Leaving Faith Behind

Author : Fiyaz Mughal
Publisher : Augsburg Books
ISBN 13 : 1506467423
Total Pages : 162 pages
Book Rating : 4.29/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Leaving Faith Behind written by Fiyaz Mughal and published by Augsburg Books. This book was released on 2020-04-28 with total page 162 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Leaving Faith Behind gives voice to women and men who were born into Muslim families and communities, but who have made the decision to leave Islam or to dissent against some of the most significant aspects of Islamic doctrine. Aliyah, who realized as a young woman that she did not have to live by rigid rules and concepts that suffocated her true self. Hassan, who became a practicing Muslim in his teens, but for whom doubts led him to leave the faith in his fifties. Jimmy, banished from his home and family when he was discovered to be gay. Marwa, who keeps secret from her community the fact that she can no longer practice a religion that she believes degrades and denies basic rights to women. Aisha, for whom the journey from belief to disbelief was a gradual process involving personal challenge and confrontations with friends and family. As increasing numbers of people in Western society choose to turn away from organized religion, this book allows the stories of some of them to be heard: the reasons for their decisions to leave, the challenges of leaving, and the effects on their lives and relationships. It also captures portraits of life and culture within Muslim communities in our fast-changing world, and how they are reacting and responding to migration, secularization, more inclusive attitudes to gender and sexuality, and other trends of modern society.

Author : Margaret Placentra Johnston
Publisher : Quest Books
ISBN 13 : 0835609057
Total Pages : 314 pages
Book Rating : 4.50/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Faith Beyond Belief written by Margaret Placentra Johnston and published by Quest Books. This book was released on 2012-09-25 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Faith Beyond Belief gives a much-needed voice to the “good” people who have left their church but whose spirituality continues to mature. Johnston uses first-person stories as well as known spiritual authorities in describing various stages of religious growth. Some of these real-life accounts are by nonbelievers; others are by those among the growing numbers of the “spiritual but not religious.” All are thoughtful people with too much integrity to live what they consider a lie. The stories of the nonbelievers-including an ex-Catholic, a former Mormon, and a clandestine Muslim apostate who left his community after the attacks of 9/11-show how complete confidence in human reason can lead away from literal religious interpretation. But, while that step is a necessary one on the spiritual path, it is only intermediate. Her second set of stories are of people at the “mystic” level who can tolerate paradox and see truth and reality as multidimensional. Johnston’s book will help doubters to see things in a new light as well as those who are struggling to clarify their own spiritual vision. It also points beyond the atheist/believer controversy wrecking such divisive havoc in our culture today.

Author : Hayley DiMarco
Publisher : B&H Publishing Group
ISBN 13 : 1433682036
Total Pages : 176 pages
Book Rating : 4.32/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Own It written by Hayley DiMarco and published by B&H Publishing Group. This book was released on 2013-09-01 with total page 176 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The movie Grace Unplugged tells the story of Grace Trey, an ideal Christian teenager who is also a phenomenal singer. But when she is pushed into the “real world” at the tender age of eighteen after getting the music break of a lifetime, her faith is put to the test. Own It! mirrors the film by asking what it means to really “own” your personal faith rather than just automatically following in the footsteps of parents, friends, or other influencers. Best-selling authors Hayley and Michael DiMarco help readers understand what to do when faith meets real world challenges. Without solid beliefs, poor choices are likely to follow. You must take the time to really know who you are, who you are becoming, and who God made you to be. It's your personal faith . . . own it!

