*UPDATE-Matt Recently Became Christian Again. A few months after we recorded this interview, Matt became Christian again. I'm leaving the interview up, but wanted listeners to know in case they were to reach out to Matt.
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Matt was born in Wichita, Kansas and lived there until about age 7.
He was raised non-denominational/charismatic mostly in the Assemblies of God churches and had full on believed by age 5. He had great parents and never had too many issues in the church. However, he always had a great fear of hell even as a Christian.
He was in and out of church most of his life until his first divorce. Then went to bible college at a very charismatic school in 2009. He began seeing cracks and flaws in that particular doctrine and started pulling back. He had gotten his minister's license close to graduation and upon graduation went straight to the mission field in Asia in 2011/12. He worked with the underground church in China and the Burmese refugees I’m Thailand.
He finally began having more questions over the years until he couldn’t do it anymore because of how it was just messing his head up. 10,000 religions, 40,000 plus denominations within Christianity alone, good people going to hell, simply for not believing. He hated the way Christians viewed & spoke to the LGBTQ community and other faiths like they all couldn’t just be people, but had to be a mission and Christians had to have an agenda. He felt that devalued all groups outside of Christendom as less than human. He hated it.
Later he had a stint in rehab for alcohol and began reading books like the wisdom of insecurity from Alan Watts and Thomas Paine’s the Age of Reason. He felt like he'd found freedom in Deism. He was there for a bit, then went back out of fear. That didn’t last long.
The full shift happened less than a year ago and now he is an Atheist. He said he truly feels born again and free.
085 Tom Boulton: Loved Ones Going to Hell Brings Anxiety. Faith is All Consuming. His Definition of Christian Evolves. After Deconversion Invites Christians Out for a Pint
084 Emily Zochling: Experiences Emotionally Manipulative Relationships in Teen years. When Things Go Wrong She Goes Ham for God. Mission Trips and Leading Worship are Pivotal. An Atheist Co-Worker Giv
083 Ryan Penney: Former Homeschooled evangelical from Texas. Enjoyed life and understanding the world so much that he outgrew his Christianity. He's now secular (atheist/agnostic) w/a buddhist-like ph
082 Bella: Aware They're Non-Binary at 6. Catholicism Ruins Childhood. Bullied, Abused and Suicidal. Reads Bible. Realizes it's (Dark) Fiction.
081 Christa Elane: Toronto Blessing Shapes Early Faith. Sheltered and Homeschooled. Later Sent to Christian School. A Vision Leads to a Cult. She Now Leans Atheist.
080 Eric: At Army ROTC Discovers the Real World, Fundamentalist Upbringing, Forced to hide Music He Liked. Served in Afghanistan. He was an Atheist in a Foxhole.
079 Amanda Roe: Ex-Catholic Atheist. Used to Attend Daily Mass. Unwittingly Joins a Cult at University. Propaganda in U.S. Elections Catches Her Attention. The Bible says "You'll Know Them by Their Fr
078 Chelsy Albertson: Lesbian Ex-Christian Who's Agnostic/Atheist. Former Campus Crusade for Christ Member. A Mission Trip to India Leads to Epiphany.
077 Abigail Sandoval: Adopted from South Korea by American Christian Parents. Abuse, Neglect & Purity Culture Cause Harm. Now She's an Atheist Mom Who Became the Kind of Parent She Always Needed.
076 April: Bible Belt Raised & Homeschooled. An Abusive Relationship Ends, Questions Begin. Astronomy Class Brings Epiphany.
074 Vaughn: Agnostic Pastor & Musician Who Leads Worship at His Church
073 Tiffany Cappello - A Fundamentalist Christian Mother of 7 Begins to Ask Questions about Faith/ The Impact of Faith on Mental Health
072 Ronna Russell - The Uncomfortable Confessions of a Preacher's Kid
Winter 2020 Update - Losing Purpose after Deconversion: How I Responded and My Plan 15 years later!
071 Muhammad: The Satanic Verses Cause Curiosity, then Questions. Becomes an Atheist in Iran. Spreads Anti-Islam Material. Arrested & in Solitary Confinement. Forced to make a False Confession on Yout
070 Jordan: Worldly Friends vs. Church Friends. Learns Calvinist Theology. Rejection from a Mentor. Doubts Lead to Agnosticism.
069 Roland Watts: Raised Methodist in a small Australian Township. Blasphemed the Holy Spirit as a Child. Feared He was Damned for Years. Meeting the Christadelphians Brings Huge Relief. He's now an A
067 Debbie McNulty: Survived Sexual Abuse in the United Pentecostal Church. Now Neo-Pagan She Advocates to Help Other Abuse Survivors.
066 Rebecca Policello: Grew Up in the World Wide Church of God. Tragedy Ends Friendship and She Runs to God. Research at a Catholic College Leads to Agnosticism.
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