stop because I must complete) or schizophrenia (my family has that) to trauma such as PTSD (I had that from my deconversion). It's not crazy guy on the street. That's an extreme version. Most of us look like we're functioning because we have our meds or our behavioral therapy and we just have to suck it up sometimes and live via compartmentalizing and suppressing the crap. One day, we're going to have a term for the pathology of religiosity. It's not that one can't enjoy joining a religion. It's that they actually believe it rather than understanding that it's playtime. It's no different from going to the movie theater and suspending disbelief for 2 hours and then, coming back to reality Much as I might enjoy Star Wars or Star Trek and quote lines.. I don't function as if those media are real. That is the difference between a healthy individual and a mentally ill individual. that's why I believe the religious are mentally ill. They blur the lines between their religious fantasy and the real world too much.

[@legosi2736]

For real

[@legosi2736]

Like what did the religious nuts 🤪 expect when more an more people are leaving, and becoming more critical thinkers and more moral.

[@bbittercoffee]

Aha! That's where you're wrong! I'm not saying they're successful, but the believers sure do try!

[@zacharylehocki]

Well said couldn`t agree more.

[@DrakeTimbershaft]

I remember as a tweener I took God’s words - or what I thought were God’s words - very seriously. I thought when I was in a bad place in my life, God was punishing me. One day, my aunt - who was a nun as well as a social worker - saw me brooding and asked what was wrong. I said I thought God was punishing me. Passionately, my aunt exclaimed, “For what? BREATHING?” It was startling for me to hear that. We had a healthy dialogue about my worries that day. I assume that as a Catholic she believed in original sin, but she was also a therapist who did not see the human condition as some form of divine punishment. I don’t know how she squared that circle, but I think she valued mental health over piety. She helped mold my sense of self worth, and I miss her.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Oh wow. What a lady! We all need some early intervention like this!

[@judethree4405]

That is such a good critique, because the curse from the fall IS a punishment, and so that is like God saying “I’m going to punish you because of my punishment.” Ok, sounds real just…

[@chameleonx9253]

​@@judethree4405"I'm going to punish you for doing what I knew you were going to do and explicitly designed the entire universe to ensure that you were going to do, and also designed the universe so that it literally wouldn't function unless you did do the thing I wanted you to do but am going to punish you for anyway."

[@ReasonQuest]

"The number one way God resolves conflict is to remove it--to kill it." So true.

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

I mean thats effective when you think about it

[@ejmproductions8198]

Believing the world is going to end soon and not taking care of my money, or doing long-term planning has gotten me into a whole lot of trouble

[@mejie6792]

Same with my parents. They wasted their money giving to church while their leaders are living lavishly. Its such a f*cked up situation. Now we suffer financially because of it.

[@Mahlak_Mriuani_Anatman]

​@@mejie6792 humanity is faqed

[@Johnmhatheist]

One of the reasons, in my opinion, that it took me so long to see that Christianity is a lie is because of my autism. I have aspergher's syndrome. As a child and even as a teenager, I was extremely gullible. Since christianity was embedded into me as an autistic child, it got into the chore of my brain. It was so hard to leave it behind. Obviously, I spent many years as a child and teenager talking to therapists and psychiatrists. When I told a psychiatrist that I would be honored to die for Christ, she prescribed me anti-psycosis medications. She thought I was crazy. When I was a Christian, I was delusional. I was so extreme that I had no problem telling someone, "Have fun burning in hell." Even now, as an atheist, I still have dreams and nightmares about religion, coming out as an atheist, being shunned, burning in hell, etc. When the bible was written, mental health wasn't even a topic. No wonder God is a terrible therapist because ancient men back then didn't know about mental health just like they didn't know that the earth orbits the sun and that if the Earth stopped, we would die.

[@MrMarineBro]

As an autistic Aspie myself. I was asking the questions they didn’t want at 7 years old. So by around 7/8 I’d figured it was all shadows on the cave wall.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Oh man. Thanks for sharing. I cant speak to the autism side. But my childhood indoctrination was very similar.

[@Hitoshura844]

My experience as someone with an autism diagnosis raised in the catholic church was that like you I just kind of accepted what I was told until I was a teenager and started learning about parts of the bible that weren't in the catechism. At that point the lack of consistency almost immediately led to me dropping all the supernatural baggage, and evaluating the moral teachings free of that context.

[@whysocurious7366]

Interesting story. One thing I would like to add: Some ancient people DID know the earth orbits the sun, because some ancients understood math & did experiments with shadows from the sun. The Greeks estimated the circumference of the earth & got really close to our measurements.

[@Johnmhatheist]

@whysocurious7366 you're right. I was actually considering writing, "ancient Middle Eastern men didn't know that back then," but I thought that would sound anti-semitic, so I changed it to ancient people. Not just the Greeks, but the Aztecs, and mayans too. I exaggerated and you're right. But the ancient israelites didn't know that.

[@1bean]

Whenever I see a clearly traumatized person claim their life has been turned around by “finding Jesus” my heart sinks. I was raised in the church, and what they have to offer is the opposite of healing. Christianity as an ideology parasitically feeds on pain, fear, and shame. There is no Christianity without letting someone tell you that you’re broken and that your suffering is your own fault. Being mentally poisoned with guilt and shame with the only promised cure happening after you’re dead keeps you stuck in an endless, hopeless cycle of suffering until the day you die. Healing is forgiving yourself for what you had no control over, taking charge of what you do have control over, and realizing that you deserve happiness, and that things can and will get better for you during this life if you ask for help and learn new ways of thinking

[@carmenvillasenor1186]

Yup❤guilt is a big one too

[@Cyraneth]

Beautifully said. Wish I could do more than just upvote this.

[@briobarb8525]

Well said!!!

[@blueStarKitt7924]

Thank you.🙏❤️

[@al4nmcintyre]

My church trained us to look for people who were having a hard time in life and to "witness to" them, because they were "more ready" for help from God. It's not accidental how often traumatized folks end up in groups like that. I wish more people could be made aware of how that works.

[@maarit.gneleah]

*"Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him."* - As childhood experiences are the foundation of lifelong mental health, Biblical legacy of beating children has been very harmful.

