When was the last time you changed your mind about something you believed?

Question

For example: I am in the process of exploring issues related to the divinity of Jesus. Believe me, that's a tough one for me...

lol! well, it's not Answers so much that is challenging my beliefs about Jesus, it's my husband. He doesn't believe in the divinity of Jesus, so we discuss it a lot.

Answer 1

Ah.. I see that this forum has gotten to you. After you are here for awhile it does that to you. You start thinking about things that are presented here. I have a motto for this group. "Abandon Faith All Ye That Enter Here".

I can relate. After being here and watching things on TV, I too went through a soul searching experience. And this is what I have decided. Jesus was a great teacher and a great man. The greatest that was ever on this earth. He did things that I think were real and those were things that few if any others could do. Son of God or mere human, I would still follow his teachings. I think that somehow He is still with us and can help us on the way to being like Him.

There is a thought in Christian Spirituality, that many of the great writers have said that goes like this: We must come to a point in our spiritual journey when we let go of everything that we think we know about God, everything.. and just be. I have come to a point that all I know to be true is that I exist and something outside of myself exist that moves the evolution of mankind forward to become the best that is within us. For me this means that I exist and God exist. All else is mystery and I can just rest in the mystery and enjoy the life that I have been given and help others to do likewise.

In other word, let go of all of the theology and just be with God in the mystery that is His and your existance.

Answer 2

LOL, dearie . . . cuz this happens almost every day! Usually not concerning something profound like the divinity of Christ. But every day my little monkey brain accumulates more information, and oftentimes new information changes my previous notions or conclusions. For example, like most people I used to think Pluto was a planet, but now it turns out that it's just one of a whole bunch of big chunks of rock whizzing around out there in the Kuiper Belt.

So I'm a big believer in thinking, reasoning and continuously examining and challenging the data. The "church" called people like Keppler and Galileo heretics for observing that the sun, not the earth, is the center of the solar system. We all know now that the scientists were right and church was wrong. So we should always, I think, explore and examine our beliefs and challenge the foundation those beliefs are built upon.

Answer 3

I think any rational person does it fairly often. Any time you get new evidence that contradicts what you believe, you have to assess the evidence and weigh it against what you previously knew or were taught.

Good for you for considering the question of Jesus' divinity. I don't know which side you are on, but it's a question that should certainly be considered analytically.

Answer 4

Good for you. I did that one too. That is a tough one...AND it should be worth your while. It is always a virtue to follow the evidence wherever it leads. I've tried to uphold that commitment since my early twenties. It's hard work, and can be disorienting but very rewarding. I'm 40 now. I think my exploration about lead to my leaving the church had by far the largest impact on my life.

As for the one I last changed my mind about, it wouldn't be of interest to most people since it is a fairly obscure philosophical question about the limits of human knowledge. Others are details about how evolution works.

Answer 5

Not nearly as dramatic...

I just watched Michael Moore's new documentary "SiCKO" and I know firmly belive that, in 2007, universal, free, unlimited health care is a basic human right and it is inexcusable that such a system is not afforded to each citzen of the United States, irrespective of income, class or status.

*EDIT* - You probably know this, but in case you don't, Ralph Waldo Emerson famously denied Christ's divinity, and unashamedly presented this philosophy to a graduating class at Harvard Divinity School. He ticked of a lot of people and was persona non-grata at his alma mater for a while. It may give you historical context to your own journey.

Answer 6

I hope I never stop changing a little more each day for the better. I love learning and growing, especially spiritually. With God, the possibilities are endless. Every time I read the Bible, I learn something new, or I catch something I didn't catch the last time. The Bible has so many layers to it.

Answer 7

I changed my mind about Paul, formerly known as Saul when I read that Jesus prophesied that a slave would seek to be greater than Him. Then realized that a loving God wouldn't make us wait thousands of years for the Anti-christ, it had to be a Character who took advantage of his influence and changed the teachings of love that Jesus shared, thus Paul fit the bill perfectly.

Answer 8

I changed by belief in the Democratic Party when I found out Hilary Clinton was running for President.

Answer 9

i dont kno the last time, it happens pretty much every year, i have done the exploration of jesus and mary magdaline, etc... i dont have answers but i am more open to what people have to say about their religion because i have also researched the other religions. i think we could pay attention to them all and take something from them all and make our own ideas . i believe we are all worshiping or admiring or hoping for the same source of life. we are just too arrogant and egotistic to realize it. i did not change my religion, i just opened my mind.

Answer 10

About 10 years ago.

With respect to major beliefs it does not happen in humans very often. It is often a life changing event in another area that is the catalyst for change.

My change is not similar to yours, but none the less still meaningful to me.