Author : Daniel C. Dennett
Publisher : Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA)
ISBN 13 : 1634310225
Total Pages : 297 pages
Book Rating : 4.22/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Caught in the Pulpit written by Daniel C. Dennett and published by Pitchstone Publishing (US&CA). This book was released on 2015-05-01 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is it like to be a preacher or rabbi who no longer believes in God? In this expanded and updated edition of their groundbreaking study, Daniel C. Dennett and Linda LaScola comprehensively and sensitively expose an inconvenient truth that religious institutions face in the new transparency of the information age—the phenomenon of clergy who no longer believe what they publicly preach. In confidential interviews, clergy from across the ministerial spectrum—from liberal to literal—reveal how their lives of religious service and study have led them to a truth inimical to their professed beliefs and profession. Although their personal stories are as varied as the denominations they once represented, or continue to represent—whether Catholic, Baptist, Episcopalian, Methodist, Mormon, Pentecostal, or any of numerous others—they give voice not only to their own struggles but also to those who similarly suffer in tender and lonely silence. As this study poignantly and vividly reveals, their common journey has far-reaching implications not only for their families, their congregations, and their communities—but also for the very future of religion.

Author : Drew Dyck
Publisher : Moody Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9781575675640
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.41/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Generation Ex-Christian written by Drew Dyck and published by Moody Publishers. This book was released on 2010-10-01 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Young people aren’t walking away from the church—they’re sprinting. According to a recent study by Ranier Research, 70 percent of youth leave church by the time they are 22 years old. Barna Group estimates that 80 percent of those reared in the church will be “disengaged” by the time they are 29 years old. Unlike earlier generations of church dropouts, these “leavers” are unlikely to seek out alternative forms of Christian community such as home churches and small groups. When they leave church, many leave the faith as well. Drawing on recent research and in-depth interviews with young leavers, Generation Ex-Christian will shine a light on this crisis and propose effective responses that go beyond slick services or edgy outreach. But it won’t be easy. Christianity is regarded with suspicion by the younger generation. Those who leave the faith are often downright cynical. To make matters worse, parents generally react poorly when their children go astray. Many sink into a defensive crouch or go on the attack, delivering homespun fire-and-brimstone sermons that further distance their grown children. Others give up completely or take up the spiritual-sounding “all we can do is pray” mantra without truly exploring creative ways to engage their children on matters of faith. Some turn to their churches for help, only to find that they frequently lack adequate resources to guide them. This is where Generation Ex-Christian will lend a hand. It will equip and inspire parents, church leaders, and everyday Christians to reawaken the prodigal's desire for God and set him or her back on the road to a dynamic faith. The heart of the book will be the raw profiles of real-world, young ex-Christians. No two leavers are identical, but upon close observation some categories emerge. The book will identify seven different kinds of leavers (the postmodern skeptic, the drifter, the neopagan, etc.) and offer practical advice for how to connect with each type. Shrewd tips will also intersperse the chapters alerting readers to opportunities for engagement, and to hidden landmines they must sidestep to effectively reach leavers.

Author : Jeffrey Olsson
Publisher : Xlibris Corporation
ISBN 13 : 9781462826537
Total Pages : 126 pages
Book Rating : 4.39/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Leaving Faith Behind written by Jeffrey Olsson and published by Xlibris Corporation. This book was released on 2009-03-17 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the first nine chapters of this book Jeff Olsson answers those who have asked why he would want to leave a faith community such as the Anglican Church of Canada and Christianity. A letter to my curious friends is Jeffs personal story where he explains how faith is not always a virtue when those who choose to believe do so at the expense of others. Chapters ten through twenty eight give a historical perspective on atheism and present a rational world view. Later chapters include a criticism of Augustinian and Papal views on morality and offer humanism as a viable alternative.

Author : Spencer Lewerenz
Publisher : Baker Books
ISBN 13 : 1585582719
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.16/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Behind the Screen written by Spencer Lewerenz and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2005-11-01 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When it comes to Hollywood, Christians too quickly wash their hands of popular culture and leave this immensely influential media to unbelievers. In truth, the industry is listening. There is a church in Hollywood, but too often their work is unrecognized. Behind the Screen offers a glimpse of Hollywood insiders who, through their jobs on movie sets, behind TV shows, and in radio broadcasts, work together to give glory to God. With contributions from the writers and producers of such productions as Joan of Arcadia, Mission Impossible, Batman Forever, That '70s Show, and others, believers everywhere are encouraged to join with the church in Hollywood and do their part in closing the gap between Christianity and culture.