[@blueStarKitt7924]

Yes.😞😞😞😔😢

[@craigmacaullay-ft2ws]

Great point, I was raped when I was 5 years old. I was stigmatised by everyone…

[@blueStarKitt7924]

@@craigmacaullay-ft2ws Sorry for what you went through. May you heal and find peace and love.🙏❤️

[@craigmacaullay-ft2ws]

@@blueStarKitt7924 thank you so much 👍

[@joshuadala3508]

African parents use that verse as an excuse for.abuse

[@akulagepard9510]

I suffer from Generalized Anxiety Disorder and it’s been quite present in my life since I was 7. I was brought in a very christian household. I vividly remember one of my first serious panic attacks, at age 7/8, and feeling terrified of pretty much everything. My dad called the pastor into our house, it was like 8pm and the message he gave me was “you have a few demons roaming around you, you gotta fight them and ask god to heal and forgive you for whatever sins you committed” - picture that being said to an already terrified anxious child. I can remember that moment like it was yesterday.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

I had similar experiences. So sorry you also went through this. What an insane thing

[@johntiggleman4686]

That's horrible. Bad enough for an adult, but a little kid? Mind boggling.

[@chrishollandsworth6700]

So sorry to hear that. Alot of us say we deconverted after having children because we seriously reconsidered our posistions on faith for our children's sake. Crazy to imagine parents willing to abuse their kids with this kind of garbage. Hope you are doing well now!

[@akulagepard9510]

@@anjafrohlich1170 I was 7 years old.

[@Lunarstar1323]

​@@anjafrohlich1170 that's like telling a 4 yr old that you should have broken the command to obey your elders and to honor your mother and father and said no when her dad started sexually abusing her. Or to not let fear keep her from insisting to her mother she was telling the truth at age 7 when it was still happening, and then as she grows up with massive depressive disorder, PTSD, and generalized anxiety, and is suicidal, then tells her she has demons and she needs to give her life over to god, even though she goes to church and believes in Jesus and tries to live her life according to the Bible. Ultimately, father is in the biblical right to abuse his daughter, mom is in biblical right to call daughter a liar and mistreat her due to jealousy, and child is in sin and has demons, if not actually accused of being demon possessed, because only demons would make up such horrendous lies... Maybe you'd like to condone sexual predators and abusive parents, after all the Bible does condone incest and rape. Just read about Lot and his daughters. Lot gave his daughters to be raped to keep the "angels" from being raped by the town. Then after they leave and his wife gets turned to salt, the girls both rape him to get pregnant and carry on the family name and god is totally ok with all of this.

[@jshud3]

I can honestly and truthfully say that I have been far less anxiety filled since I've stopped following the Christian religion... small example, reclaiming Sunday mornings for walks in the park, reading, thinking and reflecting.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Perfect. Love this.

[@mizotter]

GOOD for you! As a mindfulness educator, I often wonder how the world might be different if all Believers spent Sundays in self-care practices!

[@xtina2189]

EVEN IF this god character were real, he would in NO WAY be worthy of ANY praise.

[@davidbellecy1709]

Amen

[@JAMESLEVEE]

The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The rejection of God is its ultimate attainment.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Ohhh i like that!

[@KarmasAB123]

I'll try to do you one better: "The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. The rejection of God" is the start of the path. The love that God should have been is transcendent.

[@kennid6743]

Whew!! EVERYTHING laid out here is what my Pentecostal parents believed and now they are over 75 still working because they believed “God will provide “ , “store your treasures in heaven”, etc as their financial plan. It’s so heartbreaking watching them go down this path. They have tithe even when we had nothing to eat. This theology is so dangerous.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Same with my mom. Its just so very sad.

[@robertmoore2049]

It’s like I hear so many Christians say, if you see any good in me, it’s not me, it’s Jesus or it wasn’t me that did all this work, it was Jesus in me. Thank you Brandon for all you do!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you much!

[@26beegee]

Inner healing was all the rage in evangelical churches in the 1980s and into the 1990s. It was very harmful. I strongly caution everyone to only see educated, licensed, professional therapists. I have experienced and seen first hand the really serious harm “Christian” counseling does. From a person who has had 3 open heart surgeries, I seriously doubt being anointed with oil would have replaced my failing heart valves!

[@annemurphy8074]

I have D.I.D from horrific ongoing childhood trauma and the Christian counsellors would only do deliverance, convinced the alters in our D.I.D system were ALL demons. NOT HELPFUL!

[@dross4207]

The Tin Man begs to differ with you.

[@johngrimkowski598]

@@annemurphy8074 im a believer but i do agree with you

[@annemurphy8074]

@@johngrimkowski598 Thank you.

[@26beegee]

@@dross4207 Are you referring to the Wizard of Oz tin man? How does he, a fictional character like god, differ with anyone? And what about?

[@stevenbolin7688]

Correct, don't be a people pleaser, I speak from experience. It will tear you apart caring for others and forgetting your own health and happiness 😊

[@easyoverthere]

My favorite thing to say as an atheist now is, “The love of your life should be the love of YOUR life.”

[@KarmasAB123]

Love this :D

[@nicolewilson191]

The biggest thing I found recently is that I'm tired of trying to be someone I'm not! The Bible shows a God who hated the way I was so I was trying to be someone I'm not, Believing my human nature was a sin nature. Any way fuck it I'm deconstructing the so called new me into just being human.

[@JohnCena-mt2eu]

Using an alt account (obviously lol), but I just wanted to say thank you SO much for the work that you're doing. I've spent too many years trying to square my understanding of a loving, personal god with the reality of the world we live in. Your channel and my deconversion have allowed me the mental space to actually address problems in my life rather than defaulting to "I'm a broken person and so is everyone else," and the only one who can save us is a temperamental abuser. Ironic, lol. Anyway, thank you for giving me a sense of agency again. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Oh man, it is my pleasure to help in anyway! Thanks so much for letting me know!

[@randommemeaddict249]

It really sucks that people have to use alt accounts to be able to explore atheism without criticism. As an in-the-closet atheist, this yt account is probably the only thing I have to reach out to the atheist community in anonymity. It's sad that we have to do this. I had anxiety joining the SSA cause I had to put in my college adress, and that's not really much in terms of revealing info.

[@JohnCena-mt2eu]

@@randommemeaddict249 I feel that, brother

[@greg-op2jh]

Wonderful video. I just remember trying to get sober the harder i tried to fix ny spirit the more i relapsed. Finally left religion and got the help I needed and have been sober for years!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Congrats! Real help really helps!

[@johntiggleman4686]

Kudos! I know getting sober can be a real hard deal. I've not dealt with it in myself, but know of 4 people that kicked the habit.

[@greg-op2jh]

@@johntiggleman4686 that's awesome!

