Has this Forum changed

[keeperoftheprison]

I'm just curious to see if this forum has changed anyone into Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc.....

If so please tell your story. I for one would love to know if anyone has had their views changed. It seems to me that for every person with an intelligent comment (even on an opposing viewpoint) that there is another with something incredible irrelevant, idiotic, or even just trying to get in the way of a good discussion.

 

[Engyo]

Hi, KOTP -

Remember, the aim is education, not conversion. That said, I do believe there are some people here who have either found something they were searching for, or learned that their previous opinion about one or another faith was unfounded.

 

[Guitar's Cry]

My spirituality outlook has changed (and continues to) considerably since RF. Not only through my own research and introspection, but I find the discussions, debates, and resources our members bring are invaluable.

 

[keeperoftheprison]

I am trying to make this educational. I think it's a great jumping off point to a conversation that can change more opinions and cause more thinking.

 

[linwood]

Buttercup and Robtex are two I can think of who have stated here that the debate/discussion on this forum dramatically altered their belief systems

 

[keeperoftheprison]

The reason I asked is because I believe that if two intelligent and level headed people have a starting point to work from on a religious basis, then if they study and debate for long enough something good should come out of it.

 

[Eliot Wild]

I'm just curious to see if this forum has changed anyone into Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc.....

If so please tell your story. I for one would love to know if anyone has had their views changed. It seems to me that for every person with an intelligent comment (even on an opposing viewpoint) that there is another with something incredible irrelevant, idiotic, or even just trying to get in the way of a good discussion.

I find this to be an excellent question. As a matter of fact, I was trying to articulate something similar recently and eventually abandoned the idea.

But my views are in a constant state of flux and flexibility, at least for the most part. I refuse to abandon what I consider to be rational inspection and exposition, but I try to be open to previously unconsidered ideas.

I suppose being an agnostic jerk makes it easier for me to be wishy-washy. But in all seriousness, I try to welcome and embrace being proven wrong. If some day I find myself incapable of revisiting my own core beliefs, then like my hero and mentor, "I shall wear white flannel trousers and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think they will sing to me."

 

[keeperoftheprison]

I am now almost 33 years old. I was 30 before I became a Christian. Before that I was in the wishy washy state of "not wanting to believe because I didn't think I could get along with God" to just not believing because there were too many pushy people that didn't admit mistakes and thought they were better than or smarter than me. I like where I am spiritually now, but I really love studying and discussing religious topics with believers and non believers alike. Non believers sometimes give me the best motivation to try and at least find a Bible verse that I've overlooked or a new way to think about it.

 

[Tarheeler]

I'm just curious to see if this forum has changed anyone into Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc.....

If so please tell your story. I for one would love to know if anyone has had their views changed. It seems to me that for every person with an intelligent comment (even on an opposing viewpoint) that there is another with something incredible irrelevant, idiotic, or even just trying to get in the way of a good discussion.

I wouldn't say that the forum has changed me (I haven't been here very long), but I would say that some of the information here has reinforced my decision to look into conversion.

 

[Smokeless Indica]

I've gotten more into Satanism since being on here and talking to a few Satanists. Not that I call myself one I like the religion a lot more than all the others.

 

[ChristineES]

My faith hasn't changed, but I have.

 

[te_lanus]

Not really. I've think I just became a more firm believer in what I believe.

 

[Misty]

I have posted on many religious forums over the years, Christian fundamentalists only serve to confirm my unbelief in their particular Christian dogma.

 

[Caladan]

I wouldn't say that the forum has changed me (I haven't been here very long), but I would say that some of the information here has reinforced my decision to look into conversion.

Hi Tarheeler,

can you elaborate?

 

[Wotan]

I have posted on many religious forums over the years, Christian fundamentalists only serve to confirm my unbelief in their particular Christian dogma.

Indeed, the more I see hear read from them the more I dislike and reject what they claim to believe. Course that has been the case for close too 60 years.

And that goes double for the Muslim version of this myth.:yes:

 

[Breathe]

I'm just curious to see if this forum has changed anyone into Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc.....

I came here as a seeker, and am now a Hindu.

The forum itself didn't change me, though. It helped me along.

 

[LuisDantas]

There are a couple of users that changed faith once or twice since they began posting, and yet another couple who seems to change them fairly often. I'm not sure how accurate it would be to say that the forums changed them, however.

 

[YmirGF]

I'm just curious to see if this forum has changed anyone into Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, etc.....

If so please tell your story. I for one would love to know if anyone has had their views changed. It seems to me that for every person with an intelligent comment (even on an opposing viewpoint) that there is another with something incredible irrelevant, idiotic, or even just trying to get in the way of a good discussion.

I would not say anyone has radically changed my views on RF however both Willamena and Doppleganger have been invaluable in helping me refine some of my belief structures. I knew from the onset that my ideas would be met with some chagrin, and so I am constantly using RF to refine my thinking - to flesh it out - so to speak, in ways that are very difficult to do in a vacuum. I guess the other side of the coin is that I am not looking for answers, but rather am more interested in how my ideas fly with people who do not embrace my thinking.

One thing I have learned on RF is that it doesn't matter if one is right or not or have better explanations on many topics. What matters is how close your answers are to people's current expectations. In many respects people are not willing to leap too far from their present thinking and anything at variance to that thinking will simply be rejected.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I've changed from an atheist to someone who realizes the pointlessness of using labels that are mostly misunderstood.

 

[LuisDantas]

On that note, I have changed from considering Buddhism agnostic to considering the whole distinction between atheism, theism and agnosticism greatly over-rated and somewhat misguided. Belief in God is in fact a very minor detail of any religion or faith system, regardless of its presence or absence.