Conservative Minister Comes Out as an Atheist
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Carter Warden, a minister for 25 years in the Church of Christ in Tennessee, openly announced his atheism at FFRF's national convention.
Learn more about the Freedom From Religion Foundation at ffrf.org.
I did not lose my faith, I discarded it. Fear is the mind killer.
When religious faith no longer makes sense that is when to move on. It didn't make sense to me for decades before I finally acknowedged and accepted that fact.
You don’t have to feel bad about that. You’re not the only one.
Oh the freedom from religion feels soooo good, soooo peaceful!! I’m Free🙏🙏🙏🙏
Congratulations on living true to yourself!
Listening to this on Easter morning 🌄, and loved every minute. Athiests....YOU have risen ❤
After growing up in the Catholic Church and attending an Evangelical church for the past 11 years I have finally come to accept that I don’t believe in God.
I don’t think I ever have, even as a child I just didn’t believe in the biblical stories and hated attending church.
I’m grieving the loss of my church friends…a group of wonderful women who have been a big part of my life.
I’m 42 now and I’m done pretending. I’m done spending all my Wednesday evenings and Sunday mornings worshipping a God I don’t believe in.
I’m grateful for these videos that show me I’m not alone.
Its sad as many weak faith Catholics who became Born Again Christians ended up being Atheists. On the other side, many Born Again Christians, who became Atheists ended up being Catholic. Theyre all well educated with some of them graduated from Ivy League Univ.
A very moving story of courage and passionately dedicated pursuit of un-obfuscated Truth.
Great talk and so familiar. Every atheist I've met (including myself) was a former Christian and the most devout. It led to seek information from excuse-oriented apologetics to historical, scholarly or simply non-religious material. And all had the same experience - doubting the OT myths, noticing scientific and historical errors, contradictions, unanswered prayer and god's silence.
They I moved on to the New Testament. Why didn't miracles occur? Why did people observing these miracles react so oddly, going on about their lives as if nothing happened? Why did Jesus not return like he, Paul and the disciples promised? Finally you realize the supernatural is an invention and then you move on.
Congratulations on your escape! I'm so grateful you could, I know from experience how hard that can be. Sending healing 💚🤟
Growing up in a similar conservative Christian community as Mr. Warden I know how hard it is to come out, especially for a pastor. I would speculate that the number of free thinkers standing behind pulpits would surprise most true believers. The Clergy Project offers hope to these people and is greatly needed if we hope to move forward. Thank you.
This experience is completely different to my own .
My slow conversion to atheism, was completely unremarkable . This is how it should be.
It's an incredible and hard fought journey that those who were indoctrinated since childhood have gone through to accept reality. That's why I admire those that chose to escape with all their hardships. I had it so easy since I was 4 years old when my parents explained what a god was when passing a church I asked about while riding in the car. I simply responded with "You gotta be kidding!" and the god hypothesis was gone forever in my mind.
I'm happy for you, Carter! I was "born again" at 18, and came to sense at 23, but I was a passionate believer for those few years, studying the ministry, doing music ministry, teaching Sunday school for adults, tots, and teens, etc. I'm glad it was a short time in my life, but what you say about the feelings of betrayal really resonate with me. I love your anthem. FREE AT LAST! Thanks for sharing your story. Sending you BIG love. Peace, brother.
I am searching a lot for your kind of comment.
I've never believed or had faith,,,, my first religious lesson at school and the teacher said, here kids, we have a man that walked on water,,,, I thought whoa, that's enough for me
Congratulations Carter Warden! I hope life has treated you well since you came out as an Atheist.
It was great meeting you, Carter. Wishing you well with your family and friends and supporting all of your efforts in helping others in the Clergy Project.
Really inspiring talk. It resonated on a great many levels. Loved the songs at the end too.
