[SeekAndFind]

Terea MacBain appointed as public relations director for American Atheists poses for this undated pho

[lurk]

Did she ever really believe in Jesus?

[marychesnutfan]

I don’t think she ever had FAITH to begin with. She has no true religious insight. The worst part of it is the effect on her immediate family - really bad.

[LouAvul]

In light of scripture’s teachings against women assuming a public role in congregational worship (cf I Corinthians 14 & I Timothy 2), her faith couldn’t have been too Bible based anyway. That’s the problem. Once Christians, quasi Christians and pseudo Christians start ignoring plain Bible teaching, there is no logical stopping point.

[cuban leaf]

—One was the contradictory nature of the Bible;—

IOW, she had no personal relationship with Christ. The Bible is not the foundation of the relationship. It enhances it.

Do I stop believing my wife exists if I find apparent contradictions in her diary?

[allendale]

She gives the appearance of a tolerant and reasonable person. However history has shown that when people like her (former religous people turned athiest)obtain power they can become nasty terrible people. The Mexican, Russian. and Cuban revolutions were full of born again athiests who tortured and killed the people they had once worshipped with and even their own families. It will be interesting to follow her career.

[DarthVader]

“she is now happy and at peace with her decision.”

She will be until she faces Christ at the White Throne Judgment.

[count-your-change]

This woman's story is not unique but it does high light the reason one’s understanding, and therefore faith, of the Scriptures needs to be based upon an accurate knowledge and not falsehood.

How many people have wrestled with the notion that the God that Jesus worshiped would torture people for eons and that after setting up them up for failure and such things.

But this was a pastor, a shepherd and as such had a responsibility not just for their own faith but those she taught to vigorously seek out the truth of the Bible and it is evident this simply never took place.

A soldier who doesn't practice constantly with their sword soon looses its protection.

[SuziQ]

"Instead of looking to an outside source for the solution to humankind's problems, we see that responsibility as [our own]. We have to reach out and support each other. We can't say a prayer to an invisible being somewhere and expect that to be the solution. The solution has to be when one human reaches out to another."

Sounds like she had a flawed notion of God from the beginning. God isn't there to 'solve our problems'. He made us rational beings to do that for ourselves. However, if we have no moral underpinnings for our actions, our problems will never be solved.

I guess she needs to ask herself, in the absence of some sort of morality, which is, at its base, religious teaching of some sort, how are humans supposed to 'reach out to each other', and solve any of our problems in a just manner?

[Yashcheritsiy]

A former Methodist worship and teaching pastor who served in ministry for 20 years before becoming an atheist has been appointed as the American Atheist's public relations director. In an interview with The Christian Post, she revealed that despite initially being ostracized by friends, she is now happy and at peace with her decision.

Probably had a lot to do with the fact that she was acting directly contrary to God's Word.

[zerosix]

"Ex-Pastor....tells how she..."

Nothing left to explain....."she" doesn't believe anything in the bible if "she" thinks "she's" ever qualified to be a pastor.

[Country Gal]

“The solution has to be when one human reaches out to another.”

Name me one atheistic charity.

[MarDav]

Ominous warning for such found in Heb 6:4-6:

For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come,
If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.

[married21]

Sounds like adolescent rebellion to me:
1. Who are you to tell me what to do? (Bible has no scientific proof, and that’s the only type of authority I approve of).
2. You are no better than anybody else (Christianity is the same as all the other religions.)
3. You can’t make me obey. (There is no hell.)

If you aren’t humble, you aren’t teachable. She thought she knew better than silly old ancient people. She is now without any tools in her spiritual toolbox for dealing with the vicissitudes of life, because she did not recognize what they were and what they were for.

Hope this is temporary. Sometimes God gives people another opportunity to repent.

[Getready]

I believe there are several points she brings out, but
I note she does believe in herself.

The following considerations could be appled in her case.

1) Her own minds ability to understand everything(see
quantum theory for the scientists approach to this issue—
e.g.- how can one thing be in two places at the same time,)
what happens if she has a stroke and goes blind, does that
mean nothing exists cuz she can’t see them? (I.e. can your
mind really understand all that there is? If the God of the
Bible is bigger than science, does it make sense that one
could understand Him?

2) The Bible needs to have scientific credulity. As far
as I have seen, many of the things I was taught in my science
classes are now considered false. Sometimes science needs
to have credulity also(see neutrinos faster than light
announcement)

3) Historical credulity of the Bible. Many events, peoples,
geographies were once considered false, but things have
been discovered which can verify their existence.
(example: the existence some of the peoples mentioned in the Bible are
finally being discovered(e.g. Hittites). Recent discovery of mention of
David , a King of a small kingdom, in an ancient inscription)
perhaps the mines of Solomon have been found, etc...

4) Plain old unbelief. In one of his parables, the Christ
did say that if people didn’t believe Moses and the Prophets,
they wouldn’t believe a story, even if the dead came back
to life and told them that story.

5) Fear of believing in Christ. This was exhibited even by
his own close followers(disciples)

6) The person of Christ. If he is a myth, who constructed
the myth? But if he did , indeed, rise from the dead, he
is worth believing(putting ones complete trust) in.

[Getready]

I believe there are several points she brings out, but
I note she does believe in herself.

The following considerations could be appled in her case.

1) Her own minds ability to understand everything(see
quantum theory for the scientists approach to this issue—
e.g.- how can one thing be in two places at the same time,)
what happens if she has a stroke and goes blind, does that
mean nothing exists cuz she can’t see them? (I.e. can your
mind really understand all that there is? If the God of the
Bible is bigger than science, does it make sense that one
could understand Him?

2) The Bible needs to have scientific credulity. As far
as I have seen, many of the things I was taught in my science
classes are now considered false. Sometimes science needs
to have credulity also(see neutrinos faster than light
announcement)

3) Historical credulity of the Bible. Many events, peoples,
geographies were once considered false, but things have
been discovered which can verify their existence.
(example: the existence some of the peoples mentioned in the Bible are
finally being discovered(e.g. Hittites). Recent discovery of mention of
David , a King of a small kingdom, in an ancient inscription)
perhaps the mines of Solomon have been found, etc...

4) Plain old unbelief. In one of his parables, the Christ
did say that if people didn’t believe Moses and the Prophets,
they wouldn’t believe a story, even if the dead came back
to life and told them that story.

5) Fear of believing in Christ. This was exhibited even by
his own close followers(disciples)

6) The person of Christ. If he is a myth, who constructed
the myth? But if he did , indeed, rise from the dead, he
is worth believing(putting ones complete trust) in.

[1forall]

I wonder what “contradictions” she failed to reconcile. I also wonder what difficulties with science and history she encountered.

Perhaps she was poorly equipped to be in a position of leadership and the accompanying battle strain proved to be too great for her ability to handle the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit.

[IronJack]

I’m sure this happens with some degree of regularity. Just as I’m sure that the opposite happens ... with far greater frequency. So why is it that the one is reported but the other gets short shrift?

[AppyPappy]

She was never saved in the first place. The proof of Christianity is the Salvation itself. I left atheism and became a Christian when Christ Saved me, not when I figured it all out. I still can’t figure it all out.

All the external proof in the world is insufficient.

[HarleyD]

1Jn 2:19-20 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge.

Trading one false faith for another.

[Salvation]

Didn't read any further than this. She Lost Faith