GoodbyeDave
Well-Known Member
I was raised a Christian in the Church of England sense: attend rites of passage and pray when you feel the need. It took me years to decide I was a pagan and then more time to realise what sort of pagan.
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Are You A Convert To Your Religion?
- Thread starter Rival
- Start date
I don't think I can say I converted. I was born and raised Roman Catholic but abandoned Christianity. I've been a polytheist for a long time, oddly even as a Christian.
Liu
Well-Known Member
I consider myself a convert as well.
Contrary to conspiracy theories only very few satanists actually are raised into that religion.
There is a saying that satanists are born, not made, so following that you can't actually convert, you can only realize what you have always been. That might be true for other worldviews as well. But it nevertheless demands a process of learning, of study, of reflection to come to the realization that it is your religion. As it changes your believes I would call it a conversion.
However, that process isn't over at the point of conversion (if there is even one point in time that can be singled out as that). There still should be an ongoing refinement of your believes, so there might be more than one "conversion" within the same religion.
Contrary to conspiracy theories only very few satanists actually are raised into that religion.
There is a saying that satanists are born, not made, so following that you can't actually convert, you can only realize what you have always been. That might be true for other worldviews as well. But it nevertheless demands a process of learning, of study, of reflection to come to the realization that it is your religion. As it changes your believes I would call it a conversion.
However, that process isn't over at the point of conversion (if there is even one point in time that can be singled out as that). There still should be an ongoing refinement of your believes, so there might be more than one "conversion" within the same religion.
Treks
Well-Known Member
I consider myself a convert to Sikhi, although one doesn't really "convert" to Sikhi as grow into it.
I've disavowed it more times than I care to mention (including publicly on RF one time...), and considered myself atheist or actively seeking for some of the time, but never converted to another religion.
Before I was seriously into Sikhi, I was a semi-practicing neo Pagan. I would say I converted from neo Paganism to Sikhi, to atheism and back to Sikhi.
Such is the path I wander. I'm very settled with my Sikh identity now, though. I don't think much could move me now.
I've disavowed it more times than I care to mention (including publicly on RF one time...), and considered myself atheist or actively seeking for some of the time, but never converted to another religion.
Before I was seriously into Sikhi, I was a semi-practicing neo Pagan. I would say I converted from neo Paganism to Sikhi, to atheism and back to Sikhi.
Such is the path I wander. I'm very settled with my Sikh identity now, though. I don't think much could move me now.
Then I am at a loss on how to answer your question. Maybe you can be more specific, ask more questions?
Liu
Well-Known Member
Huh. Then I'm not sure whether I'm a convert either by this definition. I've never even directly communicated with a fellow satanist before I converted, I only read their websites, books etc., so while there were some that certainly inspired me, there is no way anyone could have specifically encouraged me actively.
"For a week"? I may have misunderstood what "shopping around" means when applied to choice of religion.
That I looked at the options as I knew them, and chose as what seemed more interesting to me.
You mean like cherry picking from various faiths?
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
Yes, I'm a convert from no beliefs about religion to atheism.
Kilgore Trout
Misanthropic Humanist
Don't get the "babies are atheists" people started again, please.
Hmm, that is a tough one. I don't think it can or should be avoided entirely, but that is not what I meant either.
Then what the bloody heck do you mean lol.
That I was raised in an insistent but quite shallow and even contradictory set of beliefs that could not take root in me if my life depended of it (and it sort of did).
I never had the choice not to choose my own beliefs in contrast of and even in direct defiance of my immediate environment.
So I guess I converted myself, if that makes sense.
I kind of get that. But in the question I just mean reaaaallly basically, are you a different faith to what you grew up in (i.e, had no control over, being raised with it from birth), or were an atheist born and bred, and found a faith.
Sorry. Neither is quite right nor quite wrong to describe my situation.
Did you grow up believing in a religion or not?
Believing? No, not by a long shot. I was expected to bow down to expectations, often under emotional duress. But I could hardly be accused of believing in them.