Deconversion Blog

Deconversion Stories

Read about those who no longer believe

A project conducted by Anders Kristensen.

Contents

A. List of De-converts
B. Deconversion Stories
C. Reasons for Deconverting
D. Appendix A: What Is Included
E. Appendix B: Legal

List of Deconverts.

Abbrevations used refer to reasons given for deconversion. A list of abbreviations can be located in the endnotes.

1. Rachel Adams^a19, Pell City, Alabama, ^h
2. A.J.^a21, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
3. Akiko^a14, Location unknown, ^b
4. Amanda^a4, Virginia, then Liverpool, United Kingdom, ^{b, h, s}
5. Anonymous^a5, Kentucky, ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
6. Anonymous^a13, Florida, ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
7. Anonymous^a15, New York, ^{b, p}
8. Anonymous^a17, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
9. Anonymous^a20, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
10. Anonymous, “A Lady”^a11, Los Angeles, California, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
11. Anonymous, “Born Again Atheist”^a1, St. Paul, Minnesota, ^{b, h, p}
12. Anonymous, “Chain Breaker”^a10, Location unknown, ^s
13. Anonymous, “ChickenNugget”^a18, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
14. Anonymous, “J”^a2, Location unknown, ^{h, s}
15. Anonymous, “Don T. Know”^a12, Southeast United States, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
16. Anonymous^{, “Quadratix”a8}, United States, ^{reasons forthcoming}
17. Anonymous, “SG”^a23, Midwest United States, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
18. Anonymous, “SLM”^a22, Alabama, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
19. Anonymous, “Spider Monkey”^a3, Ohio, ^{h, i, q}
20. Anonymous, “St. John Baptiste”^a9, Virginia, ^s
21. Anthony^a6, Westchester, Illinois, ^{h, s}
22. Athena^a16, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
23. Jamie Atkinson^a7, Southern California, then Oklahoma, ^{reasons forthcoming}
24. Brian B.^b10, Location unknown, ^{b, h, s}
25. Balaji^b2, Singapore ^{b, q, s}
26. Colin Benson^b4, Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
27. Bernard^b5, San Diego, California, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
28. Bill^b7, Maryland, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
29. Bill, “Red Pill Bill”^b1, Upstate New York, ^{b, i, p, s}
30. Ryan Boehning^b6, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
31. Brad^b3, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, ^{reasons forthcoming}
32. Johnny Bradford^b9, Scotland, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
33. Brian^b8, Ellensburg, Washington, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
34. Mary Cancilla^c5, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
35. Ian J. Carr^c2, Taree, New South Wales, Australia, ^{b, r, s}
36. Chad^c10, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
37. Katie Chanter^c4, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
38. Chris^c9, Bridgeport, West Virginia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
39. Dave Clarke^c6, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
40. Courtney^c3, Denver, Colorado, then New York, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
41. Crystal^c8, Clarksville, Tennessee, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
42. Monte Curry^c7, Modesto, Oklahoma, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
43. Cynthia^c1, Tulsa, Oklahoma, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
44. Dave^d1, Ohio, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
45. David “Lucas Caven”^d6, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
46. Chris “Daye”^d4, Wayne, Oklahoma, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
47. Christopher Dean^d5, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
48. John E. Denison^d8, Dallas, Texas, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
49. Tom Dixon^d7, Abilene, Texas, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
50. DJ^d10, New England, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
51. Jane Doe^d2, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
52. Donna^d9, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
53. Mike Douglass^d3, Utica, New York, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
54. Ellen^e1, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
55. Emily^e3, Arlington, Texas, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
56. Erik^e2, Eugene, Oregon, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
57. Erin^e4, Albion Park, New South Wales, Australia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
58. Everett^e5, Virginia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
59. G.C.^g3, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
60. David Garcia^g2, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
61. T. L. Goble^g1, Chatsworth, Georgia, ^s
62. Trudy H.^h10, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
63. Joey Hackl^h11, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
64. Tim Hale^h5, Dallas, Texas, ^b
65. Clancy Halsted^h6, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
66. Whitney Hampson^h7, Colorado Springs, Colorado, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
67. Harry, “Biblebelievernomore”^h1, Massachusetts, ^{b, q, s}
68. Cody Hellandback^h8, Northern California, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
69. William F. Henness^h3, Colchester, Illinois, ^b
70. Robert Hitchcock^h4, United States ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
71. Brian Holtz^h2, possibly Michigan, ^{reasons forthcoming}
72. Lauren Horvath^h9, College Park, Maryland, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
73. Irisⁱ¹, Tennessee, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
74. Jeff^j3, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
75. Jenna^j2, New Jersey, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
76. Jenny^j6, West Tennessee, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
77. Marcus Johnston.^j5, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
78. Kieran Jones^j4, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
79. Julie^j1, Location unknown, ^{h, s}
80. Lance K.^k5, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
81. KC^k3, Middletown, Ohio, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
82. Kevin^k4, Yuma, Arizona, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
83. Kirsten^k1, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, then Toronto, Canada ^{b, h}
84. Dimitrije Kostic^k2, Yugoslavia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
85. Larry^l3, Location unknown, ^{b, s}
86. Jim Lee^l2, New South Wales, Australia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
87. Linda^l5, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
88. Steve Locks^l1, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
89. Lord Umbra^u1, Montana, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
90. Loren^l6, Eugene, Oregon, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
91. Ian Lowe^l4, Glasgow, Scotland, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
92. Brian M.^m15, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
93. Larry M.^m17, Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
94. Mandy^m16, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
95. Margaret^m13, Arizona, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
96. Maria^m12, Michigan, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
97. Joe Martin^m10, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
98. Mike McLellan^m1, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
99. Kurt Melin^m5, Anderson, Indiana, ^{b, r}
100. Melissa^m14, Cincinnati, Ohio, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
101. Dirk J. van der Merwe, author of ‘Scrap Religion,’ Live Extra-ordinarily’^m4, Europe and South Africa, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
102. Michael^m9, Austin, Texas, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
103. Mikel^m11, Louisville, Kentucky, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
104. Trey Miller^m3, Atlanta, Georgia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
105. I. I. Milnes^m6, Te Kauwhata, New Zealand, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
106. D. Mitchell^m2, Atlanta, Georgia, ^{reasons forthcoming}
107. Daniel F. Mitchell^m8, Los Angeles, California, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
108. Ann Murray^m7, Newark, New Jersey, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
109. Ingeborg S. Nordénⁿ¹, Madison, Wisconsin, ^{b, s}
110. Daniel P.^p9, Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
111. Keith P.^p8, Lynchburg, Virginia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
112. Sharon Payant^p3, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
113. “Rex Payne”^p4, Lompoc, California, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
114. Randen Pederson^p5, Superior, Wisconsin, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
115. Sarah J. Pepper^p7, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
116. Naomi Prettyman^p1, Kansas City, Missouri, ^{b, i, p, r}
117. Robert M. Price^p2, New Jersey, ^{reasons forthcoming}
118. Andy Purviance^p6, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
119. Jamie Q.^q1, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
120. Nathan R.^r1, United States, ^{i, p, q}
121. Roy R. “Lucas Caven”^r5, Virginia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
122. Rachel^r4, Hurricane, West Virginia, ⁱ
123. Rob^r2, Fort Thomas, Kentucky, ^{reasons forthcoming}
124. Roger^r6, Ontario, Canada, ^{h, r}
125. Ryan^r3, Rensselaer, Indiana, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
126. Randy S.^s9, Virginia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
127. Stephen S.^s5, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
128. Robert La Salle^s12, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
129. Jonny Scaramanga^s3, United Kingdom, ^{b, s}
130. Roger Scott^s10, Australia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
131. Leslie Shields^s11, Boston, Massachusetts, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
132. Tim Simmons^s4, Memphis, Tennessee, ^{reasons forthcoming}
133. Jacob Smith^s1, Gulf Coast, Florida, ^{p, q}
134. Martha Stanard^s6, Location unknown, ⁱ
135. Jan Steck^s8, Vina, California, ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
136. Steve^s7, Brisbane, Australia, ^q
137. Sylvester^s2, possibly Singapore, ^{b, p, q}
138. Charles Templeton^t1, Toronto, Canada, ^{b, p}
139. Chloë Tiscornia^t2, California, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
140. Tocis^t5, Germany, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
141. Tom^t3, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
142. Chester Twarog^t4, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and West Germany, ^{b, q, r, s}
143. Veronica Virulent^v1, North Florida, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
144. Janet Voska^v2, United States, ^{Reasons forthcoming.}
145. Scott W.^w5, Wisconsin, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
146. Troy W.^w8, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
147. H.A. Walker^w7, Rogersville, Tennessee, ^b
148. Richard White^w6, Russia, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
149. Kenneth Ray Whitley^w2, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
150. Trevor Wicks^w3, Location unknown, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
151. Herb Wild^w4, Florida, ^{Reasons forthcoming}
152. Dr. Marine Winell^w1, San Francisco, California, ^{reasons forthcoming}
153. Nick Young^y1, Vallejo, California, ^{Reasons forthcoming}

