Knowledge : The Real Unforgivable Sin

[@davidfitnesstech]

The whole *punishment for seeking knowledge* always bothered me.. even when I was a kid.

[@lionheartmerrill1069]

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge

[@Mari_Oh]

I'm gonna be such an Eve about this, LMAO, but, yeah, I always wondered why God wouldn't want people to have knowledge in the Garden. ...and why he would even put the tree there in the first place, but I digress. Of course as an adult, I realized "God" didn't do any of that. The story is a creation myth, not dissimilar from all of the world's other creation myths, in which primitive people try to explain why we are here and why things are aa they are. No actual God involved.

[@lionheartmerrill1069]

@@Mari_Oh thought I'd add this to your belief that the Garden of Eden is a fairy tale although IMO/belief it's a reality. The tree of the knowledge of good & evil is symbolism for the serpent/satan in human form. He "beguiled" Eve, Genesis 3:13 KJV Old Testament Hebrew translation beguiled=morally to seduce. 2Corinthians11:3 KJV New Testament Greek beguiled=to seduce wholly. We're not talking about eating apples here. The fact of the matter is Abel is Adam's son & Cain is satan's son. Cain can't be found in Adam's generations/genealogy Biblically. Shocking but Truth.

[@karlfausek7299]

@@Mari_Oh Clueless! God loves you anyway. Peace and Love!

[@kel2880]

@@karlfausek7299 so explain it, karl.

[@DeWin157]

"Satan" in the garden of eden story is actually Prometheus from the Greek myth, who gave knowledge and fire to the humans out of empathy, which pissed off Zeus.

[@colepuleo6809]

Thank You!

[@andrewdowns3673]

Oh man, that's exactly it!!!

[@Ircy2012]

This reminds me when my father recently said that prometheus was satan, just rewritten in a better light.

[@stevepowsinger733]

So we see the Greeks had their own problems with knowledge.

[@raycrossley5398]

No not realy moses gathered the fist five books of the OT bible from ancient stories from his hebrew ancestors the Samarians he just put them to gether.Though first recorded account of the Prometheus myth appeared in the late 8th-century BC Greek epic poet Hesiod's Theogony (507-616). In that account, Prometheus was a son of the Titan Iapetus by Clymene or Asia, one of the Oceanids. The first major comprehensive draft of the Pentateuch is thought to have been composed in the late 7th or the 6th century BCE (the Jahwist source) and was later expanded by other authors (the Priestly source) into a work much alike to Genesis as known today. But the Pentateuch gos back to 4000 bce to the ancestors of the hebrews the Samarians . The Sumerians were the people of southern Mesopotamia whose civilization flourished between c. 4100-1750 BCE.that were written some 1200 years before.

[@charitygamble]

Where I live, pastors and churches encourage parents to either enroll their kids in church-run schools or homeschool their children so that the knowledge that the church fears won’t be part of their lives.

[@mariobethell3731]

Before any religious dogma is taught to children, critical thinking should be learned so that the students won't fall prey to any indoctrination of any kind.

[@SellOrFail]

Tell that to the republican party who is currently banning books lol

[@CtDDtC1919]

Any dogma. Universities are indoctrination grounds for the same reason. After leaving the Christian faith, I started to deconstruct other areas of thought control. Political affiliation was the next big controlling factor. I was Liberal, but when I was able to see that the Left was every bit as oppressive of free thinking as the Right, I made the decision to no longer allow predefined thought structures to control my me. I saw time and again how ANY affiliation requires you to willingly go down a checklist of "What I believe" just like the religions do. Being a free thinker is a very unpopular place to be. I get bashed by the Christians, the Liberals, and the Conservatives alike. I'm pretty sure my statement about the University indoctrination grounds will get some backlash.

[@A-non-theist]

​@@SellOrFail What books are they banning?

[@CB66941]

That unfortunately goes against several religions, especially Christianity, which proclaimed "not to lean on your own understanding, but in everything, acknowledge God." It is blatantly disinterested in making people think for themselves outside of scripture.

[@A-non-theist]

@@CB66941 Religions = Poisons for the brain!!

[@PDWEDD]

Great insight! When I started questioning the church teachings, I felt horrible. I felt like I was "blaspheming the Holy Spirit" for simply questioning things that didn't make sense and contradictions. I prayed every day that god would see and understand my heart and forgive me if I was wrong for wanting answers. Thankfully, I am past that now. I am more at peace than I ever was in the church. I am not an atheist, but I understand why and how so many exchristains become atheist (not sure where I fit). I know the teachings we were all taught about the Bible are not exactly true. Certainly it should not be taken literally. Thanks for your videos!

[@kristenraejohnson]

Knowledge is the pathway to freedom. Well-spoken and insightful argument here! ✌❤

[@AJPemberton]

and doubt the pathway to knowledge.

[@ianalan4367]

Unfortunately her ‘knowledge’ is a somewhat false if not mileadung interpretation of what Christianity actually claims.

[@AJPemberton]

@@ianalan4367 unfortunately, what Christianity claims depends on what denomination you are and what time period you are in. But if you take what the bible states at face value, it's a pretty mixed bag.

[@karlfausek7299]

@@ianalan4367 Proverbs 1:7 (KJV) 7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Peace and love!

