Should We Tolerate Blind Faith? | An Ex-Christian Perspective

[@ClaraDarko]

I respect every religious person who respects my freedom from religion.

[@jezebelvibes]

As it should be

[@Ex_christian]

And yet the Christian cult gives no respect to freedom from religion. It’s disgusting.

[@ilonabaier6042]

Good one! But only if respect means that the religious person does not believe somewhere deep down inside that I as a non-believer is not going to hell which would actually defeat the purpose of their having that religion. It is a twirling around that I prefer not to get involved in.

[@mosesking2923]

@@jezebelvibes there is no such thing as freedom from religion. Can you prove to me that this so called “right” actually exists?

[@Ex_christian]

@@mosesking2923 then religion needs to mind its own fake and lying business then! Religion is doing nothing good in America. The Christian cult spread hate and lies.

[@fosterseth]

"Faith can create a vulnerability to further harm" is a great phrase to remember.

[@iwilldi]

I will remeber it next time i practice guitar. Playing guitar is harmfull to everyone especially when you were faithfull in the past.

[@jdl2180]

​@@iwilldiwtf?

[@caribbeanman3379]

Faith _is_ a vulnerability to further harm. Faith is a custom-made ergonomic handle for charlatans to grab hold of your mind.

[@gracefulsledge2857]

I am an Atheist. Our middle ground is that we live in a free country. So I defend your right to believe any stupid thing you want. Where we draw issue, is when you push your stupid beliefs onto others.

[@BadgerWolf-19]

Faithlessness can too. Humans are no better than humans😂😂😂

[@karolinaska6836]

No angry atheist has ever inspired me to question my religious worldview when I was still a believer. It was very easy to dismiss them. Kristi, your questions and answers and train of thought videos and others like this are what finally allowed me to start looking at my faith and start noticing the gaping loopholes.

[@jenniferhunter4074]

Other deconverts have cited that atheist mockery was what moved them towards atheism or their own personal experiences of the disunion between the religious teachings and the world. So what we can surmise is that messaging is not universal. What worked for you at a specific time may not necessarily be effective for another person. In other words, let's not universalize our own personal experiences. That kind of mindset is where we run the risk of forgetting that the other person is an autonomous being. If anger didn't work, the religious would never show anger. So clearly, anger works on some level. It may not work on you, but it does work on others.

[@jezebelvibes]

​@@jenniferhunter4074i think anger is a driving force that, when properly channeled, can create positive change. It isn't bad to be angry. And anger can help motivate us to make change. But how we use that anger will make the difference in how successful our work will be.

[@jenniferhunter4074]

@@jezebelvibes I absolutely agree. We tend to treat anger and other emotions as pure negatives or positives but they aren't necessarily good or bad. Anger does tend to be used as a pejorative and it's interesting when you add intersectionality and you see that anger is allowed in some groups but in other groups, it is demonized. For example, white men get angry a lot but their anger is normalized. In contrast, a woman getting angry, especially a black woman, is treated as a personal character indictment. We tend to whitewash history and ignore the very real anger that helped say the Civil Rights Movement. And of course, the cynical part of me appreciates the white hegemony who worked (both left and right) to show a model example, MLK JR, as THE example and thus, cut off valid expressions of anger at abusive situations. It's a useful way of controlling the behavior of others by demonizing anger, and other emotions, as not important and thus, a character flaw. Because we all know, that this rule will be applied unevenly and thus, benefit the status quo. I will say this to Christians. I wouldn't have to be angry or outspoken or rude if Christians had spoken up first and shut down the nasty Christians. We could have had a more peaceful encounter but their silence is, to me, a sign of their complicity. They can complain about their hurt feelings but notice that they are so so silent for victims of Christian nonsense. Why is that? Oh the humanity.

[@scholarlyanalyst7700]

@@jezebelvibes Fanatics do selective critical thinking. They apply critical thinking (or certainly skepticism!) to evolution but not at all to creation. Their default position is that creation occurred and any challenging world view must automatically be treated with an abundance of skepticism. Again...selective critical thinking!

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

the "angry atheists" were probably those trying to RECOVER AND PUT THEIR LIVES BACK TOGETHER after having gone through a potentially very painful "divorce" from what they ultimately found to be an untenable ideology coupled with a profoundly insulated subcultural bubble. That bubble is notoriously inculcated in such a way that implicilty threatens QUESTIONERS with summary exclusion from everyone and everything that they had theretofore known. no WONDER they are angry. anger is a legitimate reaction to having been mistreated and consistently lied to. all while this supposedly protective god, did nothing. so the anger is justifiably both directed at those humans who participated in the mind-control cabal, but also at the alleged god who demanded unquestioning loyalty while ultimately providing none. it is no great coincidence that people of that cabal, also tend to find Donald Trump mysteriously appealing. His view of himself, is effectively how the Old Testament YHWH would likely view himself.

[@NDAsDontCoverIllegalActs]

Until maybe 3 years ago, I never considered others faith because they weren't constantly pushing it on me. Everyone's free to practice what they like as long as they arent impinging on others. Once you cross that line, that's where conflicts occur.

[@mosesking2923]

It’s okay to impose your beliefs on others.

[@NDAsDontCoverIllegalActs]

Presenting beliefs vs imposing them - the latter is unacceptable and causes conflicts. Haven't seen it occur otherwise.

[@philleprechaun6240]

@@mosesking2923 im·pose [imˈpōz] verb - imposed (past tense) · imposed (past participle) 1. force (something unwelcome or unfamiliar) to be accepted or put in place: 2. take advantage of someone by demanding their attention or commitment: "she realized that she had imposed on Miss Hatherby's kindness" 3. printing arrange (pages of type) so that they will be in the correct order after printing and folding. It is never okay to force your beliefs on others. Would you be happy having others impose their beliefs onto you?

[@irinaatanasova2335]

@@mosesking2923 no it's not, learn what consent is

[@HappilyCarnivore]

@@mosesking2923 No.

[@frenchiemama6527]

I find that I am less hateful and more loving the farther removed I am from Christianity. I love people more for who they are as individuals not what they believe and how they believe it.

[@jezebelvibes]

Same

[@frenchiemama6527]

@@jezebelvibesYes! Empathy and compassion. Meeting people where they are. It’s beautiful to have these things now that I have no faith versus before striving to have them and it being nearly impossible because I was judging them.

[@nerfzombie6242]

Oh, without question, same here!

[@HarryNicNicholas]

religists seem to hate each other, i think even the "nicest" religist sees heaven as just them and god watching everyone else burn. remember they have to put god before anyone, friends and family included.

[@jamesaston410]

That’s because belief, certainly Christianity, is based on the bible which objectifies people by looking at what they are then treating them accordingly, not who they are. It’s wrong to even attempt to objectify human feelings! Lose that belief and you then start seeing and treating people subjectively.

[@Martial-Mat]

I'll show the same tolerance to them as they show me.

[@JerehmiaBoaz]

So you walk up to them to tell them they have to proclaim that they're sorry for everything bad they did or they'll end up getting tortured forever after they die? Not to mention that "repentance" used to be what a master expects from a disobedient slave: prostrating (laying flat on their stomach with their face in the dirt), saying they're sorry, and begging for mercy. Modern Christians don't realize half how offensive their religion really is to someone who considers himself free (I strongly suspect treating Roman citizens like slaves is in large part what earned early Christians their bad reputation and their place in the Roman amphitheater).

[@jamesaston410]

Precisely! I haven’t seen much respect from devout believers towards non-believers

[@lemsip207]

​@@jamesaston410Plus anyone in their church who they consider to be beneath them.

[@TodaysDante]

@@jamesaston410 - Do you have any direct experience of disrespect?

[@TodaysDante]

@@lemsip207 - What church have you gone to that considers you beneath them?

[@joecity9]

A life guided by observation, evidence, probability and reason is just so much better.

[@stevecagle2317]

It is - no fretting about burning in hell or feeling the need to tell others that's where they're going.

[@ianalan4367]

Keep in mind many believers also use observation, evidence, probability and reason to come to their conclusion. They simply have come to a different conclusion.

[@joecity9]

@@ianalan4367 Then there's no difference - except the superstition.

[@WildandFree4]

It feels so good to be there now 👏👏👏🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@sgloobal2025]

How do you have any kind of knowledge in a world without God? You're thoughts are just brain fizz

[@patrickkirby7612]

"Belief is not a choice". "It's not a switch you can turn on and off ". " It's is the result of becoming convinced of something ". You, through a process, become convinced of a thing" . Kristi Burke 💙

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

sadly in the rigid cabal, there is no "convincing" involved when a victim has been indoctrinated since childhood and has never seen nor heard of any counter-arguments.

[@avivastudios2311]

Yeah, it's all internal. People don't have complete control over themselves.

[@shriggs55]

" It's when it becomes a bad behavior or a behavior that hurts other people." Right on! LIke Christian nationalism, indoctrinating children with the fear of hell(or with fear-period); or causing people to waste years of their lives on fallacies. Anyhow, I can see that you have learned to be honest with yourself over the years, and, that's refreshing and a treasure at the same time. Keep it up Kristi. Keep being yourself.

[@slickbama8322]

why does no one mention muslims when decrying religion?

[@jezebelvibes]

​@@slickbama8322they do. But you're asking this in a space themed only around christianity. If you type "ex muslim" in the search bar, you'll find what you're looking for.