---

Their stories.

What follows are my own write-ups of the essentials of deconversion stories, made succinct for ease and speed of reading; it is, of course, assumed that the events reported by the original authors are factual.

^{↩ a1.} Anonymous: “Born Again Atheist”. Lutheran, later Independent Baptist, saved at 10, beer-drinking parents made dispassionate church attendance compulsory. Struggles with masturbation during puberty and the unresponsiveness of God in prayer, as well as questions concerning doctrines of predestination versus free will led him to doubt. After high-school experimentation with drugs, went to college and met fellow intellectuals, a process culminating in his avowal of atheism as a freshman at age 19. “Child of Rednecks Deconverts”

^{↩ a2.} J. Once attendee of an Evangelical Baptist church with a diplomatic pastor and less diplomatic teaching staff, the latter of which indoctrinated fear of the “End Times” happening all around them and 9/11 as a consequence of the propagation of false religions. As an 11-year-old in this environment, went to sleep fearing being left alone during the “Great Tribulation” when everyone else was raptured. Held a vague Christianity through high school, when the acerbic tone of the teaching he received was somewhat numbed. When his mother called his Muslim girlfriend a “keeper,” he became convinced of the duality or “divided-ness of the religious mind”; his conclusion is that Christians do not linger mentally on the “sinister parts of their faith.” Sam Harris’s Letter to a Christian Nation brought him to fully avow atheism, although not explicitly to his family, who only learned that he is no longer Christian. “Accentuate the Positive — Ignore the Negative”

^{↩ a3.} Anonymous: “Spider Monkey”. After her father underwent a salvation experience one summer when she was 13, she attended a Pentecostal church with him. As she grew up in this environment, she came under attack from the hurtful, selfish, uncaring teenagers around which she was surrounded; her response to this was further spirituality, having been taught that her lack of faithfulness to God was the cause for her loneliness. Her torment persisted into college, including an intolerance for her Catholic boyfriend and instances of persecutory teasing and emotional torment from the Christian community. She finally tired of the maltreatment: “I had done everything the church and the [Bible] told me to do and all I had to show for it was five years of pain and degradation.” What followed this realization was a remembrance of logical fallacies in the Bible she had previously rationalized and an acknowledgement of a lack of answers to her questions. She left the faith and is now atheist. Her passion for Christianity has been redirected as a result, and she is much happier with her life. “Five Years of Hell” (Caution: inflammatory language)

^{↩ a4.} Amanda. Saved at 7, and her growth to adolescence was accompanied by a growing dissatisfaction with the church’s plan for her future as a woman. Church’s pastor “sexually abused at least 5 women,” and Amanda’s subsequent time at Liberty University was miserable for her. Her move to England carried with it research into what truly interested her, and her research into sexual abuse by pastors led her to conclude the collusion as the most sickening part. A crisis of faith came in February 2001, as she wanted to distance herself from these colluders; through Bible study, a year-long process of deconversion. “I am so happy now.” “Thank God for Atheism!”

^{↩ a5.} Anonymous. Summary forthcoming. “Conversion/Deconversion”

^{↩ a6.} Anthony. Attending youth activities at a friend’s church, he noticed the common theme of donation requests asked of the other kids. Got scared into salvation; after the realization that Christianity teaches belief in the proper deity guarantees eternal life over moral conduct, it started to lose its luster for Anthony. Learning of the brutal history of Christendom in high school, and “the final blow,” hearing reports of pedophile priests and cover-ups by the church, had him resolutely avowing atheism at 15. “Christianity — Too Corrupt for Me”

^{↩ a7.} Jamie Atkinson. Summary forthcoming. “MY TESTIMONY”

^{↩ a8.} Anonymous: “Quadratix”. Summary forthcoming. “Make Up Your Minds…”

^{↩ a9.} Anonymous: “St. John Baptiste.”. Summary forthcoming. “Christianity Sucks”

^{↩ a10.} Anonymous: “Chain Breaker”. Summary forthcoming. “An Answer to Prayer”

^{↩ a11.} Anonymous: “A Lady”. Summary forthcoming. “African-American and I Left”

^{↩ a12.} Anonymous: “Don T. Know”. Summary forthcoming. “Fundamentalism Screwed Up My Religion”

^{↩ a13.} Anonymous. Summary forthcoming. My Deconversion Story

^{↩ a14.} Akiko. Summary forthcoming. Akiko’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ a15.} Anonymous. Summary forthcoming. Just Wanted God to Answer My Prayers

^{↩ a16.} Athena.. Summary forthcoming. “Athena’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ a17.} Anonymous. Summary forthcoming. “Deconversion Story”

^{↩ a18.} Anonymous, “ChickenNugget” . Summary forthcoming. “ChickenNugget’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ a19.} Rachel Adams. Summary forthcoming. “The awakening”

^{↩ a20.} Anonymous. Summary forthcoming. “This Is My First Attempt to Explain My Brain, So Bear With Me?”