[@man-yp1gb]

​@@karlfausek7299 blind obedience to a imaginary autocratic sky daddy.

[@jonnyboi7087]

i grew up gay while going to conservative evangelical church. i struggle so much with obsessive thoughts about hell and life / god in general. watching your videos is one of the only things that helps me feel better when im feeling anxious 🧡🧡

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

did you eventually stop beating yourself up about being as the gods most likely made you?

[@charlesmiller8107]

@@tracyavent-costanza346 God didn't make anybody because God don't exist. Nature made you and you should praise Nature before she strikes you down.

[@j919or]

hell is real bc Jesus said so and HE rose from the dead...the most solid of all histories

[@Yojatram]

Absolutely brilliant! I could never have said it better … I’ll be listening to this one over and over again.

[@andrewferg8737]

"and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear" (2 Timothy 4)

[@peterblock6964]

Definitely, @@andrewferg8737, and most especially true for right wing Christianity in the United States.

[@eprd313]

​@@andrewferg8737that's exactly why parents should avoid sending their kids to Sunday school or religious institutions.

[@andrewferg8737]

@@eprd313 "parents should avoid sending their kids to Sunday school or religious institutions"--- "some of the Party members sometimes interfere with our all-out deployment of anti-religious propaganda. If such members of the Party are expelled, then it is very good, because such members have no place in the ranks of our Party" (Joseph Stalin 1927) In the USSR religious schools were closed, church publications were prohibited, and more than 85,000 Orthodox priests were shot to death just in 1937 alone. Beware what you wish for. Soviet Union deaths --- 61,911,000

[@abeldutchover9924]

Knowledge is the forbidden fruit.

[@Cuffsmaster]

Reasoning carries you away from the propaganda be it religious or political.

[@cosmicqt9647]

I SO appreciate your thoughts! I am in the process of deconstructing and it's so freeing. Your confrontation of the Bible puts everything eloquently onto words that my brain has been thinking, plus presenting ideas I never even thought of. Thank you 🙏

[@jezebelvibes]

Welcome to freedom! Sending you all the best wishes on your deconstruction journey 😁 thanks so much for your kind words and support.

[@georgekustner3440]

@@jezebelvibes you have a very warped idea about God. There is no such thing as a Christian God. God is. You personify God That is a very immature understanding. You are rather irrational, when you discuss Christianity.

[@Isaac-hm6ih]

​@georgekustner3440 So are you arguing that the god depicted by the kind of christianity she talks about is the same as all other gods everyone has ever suggested? It sounds to me like you're assuming some specific god to be true, and then assuming she's talking about that one. I think it would help if you can clarify the specific god you're talking about.

[@georgekustner3440]

@@Isaac-hm6ih nobody knows,what God is, the bible is very clear about that. The problem I have is the personification of God. I go to quantum physics to try and understand ie the consciousness of the universe

[@Isaac-hm6ih]

@@georgekustner3440 Hang on, why are you assuming that line in that book is true? It contradicts most of the rest of that book, along with most other god ideas. It sounds like you're some kind of general deist or pantheist, probably, but then why are you mentioning the bible? If the god you're talking about is some kind of sentient force in quantum physics, I don't see why you object to Jezebel Vibes explaining her objections to a different concept which happens to have the same title given to it. As far as I see, the god of literalist christianity and a hypothetical conciousness to the universe itself are very separate concepts despite both using the same word.

[@laurenmcnichol5311]

I resonate with your experience, coming from a Southern Baptist background. I also grew up Southern Baptist, and I am currently converting to Catholicism. The Catholic Church doesn’t fear or discourage the seeking of knowledge. In Catholicism, one is encouraged to study church history, learn from where their faith originated, and understand how the holy scriptures came to be. There are many who left evangelicalism for atheism, and then came back to God through conversion to Catholicism. So much of what you talk about here is your reasoning for leaving American evangelical Protestantism, which has very little basis in historical Christianity and yes, is largely ignorant of history. Catholicism makes so much more logical sense, Or even Eastern Orthodoxy which is basically the other side of the same coin. I will pray for you to give God a second chance ❤️ Also- the gnostics weren’t just about finding God by seeking him through knowledge. The reason they were condemned as heresy is because they believed they had a special “secret knowledge” unavailable to others, that is how they attained salvation. They also believed that everything physical was evil and only the spirit was good. Among other beliefs that were far from the orthodox Christianity.

[@davidfitnesstech]

Great vids. *Religion* doesn't teach you *how* to think, it only teaches you *what* to think. *'Knowledge'* has *never* been encouraged since the whole *"garden" fable.*

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

nor has the PURSUIT of knowledge been encouraged either, since it just means you don't believe the right things in the first place.

[@daydays12]

Nicely put!

[@Debs1212]

Religion only teaches/indoctrinates one into being obedient sheep slaves.

[@redbirdln254]

Deconstruction seems to teach you more of what not to think, not so much how to think. Can't hardly blame them. There are churches out there that don't have the same doctrine as she is deconstructing.

[@daydays12]

This really is one of your best videos but they are all wonderful. You are doing such good work with your soft, gentle, understanding approach, with incisive grounded reasoning.. I loved when you said " God's greatest enemy is knowledge" and argued that statement so well..Brilliant!

