Like many very vocal Christian fundamentalists today, I believed in a literal interpretation of an infallible Bible and all the typical beliefs that go along with that idea. This meant that I accepted that the world we live in was approximately 6,000 years old and that a global flood destroyed the world (except for Noah and his family) shortly thereafter. It also meant that I believed that all illness could be cured by laying on of hands and that people actually do become demon possessed requiring exorcism.
I sincerely lead my congregation in what I perceived to be the ultimate truth, but over time my biblical studies led to difficulty, the world around me did not appear to mesh with what I read in scripture. I encountered several Biblical passages that appeared to be contradictory. There were also unfulfilled promises and prophecies that proved the Bible could not possibly be infallible. I saw people who I knew to be good Christians dying from cancer and other diseases no matter how much we prayed.
I limped along for two more years as a pastor while I battled with unbelief and doubt, you cannot step down from the office of church pastor without someone noticing; so whatever I decided it was going to be public and final. The stress of having to publically proclaim a faith while being riddled with doubt was completely exhausting, I dreaded each and every church service often pawning sermons off on visiting ministers as much as possible.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Former Fundy
An ex-fundamentalist minister's website: unFundy.com
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