[@TheAtheistMexican78]

​@@slickbama8322 This is such a common question, but so easy to answer. If I give you the benefit of a doubt that you are acting in good faith (pun intended) by asking, here is my answer: In much of the western world, North America in particular, and most especially the USA, it is not Islam that is on the front lines of active daily harm like organizing around affecting legislation. Extremists of Islamic faith have certainly causes some isolated scenes of violence on American soil (9-11 being the most extreme version of that), but it is fundamentalist Christianity that is the most constant, clear, and present threat to American civil liberties. Also, to repeat @jezebelvibes, channels like this focus on deconstructing from the perspective of people who have experience religious trauma that is Christian, not Muslim. It really makes no sense to ask your question here.

[@paulgerkin2851]

I only mention politics because it's relevant to this video's subject . We have a man running for president whose willing to allow his supporters [ the religious right ] to take over this country , violating the 1rst amendment . The 1rst amendment protects the right of everyone to believe as they chose , including atheists and agnostics . I value this freedom .

[@jamesaston410]

@@paulgerkin2851Project 2025 makes grim reading for non-believers!

[@racecartestpilot167]

It's so surreal being on the deconstructed side and now feeling/understanding people's animosity toward Christians. Love your channel, you always do great work!

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

personally my animosity is not so much against the HUMANS but against the INHUMANE nature of their ideological indoctrination. Especially when directed at children.

[@ChadillacGrills]

Subscribed! I appreciate your work and am always happy to see more people--especially more women, people of color, and LGBTQ folks--realizing how ridiculous, irrational, and harmful religious, supernatural, superstitious, and faith-based belief systems truly are. I also appreciate seeing more people using and normalizing the terms "atheist" and "atheism" more. Keep up the good work!

[@jezebelvibes]

Happy to have you here :)

[@collindysart6472]

As a gay man with a raft of religious trauma, I have a long way to go in not feeling deep suspicion and mistrust towards 'happy and proud' Christians. I have so much experience with cheerful, happy to help, Christians who hide layers upon layers of malice, judgement, and oblivious contempt that the believer has been trained to make seem sane, normal ,and holy. It is also incredibly hard to deal with people who are trained to have a persecution complex: the devil and his secular world is out to get me because I am god's most favorite child. More often than not, I strongly believe, one should avoid most Christians. These people have been trained to believe in righteous patriarchy, obsession with the bible, and having all the answers. It is impossible for most of these people to have any critical thinking. They are often convinced that patriarchy is not bad, we just need better patriarchs. Just exercise caution at all times with these people! They will stab you in the soul with a sweet caring smile on their face. Update on 8/22: I painted with a broad brush and for that I am sorry. I speak purely of my experience in a small rural community with tight knight communities. For preschool through fifth grade, I attended a private Christian school. I was subjected to some incredibly damaging ideas and was abused by there 'holy patriarch' of the school. As an effiminate boy I received constant surveillance and passive aggression from authority figures.

[@suicune2001]

Agreed. There is practically a meme "There is no hate like Christian love." One of my brothers became a Christian as an adult, had a baptism and everything, and all I've seen him do since then is ruin his life and become homophobic when he was never homophobic before. His critical thinking went down the toilet to the point he thinks there was a literal Adam and Eve whose children performed incest until we got the 8 billion people we have today and thinks there was a literal worldwide flood that destroyed the entire world..... And he even goes to the church who made a jab at black people at his own baptism! I just can't even.

[@phamtom27070]

You just wrote a bunch of hate towards Christians, and you say we have persecution complex?

[@jamesparson]

@@phamtom27070 ??????

[@alieninthecaribbean]

@@phamtom27070 He wrote about his experience being persecuted by Christians and his religious trauma. He did not write hate.

[@phamtom27070]

@@alieninthecaribbean " It is also incredibly hard to deal with people who are trained to have a persecution complex: the devil and his secular world is out to get me because I am god's most favorite child." "More often than not, I strongly believe, one should avoid most Christians" "These have been trained to believe in righteous patriarchy, obsession with the bible, and having all the answers. It is impossible for most of these people to have any critical thinking." "Just exercise caution at all times with these people!" "They will stab you in the soul with a sweet caring smile on your face." Please tell me I don't have to explain why this is hate.

[@mysticskyz5870]

I'm so glad that you're back! I missed you. 🙂 Great video.

[@memecity9849]

Everyone should have the right to practice their faith. They dont have the right to impose their religions or try to pass laws strictly based on their religion

[@jezebelvibes]

Absolutely agree

[@peterz2352]

I second that

[@polystrate1]

@@memecity9849 to play devil's advocate, everyone's worldview dictates laws and policies.

[@utubepunk]

​@@polystrate1Laws & policies should remain secular to benefit everyone & not one particular religious group.

[@oswaldoramosferrusola5235]

The catholic faith, like most other christians, is apostolic, which means that you have to try and convence the rest of believers and not believers about the error of their ways

[@FoursWithin]

Recently I saw other KZbinrs trying to debunk Kristi's videos . Trying trying trying ... but not succeeding in the slightest. Yet other believers in their comments acting as if calling Kristi a satanist is all it takes to cancel her ideas. Too much ignorance. My Laughter turns to the shock of sadness that people are thinking such delusions equal reality. 😮😢

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

without a doubt, she terrifies them. Personally I take a certain glee in observing that, for all of its pathetic nature. but that might just be an indication that I am not done with the pain either. My story isn't even hers.

[@theboombody]

Very difficult to defend ancient scriptures with supernatural claims. But attacking the weaknesses of secularism is much easier. Secularism's only defense promoting morality is that it makes things easier for the group as a whole, and that it's simply a utilitarian tool. But once you get a strong leader that stops caring about the group as a whole, and only cares about the thugs that brought him to power, that whole utility of the group idea falls apart. It has done so in the past, and will do so again.

[@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f]

@@theboombody Tah-Dah! *Joshua 10.12-13; 20* “On the day the Lord gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the Lord: 'Sun, *STAND STILL* over Gibeon, and you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.' So the *Sun* _STOOD STILL,_ and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies . . . So Joshua and the Israelites *defeated* them completely, but a few _survivors_ managed to reach their fortified cities.”

[@theboombody]

@@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f So Joshua and his guys were classified as thugs in your eyes. So be it. You're just attacking ancient scriptures and not doing a darn thing to defend against the weaknesses of secularism. How does secularism protect against someone who decides to do what Joshua did? Only difference is he might do it in the name of money or some other resource rather than a supernatural deity. Secularism might protect someone from running over a nation because their god said so, but it does zero to protect someone from running over a nation for any other reason, even just a whim.

[@lukedegraaf1186]

​@@theboombodylike religion?

[@badger1296]

Kristi, you are a wonderfully compassionate person. ♥️

[@badminton5920]

The First Article of the Bill of Rights states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". This has served American well for 240 years. And kept religion out of government.

[@paulgerkin2851]

Absolutely !

[@jamesaston410]

And totally as it should be. I may be wrong, but I think Jefferson also said its purpose was twofold …to keep politics out of religion too.

[@surrelljr]

@@jamesaston410😅

[@evanplante]

Great perspective in "What is my purpose? I want to leave positive change."

[@br.m]

It would be a positive change is this girl could admit she is ignorant about actual Christianity, and doesn't understand the Bible. It would be positive if she got honest and began to differentiate between false Christianity, which is all she knows, and real Christianity.. Which she is completely ignorant about. It would be positive change for her to do this. However, what she is doing is talking about false Christianity as if it is Christianity. That is misleading and confusing. No critical thinker would do that. Reminds me of Tyler the ex-evangelical going swimming!

[@NoMementoMori]

@@br.m Let me translate: "actual Christianity" = Christian doctrine i agree with, ignoring most christians in its entire history propably had very different beliefs "doesn't understand the bible" = disagrees with my interpretation of it that i need to uphold so this book makes any sense at all Yes yes everything bad happening due to christianity is the false one, everything good is the true one. You know what this is called? No-true-Scotsman Fallacy.

[@Mrs.Robinsons]

Absolutely! The christian crusades were as brutal as any CULT-ure. In the USA we are conditioned to believe or be punished. Im 65 yrs born and raised in this mind manipulated threat and now FREE ! Free to love, to change & to grow

[@Mrs.Robinsons]

@@br.m Kristie is very well educated, very well spoken, and very loving. Move on

[@br.m]

@@Mrs.Robinsons Perhaps. Not when it comes to the Bible and Christianity though. So Thanks for bringing me back here after I had moved on. Why don't you ask her to stop talking about the Bible and make some videos where she talks about stuff she actually knows about. She is literally Tyler the ex-evangelical quits swimming. But irl. And if she is so loving why does she keep coming back on KZbin to try and attack Christianity by lying about it and lying about the Bible.

[@yakubu-fatimajenifa6539]

wow, I can relate to your story of deconstruction. Since I left Islam, I have been angry at myself (for accepting beliefs without critical thinking) and other believers. and listening to you talking about the anger and fear really feels validating. Your video taught me to be kind and compassionate to those still stuck in their beliefs. I was once there and I thought I was right. And now, due to critical thinking and curiosity, I left religion. Thank you, Kristi.

[@CharlesPayet]

Darn you, Kristi, demonstrating the values of compassion, empathy, and love of our fellow humans that Jesus (some of the time) taught! Well-said on all points, and thank you for the reminder. It’s all too easy to forget where we came from.

[@Unhandled_Exception]

I am NOT a fan of the Golden Rule (treat others how you'd like to be treated): Please do not treat me how you want to be treated... just because you might like being kicked in the arse, doesn't mean I like it. Then there's the Platinum Rule (treated other how they'd like to be treated): Similar problem: just because you might like being kicked in the arse, doesn't mean I want to kick you in the arse. Next, the Titanium Rule (Don't treat people how you do not want to be treated): This I can go along with. I don't like being kicked in the arse, so I'm not going to kick anyone else in the arse.