[@jezebelvibes]

Thank you! 😊

[@colepuleo6809]

EXACTLY!!! Those that want to control you don't want you to have power. It's just like a controlling man in a relationship or narcissistic parent.

[@zenglaoshi6571]

You're right !!! You have opened the eyes of many of us, and hopefully, many more.

[@Roberto-REME]

My compliments, Kristi, you are an outstanding narrator. Your delivery is impecable, and I share your sentiments to the core for I too went through that journey of discovery that made me open my eyes. Your views are spot-on and you are a superb public speaker. Well done!

[@daydays12]

And well done to you Roberto. I agree so much with what you say about Kristi. She is doing good work.

[@ronwright6870]

Wow Kristy. This video is so powerful. You are so courageous. Keep these videos coming...you are setting people free.

[@leelee1921]

Very, very insightful. You articulated yourself extremely well. My goodness, you have me rethinking even more my reason for leaving Christianity.

[@adrianquinonez6667]

Do not be deceived many people can take scripture out of context because u can not just read scripture and think u know what it means scripture must also be studied to understanding what it means it takes a life long teaching because something is learned about scripture all the time to those who see the Lord. Keep in mind scripture isn’t saying if u have knowledge u will go to hell it’s saying once u have knowledge of good and evil once u know who Christ is and what sin is they u no longer have an excuse to live in sin. U have the knowledge to know sin is a soul killer and that Christ is the way out of eternal death. Man has laws that u think are common sense to obey yet so does God. so why is it ok to obey man’s laws but not God’s laws? When God is higher then man.

[@adrianquinonez6667]

And so u know all sins can be forgiven except one that one sin is cursing Gods name.

[@iaminevitable_]

@@adrianquinonez6667 yeah… no. 👋🏽

[@roberte4132]

She know what she doing. She knows the Scripture very well and how to use a verse to build her dissertation . Sad!

[@Cuffsmaster]

@@adrianquinonez6667 No it does not take a life long study to realize all the supernatural events claimed in the bible are laughable. You are using smoke and mirrors to hide how simple the bible is and how easy it is to dismissed the bible with cause.

[@funkmeister6986]

I've been following you on tiktok for a while I'm so glad you started a KZbin channel I love your videos they're well thought out and well spoken

[@kathynobles4621]

Kristi, this may be your best talk yet (and I’ve been following you on TT for quite a while!) You articulate your thoughts incredibly well. The message in this video is perfect. Thank you.

[@JasonHarris777]

Amen.lol.Yes Kristi is awesome!!!

[@tr3sidential]

Thank you for being a thinker💯👊🏾

[@colepuleo6809]

Diddo

[@rikkupendragon8372]

I remember my dad telling me a story when I was a young kid. Like 6 or 7 years old. He told me that there was a time when man was trying to build this tower to reach the heavens to be with god. God wasn't happy with this so he destroyed it and then made it so that everyone spoke different languages so they couldn't come together to build the tower again. Even at the age of seven, I was confused that god wouldn't want the people he created to be with him and further more, he divided them when he says that we should love our brothers and sisters. Love our neighbors. It just seems that god wants the opposite of what he supposedly tells people. He says he wants us to seek him out and and love him but he doesn't want us to be with him. He wants us to love each other but divides us with language.

[@kenhoyer8601]

I think the lesson in the Tower of Babel was that God was pissed that they didn’t realize the path to heaven was spiritual and not physical. I guess a hard lesson.

[@Cuffsmaster]

@@kenhoyer8601 the Tower of Babel stroy is a myth intended to brainwash. It works on many

[@Mari_Oh]

Your young mind recognized the illogical nature of the story. Modern Ameican evangelicals take an ancient myth, clearly created by primitive people to explain why people speak different languages, and try to interpret it literally. They even demand that you must believe it literally-or else!

[@Cuffsmaster]

@@Mari_Oh Once you start examining the illogical myths of the bible the thing just unravels and you see the lies laid out before you.

[@patbrumph6769]

Great point.

[@t00l0fsatan]

I'm loving the long-form content 😀

[@rolandwatts3218]

I had always thought that "blasphemy against the Holy Ghost" was nothing more than saying something derogatory about the Holy Ghost. At about the age of 13 I thought I had done just that and it plunged me into several years of extreme anxiety. This later proved to be one of two events that were pivotal in my loss of faith. The other event was meeting people whom I had been taught believed damnable heresy. I was shocked to find out that they thought the same about me and my Methodism. And we each used God's infallible and inerrant word, the bible, to prove each other wrong. Then I began to understand that it could all be bunk. I felt a huge relief in that maybe hell did not exist. Maybe God didn't either. Nor heaven. That allowed me to think seriously about my faith for the first time. My faith rapidly fell away after that meeting.

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

And now you can look forward to dying and turning into a corpse and rotting away, how wonderful! I don't see there is much that is great about atheism, you're still going to die and there is nothing you can do about it, whether there is an afterlife or not! So does believing in an afterlife that is not there make one any worse off in life than he would be if he did not believe in that? I tend to distrust organized religion, but I'm not sure that God does not exist! I think the Universe could very well be infinite with no end or beginning. in an infinite universe the probability of everything is 1 somewhere in the Universe it exists, even God!