^{↩ a21.} A.J.. Summary forthcoming. “The Moment of Decision”

^{↩ a22.} Anonymous, “SLM”. Summary forthcoming. “I Feel Foolish, Cheated and Angry”

^{↩ a23.} Anonymous, “SG”. Summary forthcoming. “Isn’t Christ’s Love Wondrous?”

^{↩ b1.} Bill (BillRPJ). “At age 12, I fell in love with Jesus.” Raised in a Baptist home where conflict was common, his trips to the treehouse with his Bible and sincere pleas to Christ to deliver him from the child abuse he suffered, his prayers went unanswered, and he questioned their efficacy. Following education at a Bible college, he married a Christian girl from a similarly broken home, and after five years, they divorced, the custody of his two children going to his ex-wife. “I was decimated,” he remembers, and recovery from these painful events lowered his church attendance. During this time he learned that “guilt and threat of hell” keep Christians in what he calls “the Christian Matrix,” where they are shielded from reality. Following an incident with his son in Children’s Church, when his young son through sobs asked “Why would Jesus burn me?” due to the teacher’s showing a depiction of a man agonizing in the suffering of flames, he left the church, and through a process of realizing all of the contradictions and disagreeable doctrines of Christianity, is now an atheist. “Taking the Red Pill”

^{↩ b2.} Balaji. Converted to Christianity at 21, he was previously a vaguely mystic Hindu with no personal god belief to speak of. As an evolutionary biology student, he attempted to reconcile what he knew was true (evolution) with what the church taught (genesis). Reading the accounts of the Tower of Babel and Leviticus and Deuteronomy, thus realizing the brutality of yahweh was the pivotal event for Balaji. “Why does god have to exist?” he asked himself. Although he had to keep it secret due to pressures from church members, he had deconverted by 22. “Back to godlessness”

^{↩ b3.} Brad. Summary forthcoming. “Leaving Christianity Behind”

^{↩ b4.} Colin Benson. Summary forthcoming. “Stopped Believing at the Age of Four”

^{↩ b5.} Bernard. Summary forthcoming. “Religion: A Real Life Matrix”

^{↩ b6.} Ryan Boehning. Summary forthcoming. “Ryan Boehning’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ b7.} Bill . Summary forthcoming. “It Hit Me Like a Baseball Bat”

^{↩ b8.} Brian. Summary forthcoming. “Dead on Arrival”

^{↩ b9.} Johnny Bradford. Summary forthcoming. “Johnny Bradford’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ b10.} Brian B.. Guided to conversion by his father at 4, he went on through childhood “dividing his brain in half,” between faith and thinking. Entering his teens, he felt he wasn’t a true Christian for not behaving in the displays he saw in church services while the congregation sang. At 18, he began researching evolution himself, in the process realizing the creation story is a myth. With the first book of the Bible fallible, he broke ground on the morality of the Bible and that Christians were largely hypocritical. Secular humanism allowed Brian to affirm positive values. “For the first time, I feel free. And that feeling makes this all worth it.” “For the First Time, I Feel Free”

^{↩ c1.} Cynthia. Summary forthcoming. “A fight to the death (of faith)”

^{↩ c2.} Ian J. Carr. Summary forthcoming. “My Post-Christian Testimony” (Mirror)

^{↩ c3.} Courtney. Summary forthcoming. “You can use this as a testimony on your site.”

^{↩ c4.} Katie Chanter. Summary forthcoming. De-conversion

^{↩ c5.} Mary Cancilla. Summary forthcoming. Mary Cancilla’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ c6.} Dave Clarke.. Summary forthcoming. “Dave Clarke’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ c7.} Monte Curry.. Summary forthcoming. “Monte Curry’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ c8.} Crystal. Summary forthcoming. “Survive”

^{↩ c9.} Chris. Summary forthcoming. “My Torment…”

^{↩ c10.} Chad. Summary forthcoming. “No More Invisible Pink Unicorns”

^{↩ d1.} Dave. Summary forthcoming. “A Sabbatical?, or, My Anti-Testimony”

^{↩ d2.} Jane Doe. Summary forthcoming. Jane Doe’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ d3.} Mike Douglass. Summary forthcoming. Why I Reject Christianity

^{↩ d4.} Chris “Daye”. Summary forthcoming. “Parking Lot Preaching in the Bible Belt”

^{↩ d5.} Christopher Dean. Summary forthcoming. “Christopher Dean’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ d6.} David . Summary forthcoming. “David’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ d7.} Tom Dixon. Summary forthcoming. “Disillusioned Means No Longer Illusioned”

^{↩ d8.} John E. Denison. Summary forthcoming. “Why Not Me?”

^{↩ d9.} Donna. Summary forthcoming. “I Have Taken the Shackles Off”

^{↩ d10.} DJ. Summary forthcoming. “Finally on Solid Ground”

^{↩ e1.} Ellen. Summary forthcoming. “Can a Girl Be the Anti-Christ?”

