s/o on the non-christians thread. If you used to be a Christian and..

[dancer67]

now you are a non-believer. Could you help me out here with some questions I have?

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others.

 

The other threads had me do more thinking.

[Audrey]

now you are a non-believer. Could you help me out here with some questions I have?

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others.

 

The other threads had me do more thinking.

 

 

Oh what the heck... I'm in a good mood, so I'll bite.

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

The more I questioned, the more I was shut down by other believers, so I searched for answers to my questions and found that there was nothing I could believe in offered for answers. All the answers relied on an unquestioning belief in the existence of the Christian god. I found it empty, illogical and not inspiring of any faith in it. Eventually, I found the answers to my questions elsewhere.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

See above.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

No. I'm a pragmatist when it comes to death. We die. We're dead. That's the end.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I don't think death "feels like" anything. You can't feel when you're dead. You're just dead. Now, the actual act of dying... that's a different story. It could be quiet and peaceful or horribly violent and painful depending on what it is that causes your death. But the actual state of being dead ... there is no feeling involved there. You have ceased to feel, period.

[KidsHappen]

now you are a non-believer. Could you help me out here with some questions I have?

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others.

 

The other threads had me do more thinking.

 

I just want to point out that just because you are a Christian non-believer does not mean that you are not religious and don't believe in a higher being. I am not Christian but I do believe in God as do many other people belonging to other religions.

[Shawna in Texas]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

As I got older, I had the progression of disbelieving the tooth fairy, Easter bunny, and Santa. Jesus (the supernatural bit) fell in with that.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

There's something in my brain that finds it impossible.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

No. It's intriguing, but I find it just as unlikely as a higher power.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

We die. We don't feel anything.

[Deece in MN]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being? When I was still Christian I had lots of questions. The more I studied the Bible and talked to others about my questions, the more I found myself moving away from Christianity. It has been a long time since I claimed the Christian faith and I can't remember the specific details of my moving away from that faith.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being? I explored other faiths/beliefs after leaving the Christian faith and the more I got involved in them the more it felt like what I had left behind just with a different name. That was when I decided to not engage in a belief of a higher being.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why? No. It is an interesting idea, but it seems just as unlikely to me as a higher being.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I agree with others who have said it doesn't feel like anything. I don't believe in any kind of after life or life/existence before birth.

[elise1mds]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

I still believe in religion. Religion is just a name for a particular belief system. I still believe in a higher being. The universe is all too perfectly created to wrap my head around the idea of it being some happy accident. As for not being Christian any more, I'm kind of in Audrey's court. I've asked questions and only been left with more questions that nobody seems to want to answer. It all boils down to a faith issue, plain and simple, and I'm not comfortable with the idea of God/gods walking the Earth.

 

*deleted #2 for above reasons*

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

Nope, no reincarnation. I do believe in a spirit world. Not necessarily heaven or hell, but certainly an afterlife (maybe similar to Hades or Sheol). And I believe we can be contacted by the spirits of those who have gone before, particularly if those souls were tormented on earth.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

I'm not sure. I don't think I'd be conscious enough to describe it even if I could. Tough question.

[Ravin]

I'll bite.

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

I didn't stop believing in any and all religion, just in Christianity. And the reason was mainly because I felt rejected. I had a good grasp of who I was, and it wasn't acceptable in the worldview of the Christianity I was taught. I shucked the religion, retained my self-worth.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

I never did. I just came to the conclusion that the nature of the Divine is not as simple as I was taught in childhood.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

Yes, partly because of personal experiences, partly because of accounts I have read. I also believe in a complex body-mind-soul complex, and that what is passed on isn't necessarily the whole of the non-physical part of a person, but aspects of who they are, just as physical aspects of a person are passed to descendants.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

Since I don't remember anything before I was born, I don't know. The Undiscovered Country should be an interesting surprise, when it comes down to it. The understanding of the afterlife in my faith is also complex, and really when it comes down to it not as important as how we live this life, which I don't see as just practice or a test or a waiting game for something better in the next.

[treestarfae]

now you are a non-believer. Could you help me out here with some questions I have?

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others.

 

The other threads had me do more thinking.

I believe there are many religions and they all have the same goal. I think people get neurotic with specific "special" ways/versions of said religion. Extremists/cults if you will. I think OCD, brainwash or mental problems plays into this role.

I never came to any conclusion of no higher being. I believe there are many beings people believe in and again same goal.

I do not believe in reincarnation because the notion is absurd to me.

I cannot predict how people will feel when they die.

[Rosie_0801]

Oh what the heck... I'm in a good mood, so I'll bite.

 

 

:lol:

 

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

Ha ha. I've been here for four years or so and have done a pretty good job of avoiding a complete answer to that question. I grew up, I suppose, is the most polite answer. The person I grew into wasn't compatible with childhood teachings.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

It wasn't so much a conclusion that there wasn't a higher being so much as I don't like the 'Big Brother' feeling. I have a deity equivalent, but it is not higher and it is not personal. I like that more. I expect a god to be without human flaws and I haven't been acquainted with one that wasn't. If one showed up in my lounge room, I would still refuse to worship it because I'm not the worshipping type. We might come to an understanding though. If some god wanted a relationship with me, there'd have to be compromise as there is in any relationship because I'm human and that's how I'm designed.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

No, not really. I pretend to believe in my theory of reincarnation because it is a useful story and I like it.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

I don't think not existing can feel like anything, so I can't imagine how there could be different kinds of not existing.