[@rolandwatts3218]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 //And now you can look forward to dying and turning into a corpse and rotting away, how wonderful! // Well I don't look forward to death as in wanting to die. There is too much about life I enjoy, even at the age of 73. However, once I am dead I don't think I will be worrying about it any more than I worried about not being alive well before birth. Did you worry about your non-existence, say, a hundred years ago? //... you're still going to die and there is nothing you can do about it, whether there is an afterlife or not! // Correct. It's a no brainer to make that claim, right? //So does believing in an afterlife that is not there make one any worse off in life than he would be if he did not believe in that?// I think it depends. Surveys tend to show that theists have more well being than non theists. However, the surveys tend to be crude and even worse for theists, they show that some theists (e.g. Jews, Mormons and Muslims) are better off than other theists (e.g. Protestant Christians) and the latter are not much better than non theists. Those surveys also show that non theists still don't do too badly anyway. They leave room for a lot of non theists to do better than all theists. //... but I'm not sure that God does not exist!// As an atheist I accept that Gods and gods do not exist. However I also know that I cannot prove this, and indeed I could be wrong. //I think the Universe could very well be infinite with no end or beginning. ...// That is a possibility. //... in an infinite universe the probability of everything is 1 somewhere in the Universe it exists, even God!// What about the Christian God, the Jewish God, the Hindu God, the deistic God, the pagan gods, Allah, etc?

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@rolandwatts3218 yeah, those too, they might not be here though. In an infinite Universe, there is someone else who has my memories and my thoughts and who thinks he is me, there is a very small probability that a duplicate of me will exist in a particular location but in an infinite universe the existence of such a person is physically possible, that might be a kind of after life, because when I die, in an infinite Universe, then somewhere an duplicate of me will experience an afterlife, he will have my memories by sheer coincidence and he will have my memories of dying, and he will conclude that he is living an afterlife, and then he will die, and someone else, another duplicate will have his memories and mine, having experienced death twice in his memories and he will live his life and then he will die, and so it goes. There is no soul in this kind of afterlife, it is all based on an improbable coincidence that is brought to life by an infinite universe. I have no memory of a previous life, as its more probable not to have one than to have one. I figure when I die, I might just close my eyes and see if I have any thoughts after that and where would I be then, and under what circumstances that would be. I don't think I can experience non-existence, but somewhere in the Universe they may be a person who swears he was me and he just died, and that person could exist in the past of the future, it does not matter in an eternal-infinite universe, as time has no meaning. A Universe that is infinite and eternal cannot really ever change. There are parts that are different, and if you go somewhere else, you could find yourself in the past or the future, the Universe could appear young in some regions and very old in others.

[@rolandwatts3218]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 //I don't think I can experience non-existence, ...// My problem with trying to imagine non existence is that when I do try, my eye-balls still seem to be there. I simply cannot get rid of my consciousness in order to imagine what it could be like without it.

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@rolandwatts3218 I once was sedated for an operation, it was unlike going to sleep, suddenly the operation was finished, I did not experience the time inbetween, but my body did.

[@emilycedeno4765]

Thank you for sharing! You are so eloquent.

[@dmwallacenz]

Another fantastic and insightful video. Thank you for making all of these; and keep on doing what you're doing.

[@ChrisMoffat-ov3lx]

Great analysis, Kristi. You might also have mentioned John 8:32 "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free".

[@sundayoliver3147]

Yes. There are truths in every great myth. And generally propaganda in every great myth, too.

[@colepuleo6809]

Yeah the bible enslaves and takes away freedoms more than it could ever set anyone free. I grew up with a conservative Christian, authoritarian dad. And the only reason I'm about to get a tattoo is because he's against it. I'm tired of being told what I can and cannot do.

[@allgood6760]

Truth is truth.. Dalai Lama says don't settle for less than logic and experience and to avoid extremes and I agree with him

[@Toristoryy]

Please don’t stop sharing your voice! You have brought me so much understanding & peace in my journey of deconstructing and understanding my past Harmful beliefs.

[@daydays12]

I am happy for you. Kristi is doing good work.

[@davidchess1985]

Ha, good analysis! I'm a lifelong atheist, so not deconstructing myself, but listening to you is giving me additional insights into how the theistic institutions and meme complexes work.

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

This is like someone who believes his spouse is cheating on him, does he want to believe this? No, but the evidence is leading to this conclusion. Just because one believes X, doesn't mean he wants to believe X. Belief is not always a form of wish fulfillment. The mistake is often made that just because one is an atheist, that he wants to be an atheist. One does not choose one's beliefs if one wishes to believe that which is true, even if he doesn't like it, as not believing it does not make it go away! I don't see the point of critiquing the Bible or trying to find inconsistencies in it, lets just keep in mind that it was written by a bunch of people with differing agendas.

[@davidchess1985]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 I think the point of this part of Kristi's content is to let people know, when they are starting to suspect what you say, that the bible is just a human-written book, that they aren't alone, and lots of other people think the same thing.

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@davidchess1985 much of the philosophy of that book is not bad however, I can't disagree with the Golden Rule for instance, treat others as you would have others treat you.