[@NightmareRex6]

the golden rule iso one who controls the gold (rothschilds) makes thee rules for yee but not for thee.

[@seanfromlimerick]

Agreed, treat others as they want to be treated!

[@kerianhalcon3557]

And here I thought the saying was do unto others before they do unto you 😁😁

[@michele219]

Why not ask others how they want to be treated and then do so as long as it does not cause any harm? What makes people think they know best regarding other people?

[@Mrs.Robinsons]

kingJames & his poetry dont cut it. "Do unto others as YOU would want them to do unto YOU" is the most selfish concept USA can conjure.

[@Warrior-re5fn]

I'm a big fan of your KZbin channel and I have mad respect for you. You totally nailed it. Thank you 😊

[@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f]

As a Gen-Xer, I wish I could have grown up watching "The Hypatia of Mississippi Show" instead of Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Pat Robertson, Jimmy Swaggart, Jerry Falwell and other Voodoo Priests.

[@yesitsme8702]

I don’t have faith that most religious people know how to separate their personal beliefs from infringing on our secular freedoms.

[@Trotoloko]

It's part of their belief system

[@rainbowkrampus]

Fair, why have faith when you can have statistics? Just looking at a US perspective, things like Roe were and are popular. There aren't enough religious "nones" to account for the ~70% nationwide support. Granted, the Bible is also pro Roe (we're using shorthand here, mostly because YT algorithms randomly block some content) but your average christian doesn't actually use the Bible to establish their beliefs. Most of them disagree with slavery even though the Bible explicitly endorses that.

[@yesitsme8702]

@@rainbowkrampus hi 😀! I was being facetious with the word “faith” because we’re talking about religion. I do agree that many don’t adhere to the Bible when voting. However, the fact that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe and the 🏳️‍🌈 community has to fight for rights like the Black community had to, shows me that enough religious people do vote accordingly. Originally I was just posting a general comment so I really don’t want to make this a long debate because this is as far as my knowledge goes on the subject.

[@yesitsme8702]

@@Trotoloko true. That’s why religion can be dangerous even if the person says “it’s my personal belief”. Inevitability, that belief trickles into secular society issues when voting.

[@sciking8756]

​@@yesitsme8702Richard Dawkins said transsexualism is basically a metaphysical stance, so it should be considered a religion. Does that prohibit LGBT people asking for laws about transsexualism?

[@TheTechnicolorRobot]

Belief not being a choice is probably one of the things I feel most strongly about since deconstructing. You explained that so well here, and I love how thoughtful your perspective is on this topic!

[@raspberryitalia3464]

Idk.. while I agree with your ideal of coexisting respectfully, I think a faith that requires evangelism and separation from anyone who doesn't share that same faith is automatically at odds with the idea of coexisting. I think it will be up to the religious to earn the trust and respect back from those they've harmed for centuries

[@Trotoloko]

Yes! Why the fuck should we ignore that the problem is precisely their faith and belief system? It's as dangerous as pretending that fascist ideologies aren't dangerous and we should allow them to keep being fascists!

[@jezebelvibes]

I agree with you.

[@sciking8756]

If you think they harmed you for centuries you've some victim mentality problem. Christianity is a huge part of what built our Western society.

[@RobertStambaugh-l5r]

Madalyn Murray O'Hair harmed us by using the government .

[@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f]

Those Baptists and Jehovahs are always accosting and pestering lonely, nerdy, wimpy people in public spaces. Which is why I like and respect the Amish and Mennonites.

[@WildandFree4]

Kristi, you are making a huge impact on the world.. You will change the world for the MUCH better. Thankyou so much for having such a big heart to go through this with us.. Much love, admiration, and respect from someone you freed 3yrs ago with your tiktoks. You are a Queen 👸💐😘

[@avivastudios2311]

What do you mean she'll change the world?

[@FjrnVR]

Glad to see you still here, It was my reading of the bible , end to end that made me stop persueing faith, But i have a small story to share about love for God vs Fear of God and Hell. I'm a large person, I was working with a reformed ex-con that found the lord and he needed something to offer him morality, i think. We where working on a 3 story building with no guard rails, he was telling me that he was going to teach the children in his bible study about Hell, I looked at him hard, up and down sizing him up. I grabbed him by the Flannel shirt and pulled him towards the edge. I yelled ""Do you love me with all your heart, Bill?" of coarse he cried out "YES!" at which point I pulled him back to upright on his feet, with tears in his eyes, I said "Dont teach children fear, teach them love" I acknowledge this was not the best thing to do. But the point was strong and well understood. Later in the day he thanked me for teaching him this harsh lesson. I dont mind the Good of the church , at least the ones that are not greedy or use God as a weapon to beat others down. but I can see where this it is often harmful and radicalization does no one any good. You seem like a good person and I hope the best for you, Thanks for taking all the stuff you do, to help others see a way out of cult practice.

[@phamtom27070]

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, what you did was not wise. You showed him that his life was more valuable than his life with God.

[@yoweedmofo19897]

​@@phamtom27070 It sure was. We should value the one life we know we have, not one we wish was waiting for us at the end of days.

[@norrecvizharan1177]

@@phamtom27070 It's not wise to follow a deity or individual who's actually willing to give you valid reasons to fear him. Especially since at bare minimum, it shows that his "love" is only CONDITIONAL at best.

[@DaveB-hg7el]

​@@phamtom27070Aren't fear and love opposites? Also, how does wisdom come from fear? I have heard this before, but never understood exactly what it means. Peace 💚

[@phamtom27070]

@@yoweedmofo19897 Sure, and sure value my time not to go to school, because I'm not sure if anything promises is true.

[@utubepunk]

Christianity hurts people. Isn't that enough of a reason to be angry with it?

[@jezebelvibes]

I think so! I'm very angry with Christianity, too. But I think we can find a balance if we recognize where that anger comes from. And then we can take steps to logically conclude how we create the positive change we want to see

[@permanentsilence]

And not only Christianity

[@areuaware6842]

Abrahamism was founded on hurting and killing people, these are the foundational tenets of their ideology.

[@sciking8756]

Atheism hurts people too, so?

[@utubepunk]

@@sciking8756 Uh huh. Do explain how atheism has hurt you.

[@firbolg]

I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy your videos and insights! You’re concise and logical in your explanations, making complex topics clear and accessible to everyone. I was born to an atheist father and mother (originally Catholic and Zwinglian, respectively) in Switzerland, in a pretty open and cosmopolitan area. At the age of 7, my father decided to take my mother and me back to his very Catholic and rather conservative home country. Not speaking the local language initially, it took me some time to catch up, and as the only atheist kid around, I often found myself discriminated and isolated from village activities. Your videos serve as a balm, soothing those memories, and I can’t help but wish I had encountered someone like you back then-someone who would explain things to me rather than chastise me, calling me a blasphemer and saying I would burn in hell. P.S. On a lighter note, I have to say-your eyes are as captivating as your insights.

[@docforest4851]

Kristi, I think your videos, your message, your style and warmth…well, they are slowly changing the world for the better. I’m amazed as a critical thinker in normal circumstances, that I separated my faith from the process of asking…does this make sense? As soon as I sat down and read the Bible critically, I realized…..wow, this can’t be the word of God, and if it is, it’s not a God I respect.

[@utubepunk]

Only if it tolerates us? But seeing how divisive Christianity is (in group vs out group), I doubt it.

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

obviously not where "toleration of the other" is indoctrinated as evidence of lack of ideological devotion. remember, it is fashionable among those types to regard "diversity" and "inclusion" as a "woke" ideology.

[@avivastudios2311]

Politics is divisive too. But that's okay cause it's secular, right?

[@utubepunk]

@@avivastudios2311 Eh. One side wants to use politics to deny human rights & scapegoat marginalized people, the other side advocates universal healthcare for everyone, regardless of their politics. Politics in America isn't secular. Christians are hyper political.

[@The_Progenitor]

Jaclyn Glenn-Frank has said, "The easiest way to lose the Christian faith, is to read the Bible with an open mind."

[@The_Progenitor]

GSC: I will be me; you be you; and keep your hands off of my moral compass.

[@The_Progenitor]

GSC: "Love." is a one-word commitment to always do good.

[@sheenadenae3156]

So true! Read it in easy English and in large chunks and you will see contradictions and errors.

[@mattd.4133]

"There is NO hate like Christian love." Author unknown, but so true.

[@Antony-bp2yh]

What does that mean?

[@garystapp1656]

That statement is an oxymoron. No truth in it.

[@mattd.4133]

@@Antony-bp2yh You know, the kind of love where it goes like this. "If you don't love me ill burn you forever, ill rape your wife and make you eat your kids." Bible says something like that in Dueteronomy 28

[@garystapp1656]

​@@Antony-bp2yhWhat it means is so called Christian love is hateful which is not true. When a so called Christian is being hateful, that's not love. Many anti Christian groups are calling simple disagreements hateful just because a person doesn't agree with their lifestyle. I can love and respect someone without agreeing with them.

[@nindie2011]

​@garystapp1656 I agree with you. Disagreement isn't hate. That being said, I have heard some Christians talking about homosexuality in an extremely hateful manner. Fortunately, I don't hear it often.

[@PoppysPrints]

Thanks!

[@jezebelvibes]

I appreciate that ☺️

[@OCA8WhitePeopleAreAlbinosOCA8]

I knew JESUS wasn't Real so this is really where our taxes are going 2 Wemen

[@Emilio11117]

Your perspective is unique because you are humble. People with humility are a rarity in this world. Most others have trouble looking into WHY someone has a belief and have trouble looking at other beliefs with empathy because they are unwilling to change their own beliefs and are afraid to hear something that might have them believing different. So really, only a humble person can break free of all the lies around them and are actually willing to change their beliefs when they get actual proof that they were wrong about something.

