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I was born and raised one, but moved away from the church in my late teens and twenties. I was raised in the Methodist church and had lots of fundamentalist friends. Over time, I found I didn't care for it much. I didn't like the nature of the worship, the music, and the whole nine yards. I don't think I ever really doubted the existence of God, but I sure as heck didn't care for his mouthpieces.
There was no Road To Damascus for me, no single event. It was more subtle, like gravitational pull. I sensed a void in my life, especially after the deaths of several people close to me. I struggled to understand life's purpose and my place in the world. It wasn't an existential crisis on my part, but rather a sense of being rudderless.
Down the street from my apartment, there was an Episcopal Church. So, one day, I strolled in for a service. It was very strange how it felt like home to me. The liturgy spoke to me, the teachings and the doctrinal approach. For someone used to what I felt were happy-clappy mindless bromides of Methodism and fundamentalism it was a shock, albeit a pleasant one.
That was in April of 1985. I've been a member of that church now for thirty years.
The consciousness I encountered in deep meditation during my epiphany that removed my atheism matched the descriptions of Christ. My eventual Synthesis of science and the spiritual fossil record led me to assign the consciousness I encountered to Christ. I follow Christ . . . not a Christian movement.
While a friend attended college in NYC I played chess with an atheist from Russia who pointed out how hypocritical the clergy classes were. I told him that should Not surprise us because the religious leaders of Jesus' day were corrupted.
He then took me to see the Isaiah Wall at the United Nation's Plaza and wanted me to explain the posted words of Isaiah 2:4 that the nations would Not learn war anymore. I was puzzled and thought Isaiah is a thick book. Then I went to a book store and bought a study cross-reference Bible and started reading it and began to wonder what I was reading was Not matching what the churches taught.
One day a man said to me, " I have good news for you." and he read me Ecclesiastes 1:4 B that the earth abides forever.
Church taught earth would be destroyed, and science class taught earth will be destroyed. Yet, the Bible was teaching the earth would Not be destroyed, and that humble meek people [ those Not learning war anymore ] will inherit the earth forever - Psalm 37 vs 11, 29
By my meditating and researching the Scriptures thus helped me ' encounter ', so to speak, Christ. Christ, but Not what is main-stream Christendom [ so-called Christian in name only ] .
Visiting my then girlfriend (now wife - she was in TX, I lived in GA) ... went to her church and had to sit alone while she was participating in ministry ... God spoke to me there during the sermon ... later that night she explained to me what happened and I understood I was saved that night and married her six months later.
Visiting my then girlfriend (now wife - she was in TX, I lived in GA) ... went to her church and had to sit alone while she was participating in ministry ... God spoke to me there during the sermon ... later that night she explained to me what happened and I understood I was saved that night and married her six months later.
Saved from what?
I sometimes meet folks and ask me if I am saved.
And I say nothing.
But, I am glad your GF converted you, that is a known route.
I left religion when I learned to think for myself.
That is quite logical. Everybody should do that!
What I did was to return to the church knowing quitev well God may not exist. I simply enjoyed the cultural values. It may work for you if you join a mainstream liberal church.
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