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others. The other threads had me do more thinking.

 

Go with beliefs you like and inspire you for good. I believe religion should work for you, to push you up the ladder towards self actualisation. If it more like reinforcing windows with iron bars so you won't be breaking out, it's not doing you good. The same set of beliefs can do the former for one person and the latter for another, which is what makes it all so tricky.

 

Good luck with your thinking :) Keep at it and you'll eventually come to a pleasant spot.

 

Rosie

[Jen in NY]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

I liked Audrey's answer to this question. The more I questioned and found conflicting answers the less I found that I could trust one religion more than any other... and that was the beginning of the end of my faith. (It was much more complicated than that and continues to be something I consider often, but the abridged version seemed appropriate here.)

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

I don't know if there is or isn't a prime mover in the universe... for the same reason I don't believe in a God I can't believe absolutely that there is no God.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

No - aside from the fact that the atoms that make up my body will surely be something else someday... I'd like to imagine a watermelon or clouds or a useful object like a wooden flute or something like that and forget about the icky possibilities. Will you indulge me?

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I feel that there is nothing after death... so whatever mark we make or legacy we leave is completely dependent on the memories we leave with people we come into contact with in our lives... quite beautiful to think about and reflect upon.

 

:)

 

I have not answered this in order to influence your thinking, only to let you know that I am here and have come to these conclusions.

 

Best to you in your searching.

[KarenNC]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

I came to the final realization that even as a child I had never believed that there was only one way or that there was one Supreme Being who was at the same time omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent. My experiences with spiritual reality kept throwing that in my face until I finally listened. That pretty much cuts out monotheism, which cuts out a number of religious options;). Based on my experiences, I can't say that there is only one being in the class "God."

 

I do have a religion and I do believe that there are beings who are more powerful or just other than we are, but they do not fit the Christian definition of "God." As to creator, there may be an underlying force that created both the Gods and humanity, I don't know, but if so, it is so far removed from my sphere of existence to be as relevant to my life as the Horsehead Nebula is to an ant in my front yard.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being? N/A

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why? No conclusive evidence one way or the other. I focus my attention on that which I can affect---the way in which I live my life at each moment.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I have no memory of what it felt like before I was born, so I can't say that it was either "nothing" or "something." I don't know what it feels like when one dies.

[IsabelC]

Not sure whether I qualify, but I will have a go.

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

I don't think I really fully believed in the first place. I wasn't brought up religious, but I went to a Christian school and attended church services at school, so I wanted/tried to believe in it. During the teen angst period in my life, it was pretty appealing to think that we're all flawed, but we can be forgiven/saved/fixed by a magical being who loves us, cares about us and understands us (I was one of those teens who doubted that my parents did that). As to why it didn't "stick" for me, I think I just grew out of it. I found that as I learned more and more about Christianity, it seemed to become simultaneously less and less attractive and less and less likely to be true.

 

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

As above. And I guess nobody has shown me any convincing evidence. I don't rule out God/Goddess/Higher Being, but I don't consider it at all likely, considering that millions of believers have so far failed to come up with one scientifically backed logical argument in favor. I do sometimes think about a kind of universal spirit, but I see that as more of a mental construct that helps me conceive of the world, rather than something that exists objectively.

 

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

Nope. I believe that when I die, my physical body will continue in the circle of life as its constituent atoms are recycled into other forms. I'm not sure whether there is such thing as a soul/spirit separate from the physical being, but if there is I would imagine it probably gets recycled also. I definitely don't believe that my personality is an entity that will return housed within the body of another person or animal.

 

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

Probably. I don't really know. I can't remember what anything felt like before I was born. But not knowing isn't something that bothers me either. I figure that whatever happens is right.

Edited October 7, 2010 by Hotdrink

[dancer67]

Here is where I have been at.

 

Grew up Catholic and really didn't learn anything other then go to Church on Sundays, CCD, learn your prayers(but not what the meanings were behind them), go to confession, say your penance, and sit, stand and kneel. I did not get much out of it at all. It was more of a routine then anything.

 

Fast forward to adulthood. I left the Catholic Church a few years after being married in one. It was not my choice to be married in a Catholic Church, but it was expected of me. I was young and nieve(19), and I did not want to make anyone in my family mad at me. My husband then, was a born-again Christian, but agreed to marriage in my Church. To keep the peace.

 

About 5 years ago I started going to his Church. A Christian, non-denominational, charismatic church. There were healing services on Fridays. And we went to chruch on Sunday mornings. I really did not know what to make of all of this. We read from the Bible, and had wonderful sermons. It was so different then how I grew up with religion in the Catholic world.

 

Last year, I decided to accept God into my heart and become Born again. I *thought* that this was what I was missing in my life. I felt as if I was flying around without a safety net.

 

At that time, I still had a very difficult time believing everything that was being told to me in the Bible. In hindsight, I know I was not ready.

 

Now, I have been struggling very much with Faith, and God. I have read the Bible, and have gone to some Bible studies. I guess my big question is Faith. I have a very hard time believing in something so big and powerful, and I can not see it. And I am basing everything on what I read from a book.