[@brianmurphy767]

In my experience with people in my life, common ground is no longer possible. I've lost friends and family due to covid, antivax stances, MAGA idiots, and otherwise just skewed view of reality.

[@jezebelvibes]

I understand that, and I've lost relationships with most of my family members, too. Unfortunately we can't always find middle ground with everyone.

[@marshallsobin4879]

Hello BRYAN, I totally empathize with the anti vaxx issue…. My refusal to take the vaxx got me banned from restaurants, movie, libraries, elevators etc.

[@PeteOtton]

@@marshallsobin4879 When you choose to do something that can endanger the lives of others expect to become a social pariah.

[@marshallsobin4879]

@@PeteOtton so I guess you are calling me a pariah, but since you are fully vaxxed and boosted several dozen times, you should have no fear of me or fools like myself…. Now I could be misunderstanding you….

[@marshallsobin4879]

@@PeteOtton thank you for calling me a pariah…. It appears UTUBE canceled my lengthier response…. You should have no fear of me , you are fully vaxxed and took several dozen boosters.

[@Alpha0371]

I have been indoctrinated and raised with a fear of Hell from my parents, grandparents, and relatives for 37 years.

[@Motherplantmusic]

Well-put and important point the commenter makes. This is precisely why I consistently and unapologetically defend my right to mock and criticize people of “faith”. The practice of irrational beliefs is pernicious and insidious, and is the cause of so much that is destabilizing in our society. Generally, I will not do this without provocation of some sort, and will be more forgiving of those whose life circumstances have made it more inevitable that they can be made to believe absurd things with no evidence. But I have no such restraint when it comes to those who should know better, and religious leaders, many of whom DO know better but cynically pay lip service to faith. And show up at my door with a pamphlet? You will get a hot lesson on critical thinking. Thanks, Kristi, for fighting the good fight.

[@kurtfrederiksen5538]

Reminds me of a conversation I had at a Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence conference a few years back. Was in a group with others who attended and the question was asked "Will we ever have a human level AI?" My response was something to the effect of, as far as we are aware the brain is responsible for our ability to think and reason. Several studies have shown this, drugs for mental disorders are built on this, we are even able to map which parts of the brain are responsible for which functions. Based on current knowledge the brain operates on physical properties like electro-magnatism, if we are able to replicate the physical properties and replicate the functionality of the brain then yes. Someone else's response was that intelligence of that level required a soul, so no. I then asked, if they could show the correlation between the soul and intelligence. They said they could not. I then asked if they could at least show the existence of a soul, again they could not. Finally, I asked if I proposed that intelligence was because of magic pixie dust, is there any evidence they could present that I could not also present to support my hypothesis. This caused them to quickly change the subject. The sad thing is the person putting forth these views is quite intelligent and is well educated (has a PHD). I am with you, faith can be an insidious thing destabilizing society in very subtle ways.

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

she does admit to some occasional snark, which I find rather strongly appealing. She bridles her raw anger and tries to re-direct it, but some parts of it are still there and are totally justified and legit IMHO. SNARK is just her modified version of rhetorically slapping the shit out of some people who appear to desperately need it. Why would I begrudge them, what they appear to need.

[@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f]

@@tracyavent-costanza346 She and others need to tread carefully . . . *Leviticus 20:27* "A man or woman who is a medium or spiritists among you must be put to death. You were to s_______ them; their b_______ will be on their own heads." *Hosea **13:16* "The people of Samaria must bear their guilt because they have rebelled against their God. They will fall by the SWORD; their little ones will be d_______ to the ground; their pregnant women r______ open." *Isaiah 14:21* "Let the Offspring of the wicked never be mentioned again. Prepare a place to slau_______ his children for the sins of their ancestors. They are not to rise to inherit the land and cover the Earth with their cities."

[@kevinpepe9101]

Well done in explaining this. This has been my stace for ages. You are very compassionate and critical thinker. Again, well done on answering this question.

[@ronkelley1721]

I really like the way that you talk sister! You make sense! Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate it.

[@StarchildMagic]

My first step out of Christianity was when I noticed that the names of characters fit too neatly with the stories they were in. The first ones were Jacob and Esau, which I learned translated to "supplanter" and "hairy" respectively. I've always been a writer, and this made the stories seem like they were made up by people, and not very creative ones (who names their son Hairy? lol) The rest of what I was taught in church fell apart not long after...except the fear of Hell. It took years, but I finally realized that Hell was just another part of the package. I let go of the rest of the package, so I could safely let go of my fear of Hell too.

[@thecivilmerc9898]

I feel ya there. I stuck hanging onto the fear of hell trauma for longer than I care to admit 😅 like I knew it was unreasonable even when I stopped believing hell existed there was always that ugly "but what if?..."

[@savanataylor6052]

If you look into “hell” you’ll find a slew of mistranslations formed what we picture today when we hear that word. I’ve been studying it recently, I can assure, if Christ is real, He will never harm a single soul or let them burn alive or anything like that.

[@brucee6524]

Who names their kid “Hairy?” Well, apparently Lily and James Potter, haha. (I know his name was actually Harold, but the Harry/Hairy bit was almost certainly an intentional choice by Rowling, given her descriptions of his hair.) This is a great observation, and lends itself to a way of thinking of faith in perhaps healthier terms. What if faith was not “belief without evidence” and was more like the flexibility of mind we engage when reading what we know is fiction, a “suspension of disbelief?” That is, we can engage the scripture as fiction, _even if the stories are actually factually true_ in some important ways. History is still a story. _How_ the story is told, what parts are emphasized and what bits are left on the cutting room floor, is arguably as important as is the story itself. Such an approach makes things like heaven and hell less destructive to human interactions with these stories. It takes all of that “burden of proof” off the table and lowers the stakes of the conversation. It makes the document _human_ again, accessible, and universal in a way that elevates it above the mundane. This approach can focus the mind not on whether it is true and ought to be “believed,” but rather on the aesthetics of the story and whether we find it to be a “good” or “bad” story. Take a step back and consider the willing sacrifice of Jesus (or Aslan, if you prefer C.S. Lewis’ version of this story) for the purposes of saving the rest of us from death or hell or whatever, and ask yourself if that’s a compelling narrative that moves you emotionally and whether or not you even _want_ that to be true on some level, whether or not it is true? Now ask yourself if your answer to that question of what you want to be true tells you something about yourself, or does it tell you something about the story itself. For myself, I have found my desires for this story to be true have changed over time. When I was younger and Christian, both versions of the story (I preferred Lewis’ version to the biblical one back then) were the most beautiful things I could imagine. Today as an atheist I find the message of substitutional atonement for my sins through the torture and death of an innocent being to be the most monstrous notion anyone could come up with, a horror story of an Authority that demands obscure blood magic be performed for forgiveness of sins, when my notions of Fatherhood (now that I am actually a father myself) tell me that simple heartfelt repentance should be sufficient when it comes to forgiving my children. My two cents…

[@SCAM-BUSTER.777]

​@@savanataylor6052 Wrong.

[@SCAM-BUSTER.777]

​@@savanataylor6052 Wrong.

[@matthieud5545]

The problem I see with Faith in Christianity is that, if you truly believe in this God as a parent, you won't keep this belief for yourself. You will automaticly share the gospel with your children and bring the hell trauma to them, which as happened to me as a kid. So I don't think having the christian faith as parents is good but very harmful.

[@Kelley_X]

So much this. Religion should never be permitted to be indoctrinated onto children. Only after someone has finished education should others (including parents) be allowed to preach to them.

[@sciking8756]

​@@Kelley_Xshouldn't that happen for every belief system? Why should parents teach their children to respect the government, to love their friends or to be polite? If you're not singling out only one way of thinking you should leave them to nature like monkeys before teaching them stuff

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

for those who became ex-ers in adulthood after having raised kids with the indoctrination, I wonder how they have come to view this entire equation. I would assume with a lot of guilt and regret.

[@SouthernMenace]

I am a proud anti-theist, and this stance only grew stronger as I get older. Our structured religious belief has enough of a track record that at this point, I'm comfortable in saying it does more harm in the long run. It's easy to defend theism because the harm (and eventual benefits) it causes is hard to quantify. How many food charities do you need to "compensate" for child abuse? When you are in, you ignore the misses. When you are out, that becomes impossible. So, if I could, I wouldn't tolerate any sort of societal theist structure. But is that a realistic or even defensible position? I don't think so, and therein lies the real conundrum: we all would be better off without religions, but there is no virtuous party to that end. Add to that the collective immunity we have culturally granted without question to magical thinking, and we have an impossible dilemma. We cannot reasonably deprive people of the possibility of being part of a religion, and thus the religions abuse this protection, like a family abuser.

[@areuaware6842]

But the government is a religion.

[@kidslovesatan34]

​@@areuaware6842 I can't find any dictionary that agrees with you. What definition are you using?

[@SouthernMenace]

@areuaware6842 What is the dogma of the government? Its deity? The more questions you ask, the more obvious it gets that this is just a tired old sound bite, like "Taxes are theft".

[@DisappearingNightly]

@@areuaware6842 That's a rather interesting assertion, but that's all it is. It's like saying "but candy is a fruit!" or "frogs are recreational vehicles!", which are strange claims, unless of course you have some plausible rationale behind such contradictory assertions, in which case I'll listen. But until then, no, by definition, religion is religion and government is government.

[@areuaware6842]

@@DisappearingNightly , Then why are government buildings built in the form of a church?

[@rowanford5438]

This is very insightful, Kristi. Thank you for posting it. Critical thinking, empathy, curiosity and a desire to build respectful relationships are sorely needed today, in all spheres of life: our political discourse, our discussions about religion and values, and in our communities and personal lives.

