If you believe or don't believe: What turned you from God/Allah/Buddah/etc (if you ever did believe)?

Question

What made you turn to Him again or what continues to keep you hidden from Him?

My story:
When I was fifteen, I was clincally depressed. I wasn't suicidal but I didn't want to live either. After losing 15lbs (in a month) and 150 grams of Wellbutrin a day, I was okay. Then when I was about to turn 17, I could feel myself becoming unbearably depressed again. Instead of not eating and going on medication, I decided to pray constantly and get saved. I think I was happier that year than I ever been in my life. I was changed mentally, spiritually, and physically. Guys noticed too..I guess what really turned me away from God was the confidence in my own appearance, I guess I felt I didn't need Him anymore. What turned me back? Life experiences showed me I really couldn't live without Him.

You don't have to share anything too personal, I just want to get an idea of people's thoughts on God and the things He does or doesn't do.

Answer 1

My parents were Anglican fundies that hated everything and everyone that didn't agree with them, when I was 14 I started to get depressed, I prayed for it to go away and it didn't, I then failed my exams because I was told by my Parents and my Vicar to pray instead of revise, after completely failing at life and having a real crappy job I tried to kill myself with cheap rope from B&Q which snapped, causing me to seek help for my problems, this then lead me to research other religeons and so I chose Atheism as there is no evidence for any God at all. I'm only just starting to get my life back on track after The Great Trainwreck of my childhood.

Answer 2

I was a Christian for around 30 years. One of my passions is to learn new stuff, espcially in the sciences particularly in archeology. Often current archeology stories are interspersed with paleontology finds so I started to become aware of the massive amount of fossil evidence for evolution. Being well versed in Creationism, I thought "well, they don't have transitional fossils", but a little research showed that there were a large number of transitional fossils. This placed a serious question about the validity of Creation. I then reasoned that there should be archaeological evidence of the Exodus story as you simply cannot hide 200 to 400 years of history and a large host of people. I was astonished to find the massive amount of knowledge we have about the ancient Egyptians but also that there was no evidence for the Exodus. Strictly speaking there is a mention of a nomadic people that might have been proto-Hebrews that were begging for water near the eastern border.

Without detailing the long series of questions and research that followed, I concluded that the Bible was unsupportable as a valid historical document especially in regards to any of the miraculous events. Thus, it could not be considered as the infallible word of God.

Basically it boiled down that the case for a divine being was basically non-existent.

Answer 3

I was hurt, injured very badly. I had a NDE, and I quit labelling myself a Christian officially at age 22. I don't believe in a religious version of "god". The Being that greeted me was pure bright white-blue light, and it was warm and loving. I was told I would be OK and that I had to prepare to recover, and it would be painful...and that I couldn't come just yet. I felt like a child being reunited with my mother and father being in this Being's presence, there was only love and warmth and peace there. Like nothing on Earth, I wish I could explain more. I really do, but it's nearly impossible to explain.

After knowing that there is "something" on the other side by seeing it for myself, I cannot subscribe to the idea of a malevolent, jealous bastard in the sky smiting people for wearing polyester and cotton underwear. I'm talking unconditional love and acceptance, and the very current that makes us alive is what I sensed and what cradled my soul and reassurred me.

After a long recovery and redeployment, I did some deep soul searching, and I call myself a spiritual atheist. I believe something is there, but not the way Christians, Jews, Muslims etc do.

Answer 4

I don't really believe He exists, although I am not arrogant enough say that 100%. I think the only time I believed in God was when I was younger, as we were forced to say The Lord's Prayer at school. I believe in being educated about religion and the other options within school of course, but school is a place where veryone shoould be equal. My Mum likes to think she's a Christian but I had a choice about whether I wanted to believe, and she can accept my choice. However, as soon as a child is born into an Islamic family they are immediately a Muslim, with no choice. I think this is unfair.

Answer 5

I went to church with my grandfather and sunday school which i loved.. I think the thing that turned me off christianity was all the preaching christians. Without them, I may have stood a chance. Theyre are so judgemental and in your face. Paedophillia, incestant ramblings, condemnation to unbelievers. I decided at the age of 12 that it was all a crock of shiit that i could do without. No theories or proof has changed my mind. I am more convinced every day...PROUD TO BE AN ATHEIST... or is that anti- christ? God just isnt my cup of tea....

Answer 6

I turned away and lost all respect for the bibles "god" once i was old enough to understand what i was reading...humph

that book is still the largest well of evil I've ever seen. Fortunately for me, it's all just stories.

I spent a great deal of time in my low and mid teens studying not only present, but past religions, and never stopped.

this convinced me, I was right, the idea of a "god" is just silly.

now I'm middle aged and I have never been more certain of anything before in my entire life

there is no "gods" not now, not ever.

If you gain some comfort from thinking there is...great! I am happy for you.

But if I believed in that "god"...the one of the bible, that is to say if i thought those stories were real...my hate and contempt for that "god" would know no bounds.

Answer 7

I was brought up as a Methodist and attended regular Sunday school classes as a child. Christianity, as taught, never resounded in my heart and the older I got, the more questions and inconsistencies I found. In my journey toward faith, I read the Bible, the Qur'an, the Noble Eightfold Path, and various books about and by the Dalai Lama. I looked at Shinto, Wicca and other pagan faiths. In the end I just considered what I believed in my heart, looked around at what I'd seen and started referring to myself as an animist.

Answer 8

Some say God doesn't give you what you can't handle. Others say God gives you what you deserve. I say When you do wrong you get your pay back from God in the way God thinks you deserve. I also believe you have to earn your way to him and until you do you will play the game he wants you to play.

I am also one who suffers from depression. There are days I just want to dye. I can't commit suicide, because of my children. What/how would they think of me? So, I sit through the suffering, wishing everyday that it will get better. It hasn't and seems as if it is getting worse, but the only thing I can do is wait until the day he finally hands me the gift that will fix it all.

Answer 9

I turned away when my sisters fiance passed away from a brain hammeroage at 25 years... Then a few years later, my friend lost her 4 month old son to meningecocal. To see what they went through was tourture... What kind of sick God would do that to anyone... My littler sister lost her faith at the same time and she was only 5 years old attending a catholic primary school- getting religion rammed down her throat after loosing her brother in law then it was almost like the church was rubbing it in... Never will be a believer again, done his dash with me

Answer 10

You will know yourself whether you love God Almighty when you are young. Look back, and the things that you love are all in favor of Love , Kindness, truthfulness and many things related to the Holy Kingdom. This I notice of people that walk in faith even though they were thieves, murderers or convicts of the most heinous act before. Until they are united to the Heavenly Father, they find rest,ending all hostilities. Now being complete, having peace, hope,and the promise in Christ Jesus. Having all things that is Heaven and all things of the world.