Apostasy in Christianity

Apostasy in Christianity is the rejection of Christianity by someone who formerly was a Christian and/or who wishes to administratively be removed from a formal registry of church members. The term apostasy comes from the Greek word apostasia ("ἀποστασία") meaning "defection", "departure", "revolt", or "rebellion". It has been described as "a willful falling away from, or rebellion against, Christianity. Apostasy is the rejection of Christ by one who has been a Christian...." "Apostasy is a theological category describing those who have voluntarily and consciously abandoned their faith in the God of the covenant, who manifests himself most completely in Jesus Christ." "Apostasy is the antonym of conversion; it is deconversion."

Quotes

• I can say this with some authority, as I know what I am speaking about from experience. I am an apostate from another “true religion” myself. As a child, I was a devout Catholic, even considering a life in the priesthood. Like most friends and acquaintances, I outgrew the faith of my youth, and have gone through all the phases of doubt and compromise. Finally I had to face the certainty that Christianity was fundamentally mistaken and unnecessary, eventhough its morality, arts and everyday worldview had a lot that remains worth preserving. So, I am not asking anything from the Muslims that I haven’t been through myself. I know from experience that there is life after apostasy.
  • Dr. K. Elst (2015) quoted in [1]