Author : David Kinnaman
Publisher : Baker Books
ISBN 13 : 1441213082
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.82/5 ( download)

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Download or read book You Lost Me written by David Kinnaman and published by Baker Books. This book was released on 2011-10-01 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Close to 60 percent of young people who went to church as teens drop out after high school. Now the bestselling author of unChristian trains his researcher's eye on these young believers. Where Kinnaman's first book unChristian showed the world what outsiders aged 16-29 think of Christianity, You Lost Me shows why younger Christians aged 16-29 are leaving the church and rethinking their faith. Based on new research, You Lost Me shows pastors, church leaders, and parents how we have failed to equip young people to live "in but not of" the world and how this has serious long-term consequences. More importantly, Kinnaman offers ideas on how to help young people develop and maintain a vibrant faith that they embrace over a lifetime.

Author : Don Miller
Publisher : HarperChristian + ORM
ISBN 13 : 1418529958
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.56/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Searching for God Knows What written by Don Miller and published by HarperChristian + ORM. This book was released on 2010-05-24 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With equal parts wit and wisdom, New York Times bestselling author Donald Miller invites you to reconnect with your faith. Miller shares what he's learned firsthand--that our relationship with God is designed to teach us about redemption, grace, healing, and so much more. Searching for God Knows What weaves together timeless stories and fresh perspectives on the Bible to capture one man's journey to discover an authentic faith that's worth believing. Along the way, Miller poses his own questions about faith, religion, and community, asking: What if the motive behind our theology was relational? What if our value exists because God takes pleasure in us? What if the gospel of Jesus is an invitation to know God? Maybe you're a Christian wondering what faith you signed up for. Or maybe you don't believe anything and are daring someone to show you a genuine example of genuine faith. Somewhere beyond the self-help formulas, fancy marketing, and easy promises, there is a life-changing experience with God waiting for you--it just takes a little bit of searching. Praise for Searching for God Knows What: "Like a shaken snow globe, Donald Miller's newest collection of essays creates a swirl of ideas about the Christian life that eventually crystallize into a lovely landscape...[He] is one of the evangelical book market's most creative writers." --Christianity Today "If you have felt that Jesus is someone you respect and admire--but Christianity is something that repels you--Searching for God Knows What will give you hope that you still can follow Jesus and be part of a church without the trappings of organized religion." --Dan Kimball, author of The Emerging Church and Pastor of Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz, CA "For fans of Blue Like Jazz, I doubt you will be disappointed. Donald Miller writes with the wit and vulnerability that you expect. He perfectly illustrates important themes in a genuine and humorous manner...For those who would be reading Miller for the first time, this would be a great start." --Relevant

Author : Ali A. Rizvi
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 1250094445
Total Pages : 256 pages
Book Rating : 4.45/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Atheist Muslim written by Ali A. Rizvi and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2016-11-22 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In much of the Muslim world, religion is the central foundation upon which family, community, morality, and identity are built. The inextricable embedment of religion in Muslim culture has forced a new generation of non-believing Muslims to face the heavy costs of abandoning their parents’ religion: disowned by their families, marginalized from their communities, imprisoned, or even sentenced to death by their governments. Struggling to reconcile the Muslim society he was living in as a scientist and physician and the religion he was being raised in, Ali A. Rizvi eventually loses his faith. Discovering that he is not alone, he moves to North America and promises to use his new freedom of speech to represent the voices that are usually quashed before reaching the mainstream media—the Atheist Muslim. In The Atheist Muslim, we follow Rizvi as he finds himself caught between two narrative voices he cannot relate to: extreme Islam and anti-Muslim bigotry in a post-9/11 world. The Atheist Muslim recounts the journey that allows Rizvi to criticize Islam—as one should be able to criticize any set of ideas—without demonizing his entire people. Emotionally and intellectually compelling, his personal story outlines the challenges of modern Islam and the factors that could help lead it toward a substantive, progressive reformation.