 

I also struggle with Christians themselves. Many are wonderful, but some are just so downright crass, and judgemental.

 

I wonder also. If I didn't believe, am I taking a chance of going to Hell and being tortured for all eternity? Or is that just some kind of far fetched tale from a movie?

 

Is God(any God) like the other fictional characters we have been told about. Such as Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy? Sure, we all had *Faith* when we were young. But we know now, they are not real.

 

I try to wrap my head around the afterlife. Heaven. It seems so abstract to me. I try to think about what it was like, or how I felt before I was born. I didn't *feel* anything. And I wonder, why would it be any different when we die?

 

Did we really come from Adam and Eve? I guess reading the Bible to me was like reading a fairytale. That is the best way to describe it.

 

But if there is no God of any sort, how did the world come about? Again, trying to believe that one God made this all happen is hard for my brain to wrap around that.

 

And so much suffering going on. I know I have been taught that Satan can invade your thoughts, and cause havoc here on earth. And this is what Faith does. He wants you to become closer to Him. To lean on Him.

 

But I don't know if I really can believe all of this.

 

And how I have been thinking lately is that we came about on this earth from something that kept changing and changing. I guess I am saying evolution?

 

We are here, then we die. Then there is nothing.

 

But I always go back to, what if I am wrong?

 

I am not sure if anything I wrote makes any sense at all. This is actually the first time I have written this out publicly. So excuse me if it sound slike I am just rambling on and on........

Edited October 7, 2010 by dancer67

[keptwoman]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

I grew up a Christian, I chose that for myself in my teens and had parents who were very strong in their faith and sacrificed much to serve God in the way they felt they were called.

But the idea of a loving god who insists that people who don't do XYZ will burn in a firey hell for all eternity?? That's not my idea of a loving god. The more I thought and questioned the more contradictory it all became. The hypocrasy of Christians I knew drove me mad, the "face" that they put on for church being so different from the face I knew was not within my power to understand. I guess they felt the same way about my refusal to pretend something I did not believe. When my Mother died 4 years after my father, followed 2 years later by my best friend, that was it for me. If there was a loving god, that would not have happened. Neither would famine or genocide. A loving God doesn't LET THAT HAPPEN. I don't buy the whole satan did it thing, because a loving god who is apparantly more powerful than satan would stop it happening. So therefore, the Christian god is not real.

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

I've been sitting on the fence for some time about this, on the atheist end of the agnostic spectrum. I don't have any experience of god, beyond overly emotive clap trap from church which was more about emotive music and persuasive talk than god.

 

I also think that belief is not a choice, you either DO or you DONT. I can't force myself to believe in something that I just don't think exists.

 

Then DH and I went for a hiking trip and the scenery was breathtaking, stunning. And the flora that we saw was really incredible, and so varied. It is nonsensical to me that a god or gods took the time to decide that there would be 3 variations of this plant, and 2 of this and one with slightly different leaves and a pink flower. I know Christians would have looked at that scene and said it points to god. To me it pointed loud and clear to evolution, spectacular, accidental and magnificent. What a priviledge it is to be alive!

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

I don't know, I find it unlikely but it's not something I worry about.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I have no idea, and I don't much care. Whatever is after life is not bad, I saw the smile on my Dads face when he died, death is OK I think.

 

As for worried about being wrong, again, I come back to the loving god bit. What loving god is going to send me to hell when I've lived a good life, tread gently on the earth, cared for others and loved my kids?? Seriously, if there is a god like that, I don't want to spend eternity with it.

[Rosie_0801]

But I always go back to, what if I am wrong?

 

 

Then we cop the consequences, just as we do in life, I suppose. If I'm wrong, and there is a Hell for naughty persons like myself, I'll just have to shrug my shoulders and deal with anything I can't argue my way out of. I would thoroughly deserve whatever it was, and I'm fine with that. Sometimes the right thing to do is break the rules and those are the rules I need to break in this life of mine.

 

And I figure any god who wants to send me to burn and inhale noxious fumes for eons doesn't deserve my respect. It would deserve a smacked bum, or whatever punishment our mothers would have dealt to us if they'd caught us burning ants with magnifying glasses after being told not to already. Such a god would be given an extremely disdainful look before I headed off to the sulfur dungeon. But I'd still go, because it would be pretty obvious by that stage that I'd deserve it!

 

Rosie

[Night Elf]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

What was being preached and what was being practiced didn't reconcile. It led to lots of doubts. The more I thought about it, the less it really made sense. I believe that religion boils down to one concept: faith. I can't wrap my mind around a higher being leaving a book of instructions for his/her/its followers. I'm not sure if there is a higher being/God/deity, whatever name you choose to use, really exists, but if he/she/it does, I feel there would be a much more personal relationship or knowledge than just faith. People believe the sky is blue, but it ain't so. Know what I mean?

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

I cannot be certain there is or is not. But I've let go of the worrying about it. If he/she/it exists and doesn't want me because I can't following his/her/its book of instructions, then I don't think that he/she/it is worth knowing. I can't imagine having all that power and being so cold and impersonal. When I think about this stuff, it reminds me of the Red Rover game I used to play when I was a kid. (do you remember that one?)