^{↩ e2.} Erik. Summary forthcoming. “The Way of the Intercepting Mind”

^{↩ e3.} Emily. Summary forthcoming. “The Awakening”

^{↩ e4.} Erin. Summary forthcoming. “I’ll Take Your Freak and Your Heretic and Raise You a Sheep”

^{↩ e5.} Everett. Summary forthcoming. “Crushing Blow”

^{↩ g1.} T. L. Goble. Summary forthcoming. “Award-Winning Christian Apologist Makes a U-Turn”

^{↩ g2.} David Garcia. Summary forthcoming. David Garcia’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ g3.} G.C.. Summary forthcoming. “Yes, I Am an Atheist”

^{↩ h1.} Harry (Biblebelievernomore). Christian at age 11, in 1974. Through a process of seeking — every step of the way convinced he was right to the point of proselytizing others — which led him from Baptist, to Mormon, back to Baptist, to the Boston Church of Christ (part of ICOC, now recognized as a cult), where he found himself enduring an “emotional beating” at a Christmas party regarding an honest disagreement he had with a church speaker, back to Southern Baptist, he finally committed to examining the questions he had about the Bible. His deconversion is due to his realization that “the essential foundations” of Christianity are “unreliable/untrustworthy,” and in his view intellectual honesty compelled him to stop believing and become “an open agnostic” and member of the Unitarian-Universalist Association. He emphasizes that emotional considerations took no part in it, but rather an honest examination of the evidence for both sides, which he suggests would be enough for anyone to deconvert. “Why I Am A Bible Believer No More”

^{↩ h2.} Brian Holtz. Summary forthcoming. “My Conversion from Christianity to Atheism”

^{↩ h3.} William F. Henness. “Born again” at 20, then joined fundamental Baptist church where he became licensed to preach. Taught adult Sunday School and participated as a deacon for 25+ years. For 27 years he pastored churches. Contradictory parts of the Bible became clear to him through a long process of studying it. Since age 60, he is now a self-described “apostate.” “Former Fundamental Preacher”

^{↩ h4.} Robert Hitchcock. Summary forthcoming. “The Ecclesiastical Mutt, or, Heretics I Have Been”

^{↩ h5.} Tim Hale. Summary forthcoming. “Southern Baptist to Gay Freethinker”

^{↩ h6.} Clancy Halsted. Summary forthcoming. Clancy Halsted’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ h7.} Whitney Hampson. Summary forthcoming. Whitney Hampson’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ h8.} Cody Hellandback. Summary forthcoming. Cody Hellandback’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ h9.} Lauren Horvath. Summary forthcoming. “Lauren Horvath’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ h10.} Trudy H.. Summary forthcoming. “Thank You God for Opening My Mind”

^{↩ h11.} Joey Hackl. Summary forthcoming. “We Are Not Monsters Now”

^{↩ i1.} Iris. Summary forthcoming. “No Longer Religious”

^{↩ j1.} Julie. Trained as a Bible translator, Julie left the Charismatic church about a year after being blamed for lack of faith in God’s healing power when her father died of cancer. Around the same time as these events, a church member raped a friend of hers, then through manipulating the elders before the victim had a chance to reach them, got her “kicked out of the church for fornication,” in addition convincing her it was her fault, effectively preventing her from contacting the police. Julie relates these experiences and recalls that after a few months of working out what she truly believed, she settled on Paganism. “A Pagan Now”

^{↩ j2.} Jenna. Summary forthcoming. “Brainwash from Birth and Still Recovering”

^{↩ j3.} Jeff. Raised Catholic, always secretly questioned the Bible, until serious illness struck his mother. She begged god in prayer to kill her and end her suffering, and the trauma of the experience brought him out of the closet about his disbelief in a god. Jeff’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ j4.} Kieran Jones . Summary forthcoming. “Kieran Jones’ Deconversion Story”

^{↩ j5.} Marcus Johnston. Summary forthcoming. “To Be a Wandering Jew”

^{↩ j6.} Jenny. Summary forthcoming. “An Illogical Religion”

^{↩ k1.} Kirsten. By the 10th grade, when her family moved to Pennsylvania and her father became a Mennonite minister, Kirsten was already questioning Christianity. Their previous church was much more liberal, so the move turned youth group from socializing to torture. Struggling to find friends in Lancaster, the new church put the fear of hell in her, replacing the love of God; misery ensued. She considers the coercion of fundie doctrine into her as comparable to a “rape.” Threat of hell was very real to her and haunted her into sexual guilt and near-constant terror that she and her friends would burn there forever. She is now agnostic because it makes more sense to her. “Minister’s Daughter”

^{↩ k2.} Dimitrije Kostic. Summary forthcoming. “Dimitrije Kostic’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ k3.} KC . Summary forthcoming. “Cradle “Catholic-Christian”"

^{↩ k4.} Kevin. Summary forthcoming. “Psychology of Deconversion”

^{↩ k5.} Lance K.. Summary forthcoming. “Have Any of You Gone Through This?”

^{↩ l1.} Steve Locks. Summary forthcoming. “Why I left Christianity”

^{↩ l2.} Jim Lee. Summary forthcoming. “My Testimony from Christianity”

^{↩ l3.} Larry. Brought up a Jehovah’s Witness, learned as a university student that science contradicts the Bible. Began to look skeptically upon all religions upon learning that the teachings f his cult were in error. Cites his understanding of the fact of evolution as well as “the natural evil in he world” as factors which brought him to his atheism. Larry’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ l4.} Ian Lowe. Summary forthcoming. “Free At Last!”

^{↩ l5.} Linda . Summary forthcoming. “Linda’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ l6.} Loren. Summary forthcoming. “The ‘Why I’m Not Christian’ Letter”

^{↩ m1.} Mike McLellan. Summary forthcoming. “Questions from Born-Again Christians” (Mirror)

^{↩ m2.} Jamie Atkinson. Summary forthcoming. “Freed My Mind or Lost My Soul?”

^{↩ m3.} Trey Miller. Summary forthcoming. “Jesus Is a Fairytale”

^{↩ m4.} Dirk J. van der Merwe. Summary forthcoming. “My Story About the Old, Old Story”

^{↩ m5.} Kurt Melin. Summary forthcoming. “Freed From Religion While Still Young”

^{↩ m6.} I. I. Milnes. Summary forthcoming. I. I. Milnes Deconversion Story

^{↩ m7.} Ann Murray. Summary forthcoming. Ann Murray’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ m8.} Daniel F. Mitchell. Summary forthcoming. Ex-Mormon’s Tale

^{↩ m9.} Michael. Summary forthcoming. “Free from Christian Mind-Control”

^{↩ m10.} Joe Martin . Summary forthcoming. “Joe Martin’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ m11.} Mikel . Summary forthcoming. “This World is My Home…”

^{↩ m12.} Maria. Summary forthcoming. “Betrayal of Heart and Mind”

^{↩ m13.} Margaret. Summary forthcoming. “I’m Free”

^{↩ m14.} Melissa. Summary forthcoming. “My Middle Way”

^{↩ m15.} Brian M.. Summary forthcoming. “I Am an Agnostic Theist”

^{↩ m16.} Mandy. Summary forthcoming. “If I’m Wrong… I’m Off to Hell When I Die”

^{↩ m17.} Larry M.. Summary forthcoming. “I Am Still a Very Spiritual Person”

^{↩ n1.} Ingeborg S. Nordén. Summary forthcoming. “Born-Again Heathen”

^{↩ p1.} Naomi Prettyman. Charismatic, saved at 5, mission trip to India at 14, 5-year-old little sister became ill and died due in part to negligent praying parents, which stirred “a great deal of anger” in her. Slowly moved over about five years from tenuously held Christian beliefs to a “Pagan” nature-driven spirituality following a visit to a pagan campground with her husband and father. “Being a Missionary Showed Me the Light”

^{↩ p2.} Robert M. Price. Summary forthcoming. “From Fundamentalist to Humanist”

^{↩ p3.} Sharon Payant. Summary forthcoming. Sharon Payant’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ p4.} “Rex Payne”. Summary forthcoming. “I Am What I Am ~ and That’s All What I Am!”