[@davidchess1985]

@@thomaskalbfus2005 Sure. That's not exactly unique to the bible, though! The weird parts are like "the only way god can resist punishing you eternally is if you accept that he sacrificed himself to himself in order not to have to punish you eternally". Christianity's kind of a weird religion that way, really; most religions are much simpler, like "God wants you to praise him and give his priests money and not kill people at random, and if follow those rules he won't smite you". :)

[@thomaskalbfus2005]

@@davidchess1985 Christianity is derived from Judaism, so is Islam, they did not invent God out of whole cloth. They had to work with what was already there. I disagree with religions that put people into uniforms, such as what Hasidic Jews wear. I disagree with religions that tell you what food you can eat. Christianity loosened those Jewish restrictions. I like turn the other cheek, although I don't always practise it. I don't like when Christians come up with exceptions to the commandment, thou shalt not kill. I disagree with the notion that God put some people on Earth so others can kill them in a holy war. Jews celebrate Passover, which is where God punishes the Pharaoh for not freeing the Hebrews by killing every Egyptian first born son, rather than just killing the Pharaoh himself,

[@lilyLovesStories]

I never understood what was the purpose of putting the tree of knowledge in the garden in the first place. Why didn't God just not do that? Wouldn't it had made more sense to keep the garden pure and leave out any possible corruption?

[@jezebelvibes]

I think it would have! If heaven is going to be eternal bliss without suffering or sin, regardless of whether people have free will or not- why not just start everything out that way? Why not give people that eternal bliss before making them suffer through a "fallen" world and risk their eternal soul. It makes god seem cruel, not kind.

[@jezebelvibes]

@@mrfabulous4640 why would god even give them that choice if the alternative choice is eternal bliss for them and their descendants? you can argue free will, but the bible explicitly states multiple times there is no free choice with god (romans 9, Proverbs 19:21). And if heaven is eternal bliss without suffering and there is no free will, there never needed to be free will. if there is free will, then that means people in heaven will be able to cause a rebellion. and that doesn't sit in the plans laid out in the bible.

[@jezebelvibes]

@@mrfabulous4640 you made many assumptions that could never possibly be proven or demonstrated. If god is all powerful and all knowing, he is capable of creating a world where free will and a lack of suffering exists. and he certainly won't discourage knowledge or put his creation in harm's way with a forbidden tree. That's ridiculous.

[@lilyLovesStories]

@@mrfabulous4640 that doesn't make sense. If he's supposedly "almighty god", then why wouldn't everything just be perfect from the start?

[@lilyLovesStories]

@@mrfabulous4640 I guess I did since God is supposed to be all powerful

[@threeofakindbygeneraldean3007]

Gnosticism was a breath of clean, fresh air. Other interesting "heresies" that flourished in Europe before the reformation were also conveniently removed but happily not forgotten. Another cool video Kristi!

[@davidfitnesstech]

Great video. It seems people usually *accept religion* because of *feelings and emotions.* And it is usually because of *intellect and critical thinking,* that they most likely will eventually *deconstruct from that religion.* Your Friendly Atheist :-)

[@ianbowman6595]

You are very intelligent and are able to think critically about these claims. ❤ your content

[@raysalmon6566]

she missed the whole point

[@jeffronium]

I couldn't have said it better👏👏👏

[@danmiller6462]

Very insightful and inspiring. I always wondered why some people, especially religious people, didn’t believe in knowledge. This video helped me to understand why.

[@gustavocunha5626]

the quality of ur videos are just getting better and beter, and the editing too, just amazing

[@milesgg]

This vid was very uplifting and informative, excellent content.

[@lisareynolds9734]

You’ve done a GREAT job of explaining and you’re so right! Thank you!❤️

[@pdrivest57]

Well articulated. Thanks.

[@Eyelashviper]

You *have* done a great job articulating it. Bravo

[@kevindiment]

I like your points of view and the arguments you make for honesty and love, which is not given by churches or the bible, Thank you for being you Keep this up it's wonderful. PLEASE DO NOT STOP YOUR TALKS AS YOUR SUPPORTING MANY OF US

[@2pacaveli257]

Well said babes, knowledge IS power, imagine a life without knowledge !

[@andrewdowns3673]

That's being a fundamental christian, evangelical Christian, or creationist believer. Heck, just look at how much they refuse basic science. They think Scientific Theory is Theory and denounce nearly all science unless it directly benefits them.

[@stevepowsinger733]

Actually power is power. Knowledge is a means of obtaining power, if all goes well in harvesting that knowledge. And, as we see, there are those in the church who automatically try to punish those who seek knowledge.

[@raycrossley5398]

@@stevepowsinger733 No not realy! Do you know that every university ever built was originally started by christens.

[@cymatiste]

Extremely well articulated; thank you!

[@jezebelvibes]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@crystalwolfe4489]

Beautifully said ! Knowledge is Power !!

[@CharlesPayet]

Kristi, you have rapidly become one of my favorite atheist channels, along with +Mindshift and +ichapod. So glad I found you. I deconstructed and deconverted in my late 20s and early 30s, so coming up on 20 years ago. “Back when I was your age,” (said in a grumpy middle-aged man’s voice 😂), we didn’t have anything like KZbin, and it was so much harder to find information or discussions like yours. Kids these days (yes, I’m laughing at myself for saying that, knowing that I’m turning into my Dad) are so fortunate to have resources like you, whether on TikTok, IG, FB, KZbin, etc. Keep up the good work!

[@dogwalker666]

Try Paulogea and Gutsick Gibbon.