[@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f]

People need to jettison Desert Megalomaniacs in favor of Thales, Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Pyyrho, Epictetus, Seneca, Marcus Aurelius . . .

[@hagencarter8834]

Hi Kristi, I really appreciate your dedication and genuinity in trying to help people develop the critical thinking skills and strategies you discuss that can really improve people’s lives

[@_S0me__0ne]

As a former Christian raised in a very conservative and fundamentalist setting I didn't realize just how much emotional trauma I had and continue to deal with. I'm still trying to work through the anger. Because of this I have difficulty seeing anything positive or worthwhile in religion. I find it all to be worthless garbage. This is compounded by the fact that, while my spouse has shifted to a more generalistic theistic stance in her beliefs, she continues to take our children to church and raise them as "Christians". I have pretty much cut off contact with my mother due to her conservative beliefs and ideologies. As to other people in life that are religious, I keep my mouth shut, though I view them with mixed emotions. I personally however endeavor to make sure religion is kept out of government and private lives and hope for the day when humanity walks away from religion as people do when they stop believing in Santa and the tooth fairy.

[@Antony-bp2yh]

You don't sound very tolerant.

[@_S0me__0ne]

I'm still learning. It's going to take me time. I'm sure that at some point I will mellow out. And, outwardly I'm a very kind and open person to others with little desire to confront or upset others or offend them. I was a Christian for over forty years. Married a Christian spouse. Raised my children to have Christian beliefs. And the beliefs I had, was taught, and was surrounded with in my conservative and fundamentalist religio-cultural community had a deep impact on me. I've only deconverted about three years ago. Thus it shouldn't be surprising the feelings I have about religion and faith. And just like my path to unbelief wasn't quick, neither will my journey to healing from it. If you haven't heard the testimonies of many former believers, might I recommend checking out Harmonic Atheist.

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

you are totally justified in BEING WHERE YOU ARE in the process continuum. If you are still in that place five years from now, I might suggest some anger management counseling, but anger is also a fully legit emotion. As Kristin tends to play it, she just has learned to focus it in a more constructive manner than the raw expression would typically engender. My general experience with therapy is that you will not likely get "past" something until you have fully felt, experienced, named and expressed it. Which can take awhile. Not hours and days, but more like months and years.

[@lh1673]

I regret why I didn’t realize the man (writer) in NT also had said, There is faith, hope and love but love is greatest. This man actually realized faith and hope can’t change the world, he seeing chaos during those days he lived and knew God does not exist or intervene. I think he wished at least LOVE will!

[@phamtom27070]

What? No, he just spoke about faith and hope in ways that show forth power. Paul, he had a vision of God who healed his blindness, there is no way he wouldn't believe in God or Christ. The reason he says love is more important, is because there will be an end to the powers of faith and hope. Even if anything you say is true, love being the most important would mean you still have to correct people, as that is what true love is. With the Bible existing as a form of correction, and this verse being in it. You would still have to use God or the Bible as a form of correction to people's actions.

[@vulpixelful]

Whoever wrote that didn't mean "love" in the typical way. It was "agape", borrowed from the stoics, and it comes with all sorts of strings attached. More importantly, the idea was way less "feel good" and more restraint than anyone today would even want to associate with "love".

[@DaveB-hg7el]

​@@phamtom27070But which God, and why the Bible? What puts them above any other religious beliefs and texts? Peace 💚

[@lh1673]

@@phamtom27070First of all did Paul write that Acts about his miracle of being blind? If it’s him, why isn’t it I 。。。but it’s He, meaning someone else wrote about it?

[@lh1673]

@@vulpixelfulTo me it doesn’t actually matter what kinda Love it is, I just GET what it’s written. And it writes LOVE is the Greatest! By the way, if I’ll ask any Christian believers, How can I be saved from your God, Which one do I need the foremost Faith or Love, what will you all say. Please reply either one. Faith or Love.

[@26beegee]

I still struggle with the total permeation of Christianity in American life. It is so assumed that everyone is a believer that there is no room for other religions or non-belief. I really resent it! Maybe it is because I am only about 10 years out of the cult (after 60 years in it) and my entire extended family is still completely immersed; I even have pastors in the family. There can be no exchanges without a “God bless you”, “I will pray for you” or even worse “God told me.” I am so wounded and raw still from the harm done by religion I can’t bear to talk to them. Even though I have told them I don’t believe they act as though I do! Right now I have no tolerance or space for fantasy beliefs - I only see the harm they do. Disappointment, guilt, shame, rejection…it is worse than an emotionally abusive spouse!! I have had that, too. Sorry Kristi, I do not believe faith is a virtue, I equate it to gullibility.

[@sciking8756]

If you were in a cult you should seek help! I don't think it's a good thing that a "God bless you" brings PTSD like symptoms.

[@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f]

Escape from Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, West Virginia, or wherever you are. Seek political asylum in Vermont, New Hampshire, Denmark or Finland, the "Happiest Nation in the World".

[@26beegee]

@@oakridgemall-8jl2h9f I am in the Midwest - in America this is everywhere. Take the DNC for example - so many speakers said, “God bless America”, you would have thought it was a religious revival! Arrgghhhhh!

[@JanaWestMusic]

Thank you Kristi for a very balanced and thoughtful video. I very much appreciate your content. I was also raised Evangelical Christian. My father was a Southern Baptist pastor. It took me an awful long time to realize just how toxic the dogma was, but eventually I realized it was literally making me ill. I have been deconstructing for over a decade now and also went through an angry stage. Your suggestion that we attempt to respond with curiosity instead of judgement is helpful. Although, not easy, especially after “believing” for so long that I knew what was right and wrong for everyone.😂 Again, thank you for your thoughtful content. Onward.❤

[@bennorman1093]

Wonderful video. Curiosity and common ground are the foundation for fair and respectful coexistence.

[@RaymondBCrisp]

The problem with showing tolerance is that often it is not reciprocated. When you deal with religions that speak only in absolutes (i.e. follow our religion or you will BURN in HELL!!!11one!), then intolerance is built into the framework. There are too many passages stating that one should not suffer the infidel or apostate that most religious types I have spoken with that are truly religious either want to reconvert you or they look at you as though they want to burn you at the stake. Isn't the Bible Belt wonderful?

[@pansepot1490]

Lol, before the last line I thought you were talking about Pakistan.

[@RaymondBCrisp]

@@pansepot1490 Oh, I'm sure my comments can be applied to many areas, not just the Bible Belt. In fact, I'm sure it's much worse there, given Islam takes an even dimmer view of infidels and apostates.

[@Loveydoveyl]

@@RaymondBCrispthis actually isn’t true quranically, the Quran states that there is no compulsion in religion and that anyone who leaves the faith will have to answer to God themselves, but it’s not anyone else’s problem to harm that person just bc they are an apostate. What you’re referring to is certain oppressive states (such as Afghanistan) that are ruled by perverted governments that distort the religion for their own gain- in which we all know any ideology, philosophy, or religious creed can be used as a tool of oppression just as it can be used to do the opposite 😊

[@gordongipson2538]

I must admit, you might have altered my views. Instead of defending my view by arguing yours, I might want to take a step back and ask. Ask you why you believe what you believe. I’ll work on that. Yes, I’m an atheist. No, it didn’t happen overnight. Thank you, I enjoy your channel ❤

[@2l84me8]

Faith is actively self delusion. It’s not a virtue nor has any reason to be respected.

[@AKnightWhoSaysNi]

I fully agree.

[@areuaware6842]

Isn't it written that there would be a "Great Decision"?

[@iwilldi]

The artist lives under the delusion that by being faithfull to his art he will grow.

[@2l84me8]

@@iwilldi Practicing a craft and improving is not the same as following an unproven myth without evidence.

[@iwilldi]

@@2l84me8 Granted this is the case. But even the musician will occasionally fail and remain a miserable prophet of his success.

[@Bokonon999]

Thank you for providing helpful reminders how to deal with people of faith. Most of our family is very religious but do actually show love and respect, so we're actually pretty lucky considering some of the horror stories I hear about people who are deconstructing.

[@PlushFairytale]

you are always so well spoken

[@areuaware6842]

Faith is the absence of experience, a weapon of ignorance.

[@theseustoo]

A weapon which actually cultivates and nourishes ignorance!

[@harveywabbit9541]

Sounds like Joseph Campbell.

[@br.m]

Oh really. So I lack experience and I am ignorant? Has the girl in this video ever heard about Tyler the ex-evangelical? She and Tyler sound the same to me. Why not check out Tyler the ex-evangelical quitting swimming?

[@areuaware6842]

@@br.m , Is this Tyler a friend of yours?

[@areuaware6842]

@@harveywabbit9541 , Don't know him?

[@jamesyoung1022]

Do evangelicals tolerate skepticism? No. But they think you should tolerate them.

[@Antony-bp2yh]

You atheists aren't really skeptical. Do you question your atheism? No you don't.

[@Trotoloko]

​@@Antony-bp2yh😂😂

[@rainbowkrampus]

@@Antony-bp2yh I'm interested to know what methods you would use to question atheism.

[@kaylandry3142]

​@@Antony-bp2yhHave you ever questioned if a man could live in a whale or if a donkey talked?

[@DisappearingNightly]

@@Antony-bp2yh To the extent that, as Laplace said when asked of god's place in his mathematical and scientific reasoning, "I have no need for that hypothesis", whatever anti-theism I advocate is 100% based on the most fundamental skepticism one can have. In response to what ever dogmatic belief system one might have I ask simply ask, show me evidence, show me proof. Give me a rational reason to believe what you're telling me. It doesn't get any more skeptical than that.