^{↩ p5.} Randen Pederson. Summary forthcoming. “Quit Wiggling or Go to Hell”

^{↩ p6.} Andy Purviance.. Summary forthcoming. “Andy Purviance’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ p7.} Sarah J. Pepper . Summary forthcoming. “Sarah J. Pepper’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ p8.} Keith P.. Summary forthcoming. “One of the Lucky Ones”

^{↩ p9.} Daniel P.. Summary forthcoming. “My Beliefs”

^{↩ q1.} Jamie Q.. Summary forthcoming. “Religion Is Bulls**t”

^{↩ r1.} Nathan R.. As a child, visited Presbyterian churches with his mother; for all the vague love he had for God and Jesus, had equal hatred for church services. One day in Sunday School confronted the threat of Hell upon remote tribes in Africa, simply for never hearing of Jesus; this marked catalyst for the beginning of his unbelief. Nathan experienced guilt for inquiry and his doubts, and grew to lose all self-esteem, in wearing a back brace from 7th-10th grade, and receiving no comfort or answer from God when he prayed, pleading for deliverance. Many times he contemplated suicide, later to conclude that if there is a God, He doesn’t care. By the middle of 10th grade, Nathan no longer believed in God. “What you cannot explain it is your duty as a Christian to ignore.” Nathan’s life has improved now that he has “set God behind [him],” having recovered from his depression as a result: “God is a crutch; I cast him aside and learned to walk.” “Losing Jesus and Finding Myself”

^{↩ r2.} Rob. Summary forthcoming. “Religion — Just a Large Cult”

^{↩ r3.} Ryan. Summary forthcoming. “Getting It Up and Loving It”

^{↩ r4.} Rachel. Summary forthcoming. “Freedom”

^{↩ r5.} Roy R . Summary forthcoming. “Roy R.’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ r6.} Roger . Summary forthcoming. “I Still Am Bitter”

^{↩ s1.} Jacob Smith. Troubled by answer from mother about gay rights, found at 15 that Reddit’s atheist community made more sense than Christianity. After realizing that only his fear of the unknown kept him in faith, he delved into books and videos, and affirms his atheism in a blog called Atheist Development Center. “Deconversion Stories: Jacob Smith”

^{↩ s2.} Sylvester. A convert to Christianity at age 17, his doubts began at 22, calling into question the stringent “rules and regulations” of his church, including dress codes and prohibitions on hair coloring. Looking for answers to why his prayers regarding his doubts garnered no response, he earnestly read the Bible, finding in it passages of God’s deeds that appalled him; upon asking church leaders about them, the answers given were unsatisfactory, so he left the church and the religion. “I was de-converted by the Bible.” Sylvester runs a blog called The City Mad Cat.

^{↩ s3.} Jonny Scaramanga. Summary forthcoming. Jonny runs a blog called Leaving Fundamentalism

^{↩ s4.} Tim Simmons. Summary forthcoming. “My Deconversion, or, How Stella Got Her Senses Back”

^{↩ s5.} Stephen S.. Summary forthcoming. “Re-Imagining God, or, What Happens When You Clean House”

^{↩ s6.} Martha Stanard. Attributes her atheism to 76 years of living among the villainous animals of society with a god who stands back and cruelly allows injustice to occur. Concludes that god is created in the image of man, not the other way around. Martha Stanard’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ s7.} Steve. Noticed at age 6 that the church door was left open. Asked why, and was told that retribution would come to a burglar at god’s hand. Convinced someone would steal, he kept asking and asking, and concluded “this is all rubbish,” never to return. Steve from Brisbane’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ s8.} Jan Steck. Summary forthcoming. Jan Steck’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ s9.} Randy S.. Summary forthcoming. Randy S.’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ s10.} Roger Scott. Summary forthcoming. Roger Scott’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ s11.} Leslie Shields. Summary forthcoming. “Leslie Shields’ Deconversion Story”

^{↩ s12.} Robert La Salle . Summary forthcoming. “Robert La Salle’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ t1.} Charles Templeton. Former preacher to massive crowds alongside Billy Graham in the 1950′s, Charles left the faith in 1957 due to sincere doubts about the validity of the Old Testament and other Christian doctrine that were fostered by his entry into seminary. He writes about his reasons and his experience in his book Farewell to God. Charles passed away in June 2001. Ex-Christian.net’s “About: Charles Templeton”, Short biography written by his son

^{↩ t2.} Chloë Tisconia. Summary forthcoming. “A Truth Seeker”

^{↩ t3.} Tom. Summary forthcoming. “What a Time to Lose Faith, in the Middle of Bible College!”

^{↩ t4.} Chester Twarog. Brought up a Polish Roman Catholic, Chester received insufficient answers to “tough questions” in Bible study. Following a stint in the army in Kentucky, he reasoned that since other gods were invented and stopped being believed, so would the Christian god. He is now a very active atheist. How I Decided to Atheism

^{↩ t5.} Tocis. Summary forthcoming. “A Somewhat Different Story”

^{↩ u1.} Lord Umbra. Summary forthcoming. What a Fool Believes

^{↩ v1.} Veronica Virulent. Summary forthcoming. Veronica Virulent’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ v2.} Janet Voska. Summary forthcoming. Janet Voska’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ w1.} Dr. Marine Winell. Writer of Leaving the Fold, a book intended to help ex-fundamentalists with their recovery from the “black-and-white worldview” of which they were once a part. Summary forthcoming. Interview regarding her decon: “The Search for Meaning”

^{↩ w2.} Kenneth Ray Whitley. Summary forthcoming. Kenneth Ray Whitley’s Deconversion Story