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

i remember a buddy at work, with whom I would frequently kick around aspects of philosophy. He would often say something like "...well, when get to be my age..." then stop and say "...oh yeah, you are."

[@CharlesPayet]

@@dogwalker666 been following Paulogia for a couple years and found Erika early this year. Love both of them!

[@dogwalker666]

@@CharlesPayet cool 😎👍🏻

[@KingdomOfDaylightsDauphin]

Wow. Thanks you for connecting the dots about the role of knowledge-getting plays in the Xian faith. It's an interesting take that it's the unforgivable sin. I'm such a cynic - I've always believed it was just something the church founders threw in there to keep us on our toes. The fear of accidentally committing the unforgivable sin leads congregants to follow their leaders without question.

[@jezebelvibes]

It took me so long to get there but once you see it, you can't un-see it

[@drziggyabdelmalak1439]

Your critical thinking abilities are brilliant. I love how you can break-down the complexities of the Bible's stories and beliefs and explain them in the most simplest [because it's full of your truth and honesty] way.

[@davidkoury7097]

LOL!

[@russe130]

You make some very very good points, you're a very knowledgeable girl. 👍

[@carlabest1257]

Well done Kristi - keep up the good work - truth is preferable to fantasy and BS.

[@johnnywomack548]

Kristi, you are a modern day hero. Please keep up the good work! I'm very grateful to you.

[@EagleEye-vm9gf]

I love how you process your thoughts and emotions. Simply and clearly. Thank you.

[@grantrobinson9129]

Brilliantly articulated, Kristi! The late Carl Sagan would surely have awarded two thumbs up to these insights - undoubted pearls of wisdom for proud display in the porticoes of posterity 👍👍

[@ziad_jkhan]

Thank you sooo much for this enlightening video Kristi

[@vegangelo_29]

Yes, you did a great job about this! Thank you 🫶

[@sparklesims6828]

Thank you for the time that you took to break this down and present it to us. I’ve been deconstructed and a skeptic for a while now but the way that you presented this it’s blowing my mind. Thank you.

[@tru_n8v924]

👏🏽🙌🏽👏🏽🙌🏽👏🏽🙌🏽 love your content! Thank you! Keep it up 😁

[@bobbazoid909]

Truth is a measurement of character. If someone of good character will seek and find truth. and the ones who hate truth is my enemy.

[@garyheydenrych8114]

Like yourself I too grew up in church. A lot that I was taught did not work, which led me to frustration, disappointment, and heartbreak. That I'm not loved by God. Either he has abandoned me, or im not good enough for him, Though I have not totally let go of my faith, I'm seriously searching for the truth.

[@alexwhite2330]

I won't tell you to go either way (belief or unbelief), but please don't come HERE for understanding ANYTHING in or about the Bible. Kristi is Biblically illiterate and ignorant, and I don't say that as an attack on HER but as a warning to YOU, should you feel the need to heed it.

[@garyheydenrych8114]

@alexwhite2330 I gave it a good deal of thought. I was almost deceived. I'll throw my lot wjth Jesus.

[@alexwhite2330]

@@garyheydenrych8114 ❤🙏🙏🙏❤

[@racecartestpilot167]

Just "came out" to my dad about my deconstruction...sent him this video because it's so thoughtful and well done. Love your work, grateful for you!🙏

[@jezebelvibes]

I hope he embraces you with love and acceptance! Be proud of yourself for making it this far

[@racecartestpilot167]

@jezebelvibes he's been pretty amazing so far. It's been years and I remember praying/begging god that he or my mom would get some sort of holy spirit bat signal that their sons faith was in trouble...of course nothing. After years, still no clue until I said something...still haven't told my mom though. Can't see that going well...my dad's been really impressive. Thank you again!😊

[@farmhousefor6family60]

Great explanation!

[@akfarms9011]

I like the way you explain the thinking of the bible. I thank you.

[@tamaadani]

LOVE your content 👌🏻👌🏻

[@colepuleo6809]

Me too!

[@enlightenedanalysis]

One thing I forgot to mention Kristi is that power is not necessarily from the top down. You are right that the Church and religious institutions exhibit enormous power. But as the philosopher Foucault pointed out, power is also bottom up - there are structures and RELATIONS of power that shape our beliefs. For example, power also exists in ordinary individuals like you and I (e.g. you can influence millions of people through KZbin). Our friends and family can influence us and vice versa. More importantly, ordinary people can elect dangerous politicians who can implement extremely religious and nationalistic policies (nationalism being another mindless religion). We have seen this in the US already and we shall unfortunately see it in future. Thanks again for your great work.

[@LOwens-xf8yo]

Love your channel, love your videos! You’re doing a great job! Keep it up!

[@jezebelvibes]

Thank you so much!

[@colepuleo6809]

I love all her video's so much.

[@Larry30102]

Amazing all the Xian comments. Guess they feel compelled. Great video…I’m an old man fan boy

[@wheat3226]

They are losing the knowledge race. You tube is the devil.

[@davidwisler7806]

Please never stop

[@jezebelvibes]

Never ever!

[@robertbenz8028]

Superbly and succinctly said, Kristi!

[@realandar]

Insightful. Very well said.

