Do most "Born Agains" transition from miserable existences? (salvation, soul)

[Charles]

Were people miserable prior to becoming "Born Again"? Were "Born Again" people previously depressed, suicidal, alcoholics, drug addicts, prisoners, etc? Did they become "Born Again" just after they "hit bottom"?

Are people who are generally happy, well adjusted, stable, well balanced, and mentally healthy less likely to become "Born Again"?

[agnostic soldier]

I think that born agains most often don't become happier. I know many born agains that are full of anger, mistrust, misery and unhappiness. Many of which don't 'kick' the bad habits that they had as nonbelievers.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by agnostic soldier

I think that born agains most often don't become happier. I know many born agains that are full of anger, mistrust, misery and unhappiness. Many of which don't 'kick' the bad habits that they had as nonbelievers.

You may be right but it seems to me - and this is totally unscientific - that born agains seem happier. However to me it seems delusional, though they really accept their rebirth.

More power to them. Their happiness trumps my cynicism. I'd rather be happy and delusional or brainwashed or wrong than anything else and coherent, realistic, and correct.

[Reverend1111]

Originally Posted by Charles

Were people miserable prior to becoming "Born Again"? Were "Born Again" people previously depressed, suicidal, alcoholics, drug addicts, prisoners, etc? Did they become "Born Again" just after they "hit bottom"?

Are people who are generally happy, well adjusted, stable, well balanced, and mentally healthy less likely to become "Born Again"?

To be born again means to transform the soul from a natural love soul to a Divine Love soul. We don't necessarily have to be people who are negative in order for the transformation to progress. As with all things, a person on the Divine Love path must progress their soul. It isn't something that just happens. Anyone who says they are born again would be the perfect human being living the same life that Jesus led. As far as I know, there isn't anyone on earth who is like that.

To be born again, one would be perfect as God is perfect and they would have absolutely no negative qualities about them. All who confess to being born again are merely stating something they have been taught to express when they accept Jesus as their savior. None have persued the way to change their own natual love soul to a Divine Love soul so the negative attributes are still there just as strong as they were before they professed in their belief.

When the person persues Divine Love, the Love slowly will change their soul so that the negative attributes are no longer present. It's a progressive thing and never a thing that happens over night or even in a few years. It's something that will take this life and most of the spiritual life to attain.

Just my opinion and my own experience as I acquire more of this Love into my own soul.

[toosie]

Originally Posted by Charles

Were people miserable prior to becoming "Born Again"? Were "Born Again" people previously depressed, suicidal, alcoholics, drug addicts, prisoners, etc? Did they become "Born Again" just after they "hit bottom"?

Are people who are generally happy, well adjusted, stable, well balanced, and mentally healthy less likely to become "Born Again"?

1,2,3. Some were but my guess is that most weren't.
4. No more or less likely.

Just anecdotally, I'm aware of several kinds of people who are Born Again...
1. People who were raised that way
2. Protestants/Catholics who already were pretty religious
3. Seekers/The Lost - people who always or started looking for an amorphous 'something' to fill a lack in their lives
4. Rock bottomers

There's room for cross-over in the above categories and the last two clearly are vulnerable to sales pitches for salvation.

Your fourth question gives me pause because...
1. I believe people who are happy and mentally healthy do choose to be born again...but...
2. Honestly, that movement strikes me as being very extreme and not 'well balanced' - it's over the top and filters into too much, IMO. So, they might start out well-balanced but end up out of balance (IMO) after becoming born again.

Overall, no, I don't think 'most' born again people transitioned from miserable lives.

[Mercury Cougar]

Originally Posted by Charles

Were people miserable prior to becoming "Born Again"? Were "Born Again" people previously depressed, suicidal, alcoholics, drug addicts, prisoners, etc? Did they become "Born Again" just after they "hit bottom"?

Are people who are generally happy, well adjusted, stable, well balanced, and mentally healthy less likely to become "Born Again"?

As an atheist, I transitioned away from a woefully miserable existence into a happy, productive life. I chose the red pill, and I couldn't be happier that I did.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Reverend1111

To be born again means to transform the soul from a natural love soul to a Divine Love soul. We don't necessarily have to be people who are negative in order for the transformation to progress. As with all things, a person on the Divine Love path must progress their soul. It isn't something that just happens. Anyone who says they are born again would be the perfect human being living the same life that Jesus led. As far as I know, there isn't anyone on earth who is like that.

To be born again, one would be perfect as God is perfect and they would have absolutely no negative qualities about them. All who confess to being born again are merely stating something they have been taught to express when they accept Jesus as their savior. None have persued the way to change their own natual love soul to a Divine Love soul so the negative attributes are still there just as strong as they were before they professed in their belief.

When the person persues Divine Love, the Love slowly will change their soul so that the negative attributes are no longer present. It's a progressive thing and never a thing that happens over night or even in a few years. It's something that will take this life and most of the spiritual life to attain.

Just my opinion and my own experience as I acquire more of this Love into my own soul.

Most of this above is irrelevant as we're trying to assess the born again's state of being/psychological/emotional transition parallel to his transition to born again. We're not asking about the "soul" and "divine love" and all that other wishy washy undefined stuff.

So, are you born again? What was your life like before you became born again? Drugs? Divorce? Crime? Destitute? Depression? What's your story?

Come on, I'll bet you have a story.

[MysticPhD]

Since it is not possible to be "born again" without exiting this one by dying and leaving THIS existence . . . I guess it would depend on whether or not you consider this existence miserable. However . . . if you are referring to what should be called the "Born of God" while still in this life . . . then I see no prerequisite for misery . . . although it is often present. Misery seems to loosen the ties to physicality and increase the desire for more spiritual experiences.

[Reverend1111]

Originally Posted by Charles

Most of this above is irrelevant as we're trying to assess the born again's state of being/psychological/emotional transition parallel to his transition to born again. We're not asking about the "soul" and "divine love" and all that other wishy washy undefined stuff.

So, are you born again? What was your life like before you became born again? Drugs? Divorce? Crime? Destitute? Depression? What's your story?

Come on, I'll bet you have a story.

If you would "read between the lines" so to speak, you will see that I explained all that you were asking.

There is no need for a negative lifestyle before one professes to be born again. Any person who is willing to do the work that Jesus asked of us can be born again while still on earth. However, there isn't one true born again person living. Mother Teresa was the closest yet she was still not born again however, she was on her way to being there.

I also gave you the definition of what born again truely means. You must know that before you go off saying who is or isn't born again.

No, I am not born again as I still have inclinations to sin. Any person with those inclinations are not born again. That includes a negative attitude and showing to others negatives. So, in that light, I can bet you have never met anyone who is truely born again. Perfect as God is perfect.

[Charles]

What I meant by "born again" is what wikipedia means by born again:

"In recent history, born again is a term that has been widely associated with the evangelical Christian renewal since the late 1960s, first in the United States and then later around the world. Associated perhaps initially with Jesus People and the Christian counterculture, born again came to refer to a conversion experience, accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior in order to be saved from Hell and given eternal life with God in Heaven, and was increasingly used as a term to identify devout believers. By the mid 1970s, born again Christians were increasingly referred to in the mainstream media as part of the born again movement.

Moderator cut: edited to adhere to copyright

from
Born again (Christianity) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia