# Noone is born atheist **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 20, 2008, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049 "2008-12-20T07:03:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 15
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/281 "2008-12-26T18:04:10Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > For some reason a lot of hardcore fundies try to play this game of denying that they’re “religious.” I’m not sure I quite understand the posture, but it seems to have something to do with a desire to present themselves as not being beholden to any human institutions, but that (in their own minds), they are directly followers of “the word of God” (i.e. the Bible) without any human , institutional filter. > > Of Course, the Bible was written by humans and edited by humans and canonized by human committees, and most of these people’s interpretations of the Bible comes from what other humans and institutions dictate to them, but don’t tell them that. They think they’re drinking pure spring water. \*\*NO true understanding of the Bible is possible without direct Revelation from GOD. I’m really not interested in human interpretation.\*\* Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/282 "2008-12-26T18:07:09Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > **‘Christian’ was a derogatory term applied by the Romans to first-third century followers of ‘The Way.’** You need to read the bible more: > [@](#): > > **[Acts 11:26](http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=acts%2011:26-11:26&version=31)** > > and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/283 "2008-12-26T18:07:39Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > \*\*NO true understanding of the Bible is possible without direct Revelation from GOD. > > I’m really not interested in human interpretation.\*\* > > Jesse. Except that human interpretation is all you have to go on. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/284 "2008-12-26T18:08:09Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > NO true understanding of the Bible is possible without direct Revelation from GOD. Cite? > [@](#): > > I’m really not interested in human interpretation. Except for your own, you mean. When you say you get “sent” into these geographical areas where no one has ever head of Jesus (Narnia, maybe, or Middle Earth) who is it that sends you? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/285 "2008-12-26T18:10:21Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > Cite? > > Except for your own, you mean. > When you say you get “sent” into these geographical areas where no one has ever head of Jesus (Narnia, maybe, **or Middle Earth** ) who is it that sends you? Maybe she’s related to my neighbor! ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/286 "2008-12-26T18:10:21Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > I’m really not interested in human interpretation. > > Jesse. So why then should anyone listen to your bullshit? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/287 "2008-12-26T18:14:52Z")
Because she’s god, remember? The father, the son and the holy Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/288 "2008-12-26T18:33:20Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > I have never said that Jesus is GOD. I have only ever said that Jesus is the only begotten _SON_ of GOD - as Jesus Himself claimed He is. If you don’t believe that Jesus is God then you have rejected a [central tenet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity) of most Christian faiths. If you are teaching people that Jesus is not God, but merely the son of God then you are teaching [heresy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianism). And please stop using the weird fonts and colors. It makes your posts very hard to read. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/289 "2008-12-26T18:44:01Z")
> [@Pochacco](#): > > If you don’t believe that Jesus is God then you have rejected a [central tenet](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trinity) of most Christian faiths. If you are teaching people that Jesus is not God, but merely the son of God then you are teaching [heresy](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianism). Actually, Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t believe that Jesus is God. A couple of other things about **Jesse’s** posts are giving me a JW vibe as well. I’m not saying she IS a JW (or that there would be anything wrong with it if she was), but she _sounds_ like one. ---
**Author:** ![hotflungwok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/edb3f5/32.png) [@hotflungwok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hotflungwok)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/290 "2008-12-26T19:13:29Z")
> [@Jesse\_Leigh](#): > > NO true understanding of the Bible is possible without direct Revelation from GOD. How do you know this? Does the bible say so? ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/291 "2008-12-26T20:27:07Z")