I went to visit a church in the Tri Cities area. I went for two weeks, but ended up staying for 20 years. "Cutting to the chase", I came out as gay and lost nearly every friend I had. If they know that I have now come out as atheist, that might send the rest of them away. O well. I am happier now than ever that the burden of hiding in the closets and denying who I am.
Coyote Herron good for you x
That last sentence should end with "...has been removed." (I need to be a better roof reader. :) )
His singing is a sure sign of his sincerity….❤
Very touching and WOW the guy can sing!
religion ought to be a good thing, i've always been atheist, but even as a kid when you get taught about religion at school the emphasis is on the "peace love and tolerance" - but it doesn't take long to find out religion is actually about wars, not overdoing the love and being intolerant. i'm lucky it seems, here in the UK, i say i've had exactly two conversations about religion since i left school, i have a catholic priest as a next door neighbour, but he's the grumpiest man i ever met, i have very little do with, or to worry about religion. but i have read 1984, and i do understand what it's like to be afraid of your neighbours.
I admire Carter idea of encouragement to adapt every reasonable thinking and live the magical behind I am very glad
and I which him good luck on his new life. And he's not alone we all are with you
Thankyou Dan you have a good heart
Marvelous talk and I am so happy for Carter Warden. A hearty welcome to reality Mr. Warden. While old friends and family may desert you, our family welcomes another enlightened person to our growing community.
Natural progression: Protestant to atheism! 🙏🌺☦️🌺🙏
I tried to believe in different religions and belief in the supernatural when I was in high school. But I really never believed
Carter you are not alone. I used to be very religious but convert to Atheist. Religion never make any sense to me since NONE of my prayers answered.
Surprising
Excellent video! Damn proud of all of you! I'm a septuagenarian who was raised in a secular home and never went through any belief other than brain power using logic and reason. Thanks for the video.
This kind of thing takes GREAT COURAGE, and this man did it! Hooray! 😁 The church has taught that we are bad, depraved people who are destined only for hell unless we accept the blackmail of "salvation." It is a Bronze Age blood cult. What a sham! I had to endure 10 yrs in a creepy church group that taught all this and much more. I ended up in a (literal) straitjacket in a hospital cellar with a one foot thick metal door. That's what Cognitive Dissonance created in my brain. Religion is group psychosis. The sooner this world wakes up, the better. This FFRF site gives me hope. Thankyou!
THANK YOU 🙏 THANK YOU 🙏 THANK YOU 🙏 ❤️❤️❤️
When I first clicked I was thinking of MINISTER in a political context as apposed to a religious one. This could be better than I thought, if even bible belt ministers are coming out. And not as gay.
I know one whole person in Tennessee (I'm from Godifornia). I will let him know he is not alone.🙂
Ben and Tom will ALWAYS make someone rethink their own beliefs. Well done.
Dude gives speeches, inflections like a preacher.
I read so many of those you mentioned. I loved Robert G. Ingersoll and Thomas Paine's, Age of Reason. Dan Barker's - Losing Faith in Faith was the first book. I love Dan's book. I have a large library of freethought books. The best book to critically study, is the bible! To examine the history of religion is important, as well.
This has been very healing.
I'm so happy I grew up in Minnesota- sure there is religion but being atheist wasn't a shock - my family knew before I did🙄
Such a beautiful and straightforward story. To borrow from Star Trek, live long and prosper.
Welcome to reality, we need you ...
You don't need anyone Tom. No king, god or preacher can save you. You've got to free yourself. Throw off the chains that bind you to superstition and supernatural and lying politicians G'day from Australia 🇦🇺.
better late than never
As a lifelong atheist I was overjoyed watching this video.
There are intelligent HONEST people in this world, I am NOT ALONE.
Good man! Flaxen Saxon.
Just visit a hospital childrens cancer ward see the innocent children suffer, and there ask youself Why the prayers of the heartbroken parents go unanswerd
Mr. Warden, I'm a lifelong atheist (thank -God- parents) and taking a gander at your reading list, I dare say you know more about it than I do!
