I can relate to that. It should be required reading for all theological students before they decide to commit their lives to the service of their imagined God.

That does sound like an interesting read.

For an equally interesting story, but in the opposite direction, you can try Peter Hitchen's tale from Atheism back to Christianity.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1255983/How-I-God-peace-atheist-brother-PETER-HITCHENS-traces-journey-Christianity.html

I'm afraid this is classic spiritual sour grapes.

"My marriage failed.. BLAME GOD"

This of course raises the question "to what was Baker converted initially"?

Seems to me it was the "woman" in his life. When she hit the road...he hit the Bible.. not with spiritual love either.

Lashing out at God for marriage breakdown is not a wise course and just makes people uncomfortably cringing about how the person ever got to where they did..

Jesus spoke about this: (Parable of the Sower/Soils)

3"Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. 8Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.

Notice what happened to the seed which fell on rocky ground ? (v 6)

"Notice what happened to the seed which fell on rocky ground ? (v 6)"
-ALGOetc.

They withered 'coz they couldn't get a root. There, but for the grace of Flying Spaghetti Monster, go I.

"I'm afraid this is classic spiritual sour grapes."
-ALGOetc.

Fail. This is a classic case of a man attaining maturity and realising that fairy-tales are for children. Maybe, Al, you too will one day attain maturity.

"Lashing out at God for marriage breakdown is not a wise course"
-ALGOetc.

Possibly the wisest words you've ever written - lashing out at God is futile, 'coz God is not real. Huzzah! for Mr. Baker for realising the bleeding obvious and selling a book about it to boot, and may Flying Spaghetti Monster help folk like Al to also realise the bleeding obvious.

The writer needs to grow up and take responsibility for his own life and trust God and his infallible Word not fallible man. No man can take away my personal walk with the Lord. Only I can fail to guard my heart.
All men including myself are fallible none are perfect as Jesus is and as he came to save our soul (mind, will, intellect, and emotions, not the bottom of our foot) only a fool would lean on his own understanding. Life wasn't meant to be easy as Malcolm said so wise up and do not blame God for the bad that happens in your life. God is good.
You can gamble with random chance but I will take the intelligent design road. As hot gives to cold the greater blesses the lesser not vice versa .For if man created God who created life as man certainly can not with all his superior intellect and scientific knowledge and opinion.

Every body wants to use reason to either prove or disprove the existence of The Beautiful Room of Perfect Space (God). And of course whether Christianity in particular, is in any sense true - which it is not.

Right ring religionists publish books with titles such as Faith & Reason (a real clunker) and have websites titled Let Us Reason, Stand To Reason, Reasonable "Faith". And of course that chap who lives in Rome, you know the one that likes wearing clown costumes and silly hats, is also big on reason too.

Atheists and secularists also like to use reason too. A notable case is Sam Harris and his Reason Project. Sam has done an excellent job in criticizing and debunking right-wing religiosity, especially in the USA. He is of course vehemently and rightly critical of the toxic elements of medieval Islam-ISM

Never mind that if you really used reason to thoroughly examine the various ""truth" claims of the Christian religion, and thus fully and honestly accepted reasons (and histories) evidence, you would have to throw it all away with both hands.

Of course Christians then resort to the intellectually dishonest stance of relying on "faith" - "faith" that what the Bible and history says is true, that the Bible is the word-of-"God", and that "jesus" really rose-from-the-dead (which is of course humbug).

Never mind that the Bible is essentially a fabricated crock of lies created by the church "fathers" to consolidate their worldly power. As is much of Christian his-story.

That having being said, yesterday I came across a new book by Tony Bushby titled The Christ Scandal published by Stanford House. Tony has obviously done his home work. It is thoroughly researched.

Add this new book to his previous books, especially The Criminal History of the Papacy and one can find all the REASONS established by the method of reason to throw it (christian-ISM) all away.

Instead of repentance after gross sin Brian Baker hardens his heart and makes up a story in order to deny his Creator. This book will certainly appeal to anyone wanting to justify their rebellion towards God.