**Jesse** , I’m interested in knowing when did you decide to become a christian? What religion were you prior to that? ---
**Author:** ![Jesse\_Leigh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ea924/32.png) [@Jesse\_Leigh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jesse_Leigh)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/292 "2008-12-26T22:57:08Z")
> [@Kalhoun](#): > > **Jesse** , I’m interested in knowing when did you decide to become a christian? What religion were you prior to that? I didn’t ‘decide’ to become a Christian. My earliest memory of the Presence of Jesus in my life was when I was three. I thought everybody ‘knew’ and ‘felt’ Jesus, which is interesting because my family are (or were, my parents are dead now) non-believers. My great-grandmother, who lived hundreds of miles from us, and whom I rarely saw was a missionary. My immediate family all thought she was crazy. I recall her reading a few stories from the Bible to my brothers, my cousin, and myself when I was around eight. I began going to a church when I was five, by myself. I don’t remember what kind of church it was or what I heard there, but we didn’t live there for long, we didn’t live anywhere for long, as my father was in the Royal Air Force. So, I went to churches and talked to God there. I talked with Him in the forests and in the mountains where I lived. I talked with Him pretty much everywhere - and my family thought I was crazy, so much so that my mother limited my ‘alone’ time because she didn’t want me to become ‘religious.’ She was only about eight years too late. While I have memories of being a year old, I don’t recall having any concept or contact with God or Christ before I was three. I couldn’t read fluently until I was five so all my information came via The Holy Spirit. Flame away. Love - Jesse. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/293 "2008-12-26T23:49:25Z")
Certainly you “decided.” You’re free to to live your life any way you want. You chose this path over all others. Interesting background. Do you have siblings? Which route did they choose? ---
**Author:** ![Fantome](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Fantome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fantome)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/294 "2008-12-27T01:16:32Z")
Can you respond to some of the other posts directed at you, **Jesse Leigh**? Since you’re a follower of Christ, why do you object to being called a Christian? Who is it that sends you to different places to do missionary work? If you’re not interested in human interpretation (presumably because you think it’s unreliable), why should anyone believe your interpretation is reliable? How do you know that “NO true understanding of the Bible is possible without direct Revelation from GOD?” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/295 "2008-12-27T03:55:57Z")
**Jesse Leigh** , do you accept the Trinity? Or do you believe Jesus is merely the Son of God and not God himself? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/296 "2008-12-27T04:49:21Z")
Really, you toddled off all by yourself to church when you were five? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/297 "2008-12-27T11:35:31Z")
I must say, I had to read that a couple times, as well. Maybe the deep need for religion at such a young age can be attributed to the neglect she suffered. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/298 "2008-12-27T11:41:21Z")
> [@](#): > > **Jesse** : It is unquestionable that the adult female body is biologically purposed to have and raise children, it would follow that since this is the purpose, she would find her fulfillment and happyness in this. No, that is not unquestionable. I have a female body that is biologically purposed to do many things, but having children was not one of them. I don’t think that childless women live their lives without purpose. Neither do I think that older women are without purpose. And history has shown all too clearly that some women find fulfillment and happiness in child rearing and others don’t. And there is nothing more damaging to the soul of a child than a trapped mother who doesn’t like the job. On the other hand, my father was bult perfectly for raising me. He was an incredible combination of gentleness and strength of character within a strong body. Jesus didn’t put limits of a woman’s purpose. And he himself was a sensitive man who wept in public. That didn’t make him any less manly or less divine. We are called to be fully human and fully ourselves. You get to determine God’s purpose for you and you alone. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/299 "2008-12-27T11:50:13Z")
Double post ---
**Author:** ![cosmosdan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@cosmosdan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cosmosdan)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049/300 "2008-12-27T12:03:08Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > For some reason a lot of hardcore fundies try to play this game of denying that they’re “religious.” I’m not sure I quite understand the posture, but it seems to have something to do with a desire to present themselves as not being beholden to any human institutions, but that (in their own minds), they are directly followers of “the word of God” (i.e. the Bible) without any human , institutional filter. > > Of Course, the Bible was written by humans and edited by humans and canonized by human committees, and most of these people’s interpretations of the Bible comes from what other humans and institutions dictate to them, but don’t tell them that. They think they’re drinking pure spring water. I think that’s the thrust of it. The idea may be that they are trying to understand God through their own search and what they feel is their own relationship with God, rather than a particular denomination and it’s doctrine. I think “hard core fundie” is inaccurate. Personally, I find the independent search encouraging, because it means that person is less likely to embrace a tradition simply because it is one. It doesn’t mean they are not influenced by other people and institutions. It means IMHO they are trying to be less influenced by outside sources and have their search for meaning and truth be a more personal and inner journey. IMHO, that’s a good thing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049.md?page=14) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/noone-is-born-atheist/478049.md?page=16)