Your esteemed qualities as a human have got you here, and it's a true joy to take in your journey. All the best, from Edmonton.
Interesting phases of disengagement. Thank you for sharing Mr. Mann.
I think the world needs to wake up from its long nightmare of religious belief, and anything that we as scientists can do to weaken the hold of religion should be done, and may in fact in the end be our greatest contribution to civilization." .
Steven Weinberg
Isn’t it wonderful to unlock the ball and chains ⛓ of Jesus. No longer be a prisoner of nonsense.😉👍
Well put mate. G'day from Australia 🇦🇺. Cheers.
Welcome home
Courageous! Seriously, this takes balls! Big brass ones you need a wheelbarrow to transport!
I mean this far in you could simply stay in after all and "coast" to a great, church funded, retirement! To give that and the community you belong to (which might even attack you for it - be it verbally or physically!) up? Yeah, that is courage allright!
ps: I myself am glad I never went this far down the rabbit-hole! I never went past being a church-acolyte (so carrying stuff for the priest, helping during worship etc. etc.) and even that petered out quickly after there was trouble "in paradise" (with the priests trying to wrest control of our acolyte group back from our own leaders - they failed and drove a lot of us to stop being acolytes! I myself knew I wasn't a believer soon after and I've recently (years after that) truly left the church (I went to townhall and got myself removed from the membership register that the state has in Germany because we pay church-tax over here! You can not be a protestant or catholic without paying that and frankly I was sick of that...I'd put that money aside now, I don't need it but I don't want to pay an organization which covers up crimes and also has crappy morals! No sex before marriage for example...yeah, I don't want to get married and I am not a monk, so yeah buzz off church!)
pps: Does the church have to pay former priests a pension? I should really look that up!
Where is his reading list?
Hearing him sing the hymn with new lyrics made me cry. Is there any way I can get his email to thank him?
Once a pastor always a pastor....he must not preach to convert people to his new found belief system. Go quietly in the night. Let people find that god is dead on their own. G'day from Australia 🇦🇺. IMHO He is like a boy with a new toy. Easy over does it preacher.
Oxymoron - Christian Liberal Arts.
...to name a few. 🏅
✊ freedom
Beautiful!
Carter Warden had me in tears with your anthem.
After all all pastors are performers. They play emotions. Misdirection has always been their forte. He still has not changed. Caveat. G'day from Australia 🇦🇺 IMHO.
@22:17 wow and YES
Where can I find his music?
😎👍
welcome
crikey, you had to read all those books to realise it was tripe? lol.
Wow bringing out the big guns - "I am an ATHEIST!" - now that is real firepower and the church and believers do not like that.
ps: I'd love a follow up on this, how did his community react? His wife (divorce?)?
Welcome to sanity.
It's FAITH that keeps you shackled in a faith induced trance. Faith stops the individual from using reason to solve social, political and economic problems. More than 350 people are leaving the evangical faith each day in the USA 🇺🇸 ( PEW RESEARCH). AMERICA is becoming less religious each year ( PEW RSEARCH). America is a secular country. Thomas Jefferson was a Freemason and a deist , not Christian as were many other of the founding fathers . March on secularity. Well ✔️ done to this man but he should go quietly on with his life and not start " preaching" to convert others to his new found belief system . People will and are finding out that science killed god ably assisted by Freud, Nietzsche, Einstein ,Dawson etc. Stop being a pastor and rather become a mench by staying strong helping others and quietly doing good in society. Don't join the Dark Triad which many pastors are in their churches.Bury your ego and narcissist personalty. Be a little humble. G'day from Australia 🇦🇺.
I’m going to submit for public approval my new category. I’m a practicing NBI.
NOT BUYIN IT .
Everybody is an atheist. Most simply don't believe in one (or a few) less god(s) than I do.
Good job getting honest with yourself but that song sucked.