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

Nah. And if it's true, I'm happy I don't have personal knowledge of prior lives. That seems just too weird for me.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

I don't know what I felt before I was born. I don't mean that facetiously, but honestly. I have no idea what will happen when I die. I just hope I'm not in horrid paid and that I'm not alone. What will happen will happen. The only choices I'm aware of are nothing, heaven-like, and hell-like. If it's nothing, then I won't know. If it's good, that's great. If the religious point of view's idea of hell is true, then I will cry, not only for me, but for any being that would choose to subject such a harsh sentence on another being. I just don't get that.

 

FWIW, I do still talk/pray to God. But it's more like a journal telling. It's comforting to know there is something out there. And since I stopped stressing about whether or not to believe, I've reached a very happy contented place. I feel more at peace. I feel very confident that I'm on the right track because I feel a peace within my inner-being.

[IsabelC]

But I always go back to, what if I am wrong?

 

What if you are wrong when you decide not to worship Baal, or Sekhmet, or the Flying Spaghetti Monster?

 

Seriously, the only things I can suggest for you are:

 

1. Don't judge a religion by the people who profess it. You can most likely find lots of decent people, a few not decent people and the odd complete lunatic within any religious group. Just because you know some hypocritical, nasty Christians doesn't mean that Christianity is to blame for the way they are.

 

2. Don't expect a religion (or anything/anyone else) to be able to answer every possible question 100% satisfactorily. There are things we can't fully comprehend. That's OK.

 

3. Be open to whatever resonates with you. Your spiritual path is just that: yours, not anybody else's. Try not to approach everything from the perspective that you grew up with.

 

4. But by the same token, unfortunately there are some people who will take advantage of those who are in your position, so keep that in mind.

[Peela]

now you are a non-believer. Could you help me out here with some questions I have?

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others.

 

The other threads had me do more thinking.

 

I was reared a presumed Christian- went to Sunday school and a Christian girls school...but I cant say I remember ever feeling I was strongly a Christian so take my opinion for what its worth.

 

1. I found the hypocrisy in the girl's school I went to so blatently obvious I couldnt understand why no one else saw it. I felt like teh child in teh Emperor's Clothes story. I did not find them kind, or loving, or open minded. It was all about being 'good' and obeying the rules and it didn't touch me- except the singing part :)

 

2. I went on my own journey, had my own experiences and in my teens found a path that resonated- more yoga and meditation and the path to Enlightenment. The whole higher being thing didnt disappear- but it sure doesn't look like the Christian God any more. BUt I now feel perfectly comfortable with anyone's concept of God and use the word freely- but it means what it means to me, which is unexplainable and very vast and inclusive.

What drove me was a desire to question all beliefs, rather than just believe them because I was told. I am comfortable with not knowing, but it doesnt stop me being very curious.

 

3. No, I dont believe in reincarnation, but I do think its a distinct possibility and makes a lot of sense. I am comfortable with not knowing and being curious.

 

4. No, my own experiences have shown me that there is 'life' after death, it snot just "nothing". And, dont presume there is "nothing" before you are born, either. Do you remember?

[katemary63]

 

and that's how I'm designed.

 

 

 

Did you just say you were designed? :D

[Carrie12345]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

While I was raised a church-goer, I don't think I ever really believed beyond early childhood. Being told that all of the "answers" were in the bible seemed very much like my mother's "Because I said so", but with the "I" being mortal strangers from long ago, who weren't even there for the majority of events I was supposed to base my entire life upon.

 

I've just never been able to accept the Bible as anything other than a very interesting book. Science is much more believable to me.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

Science

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

No. I believe we "live" on through our actions, which will always impact the world, no matter how small. But that's about it.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

Yes, I believe there is nothing to feel.

[katemary63]

I know I have been taught that Satan can invade your thoughts,

 

 

Just a quick FYI: It is not a mainstream Christian teaching that Satan can invade your thoughts. He can not read your mind. He can not put thoughts in your head. The Bible does not teach this anywhere and the vast majority of Christian denominations do not believe this.

 

Sorry for the hijack, just wanted to say....

[sagira]

 

Go with beliefs you like and inspire you for good. I believe religion should work for you, to push you up the ladder towards self actualisation. If it more like reinforcing windows with iron bars so you won't be breaking out, it's not doing you good. The same set of beliefs can do the former for one person and the latter for another, which is what makes it all so tricky.

 

Rosie

 

Great post, Rosie. Especially this part. I agree with you on this.

[mysticamethyst]

Talk about loaded questions lol, here goes nothing.

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

I grew up catholic, went to catholic school but my mom NEVER brought me to church on Sundays. I am not sure if I ever had a solid religious foundation. Religion seems to be to hypocritical for me. God loves you--unless you are gay, like the goth look, read books about magic, don't dress right, don't raise your children the way others in the chruch think you should. I think I had a falling out with God when I lost my twins and had to have a complete hystorectomy at the same time.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

I do believe there are 2 higher beings, we all have a father and mother, in my mind God is our Father and Mother Nature is our Mother. I have just started talking to them again, see above.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

I am not sure on this, and I am not sure if I would want to come back if we have a choice.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I hope it is the best family reunion ever but I won't like I do not like the idea of dying and have a wee bit of fear over it, but have faith that it will be okay.

