What has convinced you to believe what you believe?

Question

I'd like to hear from people who have found a religion different than the one they were raised with, though all people are welcome to answer. I want to know if it's something specific that convinced you, or maybe you just liked something about a certain religion and wanted to be a part of it. Please, no hate or anti-anything here. This should be about sharing.

Come on Mike, you had me hooked and then left me hanging! You have to let us know what has come of all that serious thought and life experience.

Answer 1

I believe what I believe because it made the most sense to me and was the best path for me to personally follow.

Answer 2

I wouldn't say that I was convinced by anything, per se. I can only say that I was 'given' faith. I wasn't looking for God but on some level I knew that He is who He says He is, and I had prayed on and off for many years that if this were true, He would show Himself to me. Again, let me state that I wasn't visiting churches or doing anything. Just to be honest and say that I *did* want to find Him if He was there.

Then one Saturday night, about six years ago, I was sitting on my couch, watching PBS and God just *spoke* to me. Not audibly, (though I believe that happens, too) but He just kind of whispered His secrets in my ear, and from then on I believed.

My husband I think would tell a kind of similar story. Raised with no religion and an atheist, one day he just woke up convinced of His own sin and asked a guy at work how to become saved. He hadn't even been talking with anyone about God, it was just like one day he woke up and felt compelled to know God even though the day before he believed there was no God.

I'm sure there are many people who have been convinced by an argument, and I'm sure there are many more who have been convinced by signs or miracles, but faith was just kind of plopped into my lap. I have prayed *so* many prayers of gratitude, because it has been such a gift. But I wasn't discussing religion with someone and all of the sudden they said the right thing and then I believed. Just one minute I didn't have faith and the next I did.

As I've said here before on YA, I believe that faith is more of a heart issue than a head issue; that is why it doesn't surprise me that arguments and debates don't tend to win people to the Lord. It amazes me what *does*! The Lord is so creative!

Answer 3

.Well, I was raised with unactive Jehovah Witness parents. So, I pretty much was raised with knowledge of God and who he was, but never was really spiritual.
After seeing how zealous Jehovah Witnesses were in they're preaching work, it inspired me to give the religion a chance. I feel I have been blessed and have learned the truth.
My parents became active again after my brother and I began studying the Bible.
Another thing that interested me even more was learning about brother's and sister's experiances in the Holocaust and how faithful they remained even under trial. Also, going to Mexico and visiting the Kingdom Halls there was great, and really showed me our united brotherhood WORLDWIDE(John 13:35).
And most importantly, Knowing I am worshiping the only true God Jehovah and knowing that I try my hardest to make his heart rejoice (Proverbs 7:11) makes me the most happiest 14 year old girl on earth.=]
Hope this answers your question and have a great day!

Answer 4

You have a good question. Changing beliefs is not a matter of being convinced. To me, if I were to convince you, I have to work on reasoning.

What makes me believe what I believe is the feeling inside that tells you what is peaceful and not.

We all have that sense of peace inside us. When we agree to what we believe in, we feel harmony and order in our lives. What what you think you believe causes you to doubt and question, then you know there is something not satisfied insided you that you are still seeking the truth because you have not found it yet.

Listen to your heart, and be aware of how you feel about things. That is how you know it feels good to believe what you believe.

If I can convince you of something, you can also be unconvinced otherwise. But if you go with feelings, only you will know what is right for you, what your truth is, and not someone else's truth.

Answer 5

Sadly, I was raised a Christian and was in catholic school for nine years. I asked my pastor about the theories of science, and he told me "To believe in science is to not believe in Christianity." So, I gave up on Christianity. Couple days later, my pastor was than accused and found guilty of molesting a minor.

Than after a lot of soul searching, I became atheist.

Answer 6

I was raised to become whatever faith I felt comfortable with. My parents were of differing Christian groups and neither was an active church member. I grew up in a predominantly Catholic area and most of my friends practiced Catholicism. I attended a very well known Catholic University and I married a Catholic woman. We were together for 23 years before our divorce we and continue to share a very good relationship today, twelve years post.