Boaz,

If a god did exist, then Baker would have every right to be angry with it, since a god - being omnipotent - would have created everything knowing that the marriage break-up was going to happen, and is therefore ultimately responsible for it by allowing it to happen.

No point in blaming our free will either. If god exists, then we don’t have any free will since deviating from god’s foresight would mean that he is not omnipotent and therefore not a god.

<<This of course raises the question "to what was Baker converted initially"?>>

Ah the old “They mustn’t have been a true Christian argument” - as wrong as it is offensive.

<<Lashing out at God for marriage breakdown is not a wise course...>>

You can’t lash out at something you don’t believe exists.

<<Jesus spoke about this...>>

The alleged Jesus allegedly spoke about a lot of things. But so long as any reliable evidence for his existence remains non-existent, his alleged words mean nothing.

<<Notice what happened to the seed which fell on rocky ground ?>>

This too means nothing until you can demonstrate what is “good soil” and what is “rocky ground” in reality. Simply asserting that yours is the good soil doesn’t cut it, I’m afraid.

Runner, Boaz etc., Opinions based on faith are really built on sand. We live in an evidence based real world, and while you may draw comfort in your faith, ill conceived as it may be, the rest of us are prepared to face reality and the application of reason.

David

VK3AUU

It takes far more faith to believe in the big bang than what is obvious. I am still waiting for your evidence. At least we are honest enough to call our belief faith. You obviously are not.

I hope that you at least have got past the belief that the world was made in 6 days.

David

VK3AUU

I hope that you at least have got past the belief that the world came from nothing and that you came from an ape.

Dear Ho Hum,
Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Are you hopeless.
VKA3UU,
Were you there. I wasn't so I have to take the word of somebody who was.
In 30 + years of walking and talking with him I have learned that he is completely trustworthy. So I lean not on my own understanding but on his words and they have never been wrong. Everybody starts with your mindset of unbelief so I completely understand where you are coming from. There is only 1 world,1 human race and we are all in it together.
I AM--righteous,made whole in mind,body, and spirit, set free, able to do all things in Christ.
I am--not righteous, not made whole, not able to do all things when my hope is in the world, not set free to dream the impossible. Religion does not teach this, Life does. I have taught my children can't isn't in their vocabulary. When you receive the Holy Spirit you have the mind of Christ and with him all things are possible. So what is your mind set I can or I can't. It is your choice. Seek yea first the kingdom of God and All things are added to you. If you concentrate on money you look to the lack, yet if you
do all things as unto the Lord you live in abundance. Your focus is very important to whether you hit the mark or not. Sin is an archery term meaning to miss the mark. So what is your hope. God is good.

Another schizophrenic.

David

Another narrow minded person who chooses to live inside the box and name calls any one who chooses to use their imagination to achieve the impossible for man with conventional thinking. If I let your mindset define my boundary I may as well be pushing up daisies.

"It takes far more faith to believe in the big bang than what is obvious.... At least we are honest enough to call our belief faith. You obviously are not."
-runner

Fail. There is evidence for physics (the big bang). Faith implies the acceptance of a given proposition in the absence of evidence; an acceptance of physics requires no faith whatsoever.

It's not about honesty... our belief is evidence-based; yours is faith-based.

"I am still waiting for your evidence."
-runner

Check out this link:
http://tinyurl.com/22tbp5r

Alternatively, you could enrol in a science degree with one of Australia's many fine Universities, and undertake studies that might provide you with some idea of what you're talking about.

"I hope that you at least have got past the belief that the world came from nothing and that you came from an ape."
-runner

Seriously? You fundy nutcases are still banging on about the descent of man, some 150+ years after 'On the Origin of Species' was published? How amusing.

Hopefully you and your ilk can one day get past the belief that fossils were buried by the Jews in 1915 in an effort to confound decent Christian folk.

In the meantime, I will alter my empirical beliefs if and only if the evidence indicates I should do so.

"Another schizophrenic."
-VK3AUU

NOT COOL. Schizophrenia is a nasty disease, and it has quite enough stigma, ridicule and misunderstanding around it already, without folk like you fanning the flames. It is quite probable that Richie 10 has no mental health issues at all, and is just a regular garden-variety halfwit.