[Wheres Toto]

I just want to point out that just because you are a Christian non-believer does not mean that you are not religious and don't believe in a higher being. I am not Christian but I do believe in God as do many other people belonging to other religions.

 

:iagree: As for the rest of the questions, I just don't know. I'm still working things out for myself.

[freethinkermama]

now you are a non-believer. Could you help me out here with some questions I have?

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others.

 

The other threads had me do more thinking.

 

It was completely accidental :)

 

1. I went from being a Bible-believing, Evangelical to a liberal, to agnostic to atheist over the course of a year, and never meant it to happen! I was born again at 13, it was my choice, as I didn't grow up in a religious family. I believed fervently for 20 years. The beginning of the end was finally admitting I believed in evolution. Because I was a Bible believer, I fell into the trap that so many creationist parents fear--children believing in evolution means they can no longer believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, and then it all goes down hill from there. I fit the cliche, I'm afraid. When I started studying, I saw plenty of problems in the Bible, and I stopped trying to make excuses for the evil things the Bible God expoused and demanded. That part came in when our 6-year old daughter began reading through the Bible, on her own, and came to me with the horrible stories of the OT, and wanted me to explain to her how a good God could do these things. Trying to explain why evil is good got to me.

 

I took on a liberal view of the Bible, started accepting universal salvation, etc.

 

Then, I just went, "this is all hooey." That was it. Wish it were more interesting. :(

 

2. I'm not entirely sure there isn't one. People who claim to know one/some all have different ideas of what it/they wants. It seems pretty unlikely.

 

3. No. Actually, believing that life is short and limited has made me appreciate it more, and has helped me understand why justice and fairness in this life is so important. This is it.

 

4. I read a quote somewhere that I really liked. "You were not sad before you were alive, you will not be sad after." Yes, I think it will be oblivion. I think our consciousness is a by-product of our material bodies.

 

If you had asked me 3 years ago to read this, I would have said I could never have written such a thing. :)

 

T.

[freethinkermama]

 

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

I've been sitting on the fence for some time about this, on the atheist end of the agnostic spectrum. I don't have any experience of god, beyond overly emotive clap trap from church which was more about emotive music and persuasive talk than god.

 

I also think that belief is not a choice, you either DO or you DONT. I can't force myself to believe in something that I just don't think exists.

 

 

 

:iagree:

 

I have a friend of facebook who has this in her FB setting. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. So, what are you waiting for. Believe already!"

 

That really struck me. If I said to someone. "Just believe in Zeus. Come on!" they'd look at me as if I were crazy. You can't just make yourself believe something. That's part of the reason I was such a Calvinist for a while, I think. :)

 

You build faith by "hearing, and hearing by the word of faith," the Bible says. I think that's part of it. Surround yourself with lots of faith, Bible, teaching, people who believe something, and pretty soon it's easier to embrace it too. Social conditioning. If you grow up in a Christian country, you're more likely to be Christian. Muslim country, you're most likely to be Muslim. That's how human nature and societies work. No one spontanously becomes one religion, unless they're after your pocket. (I'm looking at you, L. Ron Hubbard!) :)

 

T.

[freethinkermama]

:lol:

 

I pretend to believe in my theory of reincarnation because it is a useful story and I like it.

 

 

I love this so much, Rosie. I really do :)

[Night Elf]

Did you just say you were designed? :D

 

Designed doesn't have to be a creation word. A design is something made or done with purpose, right? Well, evolution is changing over time with purpose. Evolution weeds out the things that don't work and tweeks the ones that do. Its purpose is survival and things are designed to follow that flow. There isn't some magical elf (I'll use the term elf so no one thinks I'm trying to connect a deity with evolution) that decides which parts evolution chooses to keep or throw out. So yeah, a long term design in this manner is entirely plausible.

[Mejane]

1. Christianity was my family's religion; it never resonated with me.

 

2. Logic tells me this being cannot exist.

 

3. I do not believe in reincarnation.

 

4. Yes. We aren't, then we are, then we aren't again.

[Onceuponatime]

I am a Christian. I have been all my life. But I am not the same Christian I was 30 years ago or even 5 years ago. There are so many changes I have made to my own personal beliefs just from constant study and inquiry. If people don't have answers to my questions, I go looking for answers. I read every view point I can find, then I come to my own conclusions.

 

I have progressed from "young earth" to theistic evolution.

 

I once believed the complete Bible was "The Word of God." Now I believe that it only holds some of the the words of God. Most of it is compiled by God-fearing believers trying to honor God with their words. As that it has tremendous value, but does not encompass all truth. Some of it is just great morality tales and poetry, created to honor God and reveal fundamental truths about him.

 

I believe that the Bible is written from a purely historical human perspective; that it is truth, but in a sense that we twenty-first century Westerners have trouble grasping because we have a different definition of truth than the ancients did. For example, there is now no question that there was a "mother of all living." Also, at one point in history humankind had to become self aware and acquire a sense of "right and wrong." I find it amazing that the writer of Genesis was able to know as much as he did, much less put it in a form that could be understood, yet was open to exploration and expansion. This leads me to believe in a God of revelation.