I'm atheist.

My atheism began as a youngster, preteen. I asked myself questions and I sought the answers to them. None of what I was able to find lead me to believe that there was anything factual to be considered of the "metaphysical world" and slowly, through formal and informal education, I confirmed my growing "belief" into a personal philosophy and
I developed my own set of convictions. I am convinced that I have not only walked a straight line but that I have walked a line that has led me to a place of truthfulness and that I am set on a firm foundation.

No God or gods or spirit or ghost or demon or nymph or gnome or hairy monster from beyond has ever bothered to show any evidence of itself to me.... thus, I conclude that they are as unreal as the Santa Clause who has failed to deliver the goodies ever since childhood became a thing of the past.

Here's some additional sharing:
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Worth_reading_mine_GIF.gif
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Bad_laws_GIF_01.gif
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Not_Science_GIF.gif
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Amputee_GIF.gif
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/skeptic_wife_GIF-1.gif
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Worth_reading_BettieGIF.gif
http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb62/Randall_Fleck/Class_of_the_atheist_GIF-1.gif

[][][] r u randy? [][][]
.

Answer 7

I do not believe in religions, because they are the traditions of man and not of God.

I am considered a christian and I attend a nondenominational church, which does the will of God. I believed in Jesus and God for a number of years but was not in a church, because they were so off track. One day I was at home and all of a sudden I felt a powerful force started to ripple through my body. It came up through body from my feet to my head and the power was so great that it removed the pain and depression that I had at the time. I realized this was the Holy spirit and now I was baptized by my faith and obedience. This happened before I came to the church that I am in now. i experienced many things of God as I was doing more and more for God. The problem today is that no body does the will of God no longer, they pray to God to give me stuff and that is it. That is not the will of God.

DO THE WILL OF GOD
You need to find a home church, be obedient, follow his word, be baptized with the holy spirit, show your self approved and do the will of God (Mark 16: 15 - 18)


MY EXPERIENCES

I experienced God many of times, when you fellowship with him. I received the Holy Spirit one day before I came to the church that I am attending now. The power of the Holy Spirit was so powerful that it was a force that rippled from my feet through my body and up to my head. It removed the pain and depression that I had at the time and it caused a great sensation of peace (to this day, I was never water baptized). He will be there for you; he knows your needs and wants. One night after doing the will of God (ministering to someone against the book of James) I was driving back home and I continued to fall asleep on the fwy. On the third time, my ears popped opened, like a loud explosion, I felt a rush of pins and needles swirling around the inside of my head, I felt pins and needles from my elbows to my hands and then I was wide awake, like I had slept for days. I drove all the way home and when I got into the driveway I started to fall a sleep again. Once he picked me and my motorcycle up, while riding in the mountains after I was about to crash. I blacked out and when he set me back on the path, I woke up. Once he sent an angel down to stop me from doing something stupid, this angel looked like a human but when I turned away for a second and then back he vanished. I can go on and on. Have faith, sit in a church and learn God's word. You need to find a home church, be obedient, follow his word, be baptized with the holy spirit, show your self approved and do the will of God (Mark 16: 15 - 18)

Answer 8

Well I grew up Catholic but I am now a non-denominational Christian. I found that I didn't really know Jesus in the Catholic church, because unfortunately they don't teach Jesus - they teach Catholicism.

When I met Jesus, I could not turn away. He is truth, and has given me his grace to live his life through me.

Answer 9

I believe what I believe out of a lot of very serious thought, based on my own life experiences, the lives of people around me, and things that I've read/seen on late night t.v/heard/imagined to be true.


oh, ok. I'm an atheist.

Answer 10

I have discovered the Grace of God recently or rather it discovered me. It was there in something that I had known for most of my life but I didn't recognize it. Since then I have also discovered the power of prayer.

Peace,

AAD