[@vorwartz8581]

Very insightful! As an atheist agnostic, I found so much knowledge and wisdom from the culture of Sanatan Dharma.. I consider myself a Sanatan now. Love your videos Kristi. tc

[@aishaahmed3611]

Had my notification on Kristi 👍 Keep doing these videos👍

[@jezebelvibes]

thanks so much for your support!

[@aishaahmed3611]

@@jezebelvibes thank you Kristi!! Religion has become habit for some us, even when you said when you were no longer Christian you still believed in him, from our daily habits to where we spend our energy & time and we feel the loss of everytime we've spent on faith/ believe that's we were eventually not going to believe in,it's hard deconstructing, I no longer practice my old religion different than Christianity but your content is the best & is viewed by many different ppl from different religions. & you've articulated your thoughts very well, thank you.

[@FamilyIsGone]

​@@aishaahmed3611 meanwhile the world only getting worse and worse

[@katherineg9396]

I noticed, too, that the tree Adam and Eve were forbidden wss the tree of Knowledge. And as for believing blindly without knowing-forget that!

[@jasbo9734]

Another great video. Keep them coming. 😄

[@ritakent5356]

The opposite of faith is not doubt,it is certainty ".

[@Sky-sm2jz]

When the plan demic catch phrase was "trust the science" I was amazed and saddened at how many people blindly believed what someone told them to believe. Ive become so aware of statements by religious leaders, scientists, retailers and even consumers making product reviews making unsubstantiated claims and outright lies. I utilize "follow the money" and "who gets the power/contol" in my decisions about beliefs. Im very grateful for Kristi's calm and thought provoking videos.

[@blacksterangel]

Your experience almost mirror mine. Except that thanks to content creator like you, it took me less than a couple of years to be fully deconverted. In fact, just this morning I was thinking about if someone asked me what would it take for me to get back to where I was, I came up with three things: 1. Evidence that a higher power / deity exists 2. Evidence that this deity is the one described in the bible 3. Reason that this "god" is worthy of being praised and adored Seeing that point 2 and 3 likely contradict each other, I think I'm also at the point of no return.

[@zenglaoshi3808]

You really have the knowledge to tell right from wrong concerning Christianity. I consider you are a great thinker. 👍🎀 We Humanists love to watch more videos from you. Many thanks 🌷

[@alexwhite2330]

As great of a thinker she is, that's ALL she does it "think." She does ZERO studying... Everything she says is tainted with ignorance because of this.

[@davidschneide5422]

When the message is false, but the profits are real, the truth becomes enemy number one.

[@kpunkt.klaviermusik]

I never understood how the knowledge of good and evil is something bad. We should do the good things and avoid the evil. So we need to know what's good and what's evil.

[@alexwhite2330]

It's NOT (it wasn't) bad. Kristi is ignorant.

[@CharlotteLeviere]

I absolutely love this video Kristi, I can relate to so much of it too. You’ve also managed to verbalise many of issues I’ve had regarding religion

[@lovelybitch2614]

I love your content

[@Flash-pp3cr]

Suscribed. You're the first KZbinr I can say has a ton of similarities in how you think of the world around you. I think it's cool there's other people who think this way.

[@WildWiccanTarot]

Look at the show Handmaids Tale... because of the religious dogma this is where its going to lead because at the end of the day they are sheep and will just follow

[@alieninthecaribbean]

Yup. Religious fanatics are scary with their total ability to categorize some humans as evil and deserving of the most inhumane treatment possible. But then, look at who they believe. If your diety is Yahweh, and you can find ways around your basic human empathy to justify the atrocious things that deity did, you can justify almost anything.

[@jbrowne1948]

Hi Kristi, this is my second comment and I also subscribed…..thank you for your amazing channel, I do think it helps those who are seeking the light of actual truth. I moved away from Christianity by doing the one thing the early church did not want folks to do, I read the Bible, more than once. I found god to be self-absorbed and I could not reconcile the paradox of an All powerful, All knowing entity that has human weaknesses such as jealousy, envy, vengefulness, need for praise and has the emotion of hatred. The other element I disliked was that the whole system placed the power in the hands of few head men, and that was OK with god. Slavery was OK with god, mass slaughter of civilians was OK with god…..well that behavior is not OK with me….I do understand that society norms were different in those eras but, if god was loving it would have made an effort to correct that thinking. There may in deed be a god but it’ll be more set in the rules of the universe….not a human-like puppeteer with human emotions. Keep up the good work Kristi, you have a wonderful communication style.

[@adamrspears1981]

If there's a sin that Jesus can't mediate forgiveness for....then He didn't totally conquer sin, now did He?!

[@randymiller3075]

I had to learn the hard part painful way growing up in the church that independent thought and reason are not wanted in the church and I know this being an Evangelical Preacher's son!

[@sararatliff7707]

Exactly! Christianity HATES when people try to gain knowledge and use it to think for themselves. There's a sad irony to the whole thing too. Jesus was trying to reform his own faith community with the knowledge and wisdom he gained during his travels east. He was that time's equivalent to a progressive, left-wing, couch-surfing hippy. He gave out free health care, he didn't charge for his sermons, he basically ran a food bank with the whole loves & fishes thing, and he talked about loving and accepting people who were marginalized and different. He was rebelling against the conservative ideology of his time, and he was executed because he dared to go against authority. After he died, what was left of the old Roman Empire commandeered his teachings and made him the symbol of their fascist religion. It is my firm belief that Jesus is in the ether flipping tables because of what people have done using him as an excuse.