^{↩ w3.} Trevor Wicks. Summary forthcoming. “Trevor Wick’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ w4.} Herb Wild. Summary forthcoming. “Herb Wild’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ w5.} Scott W. . Summary forthcoming. “Scott W.’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ w6.} Richard White . Summary forthcoming. “Richard White’s Deconversion Story”

^{↩ w7.} H.A. Walker. Summary forthcoming. “Buried My Dead Dogma Part 1″

^{↩ w8.} Troy W.. Summary forthcoming. “Cognitive Dissonance Takes Its Toll”

^{↩ y1.} Nick Young. Summary forthcoming. I Was Called a Satanist

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Further stories awaiting addition

Dan Silverman’s deconversion – Ispeakmetal’s deconversion – Fallon’s deconversion – Junkpoet72′s deconversion
Watcher’s deconversion – Aerik’s deconversion – Rook Hawkins’ deconversion – Loc’s deconversion – And It Came to Pass – Confessions of an Evangelical Atheist – Excerpts from Losing Faith in Faith: From Preacher to Atheist – From Believer to Atheist – It all began with Santa – From Fundamentalist to Humanist – From Missionary Bible Translator to Agnostic – How I Became an Ex-Christian – How I Walked Away – If It Wasn’t for Agnosticism I wouldn’t know What to Believe – A Long Day’s Journey Into Light – My post-Christian Testimony – My Story – Why I’m Agnostic – Why I Am No Longer a Christian – Why I Left the Ministry and Became an Atheist – Why I Quit Going to Church – Confessions of a Former Mystic – Confessions of an Australian Atheist – From Taoist to Infidel – Why I Left the Mormon Church – Why I Am Not a Christian by Bertrand Russell – Why I Am Not a Hindu
God Hates the Sin — Christians Hate the Sinner – Atheist, Brother of Christian – I’d Rather Believe in Myself – A House Built on Sand – Holy S**t Is Right – The Truth Shall Set You Free – Pushed into Seeking Looking for the Truth – Ex Mennonite – Christian Concern? – One More on the Side of Enlightenment – I Saw the Light – X-Preacher’s Kid – An Ex Pentecostal – At First I Was Mad… – Pay No Attention to the Men Behind the Curtain – God Has Retired and Lives in Florida – Confessions of a Former Calvinist Fundy – Why I Am No Longer a Christian – I No Longer Need to Live a Lie – Trying to Move On – From There to Here – Forced into Line – Revival Minister – Truth Seeker – Mon témoignage de déconversion, ou, comment j’ai perdu la Foi (My deconversion testimony, or, how I lost the Faith) (fr) – Mon témoignage de déconversion (My deconversion testimony (fr)
A Journey to Avoid Truth – Leaving Christianity – A Twice-Fallen Soul – The Shepherd and His Sheep – Ex-Hindu – The Fundamental Questions Will Never Go Away! – How Could a Logical Person Come to the Conclusion that Christianity Is True?
Deconversion by Attrition – Schizo Affective / Bipolar’s Story – Self-Esteem vs. God – Proud and Alone: a Story of Reason and Corruption – Enlightenment from the Father… – You Don’t Choose to Become an Atheist – From Catholic to Cynic – Leaving My Very Long Season of Hell on Earth – Jesus Was Not Enough?!? – God Who Gave Me This Newfound Power – Never a Real Fundie, Just a “Wannabe” – Heresy Is Only Another Word for Freedom of Thought… – Lost by the Wayside – 25 Years Wasted – A Life-long Christian Who Never Imagined I’d Be Writing Here… – An Easy Transition – It’s Been the End of the World for Two Thousand Years! – Cruel Religion – Backwoods 3:16 – Resistance Is No Longer Futile – Am I Being Discriminated Against?
Ex-Reconstructionist – I Had No Choice But to Leave – My Middle Way – Freethinking Texan – I Had to Die to Find Out Truth – Survive – Waving, Not Drowning – Destructive Christian Cults – My Journey of Self-Discovery – How It Is Now – Saved by… My Daughter – Emotions, Intellect, Passion: My Trying Times – My Path to Reason – A Journey – Ongoing – Exit – Stage Left – Recovering Religious Addict – Study the Bible to Prove It FALSE! – What the Hell Happened Back There?! – Just Could Not Get Into the So-Called Holy Spirit – Glassy Eyed Zombies – That Damned Human Mind – Yet Another Testimony – 23 Years of Brainwashing! – Invention – Ex-JW – PseudoGod – When Reason Knocks – It Took 7 Years to Find My Way
My Myth – A Walk with God – My Struggle with Faith – No More Charisma Stuff for Me – From Seminary Guy to Heretic – Religious Exploration – My Eyes Were Opened, My Heart Was Opened, I Was No Longer Christian – Deprogramming – No Longer Part o the Vine – Got Kicked out of Church!
Nineteen Eighty-Four; Big Brother and Jehovah – The Lies the Catholic Church Fed Me – Heretic Heart – Abstinence Is the Only True Perversion – Where the Rollercoaster Ends – Trust in God and It Will Work Itself Out – Story of De-Conversion – Tired of Feeling Guilty – God Hates You!
Charismatic Complications – How Religion Almost Ruined My Life – I Love Jesus (and Athena, and Ishtar, and Cerridwe…) – Religion Ruined My Childhood, It Almost Set Me Back in Life – Thanks for Reading – My Personal Exodus – From Christian to Pagan to Christian and Back to Pagan – My Rise to Christianity and Transcendence from It – Life of a Lie – The Truth Is Forbidden – Still Struggling – When You Find Yourself in a Hole, Stop Digging – How to Lose Your Religion… – A Different View of God – I Just Could Not Believe Any More Lies – Time to Say Yes to Life – A Good Christian University – Out of the Clear Blue Sky – My Story of Becoming a Person – So Many Choices of Religion Makes the Whole ‘Holier Than Thou’ Mentality of Christians Absolutely Arrogant – Christian Upbringing’s the Name, Indoctrination’s the Game
25 Years of Turmoil – How Heathenism Set One Christian Free – Forty Years of Oppression – Deprogrammed, at Last – Where Do I Begin? – It Sucked – This Is My Testimony, Not Another Lecture, I Promise – Becoming Alive Again – I Continued to Believe Until I Became Disgusted – Seeing the Light – Away with a God Invented by Preachers – Away with Jesus – I Can Only Imagine… – I’m a Chosen One; I Chose to Leave – Are You 100% Sure? – The Awakened Mind – Waking Up – Silently Breaking Away – Honest with Myself at Last
Wicca – A Path to Personal Truth – I Think I’m Done with Christianity – Me and My ‘Christian’ Family – Self-Realization – When I Was Honest, Truly Honest, It Was Clearly a Lie – Thank you, Davinci Code, A Brief History of Nearly Everything (Bill Bryson), and The Origin of Satan (Elaine Pagels) – Who Is God? – Debate of a Lifetime – Living the Lie – Intellectual Honesty – Answers in All the Wrong Places – I Was a Pastor – Renouncing False Gods – Recovering Christian – Christianity Is Dangerous. I Should Know. – Faith Is Fake – The Cursed Woman – Unsaved and Happy – Games Christians Play – From Nerd-dom to Freedom – What’s Love Got to Do With It? – My Eyes Were Opened. I Saw the Light. The Truth Set Me Free!
Walker Between Worlds – Fantasy Versus Reality – A Pastor No More – Where Was This ‘God’ When I Needed Him Most? – Never Going Back to the Churches of Christ – Damaged – The Same Old Lies and Christian Dribble – My Christian University Experience – Since My Departure from ‘the Faith’ – Still Holding On – On the Path to Recovery – Life as a Slinky – Trying to Find Peace in My Soul – On the Eve of My Ex-Christianity – Tickets for Eternity Cancelled!
My Wife Lost Her Faith – Freedom to Be Me – Faith No More – I’m Not Afraid. My Whole Life, Thus Far, Has Been a Long Bumpy Road – I Was a Blood-Bought, Born-Again, Bible-Believing Christian – Searching for Something – Paradoxology – Simple as It Should Be – Facing What Has Always Bothered Me – Lost Youth – No More in the God Gang – From Catholic Girl to Daoist – Another Ex-Spirit Filled – Freedom from YHVH’s Death-Cult-Armageddon – Christian Love – Irish Ex-Christian – Childish Things – Ex-Congregational Methodist – No Longer the Mindless Doll – Ex-Pentecostal Preacher – You Only Doubt Because You Think Too Much – The Wondrous Act of Hypocrisy That Is Christianity