[@bigdude8468]

The Biblical religion wrecked my life. Rather than make me a better member of society & a happy person, it confused me and led to learned helplessness that, at near retirement age, I am broke without Social Security or retirement, because I spent so many years trying to be a dedicated Christian by biblical standards. It became a part of my trauma, as I now know that I have ADHD & CPTSD. If I knew then, what I am learning now, my life would have been much different: better relationships, more empathy for others, better physical, mental & financial health, as well as a better citizen & neighbor & a much happier person.

[@timothykeith1367]

The Bible does not excuse financial irresponsibility. "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel" - 1 Timothy 5:8

[@MindShift-Brandon]

@timothykeith1367 all that verse shows is more contradictions. If that was all the bible said that would be great, but its not. Also relying on paul to make better the obviously harmful statements of jesus seems a bit silly. That verse is also insanely judgmental of nonbelievers.

[@legosi2736]

​@@timothykeith1367, get the hell out of here dude, that's just disgusting comin out of you, get a professional an licensed therapist and get help, Please.

[@QuestionThingsUseLogic]

​@@timothykeith1367 honestly, that was pretty heartless to say that when this person was very dedicated. Have a heart!

[@Volleyball_Chess_and_Geoguessr]

@@timothykeith1367 Um it says to give all your money away.

[@lisajohnson6296]

I love how he says “but Brandon” …and then asks himself and answers a question. It makes me chuckle every time. And what a great tactic.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

ha! thanks so much, Lisa.

[@bradypustridactylus488]

Corporal punishment. As I grew up, I lived in constant terror of my parents. I never knew what infraction would result in a beating and what would be passed over. A child in this condition does not learn conflict resolution, does not learn healthy boundaries, does not learn anger management, does not learn how to negotiate distribution of resources. Everything becomes based on who has the bigger stick. Diplomacy is sacrificed in the name of warfare, because in the mindset generated by this practice, warfare resolves while talk merely delays the inevitable: the dominance of the strongest. In my mind, perhaps because of my childhood, the advocacy of corporal punishment by the Bible is the single worst mental health advice given in "God's word."

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Great addition. Aside from our personal anecdotes, we now have good research that such methods are simply ineffective. Thanks for being willing to share

[@DCox87]

Your horrendous experience made me cry.

[@nicolewilson191]

And the self denial, I was always so busy doing what I thought God wanted running all over hell and back to help ungrateful people who were just taking advantage of me, that I was getting burnt out because Jesus supposedly said deny yourself take up your cross and follow me.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Yes! All too common. This scripture is such bad advice!

[@randommemeaddict249]

You mentioned how toxic Amazing Grace was, and I remembered how it was my late grandmother's favorite song. When I was a child I loved it too. Now that I am older it makes me sad that such a kind woman could belittle her worth so much.

[@stevenpike7857]

It's frustrating seeing so many fundamental or not so fundamental Christians that put themselves in states of suffering, or keep themselves in states of unnecessary suffering over imaginary nonsense.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Right! Its so avoidable and thats whats so sad about it.

[@stevenpike7857]

@@MindShift-Brandon You want to get really upset? Watch a true analysis of Mother Theresa and how she let people suffer because she had some sort of religious obsession and fetish about suffering and being close to her god. All that money donated to her "good work," went into the Vatican's pockets and very little actually went to help the people she claimed to have helped. Realized profound suffering was some sort of religious exaltation to her. It was disgustingly obscene.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Oh im very aware. Its horrible!

[@dougt7580]

​@@stevenpike7857Mother Theresa was definitely a monster. Of course all that "suffering is a blessing" crap that she spouted went right out the window when she got sick. I was in catholic school during the 1990s and it feels really gross that she was basically placed on a pedestal and routinely talked about as someone to admire and aspire to emulate.

[@stevenpike7857]

@@dougt7580 Oh she was kept VERY comfortable while she died. I want to puke thinking about the gross money grab and hypocrisy of it all.

[@heheboii195]

Hey Brandon, I’m been watching your superb channel for the last few months as a heavily questioning teenage kid of fundamentalist Christian parents. Your videos having encouraged me to use critical thinking and to more carefully look at Scripture passages, and I cannot thank you enough for your well-thought, logical arguments and counterexamples. One of the concepts of Christianity that has me so confused and mentally exhausted recently is the idea of the Trinity. I find the concept to make absolutely no sense, no matter what words one uses or how many bad analogies they give. I’m not sure what you have planned for video ideas in the near future, but a video deep-diving into the concept of, as well as the problems and inconsistencies with the Christian Trinity, I’m certain that myself and many other viewers of your content would be incredibly appreciative. Thanks again for your stellar videos and I hope you have a great week.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Hey Noah! What a kind comment. Thank you so much and in thrilled to hear you are working your way out. Ill be covering the trinity soon hopefully

[@user-ki1ty5xg9z]

What sources have you consulted in your efforts to make sense of the trinity?

[@heheboii195]

​@@user-ki1ty5xg9z Most specifically would be the Scriptures themselves or official/well-known Christian Trinitarian doctrine, such as the Westminster Shorter Catechism (“There are three persons in the Godhead; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory.”) Quite funny that both of those “reputable” sources are quite vague and unclear as to the way they describe the Godhead. Mainly, if God exists as three “distinct” persons (He doesn’t until Jesus swoops in to save the day) then surely He must be in three distinct and separate forms (according to most mainstream Christian doctrine He isn’t.) The mental gymnastics a person has to do to even appear as if he has a clue what “one God in three Persons” means poorly reflects on God’s supposed general revelation to mankind. If God wanted people to easily understand who He is, I personally think explaining or giving us a more direct way to understand and interpret the “Triunity of God” would’ve been a great place to start. More than that, this concept seems to collapse on itself and become a perfect example of circular reasoning.

