What made you lose your faith?

Question

if applicable, what did it take for you to get it back?

Answer 1

I guess I lost it when I got old enough to realize that all the people who went to my church were really stupid. I didn't want to become like them so I quit going. Today I really feel like faith is something for weak minded people to feel better about their own mortality, and I don't need that.

Answer 2

Everything that I was taught about god in christianity didn't make sense - a loving creator making a world where predator killed prey, people suffered and died, people were judged and sent to hell, etc. I then realized the fear of death is powerful and saw that God and afterlife were a natural evolution of a mechanism to deal with the meaninglessness that one may find in an existence that starts with birth and ended in death, with the majority of time spent not existing. As the years went by, I went through a major negative period and, one night, I was at the lowest of the low and I had an 'experience' -- incredible experience -- to say that we're not alone is an understatement. I then realized why I never had that experience before -- I had never gotten myself out of the way, completely -- never 'surrendered'. This 'experience' was all Love -- no negative stuff. Subsequently, I did 'A Course in Miracles' and some Zen and had some additional 'glimpses' here and there. Unfortunately, I've since let the practice go and I'm back to where the other stuff is a distant memory; I'm back somewhat doing the practice. Bottom line: blind faith won't do it for me; faith based on what makes sense and then by experiences that show me that this stuff isn't all just made-up stuff to deal with death is what's needed. And I had that, to a degree, once.

Answer 3

My parents wereboth in the ministry and I went from 1-4th grade in a private Chritian school. My mother also was program director for a Christian tv station. I guess you can say I was definately brought up around religious people. I have witnessed a great deal of corruption from people that were supposed to be gods messengers. My grandmother had invested a great deal of money in PTL and we all know what happened with that.
I stopped going to church, and I will never put my faith in a preacher. However I have had to many prayers awnsered to lose my faith in god. If you leave yourself open to lifes little miracles it is hard not to have faith in god. Just use common sense when listening to his messengers.

Answer 4

When I read the part in the Bible where God told Moses it was okay to own slaves, just to treat them properly, I began to question everything.

Clergy were ineffectual at answering my questions. i began to view the Bible as a useful but flawed historical and mythological allegory.

I have since realized that human freedom, decency and liberty are more important criteria to base a society on.

Democracy means compromise and acknowledging the contributions of everyone.

But I have come to appreciate the good works of people of faith I have known and who are also my friends.

If they can be tolerant of my Atheism, it is the very least I can do to be tolerant of their faith.

Answer 5

You have asked a very difficult and personal question. Let me try to give you an answer that may be useful to you.

My ancestors can to America for religious freedom, one side Catholic, the other Protestant. Until a Catholic was elected president , Protestants distrusted Catholics. Mixed marriages were not allowed, but occasionally exceptions were made.

During WWII, my mother (Catholic) married my father (a converted Protestant). There the battlefield over beliefs and faith began . To say the least, I was raised in the Catholic faith; studied to be a priest; and discovered in the seminary that I did not believe in Catholicism. I left the seminary and search for something that matched my beliefs, since my faith in Catholicism was lost. I studied other religions but eventually returned to Christianity, but to my father's family religion. I continued my studies and was ordained a minister specializing in biblical studies, the Christian bible.

So where did I lose my faith. My mother once said to me that I was a Catholic son or no son at all. Born a Catholic, raised a Catholic, study for the priesthood, and found that Catholic belief system was enough.

Now to answer your question: Faith/believing (this is one word in Greek) is not gain or lost, it is realized. Whatever you believe is not something that is debatable, but something that comes from within. It is what makes you, you; it is what you are willing (maybe without choice) to die for.

Did I lose my Catholic faith, or did I find my Protestant faith? There are many things that I personally do not understand, but it is my faith in God (God is spirit) and in His/Her/Its word (God has no gender, He/She/It created male and female). Where is God's word? I believe it is found in the bible (the Christian bible--Catholic or Protestant).

I did not lose my faith (belief in the bible), I just lost my way. After many years, I found it again, and in doing so, I found my God. I hope that answers your question.

Answer 6

I lost faith after reading the Bible caused me to have serious doubts. When I investigated them, I discovered I had been deceived all my life.

I haven't returned, nor can I imagine a scenario that would cause me to return short of serious brain injury.

Answer 7

I have eight years when my religion teacher try to explain me the Noah's story. I really think she's lying and I still believe the same thing.
The Bible is full of Histories and Fairy Tales.
I believe by proof, not by faith.

Answer 8

I came to the realization that God does not exist. There is no proof for his/her/its existence. It is a made-up concept, no different than Santa Claus or any other imaginary being.

Answer 9

well, what I thought were contradictions in the bible. But, after researching all of them and resolving them, I figured it made sense to believe in jesus :)

Answer 10

Reality....