Too Smart for Religion – Having a Baby Changed My Beliefs – The Godly Christ-like Atheist – Atheism Through Anthropology – No Longer a Christian – At Least Zeus Knew He Was a Prick – Fundamentalism Drove My Dad Insane – My Journey to Freedom – I Was Helping to Destroy the World – I Eventually Got Smart – The Fire Insurance But Couldn’t Sell It – The Journey to Ex-Christian – Too Smart to Be Christian – I Saw the Light – Saved from Intellectual Suicide – I Am Free from Religion – The Phoenix Rises from the Ashes… with Wisdom – Korean-American Ex-Christian – I Don’t Think I Ever Was a Real Christian
A Lackluster Deconversion – Adventuring Infidel – Christianity Is Silly – Why I Am Agnostic – Christianity Breeds Confusion… – This One’s Rather Angsty – No Intellectual Reasons Here – Waking Up – I Was So Convinced and Now My Life Is to Be Completely Overhauled – That Nagging Feeling – The Day I Learned Reality – My Boring Catholic Story – My Transition from Belief to Doubt – Sorry That This Is So Dull – Turning My Brain On – Never Was a True Xtian – I Have Seen the Light and It”s Not Religion – Vulnerable and Used – Ex-UPCer – I Think I Might Be Agnostic – The Hell Issue – Andrew’s Spiritual Story – Strayed from the Sheep Fold – Attack of the Bible Thumpers
The School of Hard Knocks for Idiots – Journey to Becoming an Atheist – Saved from Christianity! – Following Christ Is Nearly Impossible – Catholic Hanger-on – Got Away Twice – A Product of the South – Freedom from Dogma – A 15-Year Long Brain-Fart – A Pharisee of Pharisees – Reality, What a Lonely Place – Fool from MS – Christian Love – Striving to Find Something that Works for Me…
Thank God/dess!! – From Fundy Christian Terrorist Wannabe to Positive Humanist Rocker – Why I Am an Atheist – Totally Unnecessary – Mormons – the Israelites Never Made It to North America – I Decided I No Longer Believed – How Children Believe… Scary but Eye Opening – The Bible Destroyed My Faith – Letting Go – Why Don’t They Understand – Christian Vomit – Sacred Transformation – My Loss of Faith in Christianity – Recovering Pentecostal – Breaking Baptist Barriers – Emptiness of Christianity – I Was Possessed!
Free! – Can’t Get Over the Ghosts – A Brief Glimpse into the Thoughts of a Lunatic – Running from Religion – The Peacock Feather – I’ll Never Set Foot in a Church Again – My Story – Ex-Christian a Few Months In – My Path to Enlightenment – Trying to Avoid Despair – The Journey of Me… – Why I Quit Being a Christian – Thank You All for Helping Me to Think for Myself – It All Started as Being a Teenager Growing up in a Hindu Family – Get Over It!
Discovering What a Terrible Piece of Literature the Bible Is… – From Agnostic Hindu to Fundy Christian to Hardcore Atheist – …”Sittin’ on the Dock of the Bay…” – Fear – True Inner Peace = No More Christianity – My Current Frustration – Only One Truth – Hey, How Ya Doin’? – I Miss Jesus – The Truth Will Set You Free… – Fundy Manic to Sane Human – Southern Baptist to Jewish Atheist – Disillusionment – Charismatic Evangelical Hands in His Cards -
All Roads Lead to the Doghouse – Christian Fundamentalism Can Devastate a Family! – I Know the Bible Is Crap But Then How Do I Explain THIS – The Dirt Under the Rug – Reality Is Better – No Longer Mormon – People Are the Same Everywhere You Go – My Path, My Choice – Religious Experience True or in My Mind? – I’m Leaving but I’m Missing It – Freedom from Religion… – Free at Last! Free at Last! Thank logical thinking I’m free at last! – From Belief to Disbelief – Jesus, the World’s Biggest Lie – 17 and Strung out on Confusion – I Finally Had Enough – Egg on My Face – Flying Zombie Jews Don’t Impress Me Anymore! – Journey to Disbelief – Author of Confusion – Why I Became an Agnostic – Probably Never a “True Xian” – Very Few Black Nonbelievers – Beautiful Delusions and Bald Reality – Judeo-Christian Mythology
A Journey to Honesty – How I Became Religion Free – A Jimmy Swaggart Story – Former Jew for Jesus – Finding Truth – Lord Why You Have Forsaken Me! – An Omnipresent Recluse – Religion Free Zone – Send the Perverts to Hell… But Don’t Go With ‘Em!… – Free At Last… Free At Last – Recovering Evangelicoholic – The Emperor Is Naked – Been There, Got the T-Shirt – God and Morality – Child of Rednecks Deconverts – I See I’m Not Alone… – Insider’s Story of Big Church Politics and Wrongdoing
My Son – Beyond the Fear and Guilt – A Secular Life – My Story… – Letting It All Go – Losing My Religion – My Road to Reason – Just Shake Your Head and Nod – The Importance of Evidence – Returning to Sanity – Total Believer to Total Bulls**t (now with Less Calories)
The Renaissance of My Life – Gave Up the Guilt – Active Mormon to Ex-Mormon Gay Atheist – Shackles and Chains of Christianity – Pastor Arrested on Sex-Abuse Charges – I Tried, I Really Tried… – Evolution, not Revolution – Get That Bible-Monkey Off My Back – From Bible-Thumper to a Deist – Not Anymore – No Longer – Once Catholic, Not Always a Catholic – No Longer One of Them – Born Again Atheist – Many and Varied…
Leaving Christianity to Find God, Life, and Love – Learning to Think for Myself – Finding Truth and Meaning Without Christianity – Free to Live – My Anti-Testimony, or, I Was a Christian Zombie – A Very Brief Flirtation – A Troubled Past Built on Lies – Another Ex-Christian Testimony – Recovering Catholic – The End of My Life – Pastor BeelzeBOB – From Fissure to the Abyss – I Found God – The Kitten and the Carnivore Contention
An ex-Felon and ex-Christian Speaks Out – Considering Deism – Sincerity – De-Conversion Is a Long Process – How Study Can Change You (Part 2) – How Study Can Change You – A Personal Odyssey: from RC to Protestant to Atheism – Sharing Our Truth with the Vaguely Religious – Why I Despise Religion – Double Deconversion – Paradise Lost – How Did I Become an Atheist? – Farewell to Religion (addendum to what am I?) – The Truth Shall Set You Free! – What Am I? – A Mother Now – Thank God for Critical Thinking… Oh wait nevermind – The Perfect Religion – Reality Sets In
Untroubled Self – Finally! At Peace – Schizophrenic Faith – My Story Beyond Christianity – I Think for Myself Now! – Leaving the “Saints” – An Ex-Christian Suffering From Guilt – A Burden Is Lifted – Atheist After Reading the Bible – Putting Away Christianity – Left Christianity – My Life as a Christian and How I Got Over It
Why I Left: Problems and Unanswered Questions Regarding Christianity and Theism – The Theory Has Holes – The Truth Will Set You Free – The Truth Hurts, Sometimes – “That’s Me in the Corner!” – The Price is Worth It – The Paradigm Shift – A Long Journey – Fear Leads to the Dark Side – Waking up from the Nightmare – The Eternal Collection Plate – A Letter to Friend who is a Fundy and Jokingly Told Me Last Night I Was Going to Hell… – What’s the Best Way to Leave Fundamentalism? – I Wish I Knew What I Know Now When I Was Younger…
2000 Years of Lies – Never Going Back – Logic Versus Faith – Breaking the Last Bond of Slavery – Out of a Life of Extremism – From Pastor’s Wife to Atheist – From Bible Christian to Catholic to Atheist – Am I the Only One Sad to Leave? – I Feel God Everywhere – From One Minority to Another – From Depressed Christian to Happy Atheist
I am Glad That I Have Found You All! – Free Thinker’s Discourse – Losing My Religion – Free At Last – Annoyed by the Stalled Growth in Maturity – Breaking the Tie that Binds – This is My Testimony – At the Crossroads – Guided by History – Atheist Pastor – True Happiness Depends on Yourself – A Tale of Two Books (One Religion, One Science) – Ex-Christians in Pews – Meaning of Life – To Shiver in the Howling of the Night – 1 Plus 1 Equals 3
A Very Happy Heathen – A New Hope – Questioning Everything – Couldn’t Bring Myself to Believe Anymore – A Righteous Anger – Think for Yourself – A Christian in Doubt – On the Way Out – Recovering from Christianity – Have I Believed a Lie? – The Lonely Discourse of a Frustrated Agnostic (I Think) – What if the Prodigal Son Wasn’t a Washout? What If He Went on to Be… Happy? – Jesus is the Sun – Forced to Believe – Not Your Typical Ex-Timony
Hypatia’s Lover – Dealing with Some Issues – I Finally Got Some Self-Respect – Autonomy: The Greatest Gift – Buyer’s Remorse – For the First Time, I Feel Free – Illogical Religion – Isn’t Christ’s Love Wondrous? – We Are Not Monsters Now – Finally on Solid Ground – To Be a Wandering Jew – I Feel Foolish, Cheated and Angry – Religion Is Bullshit – No More Invisible Pink Unicorns – I Have Taken the Shackles Off