The reference God said is a loose term actually referring to ‘The Church Said’.

When common discussion in relation to life and ideals of living people’s response is that of the reliance to quote for the bible rather then independent reflection.

We as a human species born that of the sea through life given to all through position most common to be 3.

The fruits are abundance supplying our needs given to us via nature’s way you see

Dear Riz,
Maybe I have half a wit as 4.5 years ago I had a massive stroke and doctors told me my life was over. My earthen ware vessel was disabled but I chose to ignore the doctors word and went back to my Lord and God's word (Jesus) to see what he had to say on the subject. The O.T.
says his word is health to my bones and by his stripes I am healed.Pr 3-5 has always been my guide so I choose to believe his word rather then the doctors. In the N.T. nothing is impossible with God. Jesus fulfilled the requirement of the Law and if we accept his free gift of life we are no longer subject to the Law but live under grace and have abundant life. Faith without works is dead. If you do not use it you lose it. You reap what you sow. If you sow beans you do not grow pumpkins. If it only takes half a wit to see that then I guess I am a halfwit and I would rather have half a wit than to believe in random chance that I can plant beans and through some twist of fate grow pumpkins. As a byword about 50 years ago my Grandmother told me to vote Liberal as Labor has no imagination. As my father was a rusted on Labor supporter who had always told us Liberals were the enemy of the working man I asked him why his mother voted Liberal and his answer was " She is a woman son and all women love Bob Menzies because he introduced child endowment." Labor supporters, Greens, Evolutionists, and the like minded would have all believe that we all must live in their mindset of can't whereas with God, all things are possible. So I look to the possibilities not the cant's for life. As a result I am still useful and have extended my use by date.

Halfwits, schizophrenics, fundy nutcases? I joined this forum expecting a lot better than that by way of reasoned debate. Very disappointing...

The problem is that Reasoned debate doesn't include statements based on faith. Faith is not knowledge. That is the trap that the bible thumpers fall into.

David

All well and good to hold that view, David, but it doesn't excuse the name-calling that goes on methinks. I'm sure you can think of a better way of getting your points across.

Having lived with a shizophrenic, the comment was based on a degree of logic from observation of the comments of the subject. Unless you have lived with one, you may not understand.

David

Another thought, if it is rational thinking you want, how can someone who believes that his grand dad is a monkey be a hole wit, (me being the half wit), and not believe in the impossible. My Dad believed in an eye for an eye and thus lived under the Law but never experienced the heart changing experience of grace that comes through knowing Jesus (my Faith is in him not my ability) . He was great on telling me what I couldn't do but not so on what I could do. So what we believe is our mindset and governs our actions. My fathers favorite saying was you will never make for you can't. Thank God my mothers favorite saying was Love covers a multitude of sins just give it a go. All the cant's killed my imagination to dream big dreams until I met Jesus in a life changing pivot point. I saw the light and started to look for possibilities. The author having seen God in action was like the dog who returned to his vomit when the going got tough.

Dear VK3AUU,
As I found Jesus through trying to unravel the truth with a wife with mental illness I have compassion for everyone dealing with a loved one with mental illness. Sympathy is a useless emotion as it achieves nothing. My aunt who taught me to love reading also taught me another valuable life lesson as a schizophrenic she had to want help herself before she stopped putting our family through hell and her life became managable . The word of God tells me that drugs produce the same results as witchcraft and Jesus spoke to the demoniac and bound the demon. He also said Satin can't cast out Satin. Some food for thought.

Here's a book described by this reviewer as one marked with passion and spelling errors. 

I would have expected more from someone claiming to unite Atheism and reason, but I've come to know better. In my experience atheists write with mixtures of zeal and logic in similar proportion to evangelicals. If true to form, his chapter on 'evolution' will be no different. 

The skeptics are skeptical about everything except, of course, that which they hold dear. 

It reminds me of the Mike Willisee doco, seen by milions on TV, which showed occurances of stigmata as they were happening. Willisee copped a lot from the skeptics on that one. The joke was that the same people had previously awarded Willisee 'Investigative Journalists of the Year'.