[@LesignerGirl]

Sometimes knowledge is power, but sometimes it is empowerment. Knowledge has empowered you, me, and so many others to walk away from their indoctrination with confidence.

[@undrwatropium3724]

Think about what kind of world we would have if people donated to science and social programs instead of churches.

[@jezebelvibes]

We can dream 🥰

[@homo_sapiens_sapien1149]

A better humanity, no doubt 🥰✌️

[@JESUSCHRISTISLORD9]

Whats your problem with donating Church. There are people who Donates For Science (Creationism) some of the greatest Scientist like Issac Newton, Galileo Galilee were Christians

[@JESUSCHRISTISLORD9]

@@christophergibson7155 yea

[@kenhoyer8601]

At least tax them

[@scottjackson163]

Christian ministers are commonly in the habit of urging church members to reexamine their relationship with Jesus. Such calls for introspection engender a fear on the part of the believer that he or she may not actually be saved. The fear of eternal damnation combined with the nebulous criteria for achieving salvation keep the believer in a perpetual state of doubt and anxiety.

[@chiricahuaapache5132]

It would help so much if it had actually been told in the Bible what it was. It's like the abomination of desolation. Nobody knows what it is.

[@WildandFree4]

They don't really know what anything is when there are 45,000 different flavours of this 'religion'.

[@lionheartmerrill1069]

@ Chiricahua Apache It is in the Bible, Luke 12:10,11,12 KJV. It has to do with not letting the Holy Spirit speak through those of the 7000(Romans 11:4 KJV)very elect in the synagogue of satan. I drove a 1960 Chevrolet Apache Milktruck for 30 years as a Home Delivery Milkman.

[@CJ-nf5jd]

That was spot on. It's like people kept on an island and never leaving, never knowing anything outside the island and having only the belief of what they tell you. Then instill fear and control so people won't leave or question what they say. All cults do it, no matter if it's religious or political, it's all about fear and control.

[@jaquan3106]

It says that any words against the spirit cannot be forgiven and for the past 2 week my mind has been having intrusive or obsessive thoughts and I been panicking about it and now I’m so stressed out my lips are like uncontrollable and I feel really gulity of this sin I want this sin to like be forgotten and it makes me regret learning about it

[@wheat3226]

@brii So, if I'm worried about a sin I might have committed, I haven't committed it. Yeah.....I like that. Just worry all the time then.

[@sarahm6575]

Hi there! I too used to suffer with those incredibly intrusive thoughts. It was after years of these intrusive thoughts that I realized I had OCD. I then learned about Scrupulosity. This is a subtype of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) involving religious or moral obsessions. All that to say, you are not alone and you haven’t done anything wrong my friend :) We cannot help how our brains are wired and that can be very frustrating and scary at times. But I just want you to know that you are not alone and you haven’t done anything wrong. It may help to seek out someone to talk to that specializes in OCD/intrusive thoughts. There is no shame in that :) Good luck and I wish you all the peace of mind :)

[@sundayoliver3147]

@@wheat3226 The origin of the word "sin" means "missing the mark" -- in archery. So if you take that meaning, all sin is is an error. And "repent" just means "turn the other direction". So if you take off the heavy emotional weight Christianity has put on this, all it means is: if you recognize you make a mistake, take another path. I totally get the worry, because I was brought up with that whole heavy emotional weight, too, but that heaviness actually has no part in redemption; it's just stuck energy that keeps us from taking that new path and moving ahead.

[@johnalexir7634]

@@sundayoliver3147 Well said. Good to see it in a straightforward, objective way like this, free from the negative emotion, fear and other nonsense that keeps people agonizing over themsevles and prevents them from moving forward.

[@kaniyahteague5457]

@@johnalexir7634yk fuck the unforgivable sin it’s a bunch of bullshit it ruined my life and I don’t give a fuck I committed it not because I hate God but because I cared long enough!!! 😢excuse me for my language ❤

[@Kram21265]

Well said Kristi.

[@AndJusticeForMe]

Pastors and priests don’t want you to question. Questioning makes them very uncomfortable. Not because it’s an affront to their god, but because it threatens business. They will use any tactic to keep butts in pews.

[@Brenoaesthetic]

I agree with everything you said. I was trying to tell my parents about how people in Palestine are dying because of the war, they acted like they didn’t hear me or something, all they were worrying about was Israel

[@davidfitnesstech]

*Religion thrives* on people's *emotions.*

[@sundayoliver3147]

Like a kind of succubus.

[@razony]

And their fears. Fear is one of the cornerstones of Christianity. They got people to believe out of fear. One of the reasons 'they' created Hell, Satan, Demons, Devils, Judgement... Believe or ELSE!

[@johnalexir7634]

Mostly fear and other negative emotions, as that's the most effective way to control the masses.

[@angelawildman122]

I’ve committed the unforgivable sin and I’m so happy that I have!

[@davidfitnesstech]

Great videos Kristi. Very well done. Your Friendly Atheist :-)

[@madra000]

This is so accurate to what I've thought. Jesus is the enemy of the common good . Fantastic job kristi