[@roc5291]

I can absolutely respect a person‘s religion all day long. My issue is that, the hard-core of the three monotheistic religions, see you as something very different. They see you as: “of the world” or “demon influenced” or any variation thereof. And when it comes time for those in power to restrict your ability to freely express yourself or to fight for a non-religious alternative in schools, they’re not going to distinguish between an atheist, an agnostic, or a non-religious person. They are always going to lump you together as a whole and at no point are they going to turn around and say: “this entire group needs to be out casted or have their freedom of expression, highly restricted, but THAT ONE….. that’s one of the “good” ones. We can tolerate them”. Just my two cents.

[@collindysart6472]

Thank you!

[@tracyavent-costanza346]

yep and that self-same point is the reverse of the coin called "painting with too broad a brush". Which by itself is not inherently an invalid critique of rhetorical arguments, except that christian-apologists are NOTORIOUS for abusing it on their own account: they constantly portray "christianity" as culturally monolithic and their ideology as magically divine and historically intact. The objective reality is that christianity is EXTREMELY DIVERSE and their "special book" is published in at least 300 "versions" (not counting language translations, but just in English) and no two of them are identical. Prominent apologist talking-heads are fond of downplaying those "differences" but the bare fact is that adherents routinely killed one another over those differences and in some parts of the world they continue to do exactly that.

[@stevesmith7268]

Conversation is the key to success in society. Facebook is one social forum I use, and angry people are all over the place there. Some people are there just to disagree, and some are there just to insult people who don't agree. But the reason I don't discard Facebook is because some people actually want a productive conversation, and that is what I'm after. It first takes an attitude of searching for truth, because everyone can be wrong. It also takes the Socratic method, by asking questions as you said. I find that, asking existential questions regarding their belief gets a great conversation going with people who are there to find truth. Keep going, your videos are helping people.

[@leegiff412]

Thanks for your input, Kristi. I’m still very much in my angry phase, especially now with all the election drama everywhere, but I’m trying to be more understanding and look more at the human being in front of me rather than their beliefs.

[@cjgt77]

I get it, but it's hard when they don't approach things the same way.

[@StevenMyers-wx6du]

Faith is worthless. You don’t use it for anything except your God. Why is that? I would venture to say, it’s because, contrary to Hebrews 11:1, faith is NOT evidence, and hope is NOT substance.

[@jezebelvibes]

I don't know that I can say faith is worthless. But I can agree that it isn't sufficient evidence for me!

[@StevenMyers-wx6du]

@@jezebelvibes Perhaps “worthless” is too resolute. How about, faith is not a reliable path to knowledge. Faith is required when evidence is not available or sufficient.

[@jamesarnette1394]

I do not consciously entertain any ideas of faith so far as I know. And also intellectually I oppose Faith because I am an evidence-based person. People use Faith to explain things they don't understand, but I would much rather understand and then believe on the basis of evidence that people can see for themselves. The idea that faith is the evidence of things unseen is totally Ludacris and could only have been spoken by the double-dealing evil man Paul, who I despise totally and intensely. I'm fine with jesus.

[@NovaSaber]

"Worthless" means a value of zero. I would say that faith actually has negative value. I don't think it can even be coherently defined without using a word at least as negative as "unjustified".

[@TwoForFlinchin1]

​@@StevenMyers-wx6du the only reason the concept of Faith exists is to justify belief absent evidence.

[@christophergeiser2384]

I grew up catholic and then evangelical. Lost my faith over a couple of years. Thanks for the video.

[@jsal2366]

Always great content 👍

[@markmckeen5124]

Been so great to have you back. I so benefit from and enjoy your videos Kristi. Your take on this one makes perfect sense to me. I love the curious attitude. You a talker? Snarky? You express yourself in a way that i relate to. That your adding more empathy is a worthwhile quality to continue to pursue, IMO. Being able to converse with others without constant anger and judgement doesn't work for me. I like asking questions, as you say, to help understand where a person is coming from and to find out why they believe what they do. Thanks again for all your efforts. Mark in Michigan

[@rdm3805]

You're so considerate and respectful. I used to be there. My goal is to get back there again.

[@strahlestern5]

Love your aproach Kristi! Keep up your good work!

[@californiadoll6273]

Make a video on KARMA and how fictional it is. I'm soooo tired of people thinking karma is anymore real than God or The Hulk

[@peterblock6964]

Karma is nothing more than "touch a hot stove and you get burned." Or in Christian terms "you reap what you sow."

[@lucyferos205]

​@@peterblock6964Karma is way more than that. It governs how people reincarnate, for example. It was used to uphold the justice of the caste system in India and it's used as an excuse for withholding care from those in need.

[@peterblock6964]

@@lucyferos205 , Just because power/control lusting individuals who abuse spiritual principles distort them beyond recognition does NOT mean those distortions define the original actual meaning. Using your logic the Inquisition is proof that Christianity is evil.

[@revelashan]

Tolerate the intolerant?

[@jezebelvibes]

*The paradox of tolerance has entered the chat*

[@polystrate1]

@@revelashan tolerance is meaningless. All of us don't tolerate various things

[@matthewguzda4075]

Yes. It's a fight over ideas. You fight bad ideas with good ones you can't have thought crimes. All ideas must be able to be explored because you can't rule out bad ideas unless you explore their logic or lack thereof. You can't be ideaphobic and be open minded. Ideas won't ever go away. Exposing how evil or illogical they are will keep them at bay if a society is educated.

[@utubepunk]

​@@polystrate1Incorrect. Tolerance is not meaningless. It literally has a meaning. 🤦🏻

[@peterbrooks7120]

Most people disagree, but I think we should tolerate the intolerant. Human society is still evolving; we’re all still figuring stuff out. And if we conclude any viewpoint is invalid, it only adds fuel to their fire. I think we can avoid & protect ourselves from the intolerant, but those people have to come to the conclusion for themselves that tolerance is the better way.

[@Stretching1215]

At the end of the day, I draw the line at the point where people try to force faith onto me(or, say, pressure me into living their life). I agree that asking questions is the best way to evade gullibility. Steve Jobs once said that our time is “limited”, so we shouldn’t “waste it living someone else’s life”.

[@urbansurvivalist411]

A comment just to comment. Your channel is great. Thank you!❤

[@tj7870]

no hate like religious hate!

[@alphaomega1351]

You meant, should we tolerate blind faith? Absolutely not! It is dangerous when people believe their delusions are real!!! 😳

[@theboombody]

First amendment is dangerous. Freedom and tolerance are dangerous. Sorry.

[@detectivegainz3635]

No we should not tolerate someone else’s faith, especially when they use their faith to destroy women’s rights

[@sciking8756]

No we should not tolerate someone else's atheism, especially when they use their atheism to destroy human life in the womb. Argument rejected, circular thinking

[@VoltaicDash]

I'll be watching the video through in a few minutes. Just throwing an answer at the title: Yes and no. I have very little problem with people basing their views and opinions on faith. We should absolutely NOT tolerate people arriving at a position through faith and trying to spread it as undeniable truth. Glad you've come back to put out consistent content!

[@BeiBe42780]

Ai (is a) bitch Did AI freeze Or overthinking Brain damnaged

[@irinaatanasova2335]

When I believed I believed because of very strong feelings. What started my deconstruction was exactly the harmful behaviors of others who supported every discrimination that can possibly exist... instead of equality and peace for ALL. Also I started to realize that these feelings don't help me in reality in any way and only give me false hopes. btw I LOVE your videos and the way you think. You are both beautiful and smart and I am happy I found you. 🥰

[@BluStarGalaxy]

We should tolerate proponents of religious faith as little as we do flat-earthers, anti-vaxxers, etc. I like when Aron Ra said that faith is the most unreasonable position to have and that it is the belief in something without reason and defended against all reason.

[@pansepot1490]

👍

[@sciking8756]

Just don't cry when someone looks at the atheist position and its faith, like the faith in a universe coming from nothing, and decide to not tolerate you :)

[@BluStarGalaxy]

@@sciking8756 Scientists and atheists do not think the universe came from nothing. It likely always existed in one form or another.

[@Nyla_Corvina]

Organized religion to be exact. Faith and belief on their own are not harmful when it is practiced privately. And when those beliefs are kept private as well.

[@Tj123-h4f]

Kristi i personally believe in God but i don't believe in organize religion but i respect everyone as long as you respect me! 😊

[@jezebelvibes]

A great way to be

[@Margo714P]

I am a conservative (yes, you read that correctly) agnostic. I can't really call myself an atheist because I am just not sure if there's a god out there. Atheism to me is definitely not believing in any god. I am not that person. I'm more of the mindset that we are in a simulation. Is AI a god from the future, moving us around like little chess pieces? Who knows! Back to the conservative aspect. I have unsubbed from a couple atheist channels because of their progressive leanings. I get enough of that just in everyday online stuff (also my son and daughter are very progressive in their lives, whereas my husband is definitely a Christian right winger). I try to tolerate all their ways of thinking, but it's a lonely island that I'm on. Anyone else out there trying to navigate the waters of liberal atheism while still remaining true to themselves?

[@MrBBaron]

I fall in your camp. The god of the bible is obviously a man made cruel deity. Most atheistic sites are woke liberal hosts. I believe in closed boarders,lower taxes,strong military,energy independance ,and not letting criminals roam the streets. I don't know if there is a higher intelligent being, so that's why I am agnostic.