[@user-ki1ty5xg9z]

@@heheboii195 I have to give you a lot of credit because, even from this relatively short comment, I can tell you've thought about this quite a bit. That said... I'm certain that this will not be a totally satisfying response. But I'd encourage you to dig more if you're truly interested. The Trinity is not a mere doctrine of the Christian faith that can be fully expressed in something like the formula you've quoted from the Westminster Shorter Catechism. That formula can be deceptive in its simple expression. In reality, it is the end result of multiple streams of consideration: the totality of the biblical data, the refinement of precise philosophical grammar as a response to heresy, and (most importantly) man's deepest _experiences_ of God. Those experiences of ultimate Reality cannot be entirely captured and expressed in intellectual models and formulations. The formulas serve to orient us and point in the right direction. To gain a fuller appreciation of the dogmatic formulation, you might trace it back through the centuries and the various saints who've written on the matter. The mediaeval scholastics were great synthesizers of the more ancient sources; they wrote very comprehensively on the topic. Those more ancient sources include the writings of many saints in the 4th and 5th centuries who worked to clarify the statement of the earliest ecumenical councils. And there are still earlier writings that deal with the earliest Christian understandings of the scriptures - old and new testaments. If you'd like, I can maybe recommend some sources. One last note... You speak of "mental gymnastics" and "God wanting people to easily understand." I get what you mean and understand why you might be frustrated. Some of the difficulty arises from an overemphasis on and prioritization of the _intellectual_ faculties. Human intellect is an amazing thing and capable of great achievement. But in the whole, integrated, and healed person, the intellect is subordinate to another faculty. Some Christian traditions refer to it as the _nous,_ which has variably been translated to "mind," "heart," or "eye of the soul." In short, it is a perceptive faculty that is capable of the direct, immediate experience of God. This is the very thing you expressed longing for in your last comment: "a more direct way to understand." Anyway... Hope there is something useful to you in this comment.

[@heheboii195]

I know we may disagree on certain fundamental concepts of Christianity, but for what it’s worth, I’m not completely opposed to there being a Creator. I just am more and more opposed to the Christian God being good or real the more I research His character and conduct through the Bible. He tends to be very humanistic and narcissistic in his thoughts and actions, similarly to the Greek gods and goddesses, except that He usually exercises His tendencies through humans. Regardless, I take a lot of issue with majority of Christian church views and even individuals in the church. Even though we may not see eye to eye, thanks for the response and I hope you are well.

[@leonardomafrareina7634]

Funny that we all consider narcissistic people asthe scourge of humanity, but many people still bow and kneel to a narcissistic deity. That's what theism does to people, it blinds them to true con artists, to sadistic, psychopathic and narcissistic individuals. I have watched you video about God needing a therapist, and the fact that these therapy counsels given on the bible just serve to remind us of his "greatness" (which, by the way, is only great when compared to the "sinful", wretched humans) is nothing more than a real need for God to have therapy.

[@blumythefool777]

For point 4 there is also Matthew 6:34 “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” which i would take more into consideration when i was a christian rather than 2 corintians 4:17-18

[@Varaidzo1]

Yes that can relate to being present. To be completely fair, I feel like honestly there are a few verses that can be used and most likely line up to modern mental health.

[@Hooplh]

Congratulations on 30K subs, you absolutely deserve it and continue to grow.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so very much!

[@Hooplh]

@@MindShift-Brandon Anytime I know you're gonna get more popular.

[@markgiles3]

Isaiah 40:31. Good scripture to have on hand when running a marathon or when you're just totally buggered from serving the lord and feel like you could do with a break. The Christian way of thinking did something weird to my brain over time. I'm recovering slowly. I think I still have a way to go,but these videos, Brandon, help immensely.

[@karenlankford8558]

My replacement for the 10 commandments. The Eight Rules: 1) Take care of your body. Spare parts are hard to find and you cannot do anything without one. 2) Take care of the planet. There is nowhere else for any of us to go. 3) Do not cause unnecessary pain. There is plenty of mental and physical suffering in the world that is unavoidable and an inherent part of being alive. You do not need to add to it. 4) In your dealings with other people, strive to be as honest, generous, compassionate and trusting as you can without putting yourself at such a disadvantage as to call such virtues into disrepute. 5) If you can help another person in difficulty without significant cost or risk to yourself, do so. You might need some help yourself one day. 6) Try to have some fun. Life is to be enjoyed, not merely endured. 7) Always remember that stuff is just stuff. When a parent gets a phone call from the hospital saying that their teenager has been in an accident, nobody asks about the car. 8) You only have one life to live. Try and do something meaningful with it. You are not going to get another chance to make a difference in the world.

[@ssww3]

I like this

[@Vince13201]

These are better than Yahweh's Rules

[@RiannaNicole]

the anxiety issue is a big thing of what i went through as a teen, and still struggle with general/social anxiety and have been working through the perfectionism that i feel mine was coming from the anxiety. the older i’ve gotten, and the more i dive into learning, both from personal experiences of others, and from experts alike, the more secure i feel. i don’t think i’d be saying the same thing if i kept in the faith and done what “the elder adults” were nudging me towards.

[@gausgrin649]

I'm reminded of a piece John Oliver did where he showed how churches would use a cyclical mailing system called 'seed money' to have members pay regularly into a subscription which would allow them to 'reap' and benefit from God's Blessing in health - one woman with cancer was caught in this trap so much that she refused chemo-therapy and instead spent 1000s of dollars to earn God's blessing through the seed program.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Ive seen that! Its sickening

[@aheartonfire7191]

@@MindShift-Brandon this guy is a hyporicite. He believes in evolution and evolution has had WAAAAAAAAY more murder, genocide, slavery than the Bible ever has and he wants evolution to be talked about in schools. Talk about a hypocrite am I right fellas? 😂

[@dannbon13]

It's strange really, though maybe it shouldn't be. I used to ask questions to the pastor of the church I used to go to years ago. Every single question I would ask him, it would be the same type of answer, Does god exist? His answer, "Do you think he does?" Why does god allow all the suffering in the world? His answer "Why do you think?" Why did god let my brother die? His answer "Why do you think he did?" My faith collapsed and died. Nothing made any sense the more I thought about it. I never got any answers, just more questions. Fast forward over 20 years from that time. I find you, Brandon and Kirstie and a few others, here on youtube. You take this subject, break it down, you're concise with sound reasons on the opinions of how you feel about it. Honestly, I've found more answers listening to your videos than almost my entire time when I was going to church. The things you say just make sense. There's nothing wrong with asking questions. About our lives, where we come from, right and wrong, AND if there was a god I don't believe that it would be wrong to question that god. Unfortunately I questioned god many many times and for all the questions, I got no response let alone any answers so that tells me the god of the christian bible does not exist. From your videos I've formed the opinion that you are a good, kind person. One that cares about his fellow human being. I thank you for allowing me to take part by watching your videos. I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, whichever you go by. May the New Year be good and kind both mentally and physically.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

What a lovely and thoughtful comment. I am very appreciative of it. Thanks!

