Do you an opinion on those who change their religions/beliefs too much?

[Smart_Guy]

Any?

I noticed that some people change their religion/belief like two-three times a year. Is it good or bad, in your opinion? What would you think of them, or would you think anything of them specifically for this? Do you think it implies anything?

I personally don't have problems with them and care for them like any other, but this kinda makes me feel uneasy about it as a practice.

 

[Animore]

I wouldn't say I'd have an opinion about them personally, but I'd say they are people who truly desire spritual guidance, and have a desire for the truth. Perhaps the previous religion they were not comfortable in. It really just hows they have a desire for objective truth.

 

[psychoslice]

I think its good, they are using their intelligence, I myself take all good from all religions, like a smorgasbord, I never want to be imprisoned by any one religion.

 

[interminable]

If they are seeker after the truth there is no problem but before converting to a new religion it's necessary to read completely about that religion and then practice it
Simply because some religions don't allow their followers to leave it and the penalty is heavy.

So I think non divine religions are completely useless and there is no need to think about them simply because everybody can make his own religion

And divine religions are less than ten so choosing the best doesn't need so much efforts and time

 

[Jedster]

Any?

I noticed that some people change their religion/belief like two-three times a year. Is it good or bad, in your opinion? What would you think of them, or would you think anything of them specifically for this? Do you think it implies anything?

I personally don't have problems with them and care for them like any other, but this kinda makes me feel uneasy about it as a practice.

I agree with @psychoslice & @Animore

We are born with a natural curiosity about everything. This should not be stiffled by the religion/traditions we are born into.
I find it easier to listen to those that have questioned their life/beliefs ,than those that have not.

There is nothing wrong in shoping around.

 

[Shem Ben Noah]

Any?

I noticed that some people change their religion/belief like two-three times a year. Is it good or bad, in your opinion? What would you think of them, or would you think anything of them specifically for this? Do you think it implies anything?

I personally don't have problems with them and care for them like any other, but this kinda makes me feel uneasy about it as a practice.

If those religions are diametrically opposed (right hand<> left hand) then I'd I wonder about their mental stability.

Sometimes there's no religion that fills one's needs completely , but various religions fill them partly so one tries them but gets discourages by their shortcomings and leaves. Understandable.

I'm there now, a Seeker btw

 

[Shrew]

When you decide to dig a well at a certain spot, you may succed in finding water - or not.
But if after some digging you decide to abandon that spot and try at another place and you repeat this several times.... you most likely never find water.
So when someone changes the path whenever it feels uncomfortable, that person will not gain any wisdom, enligthenment, whatever.

Nowadays many people do spirituality shopping: on day they believe in angels, net week it's Native American spirituality, a month later they decide to try Tibetan Buddhism, after some time they pracise shamanism,... .
It's a sign of the times, everything has to be instant, instant food, instant solutions, instant religion.

 

[Sunstone]

It's more alarming to me that it seems to be human nature to not change one's beliefs -- even when an overwhelming weight of reason and evidence would suggest that one's beliefs are false.

 

[lovesong]

I'm not bothered with it as a concept, but the way it seems to play out sometimes is horrendous. If the person is one to switch beliefs very frequently and does so with extreme cockiness; walking into a group of dedicated followers as if they were one of them, spouting off as if they had some wealth of experience and knowledge after a few days, and confidently addressing themself as a true-blue member of that religion when everyone around them knows it won't last more than a week or two, then yes, I have a huge problem with them. It's the sense of self-entitlement, the exaggerated pride, the cockiness, and the seeming lack of respect for the dedication of long-time followers that sets me off so much. If you're going to flip flop religions so often, do so with a little humility, or otherwise you'll be sure to find a negative correlation between your past religions and the respect others have for you.

 

[LuisDantas]

It is not an issue in and of itself.

The upside of strong belief fluidity is that people have the opportunity to learn, mix and match from (hopefully) the best of several doctrines.

On the downside, it may be an indication of some form of difficulty in bridging the gap between doctrine and reality. If I noticed that the person feels very passionate about making the "right" choice instead of simply accepting the change with serenity, I might find that worrying and pay a bit of closer attention to the general attitude.

Not always of significance, but potentially a downside as well, is that a major role of religious beliefs is to build a basis of common concepts, language and habits so that families and social groups have the opportunity to bond and reach a functional mutual understanding at certain levels. That is a real resource and it may sometimes be a significant loss if a society is not quite enlightened and well structured to provide those opportunities outside of conformity of external belief.

 

[PeteC-UK]

Hi Folks....

Hmm - nothing against the individial person - but the mindset itself - is very revealing...

Those who swap and change on a whim - are NOT even legitimately seeking spiritual truth at all - but are rather just following fads, fashions - trends - wishing to conform and "fit in" somewhere...I think they see spirituality as kind of game or passtime - like they come to places such as this forum to "BE spiritual" for a short time, but then go back to normal life and forget it all completely once they log off..lol..

