If you've changed...

[Weezy1973]

Question for those who have either converted to a certain religion or left religion altogether.

 

What was the process like? Was there one thing that changed your worldview, or was it a combination of events? How did your friends and family react?

[xxoo]

I was raised in an Evangelical church, "born again", and believed I could speak in tongues as a young teen.

 

In my later teens, I went through a questioning phase and could not reconcile what I'd been taught with what I could reason. Many of my questions had to do with suffering, evil, hell, and attitudes toward homosexuality--what I essentially viewed as being against love. By 17, I considered myself an atheist, and that began a decade of being very anti-christian and anti-religion (based on baggage of my upbringing....I believe the brand of Christianity I was taught was damaging in many ways).

 

When I became a parent, I started to grow nostalgic for the community of a church environment. I had a difficult time envisioning raising a child without that support. So I began a journey of reading: reading about the roots of and different forms of Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, etc. It softened my visceral negative emotions about Christianity when I learned that not all branches are as extreme as the one I was taught. I ended up attending a Unitarian Universalist church for a number of years with my kids, even teaching Sunday School!

 

Now that my kids are older, we don't attend anywhere. The woods are my church, and where I feel closest to my higher power. And I'm able to educate my kids without toooo much prejudice. Ok, I have prejudice, but I openly admit it and invite them to discover for themselves.

 

Family and friends were not an issue for me. I didn't really "come out" as an atheist of anything. It's personal, and I never needed anyone's blessing or acceptance.

[youngskywalker]

I could write a lot about this but I don't have the time right now. The short story is that it's a long process. It took time for me to be convinced in my mind.

 

Religion is much like a gang membership. Blood in, blood out for the gang, and faith in, faith out for the religion.

 

I remember the first time I believed and became born again at 17 y/o. I also remember around the time I lost faith at the age of 35. Both were life changing experiences and both felt good.