[@rebekkavandenbrink8273]

This is really really SO true. All of it. I didn't learn to cope with any of my feelings and I never wondered what I needed for myself to be healthy because God already knew... it was so damaging and I had to start all over again after my deconvertion. I didn't know myself at all! It was like getting out of a destructive relationship where I was always in the wrong and the other (Other) was always in the right. I really cannot understand how I never saw this to be the case....

[@DavidRichardson153]

My lowest points were when I was Christian, and I do not mean that in just the Christian sense. I mean it actually drove me to the brink and pushed me into making attempts. I could not believe that I was successfully being for God or Jesus, or that either would help me, or that any of Christianity's claims about itself would carry through. I was just a mess. Frankly, if not for my cat being the one being who actually did seek me out as I made my last attempt, that attempt may very well have been successful. I have mentioned things that made me question everything I believed, especially Christianity as well as religion and faith in general. Even during this questioning, I gave variants of your typical Christian "comfortings." That moment, though, when Mittens looked at me as my attempt was about to go through, that was when my faith truly ended. I had come to the realization that neither God or Jesus were ever going to help or save me, that no one in my Christian circles would either, that religion would not either. My religiosity, my faith, was over at that moment, and while it has been a struggle ever since (living the first 30 years of your life in that kind of mental self-harm will do that), my life, my physical and mental health have been better than they ever have been as a Christian. Sure, one can argue that there are good values in Christianity and other religions, and yes, there are. Even now, as an atheist who can be quite the anti-theist at times, I cannot deny that there are... but I also recognize that those values are pretty much restricted to the religion-in-question's marketing. It is like when you recognize how so many things that you thought you liked as a kid were because some ad, some marketing, told you. It took me leaving Christianity to realize this, and it also made me see how Christian-based programs like AA and its offshoots are so, SO evil and insidious with their design (seriously, AA is nothing more than swapping one addiction for another, for all of the addiction behaviors are still there - and some of them are even intentionally reinforced). Are there religions that are better for your mental health? Maybe. Are there any that are actually good for it? From all that I have seen and researched, I have to say no. Yes, there may be a few religions that come close, but as far as I can tell, they might not be good, but they do seem less likely to make it worse. Are there religious groups/denominations, Christian or not, that could be argued to be good for you? Even my jaded self has to acknowledge this possibility, and the one possible example I can think of is the Unitarians, but that comes with the very sizable caveat of how they seem to be the least concerned about their Christian-specific beliefs - it is almost as if they somehow know on some level just how terrible a belief in God is for you (maybe this is just my jaded observation, but I cannot not make it as I try to be fair). What I can absolutely say, though, is that Christianity and really all of the Abrahamic religions may very well be the worst for your mental health, even for your physical health and life.

[@madra000]

Hopefully you're shielded from such terrible trauma for your remaining days

[@DavidRichardson153]

@@madra000 Don't worry. I'm in a much better position now. Sure, there are still other struggles - comes from growing up in Texas - but getting out of Christianity, and then getting out of Texas and then the US has been an even bigger positive for my health, physically and mentally, than I could have hoped for. It was certainly not easy to do, especially on the financial side, but I have been pulling it off so far. I would not say that I am quite out of the woods yet, at least not until I achieve permanent residency where I am now, but I am certainly doing better. It's all been taken one step at a time, and I feel absolutely confident in saying that I have made leagues more than just twelve steps.

[@jaycahuenga6416]

Sorry tldr...but I can concur that Christianity is toxic for mental health. It has caused me a great deal of grief for about a 1/3 of my life. Tried the "turning the other cheek" deal if someone does you wrong (at least that's how I've interpreted it) I have lead a dark path for quite a while due to the fact that people that I've interacted with in the past claimed to have "been of god...and the whole 'im an ordained minister'" hackneyed line from childhood to adulthood. Those people did a complete ⁰180. Now personally I do believe in a higher power that has been benevolent and wants to see me advance. It can also be the higher self which I'm trying to reach and I do believe in guardian angels...but a Christian.. that's a long journey for me to fully deconstruct from.

[@chameleonx9253]

Any actual benefit you can get from religion you can also get from a close circle of friends and/or a community of people who share your values. Religion is just a convenient shortcut to making those connections, but the problem is all the toxic baggage it drags with it.

[@ToddJSpencer]

I used to lead (for years) in a 12 step-based recovery ministry, and we were big on James 5:16, which was really stretched to cover the 4th and 5th steps, but again, we were picking and choosing to slap a biblical stamp on it…like the cognitive dissonance I used to feel around “salvation” there were many verses that went against good mental health-so, yeah, loved this.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

So interesting!

[@eq2092]

Thank you this explains a lot about the behavior in my family. Why the mosr devout seem to be the ones stuck in poverty, victimhood, fear and accept mediocrity.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks for watching

[@xtina2189]

God is all-powerful, but more needy for attention than us.🙄

[@Hitoshura844]

Good to know that there is biblical support for dealing with with sexual abuse of children by pastors and priests by moving them around in house without any real consequences rather than prosecuting them publicly because it would look bad in front of the unbelievers /s.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Right! Thats such a good example of Paul’s message. How horrific.

[@JamesRichardWiley]

My mental health consists of leaving myself alone as much as possible. Other suggestions: I stay away from drugs as much as possible. I question my beliefs. I try to maintain a healthy lifestyle I treat other selves with kindness. When I die I will discard my body and remain formless energy until I come back into the human form again.

[@dfj232]

ANOTHER BANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much!

[@thing1thing2themediamaniac43]

At this point I'm still attending my church out of obligation to my family Because when they moved out the apt my twin brother and I were sharing with them for almost 20 years Our realtionship improved But during the week I hardly think about God except to insult him from time to time.

[@ReasonQuest]

30,000!!!! Congrats, Brandon!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you so much!

[@aheartonfire7191]

@@MindShift-Brandon this guy is a hyporicite. He believes in evolution and evolution has had WAAAAAAAAY more murder, genocide, slavery than the Bible ever has and he wants evolution to be talked about in schools. Talk about a hypocrite am I right fellas? 😂

[@michaelhenry1763]

Thank you for the great video and advice. I personally like the idea of not judging others and worrying.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much, Michael!

[@skepticsinister]

Extremely important information here, many many many thanks! A wonderful Sunday morning indeed!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you very much!

[@BluStarGalaxy]

Congrats on 30K subscribers!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Hey thanks so much!!