Its all very -VERY - false - isnt it..??... Such a one can never be trusted to give you spiritual truth obviously as such a one will be bias always to the particular religious flavour theyre trying out this week - next week their choice may change and so will their truth

In fact the more I think of this the more I realise how much I detest spiritual hypocrasy......Which of course makes me realise its NOT down to the individuals at all - but rather - the naive and hpocritical world that we must all live in for now FORCES such confusion upon us - its everywhere - the thing I detest then is the inherant weakness of spirit we posess that can be dominated so easily, and the inherant laziness of the human animal always wanting someone ELSE to do it for us and so always willing to follow others BLINDLY... Those who swap and change on a whim have no Self understanding, no Self authority - ALWAYS looking to others to define the self and have those tell them who to Be - who they are ALLOWED to Be....That whole mindset is just plain wrong......

 

[Jumi]

They are seekers. I also tend to instantly abandon views and labels that no longer make sense to me or are proven untrue, but those tend to be change with one belief at a time.

Joining a religion would require validating all of their views for me. Such is almost certainly an impossibility.

 

[illykitty]

I don't have a problem with it, I would be a hypocrite if I did. It's a little damning to assume to know what the person's intentions are and to judge without knowing what they're going through. There could be circumstances that makes someone flip flop that someone isn't aware of. There's mental illness too, of course, it does distort one's thinking, knowing this from personal experience. It's sometimes hard to know what you really feel. Or you feel a strong pull towards something but you have such big problems with it, it's difficult to reconcile with one's conscience. There's many reasons why someone would change their minds many many times. Not saying all of them are good reasons but maybe it's kinder to not assume the worse reason is the case.

I do see a point though in not declaring oneself to belong to a religion until one is settled on it for a long period of time. Perhaps the title of seeker or something like that is better until one feels more sure.

I guess a lot of people see it as being flaky but in my opinion the extreme opposite of this is a lot scarier. I prefer to update my views to whatever I find seems more true than to remain set in stone and never question.

 

[Rival]

It depends.

If a person's beliefs change because they are seeking after the truth and do research, ask people, etc. then I think this is good and shows an inclination towards truth and knowledge.

If a person's beliefs change according to the heart's whims, culture, mood and so on, then these conversions are not real and the person needs to grow emotionally first.

 

[Godobeyer]

Any?

I noticed that some people change their religion/belief like two-three times a year. Is it good or bad, in your opinion? What would you think of them, or would you think anything of them specifically for this? Do you think it implies anything?

I personally don't have problems with them and care for them like any other, but this kinda makes me feel uneasy about it as a practice.

Yes I notice that,I don't know why they did that !

I just find it strange , I faced this issue with a member, he always switch his religion many times !

He defend Christainity,next day he attack it !

Sometimes,I am confuse who I talking with

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

When you decide to dig a well at a certain spot, you may succed in finding water - or not.
But if after some digging you decide to abandon that spot and try at another place and you repeat this several times.... you most likely never find water.
So when someone changes the path whenever it feels uncomfortable, that person will not gain any wisdom, enligthenment, whatever.

In that analogy, I would see "digging the well" as the equivalent of investigating religions. To me, the equivalent of joining a religion would be setting up a homestead.

In that perspective, I'd say that someone who sets up a homestead without being reasonably sure he has water in his well is being premature and foolhardy.

You don't need to actually be a member of a religion to investigate it, or - usually - to take part in its practices or interact with its community.

IMO, actually joining a religion is generally a commitment, and something that a person ought to only do when they're convinced that the religion is correct. If they turn around and join another religion a few months later, I take this as a sign that the person wasn't actually that committed or convinced in the first place.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I myself take all good from all religions, like a smorgasbord, I never want to be imprisoned by any one religion.

Same here; that's why I don't join any of them.

 

[Onyx]

I noticed that some people change their religion/belief like two-three times a year. Is it good or bad, in your opinion?

I think there comes a time when you have to make choices and see them through. No religion or philosophy is easy all of the time.

If after a reasonable amount of effort things aren't working, then by all means do more searching. But I wouldn't burn bridges too quickly.

I also believe in keeping things simple, it's easy to become a victim of information-overload. I've been trying to focus on one thing at a time myself.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Personally, I see joining a religion as a lot like marriage: it's a commitment. Sometimes, it might be a non-exclusive commitment, but only if agreed to by both sides. And if you aren't ready to honour that commitment, you ought not to make it.

Just as you can have relationships with many people without marrying them, you can have a relationship with several religions without joining any of them.

 

[Vinayaka]

Personally, I see joining a religion as a lot like marriage: it's a commitment. Sometimes, it might be a non-exclusive commitment, but only if agreed to by both sides. And if you aren't ready to honour that commitment, you ought not to make it.

Just as you can have relationships with many people without marrying them, you can have a relationship with several religions without joining any of them.

This is my take as well. That's why if a person is seriously looking into a religion, it should be 2 or 3 years or so, not just a couple of weeks. I wouldn't consider time of less than a month a serious look.

In Hindu or neo-advaita groups, we have a colloquialism called Guru-hopping. It's moving on to the next teacher out of fads, or out of some discipline asked for. So all is fine until some version of commitment is asked for, than it's a quick, 'Well!' and 'I'm outa here.'

But once that faith is found, to protect the faith, and the relationship one has with it, a high level of commitment should be involved. If there are challenges, why not stay and try to help out with them from the inside. You might be exactly what this group needed to provide some change.