If you have re-formed, seriously modified, or even abandoned your experience with faith, what's your story?

Question

Maybe you're a more staunch believer (of whatever sort) than you ever were.
Maybe you're a more staunch atheist than you ever were.
What's your story (keep it brief as possible).

Dare to share?

Answer 1

When I was a child I had the faith of a child.

When I was a teenager I had the faith of a teenager.

When I was an young adult I had the faith of an young adult.

Faith is a constantly changing and (hopefully) growing thing.

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

Seven years ago I believed God hated me. I figured I was going to hell no matter what I did in this life. Every time I stepped into a church I got a sick feeling in my stomach and felt like any moment I would be struck dead. I absolutely despised myself and I couldn't figure out what I had done that would make God hate me.
This is where things get weird. In January 2000 I decide I may as well commit suicide. The date chosen is June 15, 2000, a little over a month after my college graduation. In April I started talking to an amazing man on the internet. I decided that maybe, just maybe I didn't need to die a physical death so much as leave the life that was killing me behind. I met the fellow in person on June 15, 2000. I had some amazing experiences with him and I owe my life to him. He died of lung cancer April 11, 2001, but not before teaching me that life and spirituality are interconnected, and one should live life and not dwell on what God may or may not think, or even if there is a God. Focusing on the here and now, listening to intuition, and talking to the spirits that surround me is what I do now. Being kind to others and helping out those you care about seems to be a key to divinity. But then, I could be going to hell anyways! LOL it doesn't really matter to me anymore.

Answer 3

ex christian here. I grew up rather sheltered until i met my blood family. they say first impressions leave quite an impression. while i was there, i was kinda bored, when i left they wrote me a nasty letter saying i was a thief a liar and not a true christian. i was so angry and i thought of how disrespectful they were to each other. both were christians of different sects that could not get along! that made me think. I prayed for guidance then, i remembered a book i picked up at 16 it was the te of piglet.
I realized then that the book caught my eye i researched taoism and felt a joy i never felt with christianity. the icing on the cake was not just the nasty letter. what sealed my fate was many other negative experiences with christians, both at work and with a best friend. i had no idea how ignorant or intolerant my best friend was until i had a long debate with him over the phone. the last thing he said to me before i hung up was only christians go to heaven. i was fuming after that and i thought that was the most intolerant statement ive ever heard. i realized most christians say that now that i was exposed to that. My brother did some underhanded things to me and hes a christian. almost lost a job because someone didnt like that i was a pagan, thats my deconversion story in a nutshell.

Answer 4

I was born and raised in the Mormon faith. At 17 I decided that I was tired of being told what I believe, or what I was expected to believe. To say the least, I took a different path, and did just about everything that went against the Mormon religion. I have since grown up and have turned to a more spiritual life. I don't really believe in religion. Any of them. To me religion is a man-made thing; meant to control a congregation of people. I think that each religion has some really good points to them. Like with the Mormons, their sense of family is great, and I really dig that. I think each belief system has something good to offer. I just don't think that there is one TRUE religion, or gospel. That is except LOVE. Love is the only thing that is truly pure to me.

Answer 5

I was once a Fundamentalist Christian then, frustrated with what I believed to be hypocrisy and selective teaching in various churches, I began to study Messianic Judaism. This study led me to a study of the bible in Masoretic Hebrew and Greek along with a study of the cultures and history behind the book. Those studies led me straight to Atheism.

It was actually a very painful 'deconversion' - I lost a great deal, grieved again for loved ones I had lost and no longer had hope of seeing again, felt very alone, etc... but I also gained a lot, the realization that my previous accomplishments were really mine alone, a more logical and defendable understanding of the universe, and a sense of peace I can't quite describe.

Answer 6

As a child I called myself a Christian and knew no other type of religion existed. By about 11 or 12, I was questioning why we Christians had exclusive and exclusive knowledge about God...but I was glad I was one of the lucky "Saved".

At around 16 I was already a goner from Christianity, and it truly pained me since there was nothing else to take it's place. I searched and searched but found nothing that seemed to have real integrity. I concluded that all religion boiled down to one thing...faith. OK, I decided to try blind faith and I went back to my roots of Christianity and said I believed. I said it, prayed for it, asked for it, cryed for it, sacrificed for it, searched for it, but I just couldn't get it. I asked for guidance from different ministers, preists, and sundry holy folk, but they couldn't help.

Faith: you either got it or you don't. This sucked...it still does. I was born to be a believer! I know I was. I would have made a great preacher...really (I had to settle for being a great salesman)...I just lacked the "faith".

I'm still looking and hoping. In the intrum, I've tried to lead a good life and be a good decent person...I'm happy, but I'd still like to find that which is larger than my life. One of the scariest things I ever heard was from a pretty dumb movie "The Big Bounce" I think. "God is just an imaginary friend for grown-ups." I hope this is not true, but sadly, it strikes a chord. (not too breif...sorry)

Answer 7

Sure.

Born and raised Roman Catholic for the first thirteen years of my life, was even considering becoming a Nun. Once I got into high school, there were too many questions and not enough answers, and too much hatred and violence associated with my faith. I couldn't resolve them, so I looked elsewhere. From age 13 through 18, I practiced with Christians, Born Again Christians and Baptists, but Christianity did not sit well with me. In college, I discovered Wicca, which I followed for my year-and-a-day training. Due to a falling out with my HPS over ideology, I left Wicca to simply practice as a Solitary Neo-Pagan. A few years ago, it began to feel very hollow and pointless.

I've discovered the teachings of Buddha, and they bring me peace and meaning.

Sometimes it takes years of soul searching to finally find where you belong.

Answer 8

I have grown up in a really sheltered home, and I thank my parents for that because of all the different druggies, philosophies about religion, etc... But the fact of the matter is, is that by giving me time to read and search for answers in the Bible, I am able now as a Strong christian, to answer most questions about religion, and different sins, such as adultery, stealing, etc... that I would have found elsewhere, from someone's off the wall answers...

Answer 9

I do dare to share, but I can't keep it brief. So I'll just say, I'm more of a believer now after 24 years of living than I was after 14 years of living.

Answer 10

I am a firm believer of my Lord and savior Jesus Christ and I believe that he put here to live and love and to learn from each other tolerance. Which is something that the whole human race have not learned yet.

I have at time thought that I was getting carried away with myself when I speak to people about the word but I am now finding out that that is not the issue, it's the people itself.