[@mariearce8021]

Thank you for addressing these points!! Many times I've heard believers say many unhelpful things to someone going through a very heard time. They've said, give it to god, it could have been worse, forget about it, therapy isn't going to help, don't tell anyone about your problems or the family's problems etc. These things are so damaging because people may commit suicide since none of these things are actually helpful in my experience and those of others. Some appropriate therapy and possibly medications may save someone's life. (Secular therapy). I've even heard believers I know say that most mental health issues aren't true or real. Very aggravating, sad, and yes, judgmental. I call it all "living in a bubble" and that can be so dangerous. Thank you again for confirming this.

[@Jon45678]

As a Christian, I always focused on my failures. I have done many things that I regret, and struggled my whole life with the contradiction between forgiveness and the passages in Hebrews, for example, that speak about there being no longer a sacrifice for sins if you sin willfully. I’ve wondered if God hated me like Esau - felt this way since I was young. It is destructive to one’s self-esteem. I wish I had lived my life accepting myself instead of feeling like a piece of garbage even amidst the years of continual repenting.

[@UnVelius]

I've been watching a ton of your videos. They make me feel so much better that someone seems to acknowledge the truth of how paradoxically it makes no sense. Makes me feel reassured that someone else sees it too

[@benleonheart]

I wish I could video reply to tou, Brandon, this was such an insightful video. I personally experienced this after surviving a murder attempt in my country and starting from there, "you must've been in sin for gawd to allow that" and after that "the devil is oppressing you, that fear isnt normal, it must be demons" I served gawd since I was 16 (I accepted jesus at age 5, I remember it like it was yesterday) the accident happened when I was 32 in 2016 Now I can see clearly how we are just human, the brain, like any other organ or limb, can become bruised and ill, and it requires the appropriate approach to heal, be it through therapy, medication or both. Or all! Haha ... I acknowledge even religion helps some people, but not me, it frustrated me to no end into thinking why "god allowed this"... even on why my ex wife left me , lol, my indoctrinated mind was going haywire It was until I started pushing back against what religion says that I started getting better, working at my own pace in my recovery; heck, I dont even take one of my depression medication anymore! I am finally able to regular that! Its been a LONG 6 years(anniversary on the 21th of December) Please keep up the amazing work, Brandon, I love you , brosquito; thanks for the insight!!! Now I'm looking forward to being able to hold a full time job and find a partner/wife! We have compete control over our lives by living in the NOW

[@MindShift-Brandon]

What a message. Thank you! And i am so excited for you too man. Life, here you come!

[@kharma4ever730]

Thank you, Brandon. Humanity’s appearance and existence in this vast wondrous universe, of the many that exist, is actually a beautiful event. Just like the many species in the universe are not, aliens, but also beautiful creatures as human beings are. Unlike existence in human invented religious fictional tales. Your explanation of this truth is so helpful.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Appreciate this. Thanks so much!

[@colleenking8568]

Your videos are awesome. I believe in God, and I think the Bible has some good advice (cherry picked and out of context) but as a whole is confusing, violent, sexist, and really should not influence modern politics or society. I appreciate your in depth research and level headedness.

[@DannyS177]

It's so sad how many Christians think that because they are suffering mentally that it means that they are doing the right thing. They will often have different justifications for this belief, but I common one I have seen is: "because the devil is trying to stop me from doing god's work." And partly because of this mindset, they don't get help.

[@marilynnpetit3570]

Thanks!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Always so generous. Thanks!

[@jamesgrosrenaudjr812]

Amen . So much truth. In the video. Thank you for this video.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you!

[@marilynnpetit3570]

As a kid my mother would take us to Catholic Mass every week but she would arrive late, sit or stand in the back and get out before all the others and before the Priest could get there. We got out quick and went to fun lunch in the area. I thought her priorities were a little off...but wanted lunch too. How lucky I was to have a marginal Catholic Mom.

[@Chuck-se5hh]

I have been a Christian for 51 years, I accepted Christ in the midst of a terrible personal crisis in 1973 at university and have recovered and done very well since solely because of my personal evangelical faith, assisted sensibly by the excellent academic knowledge that is found in a career as a clinical medical doctor. However, increasingly and especially in the last 5 years, I have noticed that the Bible is seriously and profoundly deficient and in denial and in error about the facts and reality of human developmental psychology (including the serious emotional and psychological and psychiatric and social harms that happen to children from neglectful and abusive parents and family systems) and brain-based psychiatry, so much so that I now find myself in full agreement with your various criticisms of God, Christ and the Bible. This particular presentation is right on the mark in its criticisms of Christianity and your entire collection of video productions needs to be permanently saved for public viewing and study for posterity, it is historic in significance and in objective accuracy.

[@jmparker78]

I’ve said before that as a Christian my mental health was in the toilet. I thought every issue I had in my life was due to my sin. I thought I needed to not worry about being happy because that was just a temporary feeling. So I accepted my depression, anxiety and a number of other mental health issues as just consequences of sin and “counted it all joy”. I like what you said about “Christian glasses” and that they don’t actually understand Jesus. I have been saying many times that Christians tend to interpret everything in the way that best reconfirms their views. I have often said of late that Christianity is basically “you are human and that is bad and you should feel bad.” I thought the verse you were gonna use about being overly concerned with the opinions of others with Paul’s words in Romans 14 about being a stumbling block to your weaker brother. Taken literally, you may as well never leave the house lest you inadvertently cause your brother to stumble.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Ahhh thats a great addition.

[@DisneyTurtle]

Unfortunately know what you mean

[@SimonDaumMusic]

If a neighbour came up and acted as God in the Bible does, people would call the police.... question is, why do people still embrace that idea of a God thats so inconsistent, contradictive and evil?

[@2pacaveli257]

Well said comment 👏

[@badger1296]

Great video Brandon! Thank you!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My pleasure!

[@debdo1960]

I grew up with a violent earthly father who claimed to be Christian. He beat my brother.....drugged and sa me.....ran around on my mom and treated her badly....but was a pillar of the community. I feared my dad my entire childhood.....and then expected to love a violent...bipolar deity??? I tried....I really tried 😢 but god never showed up....except in my imagination. I ended religion 20 years ago becuz after getting secular help that I needed....I came to realize that loving someone...or something out of fear is NOT love....not even remotely. It is an unhealthy co dependency one sided relationship. No thank you! Life is so much better not being forced to love out of fear or wishful thinking.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

I am so sorry to hear that. Its unfortunately all too common a scene in christian homes which should be the last place this happens with being new creations and unfathomable joy and all that. So glad you made it out and hope you are dealing with all the nonsense of your past well.