Collections to draw from:
Ebonmusings Scroll down to stories
PA’s collection
XC forums
Letters on phil stilwell’s blog
Leaving Xtianity, huge amount of resources
XC, left off beginning of 2007
Leaving X stories
.Zip file of stories

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Reasons for Deconverting.

B – Bible – Through reading the Bible, observing contradictions in the text, or unsuccessful attempts to make sense of the Bible, one is motivated to decon.
H – Hypocrisy – Through observation of hypocrisy in Christians, one is motivated to doubt, leading to eventual decon.
I – Injustice – Through experiencing, learning of, or coming in contact with a perceived injustice, one’s faith in a loving and intervening God is lessened, and one is motivated to decon.
P – Ineffectual prayer – Through a realization of prayer’s ineffectiveness or lack of response from God, one is motivated to decon.
Q – Questions – Through a search for better explanations to questions than Christianity offered, one is motivated to decon.
R – Other religions – Through discovering other religions and learning of their relation or similarity to one’s own, one is motivated to decon.
S – Study and research – Through research, contact with materials or arguments, or simply reading a persuasive essay, one can no longer intellectually assent to religion and is motivated to decon.

Appendix A: What Is Included.

I have included in this list only de-conversion stories, that is, those which have a period of religious belief or of contemplation of the same, followed by a departure from that belief system. The end result does not need to be atheism, but those experiences resulting in a retention of theism is generally left out. The stories need not be autobiographical in nature.

Appendix B: Legal.

This page consists of my own writing; otherwise, authors are quoted and sources cited when possible. The stories themselves are cited, and traffic is redirected when possible to the page(s) on which they are hosted. I invoke in this page the fair use policy in regard to commentary and research/scholarship. Links to the original accounts are provided for reference or for those seeking details.