 

I also think that mankind has no real concept of who or what God is. We have anthromorphized him to such an extent that I wonder if we would recognize him if we were able to see him. That is why Jesus was sent, to give us a more perfect (human) picture of God. But we still fall short.

 

Anyway, I would suggest that you don't take any doctrine at face value, but dig into it and it's history. Even if you come to the conclusion that you cannot have faith, you will have learned a great deal.

 

Some books I have loved reading recently:

The Everlasting Man- Chesterton

The Problem of Pain- Lewis

The Language of God- Collins

Evolution and God- Wilcox

Edited October 7, 2010 by Onceuponatime

[SailorMom]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

I am no longer a Christian - but that does not preclude a belief in a higher power. I do believe in God - I believe there is enough evidence in nature and humanity to prove his existence. As for why I stopped believing - I am a student of religions. I began first by questioning many of the stances of Christian churches - and the more I read, the less I could call myself a Christian. I simply don't beleive in what is being taught. I read a decsription on Deism - and it immediately clicked. I believe Jesus existed - but I do not believe he was any more divine than the rest of us - although he certainly was wiser and more compassionate.

 

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

Well - as said before - that isn't my belief.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

I do not claim to know about our afterlives. I've decided it is not for me to know, and that I trust God to have that all worked out. I believe in living a good life and following the Golden Rule. If you do that - God takes care of the rest.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I have yet to meet a person who can remember anything before they were about 18 months old - but they certainly existed before that. I can't remember before I was almost 3. Just because we can't remember doesn't mean there wasn't existence.

We just can't know.

[Joanne]

I don't qualify as an atheist or non believer, but my beliefs are a departure from mainstream, embraced Christianity.

 

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

 

I stopped believing in the Christian religion as it is now practiced. What made me stop was Christians. I guess, also, my understanding of how the Bible came to be influenced this realization. Also spending 19+ years in AA seeing that God works in people's life no matter how they worship, understand, believe, revere or acknowledge him.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

I believe in a higher power; I don't believe in exclusive minded faith.

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

I'm not sure what happens to people's cores, or souls. I'm not sure I believe in eternal joy with a (Christian type) God. But I can't say I *believe in* reincarnation.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

I believe we are in communion with other dead from earth souls.

[Tangerine]

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

I've had old friends ask me in an alarmed and beseeching voice "What happened to you?!" (that made you an atheist). Nothing. There was no main event that shattered my belief. I was extremely evangelical. Even worked for Bill Gothard for awhile. I just grew up and realized that none of it resonated with me anymore. It was just all Christianese I was spewing. I could say the right things, but it felt like hogwash coming out of my mouth because I no longer believed what I was saying.

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

I read a lot, listened to lectures, pondered. But ultimately it came down to the fact that I just couldn't believe it anymore.

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

No. I suppose for the same reason; I just CAN'T. I don't put faith in the supernatural.

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

I believe it IS nothing. After death, I will not exist.

 

 

I have been struggling with my beliefs lately and would love to hear from others.

 

It can be difficult. My husband, an atheist who was raised Mormon, doesn't have the FEAR that I had. I've moved past a lot of it, but the fear lingers. I'm so thrilled that my children, who are raised to CHOOSE their beliefs, will not have the fear bred into them. When we have conversations about god, I always tell them they are free to believe what they want. I tell them what their Daddy and I believe, what their Mormon and Evangelical grandparents believe, what their Wiccan aunt believes. I try to do away with the indoctrination I was raised with.

[jplain]

I was raised Catholic, and was a bit skeptical by the tween years. By adolescence I did not believe at all. I declined to be confirmed, and I stopped taking communion. In college I had a short phase of actively trying to make myself a (non-Catholic) Christian, and I participated in my school's Intervarsity Christian Fellowship. But it didn't work. Try as I might, I couldn't make myself believe. It all just seemed silly.

 

As an adult, I self-identify as an atheist, but I do attend a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal, non-creedal, non-doctrinal faith that welcomes all. On the topic of atheism, I'm currently working my way through the books of "the 4 horsemen" ;) (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens), and I'm enjoying them quite a bit, though I don't agree with everything they write. I also enjoyed the first section of Dan Barker's book godless, which describes how he went from evangelical faith (he was a minister) to atheism.

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

Too similar to Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc. Too many contradictions and inconsistencies in the Bible. Too much "taking what we like and leaving the rest" for me to take it seriously. The idea everyone believes that their faith is the one true faith, and everyone else is deluded just sounds crazy to me. Previous faiths (Norse gods, Egyptian gods) were just as fervently believed in, but now the vast majority agree that they are nonsense. As the oft repeated joke goes, I only believe in one less god than the believer does. :tongue_smilie:

 

On a more serious note, as an adult, I am horrified to see the great harm that is perpetrated in the name of religion, both in our country and around the world. If there was a god, I can't believe s/he would allow this to continue.

 

 

2. What made you come to the conclusion that there is no higher being?

 

I am a scientist. My worldview simply doesn't have room for a personal god when there is no solid evidence of god's action in the world. If convincing evidence is produced, of course I will reconsider my position. But I'm not holding my breath.

 

(By the way, I don't think deism can be completely ruled out. I also believe that if deism is the answer, it doesn't matter whether or not I believe in it.)

 

3. Do you believe in reincarnation, and why?

 

Nope.

 

 

4. Do you think that when we die, it feels like before we were born?(nothing).

 

Yes. And I won't claim that I have completely come to terms with this. I haven't. It terrifies me. But I'm working on it, and it is one of the reasons I attend a UU congregation. (Another reason is that I want to be a part of a community that prioritizes social justice. Also I want my kids to take part in UU's fantastic sex ed program, because I truly believe it promotes the most realistic and healthy view of sexuality.)

Edited October 7, 2010 by jplain
to clarify one point, and to add links to books

[dancer67]

Thank you to all of you who shared their experiences with me.

 

I need to figure out where I am in my journey. I do not like feeling confused, and unsure.

 

I have been given few ideas as to where to start. I jst hope that I am able to figure it out soon....((sigh))

[AlmiraGulch]

I was raised Catholic, and was a bit skeptical by the tween years. By adolescence I did not believe at all. I declined to be confirmed, and I stopped taking communion. In college I had a short phase of actively trying to make myself a (non-Catholic) Christian, and I participated in my school's Intervarsity Fellowship group. But it didn't work. Try as I might, I couldn't make myself believe. It all just seemed silly.

 

As an adult, I self-identify as an atheist, but I do attend a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal, non-creedal, non-doctrinal faith that welcomes all. On the topic of atheism, I'm currently working my way through the books of "the 4 horsemen" ;) (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens), and I'm enjoying them quite a bit, though I don't agree with everything they write. I also enjoyed the first section of Dan Barker's book godless, which describes how he went from evangelical faith (he was a minister) to atheism.

 

1. What made you stop believing in religion/Christ/higher being?

 

Too similar to Santa, Tooth Fairy, etc. Too many contradictions and inconsistencies in the Bible. Too much "taking what we like and leaving the rest" for me to take it seriously. The idea everyone believes that their faith is the one true faith, and everyone else is deluded just sounds crazy to me. Previous faiths (Norse gods, Egyptian gods) were just as fervently believed in, but now we (almost) all agree that they are nonsense. As the oft repeated joke goes, I only believe in one less god than the believer does. :tongue_smilie:

 

On a more serious note, as an adult, I am horrified to see the great harm that is perpetrated in the name of religion, both in our country and around the world.

 

 

:iagree: Nearly word for word, I could have written this post. The one place I differ is that I don't regularly attend the UU church, but I could. I just don't get around to it.

 

Also, I honestly feel I was duped all those years. Not just by Christianity, but by pretty much all religions. The Christ story of Jesus has been told many, many times in history prior to Jesus' birth. Everything from being born of a virgin, crucifixion, rising again on the third day....the story has been told many, many times before, and my research has show it's all based on the zodiac, anyway.

 

Frankly, I'm horrified and offended by religion. It is man-made with the sole intent, I believe, of control over the populace.

 

I do, however, believe in a "higher power" of sorts. I believe we are all part of a collective energy, in which there is positive and negative energy. For me, "heaven" and "hell" are in the here and now (as opposed to something post-death) and are manifested by how much positive v. negative energy we allow into our lives. That's quite a simplification, but that's it in a nut shell.

 

Oh....and do I believe in reincarnation? Maybe. Not that I think we come back as a cat or something after death, but again, it's scientific. We are nothing but a big bundle of energy, and our bodies house that energy. When we die, it has to go somewhere. So, I do believe it's possible that our energy finds another home after we die, which could be in the form of another life. It's also the reason I believe in "ghosts." Energy is powerful, and it isn't inconceivable to me that, after physical death, that person's imprint, or energy, could be very attracted to one place.

 

I don't know if any of this is actually true, but I certainly find it much more likely to be so than the fairy tale of God or Gods that religion, including Christianity, has burdened humanity with.

 

Oh, and in case you're interested and have a couple of hours to spare, here is a link to a movie called Zeitgeist that speaks exactly to the reasons I am appalled by organized religio. One of the most eye-opening movies I've seen.

[SailorMom]

"(By the way, I don't think deism can be completely ruled out. I also believe that if deism is the answer, it doesn't matter whether or not I believe in it.)"

 

This is partially why/how I ended up a diest :)

[Rosie_0801]

Did you just say you were designed? :D

 

Ha. I thought you were pointing out a typo :lol:

 

Would 'constructed' be a better word, Ms Smartybritches? I meant what Night Elf said ;)

 

The Christ story of Jesus has been told many, many times in history prior to Jesus' birth. Everything from being born of a virgin, crucifixion, rising again on the third day....the story has been told many, many times before, and my research has show it's all based on the zodiac, anyway.

 

Would you mind pm-ing me a reading list? I know some people who'd have fun exploring that.

 

Rosie

Edited October 7, 2010 by Rosie_0801

[Audrey]

Ha. I thought you were pointing out a typo :lol:

 

Would 'constructed' be a better word, Ms Smartybritches? I meant what Night Elf said ;)

 

 

 

Would you mind pm-ing me a reading list? I know some people who'd have fun exploring that.