[@briobarb8525]

I get it...I wish you well. 😢

[@debdo1960]

​@@MindShift-Brandon I'm doing 1000% better ty. I thank you for your videos and bringing awareness on religious trauma.

[@Lestat1349]

Another great video my man :D I love how you use the Bible it self to utterly destroy their argument

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much!

[@aheartonfire7191]

@@MindShift-Brandon this guy is a hyporicite. He believes in evolution and evolution has had WAAAAAAAAY more murder, genocide, slavery than the Bible ever has and he wants evolution to be talked about in schools. Talk about a hypocrite am I right fellas? 😂

[@Lestat1349]

@@aheartonfire7191 The comparison between evolution as a scientific theory and the moral or historical content of the Bible is not logically sound. Evolution is a scientific explanation of the biological process by which species change over time through natural selection and genetic variation. It is not a moral or ethical doctrine, nor does it prescribe or endorse behaviors such as murder, genocide, or slavery. The Bible, on the other hand, is a religious text that contains moral teachings, historical accounts, and theological concepts. Criticisms of the Bible often focus on perceived contradictions, moral issues with certain narratives, or historical inaccuracies within its text. Therefore, criticizing someone for accepting evolution while also scrutinizing the moral and historical aspects of the Bible is a category error. One is a scientific theory explaining natural phenomena, and the other is a religious text with moral, historical, and spiritual dimensions. Their purposes and contexts are fundamentally different.

[@adamrspears1981]

How can a Just & Righteous GOD hold us to the standard of "Love your enemy." When GOD doesn't love satan? How can a Just & Righteous GOD hold us to the standard of "....forgive those who trespass against you" when GOD hasn't forgave satan? How can GOD set the example for us on how to live a holy life, when GOD doesn't lead by example?

[@judethree4405]

It gets worse than that when you consider where natures come from. Satan can only be what He is because of how he was created, which is to say, one can’t help but to be an enemy.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Love this

[@adamrspears1981]

@@MindShift-Brandon This is off topic, but I find it interesting that in the book of Isaiah it claims that the Lord creates evil. And in the New Testament, the Lord Jesus Christ teaches how to pray; which includes the line: "...& deliver us from evil..." So the guy that creates evil, comes to Earth as "The Deliverer"; teaches us how to pray, which includes asking to be delivered from evil. Boy, the Bible never disappoints!

[@2pacaveli257]

Why is your opinion well explained 😂, am always agreeing with u, keep up the good work Brandon 👏 u can be my mental health advisor 😂

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Ha. Glad to hear it!

[@BookishChas]

Excellent video as always Brandon. I knew, and still know some, people who are waiting on god to fix all of their life ailments. That help just never comes, and the Bible makes it worse. Thanks for what you do here.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much!

[@andrewschaeffer8147]

If you ignore self care and only care about God and others around you one day you wake up and realize that no one cares about you and you have been taking care of yourself and badly. Self care then feels weird, selfish because you are completely out of practice

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Right! So many christians confuse self care with selfishness. What a shame

[@garyhershkowitz3435]

Good stuff as always!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much!

[@fishinthesea3454]

Thank you. Finally someone said it.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My pleasure! Thanks for watching

[@Chuck-se5hh]

Yes, this desperately needs to have been said.

[@aheartonfire7191]

@@MindShift-Brandon this guy is a hyporicite. He believes in evolution and evolution has had WAAAAAAAAY more murder, genocide, slavery than the Bible ever has and he wants evolution to be talked about in schools. Talk about a hypocrite am I right fellas? 😂

[@lizhoward9754]

Thanks for another great video!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much, Liz!

[@janisnotjoplin1]

The verse about "taming the tongue" in James is quite sound advice and would have gotten me out of so much trouble. However, taking the bible literally and following it will likely get you or someone else killed and has done just that over the centuries. Thanks for your presentation which is excellent as always.

[@jon.skeptischism]

Good stuff, thanks Brandon!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My pleasure. Thanks for always being here!

[@duanethompson8770]

I guess that advice in the Bible could possibly work if we lived in a spiritual world. However, I live in the real physical world so I need real world advice instead. Thanks for another thoughtful video.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Yes sir!

[@ToddJSpencer]

Yep, so many “righteous men” who really were not righteous when we step back from the dogma. Thanks, Brandon.

[@tsebosei1285]

15:52 wow i didn't see that coming with Paul and amazing grace you just described me the former me because I am now changing

[@larry3591]

Right on Brandon

[@gregcampwriter]

Sadly, not taking disputes to the secular authorities isn't just about where a fence goes between properties. It also shows up when a member of the clergy abuses children and others.

[@TerryCrosslin]

You were spot on as usual and thank you so much Brandon for making these truthful videos! I have bipolar and bipolar depression severe anxiety! When I was a Christian I prayed about it alot the whole church that I attended was praying for me to I went through years of pure Hell hoping that God would heal me but I was never healed! So I came to a conclusion either God can't heal me or don't want to heal me or God just simply is not real anyway I finally got the medications that I need and I cannot express this enough I really don't believe that I would still be alive without my medications! Sorry this was so long and thank you once again for everything you do to help alot of people. P S I chose not real.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks for sharing! Its so clear. You and other believers all believed and prayed just like the bible says. If you were not healed, what other conclusions are there but liar or unreal.

[@James-wv3hx]

Another Great show 👍. Only Christians experience denomic possession. Another point from my favorite former Catholic Priest Alan Watts is - What is Reality?

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much!

[@tammiebrown8317]

I think this is my favorite video so far!

[@kristinewalberg2938]

While I agree 100% with everything else you said, I think it's important to consider the circumstances under which "Amazing Grace" was written. Its composer was a slave trader who'd made his wealth by transporting suffering human cargoes from their homes in Africa to enslavement in the U.S. The story is, that during one of his voyages, he had one of those bolt-from-the-blue moments and knew he had to change his life. As a man of his time, he attributed his moral awakening to the grace of god. I'd call it his conscience kicking in. At any rate, he turned around his ship, headed back to Africa, and set all his captives free, afterwards becoming an important voice in the Abolitionist Movement. Because of that, I don't see the song as sick, but as the words of a man who truly had done terrible things that he SHOULD feel awful about, but who was able to discover his moral compass, turn his life around, and be a better person.

