"That knowledge can't be imparted if the Christian is offended by questions and examinations of modern doctrinal interpretation.
Instead of bickering and shunning those who are unorthodox (or cantankerous), Christians should ask EACH OTHER these questions without fear of disapproval from the "church," because otherwise intelligent, thinking people will reject the gospel."
"Very good points. Having come to my atheism through Christianity, I often found that my questions back then were often (not always) answered with a rebuke rather than an answer."
From what you say here, it was for the same reason I rejected Christianity for most of my life. I think people need to take this to heart, in order to bring thinking people to Christ.
"It's not that the questions were such terrible ones, either, but merely questions about doctrine asked of the minister of my home church regarding such topics as predestination, etc. When I had such a question, instead of directing me to the answers from the New Testament, I usually got a "Why do you worry about such things," answer."
Ah! When I ask questions about the violent passages in the Old Testament, and question whether they were written because God spoke it, or because someone wanted to justify killing, they say I am a person posing as a Christian trying to cause division. I still don't have my answers, hence "followerofChrist," i.e. the NEW Testament, which I do understand and accept. I learned that if they haven't thought about and formulated an answer, that you are either an Atheist posing as a Christian, under demonic influence or (the free republic answer) a "followerofmohammed." The latter is also the answer I get to questions about whether all Muslims' life goal is to kill Christians and Jews.
"So, I set out to answer the questions for myself, through study. Over a period of years, that study led me to atheism, but left me with a deep respect for the beliefs of others, regardless of their faith."
I literally did the same thing you did with the study, and despite what my intellect told me and the questions that still remain, I did become a Christian. I can't explain this logically. Divine appointment and answer to a very, very specific prayer at a very difficult time and a whole bunch of "coincidences" took place. My faith took the hate from my heart, which was quite the miracle at the time.
It's weird that I came from Atheism to Christianity and your experience was the opposite. I too have studied many religions, and I find them fascinating. For a couple years, before I came to Christ, I immersed myself into Pagan studies and even attended a couple of their gatherings. What struck me is the differences between European Pagan faiths, and even within them. I also learned the Pagan roots of many Christian rites, rituals and holidays. One thing that irritated me, and still does, is that people of other faiths tend to make wild claims (they're SACRIFICING babies in that Pagan religion!) about other religions.
Some would say that because I am a Christian, I should not view other religions with such tolerance, but am I supposed to ignore what I learned about those faiths and join in on the bashing? I don't believe in building a church based on hatred, lies, insults and misconceptions. My faith is strong enough that I don't have to do this. I am fully confident Jesus Christ that I don't have to demonize anyone else.
"Since Christianity is the dominant religion in America, I have continued my study of it, in its many variations. It has been fascinating, and remains fascinating."
What is your opinion of the Coptics, the Gnostics, and the lost sea scrolls, in relation to the assertion that the bible has never been tampered with or edited by man? My view is that these early Christians integrated their culture into the new Christ religion, as we do here in the west with our Germanized version of Christianity. Their cultural expression of their religion differed greatly from the Gnostics, hence the Gnostic gospels were expunged from the story of Christ. In my opinion, it was just another denominational and cultural fight, in efforts to kill Paganism. Oddly enough, western Paganism is plainly evident in Christian holidays and all over the Catholic and Orthodox churches. It is my beleif that whatever is suppressed will indeed see the light of day, a concept which has manifested itself in the Da Vinci Code and in the Kabbalah, in the form of wild conspiracy theories and conjecture about what the early Christians and Jews actually believed. People with questions have not gotten the answers from Christians, which has empowered those who hate Christians. Now we have people who think Jesus and Mary Magdalene (who was never a whore, by he way) were married and had a daughter, evidenced by some weird "Priory of Scion" nonsense and Da Vinci's Last Supper! And all Christians had to do was to lighten up and answer a few questions.
Go figure.