has anyone else had to reevaluate their beliefs?

Question

due to strong evidence of something?

I am having to reasses reincarnation and see where it fits in with my beliefs , due to many cases I have studied at university

does anyone feel that it is wrong to be flexible in our beliefs when new evidence transpires ?
or do you feel that due to faith in something that any evidence should be dismissed because it goes against what you believe to be true ?

this is open to everyone xx

does anyone feel that flexability is a must in any belief system ?

lol tubes my university lecturers must be misinformed about the thousands of reincarnation studies then

Answer 1

I have many time, and one of the things that I love about Buddhism is that it can be combined with other beliefs. For example, I have recently changed my stance of abortion...

It is not wrong in any way...

Yes, flexibility is a must in Buddhism:
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it"
- Buddha -

Answer 2

Hi pangel

I have come to learn that what we think we know is the biggest impediment to our spiritual growth. If we simply discount anything that does not mesh with our current belief system how can we grow at all?

For many years I believed in a judgmental punishing God. It never even occurred to me that this might not be true. In fact it never even occurred to me that there could even be any other possibility.

The first time I heard about god's unconditionally loving nature it just made sense to me. Still in the back of my mind I had a nagging doubt about this because it was not what I had been told to believe about God. The more I thought about it the more logical it became. Finally I just knew that this was the real God and what I had been told previously was little more than a lie about God.

Ever since I have questioned everything. My beliefs are fluid and grow by leaps and bounds.

I was dead spiritually when I only believed what I was told to believe. Now my faith is a live and complete. I have found that if you ask sincerely an answer will be provided. The trick is being open to the truth when you see it..

Love and blessings Don

Answer 3

Hi Pangel,

A few times, as reality or growth proved to be more powerful than faith.

I am not flexible to change all the time, unless, there is new information that supports a change. If one does not change, in the face of evidence, then one is dogmatic. I'd say that about 40%-50% of all people naturally fall into being more comfortable with dogma than growth.

I was at a seminar once where it was uncovered that for a new hospital, that 50% of the people did not want to change, 50% wanted more responsibility. Some people said, "Well I guess the janitors will be doing brain surgery soon.". Or, "I got a degree to be an x-ray tech, and I will not clean a bed pan." Others were, I'm tired of doing the same thing, let me grow and learn new things.

Life is so complex, when we make it so, isn't it?

Answer 4

My aunt is a wheelchair user and as a child I was taught to say prayers at bed time. I always used to pray that she would be able to walk again. One day I found out she wouldn't. That is when I stopped believing in God! It was natural as a child to re-evaluate my beliefs and adjust them accordingly.
Not saying that I'm right or wrong, but whatever you believe, if you don't take your time to assess new evidence or information that you come accross then you can only be described as stupid. This doesn't mean that you should ignore your faith when you come across evidence, I greatly admire, and am somewhat envious of those who have a true and committed faith, but that all things should be considered and accepted as part of your understanding of any belief system you hold. For example some Christians believe that being gay is wrong, others have accepted this as another part of modern life and accepted this, maybe altering their views accordingly but not turing their back on their religion.

Answer 5

You can't FORCE yourself to believe in something. You either believe it or you don't. I'm Pagan, but I don't really believe in the Summerland. I belive in the next world, but I don't really think it's all summer-ish like many Pagans say it is. Why don't I believe that? Because it doesn't make much sense to me. You can be flexible in your beliefs. Believe what you believe. When someone asks what you believe about life after death, your answer should be something that you yourself find logical and obvious, NOT whatever your religion says should be the answer. If your answer just happens to be the same as the answer according to your religion, then that's just fine. But it's fine otherwise too.

Answer 6

I would rather live my life as if there is a God and die to find out there isn't, than live my life as if there isn't and die to find out there is.
Albert Camus

The more I study religions the more I am convinced that man never worshiped anything but himself.
Richard Burton

The beauty of religious mania is that it has the power to explain everything. Once God (or Satan) is accepted as the first cause of everything which happens in the mortal world, nothing is left to chance... logic can be happily tossed out the window.
Stephen King

A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.
Friedrich Nietzsche

Answer 7

We cannot ignore evidence but the ultimate evidence is what we experience ourselves. In the case of reincarnation I think it is true, it makes sense and then the evidence points toward it existing. But I won't know for sure until later...;-)

Answer 8

I often have to re-evaluate my beliefs. If someone shows me a verse that I am not familiar with, or if I discover that a verse I am familiar with is out of context, then I have to take this on board. Also, when I explore the linguistic or cultural roots of a reference, that also throws a new light on things. My aim is always to get at the truth of Scripture.

Answer 9

Philosophy and Morality -- that's what ultimately lead me to my faith/theory equipment. i grew to become into raised Catholic, uncovered to many religious perspectives and teachings. Went 9 years to a predominantly Baptist deepest college. Married a remarkable Baptist women. the completed time last Catholic. by way of a chain of events in my existence.. i finished up being a non-training Catholic, yet all the jointly as felt very "incomplete" and prefer i grew to become into taking the basic way out and not residing the existence I consistently wanted to stay and thought I must be maximum well known. After approximately 7 years or so, I got here returned to the Catholic faith. i began by potential of studying questions that have been posed to me from countless components. I looked into the history, the training, the theology and the Philosophy of the Catholic faith and located it to be greater useful at explaining issues and greater consistent in the way it teaches its morals then different religions. I grew to grow to be further and extra drawn returned to it and positively, can no longer think of of something exterior shaking my faith interior the destiny.

Answer 10

I have had reincarnation ideas since birth without knowing for sure that it was so. I believe strongly in Krishna I believe god gave us all intuition but more so to the prophetic mystics he chose to guide us all as spirit beings unseparate from our material nature. People who interpret God as a great mystic would are using their intuition so I think spirituality is not questionable even though your beliefs may be. as long as they help you gain greater access to your truth that is person to person basiaclly.