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It will not have escaped you, dear fellow -posters, that I have some pretentions towards being a jokester, but I have to say that He has outdone me.
I have noted that deconversion can be going on all the time a beleiver was fiercely arguing for their beliefs and it took only a tiny thing - irrelevant almost - to tip them over into unfaith. Of course I know it could happen the other way, but with perfect timing ..this...
It wasn't even remotely relevant, but it was the Koan I'd always been wondering would tip my mind into the experience that I always knew was there.
Yes, I'd heard that mantra "When it happens, you'll know its real," And there's no way I am even going to try to make any intellectual defence. It's just become real for me and I know He exists.
Don't worry if I'm not around for a bit. It will take a bit of thought.
I understand what you mean. And yet I don't (because you're being vague about what happened that let you know it was real).
Just a note, most of us here are the wrong folks to talk to, either being dyed in the wool believers never having had a conversion or deconversion experience, or people who whatever their belief system have settled on it long ago, and have no idea what you are talking about.
Here's another koan. God is not done with you yet. Each of us has something to offer the body of Christ (what, if you will, could also be called the World Soul) and you may have to change your beliefs four or five times before you arrive on something that makes sense to you. Be constantly growing, and unafraid to try a wide variety of things, alone and with company.
I started out Episcopal, discovered Taoism, and spent my life trying to reconcile the Pharasaic perfectionism of my youth with the laid back nature of Taoism. As I let go of what other people wanted and tried to ease up on the perfectionism, I was exploring world religion and the question of how they all could so strongly claim to be right, I came to the conclusion that each of them were seeing a part of ultimate reality, and I decided to piece together the puzzle.
Each of us has our journey. My experience might not be relevant to you and vice versa.
Last edited by bulmabriefs144; 03-29-2015 at 05:34 AM..
I understand what you mean. And yet I don't (because you're being vague about what happened that let you know it was real).
Just a note, most of us here are the wrong folks to talk to, either being dyed in the wool believers never having had a conversion or deconversion experience, or people who whatever their belief system have settled on it long ago, and have no idea what you are talking about.
Here's another koan. God is not done with you yet. Each of us has something to offer the body of Christ (what, if you will, could also be called the World Soul) and you may have to change your beliefs four or five times before you arrive on something that makes sense to you. Be constantly growing, and unafraid to try a wide variety of things, alone and with company.
I started out Episcopal, discovered Taoism, and spent my life trying to reconcile the Pharasaic perfectionism of my youth with the laid back nature of Taoism. As I let go of what other people wanted and tried to ease up on the perfectionism, I was exploring world religion and the question of how they all could so strongly claim to be right, I came to the conclusion that each of them were seeing a part of ultimate reality, and I decided to piece together the puzzle.
Each of us has our journey. My experience might not be relevant to you and vice versa.
BOOM chug a lugga lugga .... you nailed it.
I don't believe in the "god not done with ya yet" part. But the rest is why I am not at war with religions because it is what I see them teaching.
I started out as straight atheist. The more science I learned the more agnostic atheist I became. And I have settled in on base every claim on what we know. Don't let a "flag" determine the end claim. And it's ok not to know and change your mind based on new info. Not as well put as yourz, but I am simple.
God and/or personal belief entities. Trust me, I've changed from:
Typical Christian
Christian with Taoist leanings
Christian with Taoist, Shinto, and animist leanings
Reclaimed Christian
Reclaimed Christian with a conception of the world as an illusion (as per much of Eastern thought)
"" "" who also is gaining some insight into my previous faith paths
...And my faith continues to evolve.
We can't tell Arequipa what to believe, or where the journey leads. Just promise one thing. Alot of ex-Atheists seem to gravitate towards fundamentalism, where they wind up trapped because they don't know all the denominations, and don't know that all worship is not this controlling. If you wind up in a weird fringe group, remember there's folks to talk to.
Yeah, rrrrrrright!
You really expect me to fall for this? A couple days before "April Fools Day"? LOL!!!
I would say, "nice try"...but it isn't even good. You've gotta do way better than this man!!!
I agree because reason doesn't take a sabbatical once incorporated.
I've met Christian theologians that can argue for hours about their faith, and prove it at least to themselves.
And there's atheists that can make their case too.
Logic doesn't work that way. I have found God, and a theology that makes logical sense. Unbelieving that, would not be "reasonable" it would be insane.
Consider this. CS Lewis, the great writer or Christian literature? The thing nobody wants to admit was that he was a former atheist. https://www.ewtn.com/library/SPIRIT/cslewconv.htm Tolkien was in his class, and with some of his classmates, spent all night working on him. He got talked into belief through logic. And I'm sure some marginal Christians have been talked out of their belief. Also with logic.
Let Arequipa alone. Maybe he is pranking, maybe it's legit. Give him time, and whatever he says goes.
Alot of ex-Atheists seem to gravitate towards fundamentalism
I have noticed the same thing.
I have had heated 'discussions' with two posters that, in my opinion, appear to be fundamentalist Theists, and I believe both of them went through a period where they considered themselves Atheists.
Be this a joke or not, I hope the OP finds the one true God, because there is only one way, not multiple ways to attain the Kingdom of Heaven
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