Atheists & Christians: Has there been anything that made you seriously doubt your beliefs?

Question

If so, what?

For me, as an atheist, the thing that has made me doubt the most is the beauty of the planet and the complexity of the human body. I still remain firm in my beliefs, but those things made me falter a little.

Play nice! :)

Answer 1

When I was a christian I doubted a lot. Especially when I went to school to become a biblical Scholar....Then as time went by I pursued Paleontology and it cemented my disbelief In Religion.

Answer 2

When I look at the planet, I see beauty and majesty, but I just don't see design. There are some really beautiful things on this planet but that doesn't mean they were made that way by a supreme intelligence. So that kind of argument never convinced me.

I don't know... I question myself all the time. I think it's important to do that. But have I ever read anything that seriously made me suspect that I might be wrong? Not really. I'm totally open to the idea, but at the same time, I've read countless arguments that try to prove theism, and it seems like all of them can either be easily refuted or just aren't convincing enough. I haven't read anything that really stands out.

Answer 3

There is nothing like being an agnostic as I consider myself since neither theism nor its corollary causes me to abandon my ever flexible skepticism! I guess that agnosticism is similar to bisexuality in that one can go either way! I follow no belief system, however, and I come most nearly to embracing one when I consider a sort of deistic approach to cosmology. My predominant problem is with organized religion and not so much with the concept of intelligent design by scientific means; thus, I can attribute the beauty and complexity of existence to a creator without needing to consider it the work of the biblical god but rather of a deity of my own imagining.

Answer 4

There was a time in my life when I didn't understand what God was doing and felt completely abandoned. Because of what all I had experienced there was no way that I could stop believing that God existed, but I seriously doubted and even stopped believing that He is the good kind God that I was always taught and believed He is.

Since then, however, lovely acts of His kindness have followed and I no longer feel or think this way. I think that if we're honest, most of us have questioned our beliefs. To question is to grow - within the Judaic scholarly tradition there is this understanding that we 'wrestle' with God and the scripture for understanding. Personally, I think that's one of the loveliest ways of describing our learning process.

Answer 5

Christian here.

a) Lack of the presence of G-d. No confirmed activity in the past 1,970+ years.
b) The existence of Moslems, Mormons, and Christians. The Jews think those other guys are way misled. G-d isn't talking to straighten out the confusion.
c) When I was going to Sunday School, I noticed that the guys in my Sunday School class were as big bullies and gooberheads as the guys who didn't. If Heaven is going to be filled with d---wads like those guys, why the heck would I want to end up there?

Edit:
G-d does NOT make images in burned cheese toast.

Answer 6

Seriously doubt, no, but each time I look into the eyes of my grandchildren or watch them pray before meals I am glad that they are being reared as persons of faith. I was, and I think the experience was very good for me and, at least to some degree, continues to be an important part of who I am.

Answer 7

I have questioned my faith and even have become angry because of my beliefs!

It was all due to the suffering my Dad went through as he was dying. He was a true lover of God and I just couldn't get why God had allowed him to suffer after my Dad had been such a faithful servant to the Lord.

After the death of my Dad, I realized, a few years later, that none suffered like Christ suffered for us! It was as though the pain just left and peace flooded in.

Since, I have always asked for wisdom to understand instead of blaming God!

Answer 8

Yeah. My WIFE.

I ASKED God if she would be a 'safe' choice for a spouse, and thought He approved of her. That woman has been the most destructive force in my adult life. But I cannot in good conscience divorce her. I suspect this is why I've begun hoping the Buddhists are right, and I'll get a reset soon.

Answer 9

The general ignorance towards science that many of my Christian brethren display often makes me feel ignorant myself.

I myself have gone from Roman Catholic to Deist and back to Roman Catholic, another issue that bothered me was how an all-powerful God fits into evolution, but I found an answer that suffices for me.

Answer 10

Thank you for such a nice question..

here is my answer.

i wasnt always christian...nor was i atheist before either..

id say i beleived in God...but didnt have much faith in Him.

Not sure what you call that...

but what made me finally beleive more..is probably what makes most ppl finally beleive.

being at the end of my rope.

looking for answers within myself that i could not find. and only found through Jesus..
and to be honest..I'm still searching..Ive only been a christian for around 5 yrs. lol so heck im not even a grown up christian yet really.

Answer 11

I never had any doubts to my beliefs .We are lucky to be living among all this beauty ,but even deadly things like volcanos are beautiful in their own way .We are just lucky to be here ,lets enjoy it without fighting .