[@reformCopyright]

1 Corinthians 6:1-7 (19:00) - is *that* why so many churches cover up crimes and abuse between their members and "resolve" them internally?

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Yes! How many abusers have gone on to abuse again and again so they could keep it in house. Ugg

[@theflyingdutchguy9870]

often people attribute their strong willpower with the faith that caused them to be better. often we hold more power to change ourselves for the better than we know. and other times it can be the opposite. in the end its never bad to ask for advice from the experts.

[@ProJMFPWT14]

Your videos (as well as your comment sections) are quite comforting, yet I still find it heartbreaking to see that I'm not the only one who's only ever gained trauma and mental illness from religion. Trying to be a good christian has led me to psychological ruin many times but my last straw was when I became a Father myself. I could never make death threats to my own creation nor could I ever instill in them to give me all the credit, praise, and glory for their own accomplishments in life. The God of the bible truly does sound like a petty narcissistic psychopath to me.

[@chameleonx9253]

Oh yeah. If any father treated their kids the way Yahweh is claimed to treat humans, those kids would be taken away by CPS within a week.

[@alanhyland5697]

Following the bible as "mental health therapy" almost (as in, within one day) led to me committing a double-murder/suicide to 'save' my children by sending them to heaven. Fortunately, as a last-ditch effort, I reached out and got help. In the end, it was my old, childhood cynicism, objectivity and secular reasoning that actually restored my sanity - along with the assistance of medication. Thank a metaphorical, non-existent god, that was also the point where I began my deconstruction, though I wouldn't know THAT for many years.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Wow. Thank you for being willing to share. I am so glad you got real help and things are better

[@tsebosei1285]

27:41 i used to use it as manual for life. Knowing my character had to throw it also away. It was John MacArthur study bible i had. For me being an extremist, if i need massive changes i need to take massive actions

[@Nkosi766]

Another good one

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks so much!

[@Mereum11]

Great video!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks!

[@jeffbenelli6999]

Seriously Brandon, thank you for what you do and the way you do it. You have extended knowlege that people like myself just don't have, even though I've had 57+ years deep in Christianity. What you do for someone like myself is give me things to go and investigate for msyelf. If all I did was listen to what you say then say "Yeah!" I'm repeating the same sheepish mentality that I did for over 50 years. But, your show gives people like me key issues and points to dig deeper. I would encourage your Christian listeners to take this same approach. Do not just take Brandon's show and fire off your pre-determined reason's you think your right, but go and see for yourself, not through the lens of your priest, preacher, or other Christian leader. When Bradon quotes a verse, go look it up? Ask yourself if Brandon has at least some kind of legitimate point. Then, go ask your religious leader the same question. Don't get irritated and post what you think is a 'gocha' comment to Brandon. Use him and go see if his words ring true. That's what I do. And, my findings are that Brandon's words have extreme merit and reasons to challenge the Christian established leaders.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

What a great reminder for all sides and for me too. Thanks for the wisdom and the kind words!

[@aheartonfire7191]

@@MindShift-Brandon this guy is a hyporicite. He believes in evolution and evolution has had WAAAAAAAAY more murder, genocide, slavery than the Bible ever has and he wants evolution to be talked about in schools. Talk about a hypocrite am I right fellas? 😂

[@tperson8347]

The term God fearing always made me so mad. It has such negative connotations. If it's about love and reverence, then there sould be a more positive word or that would match. It appears that God subscribes more so to machiavellianism. What always baffled me is why people cared when it came to offending God. If God's a big boy and he can take care of himself, what does he need someone so wretched and worthless such as myself to take on the task of damage control? THIS is the part where letting God take care of it would be most appropriate. An on #4, didn't Jesus once say, "take no thought for the morrow"? Great videos Thanks thanks for the video

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you!

[@tomsenior7405]

Perfect. Thank you Brandon. I pity the poor souls who believe in this line of "Consider the Lily" thinking. It does more harm than good. Not just for the sad believer, but for those minority groups who are suffering right now. This pity can easily turn to rage when the exploited Christian unwittingly tries to foist this way of thinking onto others. Their blindness to the pain they inflict is cruel in the extreme. You covered my thoughts far more eloquently than I. Frankly, I was long gone from holding Religion close to my heart before I needed to invest time thinking thus far. My thoughts are with those who are still trapped by their faith and are trying to break free from the shackles of ignorance and Christian Hate. I can only hope that your words reach them and endow them with the courage to say "Enough! Get thee behind me Jesus".

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you, Tom. Appreciate this comment very much!

[@ButtercupBerry1234]

very good video...thanks 🙂

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thanks for watching!

[@aheartonfire7191]

@@MindShift-Brandon this guy is a hyporicite. He believes in evolution and evolution has had WAAAAAAAAY more murder, genocide, slavery than the Bible ever has and he wants evolution to be talked about in schools. Talk about a hypocrite am I right fellas? 😂

[@ShiniGuraiJoker]

Another wonderful vidoe and I want to say thank you for your i sights on the bible. I have had several of the same reservations about this book as you and jave mot always been able to articulate that. This channel has proven to be very helpful with my deconstruction/deconversion journey amd I think I am at the final steps of accepting I know longer believe in any god. It has been struggle but one I know I am equipped for. Thanks againnfor your channels insights.

[@MindShift-Brandon]

My absolute pleasure. So glad you are getting free!

[@ShiniGuraiJoker]

@@MindShift-Brandon Thank you. I am not quite sure what to do about it now. I honestly feel like the last decade has been living without God, now I think I am just able to consciously accept it. It is a strange swirl of emotions.

[@aheartonfire7191]

@@MindShift-Brandon this guy is a hyporicite. He believes in evolution and evolution has had WAAAAAAAAY more murder, genocide, slavery than the Bible ever has and he wants evolution to be talked about in schools. Talk about a hypocrite am I right fellas? 😂

[@DLB-m3g]

SOOO good!

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Thank you much!

[@tsebosei1285]

21:57 i am reminded of Hillsong song "i will take up my cross and follow him".. i now had to throw away all my CDs. If i have to be a new person the old me has to die 🎲

[@Ex_christian]

I went to AA and they continually shove god needing to help down our throats, yet no imaginary being helped me. So, I don’t go to AA often because of that. No god helped me.

[@bayareanewman1566]

Just joined. I’m also an atheist, born and raised Catholic. Biggie’s best line……. Umm I’m sure you know. I won’t repeat it here. Google it 😂😂

[@MindShift-Brandon]

Ha love it! And thanks. Welcome!