Why I am no longer a Christian | By Paul Williams

Summary

The speaker explains their journey from being a born-again Evangelical Christian to losing faith in key Christian doctrines. They describe how intense Bible study and exposure to biblical scholarship led to doubts about the inerrancy of Scripture and the divinity of Jesus. Despite still holding many Christian beliefs, they can no longer accept doctrines like the Trinity, Incarnation, and Atonement due to historical and theological issues. The video reflects on how critical examination of religious texts can challenge deeply held beliefs.

Takeaways

• 📅 Became a born-again Evangelical Christian on a specific date, month, and year.
• 🙏 Developed a powerful relationship with God and saw the Bible come alive.
• 📖 Noticed various problems and inconsistencies in the Bible, initially attributing them to the Devil.
• 🔍 Sought solutions in biblical commentaries, but some problems persisted and deepened.
• 📚 Realized many of these issues are well-known in biblical scholarship, not just spiritual attacks.
• 📅 Identified the belief in the imminent end of the world as a significant issue.
• 📜 Discovered that the Gospel of John is less historical and more theological, casting doubt on its reliability.
• 🏛 Learned from scholars that early church doctrines like the Trinity and Incarnation developed over time and were influenced by external philosophies.
• 🧠 Recognized modern understanding of biblical texts is more nuanced than early church interpretations.
• ✝️ While rejecting key doctrines like the Incarnation and Atonement, still retains many Christian beliefs, but no longer identifies as a traditional Christian.

Q & A

Why did the speaker originally become a Christian?

The speaker became a Christian after a born-again experience in a local Baptist church, believing in the inerrancy of scripture and the divinity of Jesus.

What positive experiences did the speaker have as a Christian?

The speaker had many extraordinary spiritual and even supernatural experiences, developed a powerful relationship with God, and found the scriptures to be very relevant and alive.

What caused the speaker to start doubting their faith?

The speaker began to notice various problems and contradictions in the Bible, which led them to seek solutions through biblical commentaries and further reading. However, this often resulted in discovering more issues.

What were some specific problems the speaker encountered in the Bible?

The speaker identified two major issues: the eschatological expectations of Jesus, Paul, and others in the New Testament, which didn't materialize, and the historical reliability of the Gospel of John, particularly its portrayal of Jesus' divinity.

How did biblical scholarship affect the speaker's faith?

The speaker found that many well-known issues among biblical scholars, which contradicted their previous understanding of the Bible, led them to question the inerrancy and historical reliability of the scriptures.

What is the 'imminent parousia' and how did it impact the speaker's beliefs?

The 'imminent parousia' refers to the New Testament expectation of the end of the world happening soon. The speaker found that this expectation, which did not come to pass, indicated a mistake by key New Testament figures, contributing to their doubt.

What did the speaker learn about the Gospel of John from biblical scholars?

The speaker learned that the Gospel of John is considered less historical than the other gospels and that its high Christological statements are not believed to be actual sayings of the historical Jesus by most scholars.

How did the understanding of genre and historical context change the speaker's view of the Bible?

The speaker realized that modern readers understand much more about the types of literature in the Bible, metaphors, and the historical development of beliefs, which made them question the naive historical reading of the early church.

What parts of Christianity does the speaker still believe in?

The speaker still believes in one God, God's creation of the universe, Jesus as the Messiah, the day of judgment, angels and demons, and the resurrection of the dead, among other aspects.

What does the speaker reject about Christianity now?

The speaker rejects the doctrines of the Incarnation, the Trinity, and the Atonement, viewing them as historically, theologically, and philosophically untenable.

What impact did studying Christianity at university have on the speaker's faith?

Studying Christianity at university exposed the speaker to critical biblical scholarship, which further undermined their faith and led many of their peers to lose their evangelical or traditional beliefs.

What is the main reason the speaker is no longer a Christian?

The speaker is no longer a Christian primarily due to historical, theological, and philosophical issues they discovered in the Bible, particularly concerning the divinity of Jesus, the Incarnation, and the Atonement.