[@FreeThinker-uc6wt]

Same boat. Right leaning independent non believer Trump supporter. I support Trump, not his faith. I'm also against the lgbt propaganda. Its sad no atheist or independent has been voted in office. Being politically homeless sucks but I rather be true myself as a lone wolf than follow the crowd. I'm also a former christian of only 2 and half years. I'm very glad I was raised Jewish. They don't allow Jews to date/marry non Jews! After being a christian, I FULLY AGREE ON THAT! STICK TO YOUR OWN KIND! Watch the movie You People and I bet you'd agree too!

[@utubepunk]

What is so off putting about progressive leanings? We're witnessing the consequences of conservative evangelicalism in our country. We have a massive cult of personality around Donald Trump that threatens our democracy. You're only alienating yourself here & I encourage you to talk to your children more.

[@utubepunk]

​@@MrBBaronIt's hard to take someone seriously who uses woke as a pejorative. Lower taxes has always been code for tax cuts for the wealthy who don't pay their share. Strong military. We outspend the next 11 industrial nations thanks to the military industrial complex. Why not strong healthcare? Energy independence? We are. We export energy. Fossil fuel industry has a death grip on America & has shut down green energy initiatives. Nearly everyone agrees criminals who harm others shouldn't roam the streets. Border issue... there was a plan to deal with the border that had bipartisan support. Trump killed it because he didn't want Biden to have the win. You've fallen for the empty talking points. Through Trump, Republicans have revealed their only goal is power & control.

[@FreeThinker-uc6wt]

@@utubepunk, I dont have kids by the way. I was too taught to hate Trump. "He's a threat to democracy" they cry. We are CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC. "And to the REPUBLIC for which It stands." Progressives are forcing a cult themselves to make kids gay and trans and forciung everyone to accept them. Whites are being told they are "racist" by default, in the name of "teaching tolerance..." I can go on and on because i was raised liberal and know how they are! They only want slaves on their plantation!

[@Postdisclosureworld]

I appreciate your perspective.

[@goblingunk_]

This is a good message Kristi. I would agree with you, at least in terms of ideals. You're a lot further along on your journey away from the faith than I am though, and I'm still dealing with a lot of trauma that affects me daily. I want to get to the point you are. I'm just angry still and I find it hard to find any level of peace being surrounded by them all the time. The best I can do right now is avoid being confrontational and not reveal my true beliefs offline, which I do anyway for my own safety. Maybe with some time and therapy, I can get into a more peaceful headspace. But right now its hard to not feel some level of hostility toward Christians.

[@stefanheinzmann7319]

The anger is natural and justified. You are honest towards yourself, and that's already a big plus! It would be wrong to try to force oneself into a stance that isn't truthful. That would be the next damage. The one thing that you probably have missed most is to be true to yourself. That's probably the reason #1 for deconstructing. The anger will dissipate, but the more you are surrounded by dogmatic Christians, the longer it will take. If you want to help it along, you will want to seek a more positive environment. I can't know what your options are there. The two things to strive for are to be kind to yourself, and to be constructive in general. That helps turning the mind towards the future instead of the past, and towards the desirable instead of the despicable.

[@drziggyabdelmalak1439]

You have so much openness in your approach to that listening of others to understand where they're at. I admire you, and understand where you're coming from . But, I couldn't, as an athiest, do it; especially not with the arrogant, holier than thou brigade; and couldn't waste my time on the brainwashed in the cult - they're never gonna change. Keep doing what you're doing - we love you.

[@jezebelvibes]

That's completely understandable. We are all coming from different emotions and perspectives. I can definitely understand yours.

[@StoicEast19]

Without seeing the video, I would say that we should definitely tolerate faith of others as long as they tolerate our faith. Mutual respect. Now I continue to watch it.

[@taboo_echoes]

Jesus said Kristi is causing a heap of big trouble for him. And he ain't happy about it

[@areuaware6842]

Jesus told me that it will be better for the atheists on their judgment day than for those that serves Abraham's evil false god.

[@harveywabbit9541]

@@areuaware6842 Baby Abraham was born as baby Jupiter, just like so many bible characters. The King of Mythical Israel was also Jupiter as the sun. See Isaiah 9.14-15, where Israel (summer) is described as having the head of the noble/royal lion (Leo) and tail of the liar (Scorpio). The four signs are Leo (Fire/Jupiter), Virgo (Vesta/Earth), Libra (Air/Juno), and Scorpio (Water/Neptune). Leo, the royal lion, is the King of Israel. Ever wonder why the preachers are anti knowledge of the stars?

[@jimbaker40]

A great video, I loved your upgraded version of the golden rule, treat others as they want to be treated, that's insightful and wise. The only caveat that I have is that it almost seems implied that faith is blind by definition. I am an ex-Christian myself, but not an ex-theist. I studied the arguments of natural theology in Bible college, some of which are convincing, some of which are not, but those are merely the rational defense of my faith, the basis for my belief in God is direct experience. I've had a relationship with him for most of my life less a few teenage years of skepticism. The most valuable class I took while in college was Intro to Philosophy, which was all about propositional logic. Logic presents a clear and systematic way to test one's beliefs for rational defensibility, and I fell in love with it! I applied it to my own beliefs and discovered that many of the Christian doctrines do not pass muster, including most significantly the doctrine of hell. From a philosophic standpoint, hell is an impossibility. It is neither compatible with God's love, nor his justice. Hell, if it exists, is empty, and forever will be. The freedom that realization created for me allowed me to leave the church, and leave people alone to believe whatever they want, no souls are at stake. This comment is running too long, just wanted to introduce myself, I'm Jim, I liked your video and hi :D

[@InspiredByTao]

Another amazing video Kristi. Fortunately I didn't get trapped into a religion even though my mother is a Catholic. But your experience gives me a better understanding for people who were indoctrinated into a religion. Love your videos because they help me understand religion and help people think critically.

[@jaflenbond7854]

ATHEISM and RELIGIONS versus the CREATOR and JESUS CHRIST Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and fanatics of all kinds of Religions KNOW and are fully aware that they hate the Creator and his Christ, unitedly slandering and degrading - 1. the Creator as worthless, useless, and undeserving to be honored and respected as the True and Sovereign GOD in their willful opposition and defiance of what were written in Matthew 22: 37 and John 17: 3 2. Jesus Christ as worthless, useless, and undeserving to be honored and respected as the One given by the Creator all authority in heaven and on earth in their willful opposition and defiance of what's written in Matthew 28: 18. The Creator KNOWS that lowly, ordinary, kind, submissive, and respectful persons on earth who honor and obey Jesus Christ as their loving, kind, and merciful Master and Heavenly King will definitely bring themselves honor and the favor and reward of ETERNAL LIFE and existence on earth without sufferings, pains, griefs, sickness, and death as written in Revelation 21: 3, 4 but will also be hated, insulted, dishonored, slandered, and mocked by arrogant, cruel, merciless, and deceitful Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and fanatics of all kinds of Religions who are violently opposed and against the authority and teachings of Jesus Christ about the "Kingdom of God" and "Resurrection of the Dead" exactly like the arrogant, cruel, merciless, and deceitful persons who hated, dishonored, insulted, tortured, and murdered Jesus Christ thousands of years ago. The Creator KNOWS that the teachings of Jesus Christ about the "Kingdom of God" and "Resurrection of the Dead" written in Luke 4: 43 and John 11: 25, 26 are the guarantee that he will not let his loving, kind, submissive, and respectful Worshippers who died recently and thousands of years ago like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Job, Naomi, Ruth, King David, Jesus Christ's Followers and disciples, and many others to remain as worthless and useless dusts on earth forever, instead, in the right and proper time, he will let his Christ RESURRECT them back to life so they can happily and abundantly live and exist on earth forever as citizens and subjects of the "KINGDOM of GOD" or His Kingdom and fully enjoy his and his Christ's eternal love, kindness, goodness, generosities, compassions, favors, and blessings for eternity under the loving and kind rulership, guidance, and protection of Jesus Christ as his Chosen King and Ruler of the heavens and the earth as written in Revelation 11: 15.

[@FoursWithin]

​@@jaflenbond7854 Let me shorten that up for you. . . . Rationality vs Delusions.

[@jaflenbond7854]

@@FoursWithin What do Atheists and Christians need and want from the Creator and Jesus Christ? ANSWER - Nothing, Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and fanatics of all kinds of Religions KNOW and are fully aware that they hate the Creator and Jesus Christ, unitedly slandering and mocking - 1. the Creator as worthless, useless, and undeserving to be honored and respected as the True and Sovereign GOD in their willful opposition and defiance of what were written in Matthew 22: 37 and John 17: 3 2. Jesus Christ as worthless, useless, and undeserving to be honored and respected as the One given by the Creator all authority in heaven and on earth in their willful opposition and defiance of what's written in Matthew 28: 18 HONOR and ETERNAL LIFE and EXISTENCE on EARTH only for LOVING, KIND, SUBMISSIVE, and RESPECTFUL PERSONS The Creator KNOWS that lowly, ordinary, kind, submissive, and respectful persons on earth who honor and obey Jesus Christ as their loving, kind, and merciful Master and Heavenly King will definitely bring themselves honor and the favor and reward of ETERNAL LIFE and existence on earth without sufferings, pains, griefs, sickness, and death as written in Revelation 21: 3, 4 but will also be hated, insulted, dishonored, slandered, and mocked by arrogant, cruel, merciless, and deceitful Atheists, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, and fanatics of all kinds of Religions who are violently opposed and against the authority and teachings of Jesus Christ about the "Kingdom of God" and "Resurrection of the Dead" exactly like the arrogant, cruel, merciless, and deceitful persons who hated, dishonored, insulted, tortured, and murdered Jesus Christ thousands of years ago. The Creator KNOWS that the teachings of Jesus Christ about the "Kingdom of God" and "Resurrection of the Dead" written in Luke 4: 43 and John 11: 25, 26 are the guarantee that he will not let his loving, kind, submissive, and respectful Worshippers who died recently and thousands of years ago like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Job, Naomi, Ruth, King David, Jesus Christ's Followers and disciples, and many others to remain as worthless and useless dusts on earth forever, instead, in the right and proper time, he will let his Christ RESURRECT them back to life so they can happily and abundantly live and exist on earth forever as citizens and subjects of the "KINGDOM of GOD" or His Kingdom and fully enjoy his and his Christ's eternal love, kindness, goodness, generosities, compassions, favors, and blessings for eternity under the loving and kind rulership, guidance, and protection of Jesus Christ as his Chosen King and Ruler of the heavens and the earth as written in Revelation 11: 15.

