How does it feel when you switch religions or ideas about religion?

Question

Where you excited, scared, nervous, What? Aethists, JWs, Buddists, All the Christians Faiths, If I could get a Jewish person that would be great, Islam, and anyone I missed.

Answer 1

I was raised into a Christian family.

Throughout childhood, I was of the impression that you are either with God, or against him. Hence, those against him were "with" Satan.

As I neared the ages around 11 or 12, I began to doubt it. And eventually, I realized that I'd never really "believed" in the first place.

I'd treated religion as a game; you win, you go to Heaven. You lose, you go to Hell. And in reality, it's the perfect game: It's impossible to cheat.

I stopped playing.

One of the main points for me, was when I received a copy of the Holy Bible from my church. All of the youth receives one at a certain point, but for some reason, they gave me several. As I went to place them on my shelf, which is organized by genre; fiction, non-fiction, poetry, etc., I found that I subconsciously set it with the "fiction" books. Up til that point, I'd been raised to treat religion as fact; non-fiction.

But I didn't move it.

And before long, the rest of my religious text was in the same place.

When I found myself sitting in the basement of a church, early and awaiting the begin of my Confirmation class, I found myself listening to Antichrist Superstar on my MP3 Player. I was thinking about the book, "The Long Hard Road Out Of Hell."

At that point, I knew it was just.. over.

I was afraid. I was a hateful, filthy atheist, or so I thought. That's what I was raised to believe, and I was naive enough to believe it, til that point.

I never set foot into that church again. I don't know that I ever will. It's not home; it's foreign to me, now.

Through research, I realized that atheists aren't as bad as I was brainwashed to think. Slowly, I came to accept it.

But the road to that acceptance was Hell. I hurt others and myself emotionally, and I hurt myself physically. I didn't sleep, I didn't eat. Because I realized that there really was no "God," and that prospect scared the living Hell out of me. I was afraid, confused, sad, and all in all, I just wanted my old life back.

But I'm happier, now that I've accepted it.

And I wouldn't have it any other way.

Answer 2

I am one of Jehovah's Witnesses and I was grateful for finally learning the truth. I spend a lot of time researching religions before I knew JW's had the truth. I was raised Baptist and had friends who were Catholic. I compared many Bible's and many publications. When I first met Jehovah's Witnesses I was skeptical but once I began reading the How to Have a Happy Family Life book I knew it was the truth. The best book I have read is the What Does the Bible Really Teach book. Again, I researched the book comparing it to many things and the truth was reenforced that I am right in being one of Jehovah's Witnesses.

Answer 3

Well that depends on who you call a jew. I for one was a messianic jew for 10 years and as a jew for Jesus I enjoyed it. What caused me to change my views ? It was the light of God's word and the place where I recieved more light of truth. God has taken me from 3 stages over 20 years of religions. I was born into a baptist family, then studied the Islamic religions, became a messsianic jew and now an Adventist. I do not plan to move from this last stage and I do not belive God will move me either. All that I learned and experienced has made me more open to learn and adapt to teach. I thank God, for those that are still friends and family because I love Jesus' truth. Each stage taught me about people as well as myself but must of all God and his kingdom.

Answer 4

When I switched from christianity to atheism, I felt relieved, like I had just figured out a math problem that's been bugging me for 20 years, and glad that I didn't have to keep lying anymore about believing in god.

Answer 5

Unsure. Just as unsure as I was with the first one.

In all honest, I really don't know what exactly is true, so it is hard to identify with any religion, when you are so unsure.

I have settled on just trying to be a good person. Like not pushing old ladies down in the street and trying to be kind.

Oh yea, and not judging others....cause you never know when you may be in their situation.

Answer 6

I felt as if I had "come home" after years of trying to feel Jesus but never feeling Him... I felt Her instead. It's my belief that our gods choose us.... I know many will disagree, and that's fine. Some believe there are none, some believe there is one, some believe there are many. It's really all personal.

Answer 7

I went from atheism to becoming a Christian and I felt like I finally woke up from a life of emptiness. God is good.

Answer 8

sort of excited, sort of in mourning, at first there was a slight feeling of doing something wrong (baptist to pagan/wiccan), but then it clicked, and i felt freed, i realized that what i was mourning was the loss of something i never really lost, that was God, who i believe is the same god that is the Goddess and God. I felt like i didn't have to lie about my beliefs anymore. my abilities finally made sense, and I didn't feel like a stupid little kid anymore, when it came to doing things like scrying. :)

Answer 9

My faith doesn't have any concrete ideas, so to speak, so I feel like I'm constantly gaining knowledge and new ideas.

To me, it just feels like I'm growing.

Answer 10

I realised atheism and I simply felt liberated.