 

Rosie

 

 

A couple of years ago, Rosie, I read a book by Tom Harpur called The Pagan Christ. It says basically the same thing -- about how the Christ story pre-dates Jesus in many different cultures all over the world. Might be worth your while to see if your library has a copy. :001_smile:

[chiguirre]

I was raised Catholic, but by the time I was 14, I was sure that Christianity was just a social construct. I remember reading Will Durant's Story of Civilization and finding all sorts of elements of Christian mythology popping up in other religions. I realized I could never believe that one subset of humanity had it right and everyone else, past and present, had it wrong. I came to believe that religions arise from our human needs and the way our minds work, rather than from an external, divine source. However, I don't feel embittered by that realization. I'm doing the CCE bit with my kids so that they know their own cultural heritage well enough to feel that they share in it, even if I'm pretty sure they won't end up believing it literally when they're older. In fact, dd already drew the Santa/Tooth Fairy parallel and asked point blank if God was a story adults made up for kids. I side-stepped it by telling her lots of adults really do believe in God including abuela and madrina. That should hold her off for a bit at least.

[KidsHappen]

On the topic of atheism, I'm currently working my way through the books of "the 4 horsemen" ;) (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, and Hitchens), and I'm enjoying them quite a bit, though I don't agree with everything they write.

 

They have a two hour talk on youtube titled The Four Men of the Apocolypse that is absolutely fascinating. That was the first time I had heard any of them speak and it really made me wonder what in the world all the ruckus was about. How could people hate them so much? They were all sitting calmly around a table enjoying a drink, I think maybe one or two had a cigar but mostly stimulating and very pleasant conversation. Just the kind of gathering I would love to host at my house.

 

I have read most of their works and I still don't understand what it is that they are saying that people find so offensive. The only time I have heard any of them speak less than professionally is when people are yelling at them. I have come to the conclussion that people just don't want to hear what these gentlemen wish to say.

Edited October 8, 2010 by KidsHappen

[Rosie_0801]

A couple of years ago, Rosie, I read a book by Tom Harpur called The Pagan Christ. It says basically the same thing -- about how the Christ story pre-dates Jesus in many different cultures all over the world. Might be worth your while to see if your library has a copy. :001_smile:

 

I'm just back from the library! They didn't have his book, but they had similar. I should be able to start that tonight or tomorrow. Thanks!

 

:)

Rosie

[nukeswife]

I was told I was Catholic as a child, but never went to church. My family put me in First communion classes to appease my grandmother. After that I never went to church until I was a grown up. After getting married I tried really hard to "find God" but it just wasn't in me. My husband was also raised catholic but much more strictly than me, he also has his doubts. We then thought maybe it was the catholic church we didn't believe in so we converted to Luthernism. We were weekly church goers for about a year, but in the end thought "what are we doing here, we don't believe all of this and are just going through the motion" We've not been to a church or professed a religion since 2006.

 

What made me really take a hard look at myself was some really harsh treatment from some that professed to be Good Christians on another homeschool forum. They were down right hostile and made me think, well if that's what they call "not judging others because only God can judge" I don't want any part of it. It was really painful to be called names, told I was a bad person, wife and mother because of my view on faith, but in the end it helped me to see just who I am and I'm happy with where I am in life.

 

I don't think we are reincarnated, when we die we're just dead, I don't think we feel anything.

[IsabelC]

A couple of years ago, Rosie, I read a book by Tom Harpur called The Pagan Christ. It says basically the same thing -- about how the Christ story pre-dates Jesus in many different cultures all over the world. Might be worth your while to see if your library has a copy. :001_smile:

Is that the one that lists about 30 other similar stories to the Jesus one? [scurries off to check library listings in spite of having mumble mumble about a hundred items on my To Read list]

 

Wouldn't it be fascinating if Jesus really did return, to find out what he thinks of all the stuff that's gotten attached to him over the last couple of thousand years? I suspect he might be pretty astonished by it all.

[jplain]

They have a two hour talk on youtube titled The Four Men of the Apocolypse that is absolutely fascinating.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I'm listening to it now, while I do housework. :)

 

 

 

 

[Halcyon]

I can't use the quote function on my BB for some reason, so please excuse my incomplete answer. Right now, I am on the fence w my christianity. I was baptised in the episcopal church when I was 32, but I was also inducted into a Sufi order when I was 25...and I have an abiding interest in Buddhism, meditation and yogic practices. I guess you could say I'm a very open-minded seeker. I do believe in Jesus Christ, but I also believe there were many other people touched by God to spread his love (not neccesarily Christians). I am very liberal, and when I lived in Manhattan, my liberalism and my christianity were never perceived by others to be at odds. Since moving to florida, I find there to be a strong anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-immigrant, anti-evolution, anti-Harry Potter, "all-or-nothing" approach to christianity which leaves me saddened and feeling abandoned. I have attended UU services, but to be honest, I miss the beauty and sacrament of the Episcopal service which has always touched me deeply. I attend yoga classes regularly, meditate, talk to God quite a bit(realizing it's not a god most christians would recognize, but hopefully he'll listen in anyway ;)), I enjoy nature, I talk to my kids about a loving, accepting god who embraces all regardless of their skin color, their sexual orientation, their income or their doubts. And we talk about Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, and Judaism, and the many paths (including one they might forge themselves) to a "higher power".

 

Anyway, I am still on my journey, as you can tell! Good luck with yours.