General Discussion

Raised in the church (Southern Baptist), was "saved" the summer before 9th Grade. Yes, I was probably pretty annoying during my high school years, although I settled down a bit during the latter years. The Jesus I followed was, essentially, the Jesus of the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount, and was focused on kind treatment of others -- everyone.

Now, however, I'm an atheist (although I prefer the label "freethinker" ). I began the transition not too long after I had graduated from college, and although it's a rather long and complicated story, one of the bigger reasons was how I saw other "Christians" were acting, for example, Jerry Falwell/Moral Majority, etc., and the hate they were spreading. I still subscribe, more or less, to the "Jesus" values in the Beatitudes, etc., but I've incorporated them into a humanistic worldview, without the religious trappings.

Of the people I went to church with back in those days . . . the ones I am in sort-of touch with (Facebook, etc.) -- I'm sad to say that most (although, thankfully, not all) are now full-blown Trumpers. In my mind, they've betrayed the teachings of the Jesus they claim to follow, and I've all but cut off contact with them. Don't need that in my life now.