[@thomasshewchukii4991]

Eventually every person with deeply held beliefs in a god or afterlife will betray you. If you walk this world with them long enough, you will inevitably reach a conflict when they will chose their god and/or afterlife over the evidence and reason. If you are standing next to them when they do you will be the one attacked.

[@likethecheeze321]

girl, this was a whole-ass mood. My Boomer-WASPy-ChristoCon parents are just...lost. They have drank the kool-aid, and they are smart enough to be frustrated by the cognitive dissonance between reality and their daily diet of Faux Noise, but are too lazy to use what critical thinking skills they have to make any sense of it all. Personally, I think part of it is the Fear of Being Wrong. when you are retired, pushing 70 and you start to wonder if everything you've known to be true your ENTIRE LIFE was bullshit? That makes people stop in their tracks. Some people NEED to have faith in something because they don't have faith in themselves.

[@areuaware6842]

Most are content to let their lives end believing a lie.

[@uknowme1811]

Just remember they didn't choose to believe what they do. Ive been in the sitiation like alot of exbelievers where someone in their family trys to drag them back to the faith. I have a 86 year old mother n law is worried im going to the bad place when I die. I empathize with her, because I try to see from her upbringing, and experiences where she is coming from. She can't understand how one of her favorite people is a Atheist. It doesnt compute to her. In my family I let people pray for me, or around I dont care..If it gives them hope, meaning and purpose so be it...Not everyone can be a Atheist and find strength within themselves .Or have meaning in their lives with out the notion of a god. I just try to be a good human! And sometimes the Christians around me do a double take, when they see me donate a lot of time helping people and animals.

[@likethecheeze321]

@@uknowme1811 I'm with you on that. I fully agree and understand, and I too, essentially live by "WWJD?" (I had my bracelet in my teenage years in the 90's, lol) albeit in a secular and holistic way. :) But my parents are making excuses for Trump because they bought into the idea, back in the 80's that Christianity automatically equates to Conservatism. And Holy Shit (pun intended), they couldn't have been more wrong. Literally. A mere surface-level examination of the teachings of Jesus would make that very clear.

[@stefanheinzmann7319]

@@likethecheeze321 I think we need to understand how dangerous this actually is. Most of those people are well meaning and have good intentions. Yet they are now stuck in a cognitive dissonance that has grown a lot over the last decade or so. And as cognitive dissonances are wont to do, they demand to be catered to. And that means fixing reality to match the flawed thinking. Lots of good people with a cognitive dissonance nowadays rally behind dubious grifters who give them the impression that they want to fix reality and bring back the cognitive harmony that never was. Populists know exactly how to tap into this, but of course they never actually solve the problem that is their energy source.

[@phamtom27070]

Just another stereotypical Atheist and their constant insults, puffed up intelligence, and moral superiority.

[@elleanna5869]

I beg your pardon? Should who do what?...The title of this vid is so unfortunate. Sounds really too much totalitarian, miss😳 Because a real liberal and fanatism-free person does not "tolerate", *sustains* religious freedom. As a part of their own freedom. Freedom isn't for who agrees with you - that's dictators stuff. Freedom really exists only where one can think differently, and that was Rosa Luxemburg point . Glad for people in the comments that get it. Edit basically sounds like you want to question the same freedom you enjoy , not cool if you ask me😅

[@jezebelvibes]

It sounds to me you didn't watch the video at all. Because i agree with you.

[@elleanna5869]

@@jezebelvibes And I am glad you do. I am questioning the title. I got immediately from many (not all ) comments your point but the question itself is rather sickening.I know it is necessary to catch viewer's attention , yet, respectfully, I think it's misleading and not the best way to approach the issue of coexistence and how to deal with different beliefs rather than if/how tolerate them. (Christianity and all the rest 🤷🏾)

[@jezebelvibes]

The title shouldn't be "sickening" the question is valid, and i address that in this video. But instead of jumping to conclusions based on a title, you might consider watching the video before commenting.

[@xXEGPXx]

You religious types do not even tolerate us at a baseline level, you want me to SUPPORT you while you try to take away my rights? Grow the fuck up and get real kid

[@jeremyellis9997]

Very helpful and insightful. Thank you. I will have to watch this video a few times, to fully absorb the message into my daily posture. Thank you again.

[@jezebelvibes]

Glad it was helpful!

[@stevendrew5728]

I am a very progressive "mainline" Christian (or whats left of us), the kind Evangelicals dismiss and reject. Critical thinking and discussion is part of our tradition. I really appreciate the way you present Kristi. You are very knowledgable, thoughtful and an importance voice. You said you want to be,.. "To be curious and not angry". What a beautiful way to be.

[@franciswalsh8416]

Good discussion. I agree with you in so much of this. My trauma was microscopic compared to yours, but I get the frustration you describe. I keep in mind that not one person on this planet has any idea what happens when we die.

[@deconstructingpatriarchy]

Just a few minutes in and already have to say thank you for calling out that this Faith issue is across-the-board. I did one session with an Astrologer last year and when I told her I did not believe in the law of attraction, she basically gaslit and tried to strong me and telling me that she knew it was true and I was wrong, simply because she’s had experiences of it, and because she obviously in her mind was a higher caliber being the teacher in the situation and me coming to her as a student. I was actually a client at all and have never and will never book another session with her.

[@jerrypritchett283]

You have really grown on your journey in life. Well done!

[@UnKnown-xs7jt]

Love your content & your voice. Makes it easy to listen to your presentations

[@AlexandraParadela]

Today's video was just what I needed to hear, thank you so much Kristi 💗

[@jezebelvibes]

I'm happy to hear that

[@noracola5285]

I don't think faith is okay, I think it's very harmful to everyone and is detrimental to developing character and integrity. It's time to grow up, people.

[@undrwatropium3724]

I just want you to know that you have absolutely helped me so much I've been watching your videos over the last 2 years and you have actually helped me more than anything else and I just want to say thank you for that. Quite a while back I know that I have left many many angry and probably hateful comments on your tik Tok page towards Christians but that's just where I was at the time I was very angry I don't feel that anger anymore frustration yes angry no. Sorry about the punctuation I'm driving home from Dallas lol

[@BruceLeon83]

As an Ex JW, I know well that "CRITICAL THINKING" is out the window. That's why its hard to have open honest conversations with people. I was taught to Force (I mean teach) bible "Truth" to others without thinking of their background and POV. I feel, Its so much better to try to understand people, meet them where they're at, like you say.

[@jaflenbond7854]

What is the worth, value and importance of ATHEISM to human beings? ANSWER - Atheism is the source of the LIES and false claims that - 1. GOD doesn't exist and 2. the BIBLE is just a worthless book of lies, myths, fictions, fantasies, and fairy tales that bring and cause the dishonor, disgrace downfall and ETERNAL DEATHS of Atheists. What is the worth, value, and importance of RELIGIONS to human beings? ANSWER - Religions are the sources of the LIES and UNBIBLICAL teachings and doctrines about "hellfire", "immortality of the souls", "afterlife", "Armageddon", "Trinity", "rapture", and "reincarnation" that bring and cause the dishonor, disgrace, downfall and ETERNAL DEATHS of Jehovah's Witnesses, SDAs, Mormons, Catholics, Baptists, Methodists, Born Again Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, and fanatics of all kinds of Religions. What is the worth, value, and importance of the authority and teachings of Jesus Christ to human beings? ANSWER - Lowly, ordinary, kind, submissive, and respectful persons on earth who willingly submit to the authority of Jesus Christ in their obedience to what's written in Matthew 28: 18 will definitely be honored and rewarded by GOD with ETERNAL LIFE and existence on earth without sufferings, pains, griefs, sickness, and death as written in Revelation 21: 3, 4 and thousands of years and nothing has changed, the teachings of Jesus Christ about the "Kingdom of God" and "Resurrection of the Dead" written in Luke 4: 43 and John 11: 25, 26 are still the guarantee that loving, kind, submissive, and respectful persons on earth who died recently and thousands of years ago like Abel, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Job, Naomi, Ruth, King David, Jesus Christ's Followers and disciples, and many others will all be RESURRECTED back to life in the right and proper time so they can happily and abundantly live and exist on earth forever as citizens and subjects of the "KINGDOM of GOD" and fully enjoy the eternal love, kindness, goodness, generosities, compassions, favors, and blessings of GOD and his Christ for eternity under the loving and kind rulership, guidance, and protection of Jesus Christ as his GOD and Father's Chosen King and Ruler of the heavens and the earth as written in Revelation 11: 15.

[@daviddunmore8415]

There's such a massive disconnect between religion and reality, which I first notice at about age six. I'm in the UK and my family were not noticeably religious.

[@WingraWonder]

A wonderful screed, Kristi, as always. Faith seems to me to basically mean, fashioning a conception of reality outside of empirical evidence. There are thus no rational rules, and you can bake Christianity right out of Judaism, and bake Mormonism right out of Christianity, and on and on. It seems to me a house of mirage cards.