-
Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.
Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:- Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
- Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
- Access to private conversations with other members.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!
Non-religious people: What convinced you to stop believing in God?
- Thread starter JeremK
- Start date
snazzykyle
seeking metacognition
I would not say that I stopped believing in God. I would say that I began to recognize the validity of other worldviews and their arguments. I still identify as a Christian, just in a more skeptical way. I hope that helps, OP. Let me know if you have any further questions about my journey. May you find peace and truth.
lunakilo
Well-Known Member
I don't think I ever believed in any god or gods.
I didn't give the question much thought until I moved to Mexico when I was 16 (I was an exchange student for a year).
In Mexico believing in the biblical god was the default.
That way of thinking was very strange to a scandinavian like myself. Most people in Denmark are members of the state church (the Church of Denmark, a lutheran church) but basically no one shows up on sundays.
People show up for weddings and funerals in the family, and that is about it.
Religion isn't a topic often discussed in public, and people are left to figure out for themselves what they believe.
So being confronted with a whole lot of people who took the existence of God as given was very intriguing.
I really tried to find some definition of God that I felt made sense, but I never really found one.
I even stopped being a member of the state church in the end.
I had always thought of my membership as giving money to charity, because the state chruch does do some good with the money they get.
But then one day a priest from the chruch took a stand in a public debate. I strongly disagreed with his point of view, but that in itself is ok I suppose.
What really pissed me of was that he argued that since he was a priest of the Church of Denmark, a church which 75% of the population were members of, he felt he could speak for 75% of the population - including me!
I found and filled in the oficcial form to leave the church the very next day and became officially non-religious.
But to answer your question: Nothing convienced me to stop believing in god - I just never started beliving in god
I didn't give the question much thought until I moved to Mexico when I was 16 (I was an exchange student for a year).
In Mexico believing in the biblical god was the default.
That way of thinking was very strange to a scandinavian like myself. Most people in Denmark are members of the state church (the Church of Denmark, a lutheran church) but basically no one shows up on sundays.
People show up for weddings and funerals in the family, and that is about it.
Religion isn't a topic often discussed in public, and people are left to figure out for themselves what they believe.
So being confronted with a whole lot of people who took the existence of God as given was very intriguing.
I really tried to find some definition of God that I felt made sense, but I never really found one.
I even stopped being a member of the state church in the end.
I had always thought of my membership as giving money to charity, because the state chruch does do some good with the money they get.
But then one day a priest from the chruch took a stand in a public debate. I strongly disagreed with his point of view, but that in itself is ok I suppose.
What really pissed me of was that he argued that since he was a priest of the Church of Denmark, a church which 75% of the population were members of, he felt he could speak for 75% of the population - including me!
I found and filled in the oficcial form to leave the church the very next day and became officially non-religious.
But to answer your question: Nothing convienced me to stop believing in god - I just never started beliving in god
snazzykyle
seeking metacognition
What do you think about the origin of our world? That is a topic that pushes me more toward Christianity because an omnipotent being outside time seems more logical than the big bang.
You and I have very different understandings of logic.
snazzykyle
seeking metacognition
In regards to our origin, something had to come from nothing. However, something does not come from nothing - that would be magic. Big Bang claims science can do magic, Theism claims a magical being can do magic. Which is more logical? I think the answer is easy, but we can agree to disagree.
Is God "something" or "nothing"? Either way, you've just argued against yourself.
... but if you want to get into this, please start a new thread in religious debates (since debating isn't allowed in the DIR forums).
picnic
Active Member
I grew up in a Christian family. In college I began to doubt and wanted some confirmation of God's existence. I reluctantly concluded that God didn't exist or didn't like me. My atheism was motivated by lack of evidence for God.
More recently, I have read some books about the origins of Judaism and Christianity to solidify my atheism. I think I will always believe in God even if I know better, because I can't change my habits of thought.
More recently, I have read some books about the origins of Judaism and Christianity to solidify my atheism. I think I will always believe in God even if I know better, because I can't change my habits of thought.
RealityCheck
New Member
Initially, my belief in a god was motivated by purely emotional reasons. Deep down inside, there was a logical side of me that saw all the problems and inconsistencies with my faith. As I grew older my emotions waned and my logical side became dominant. One day 3 years ago a critical threshold was reached and my beliefs fell apart literally in the span of a few hours.
Shadow Wolf
Certified People sTabber & Business Owner
I realized there is just too much that I don't know.
whereismynotecard
Treasure Hunter
I was never particularly religious in the regard that my family never made me go to church and never forced me to read the bible or anything like that, but I did believe in god until I was about 12 or 13, because all the grown ups said so. Agent Mulder actually got me thinking about religion more deeply and then after thinking it through for myself, using my own logic and reasoning, I decided the idea didn't make sense to me.
Studying psychology, mythology and the formation and evolution of religions. I tend to view deities as psychological archetypes and divinized aspects of reality rather than literal external beings.
Sonofason
Well-Known Member
I stopped believing in God when God proved Himself to me. Belief in God is synonymous with confidence in the existence and/or reliability of God, without having proof that one is absolutely right in doing so. Having experienced God for myself, I am now certain of His existence. I am more certain of His existence than I am of my own existence. I no longer believe in God; God is a fact.
This is the Non-Theistic DIR.
The question was for non-religious people and it's in the Non-Theistic DIR. You know how to read, right?
I always found it too confusing to work out which God to stop believing in, so it seemed simpler to simply not start.
Besides, even as a very young child (maybe 8 or 9) I found it hard to work past the idea that if I was born in Portugal, I probably wouldn't be following the 'one true religion' of the Church of England which was created simply to allow a King to get a quickie divorce/shack up with a new bit of crumpet.
Notes:
1) 'Bit of crumpet' is possibly disrespectful of queens, but I'm a republican. Besides, I'm not the one who removed their heads.
2) Yes, I was reading English history at 8 or 9. Don't tell me you think I was ever 'normal'!
3) Yes, I know my take on how and why the Church of England was formed is a little simplistic and off-kilter. I was 8, for frig's sake
Besides, even as a very young child (maybe 8 or 9) I found it hard to work past the idea that if I was born in Portugal, I probably wouldn't be following the 'one true religion' of the Church of England which was created simply to allow a King to get a quickie divorce/shack up with a new bit of crumpet.
Notes:
1) 'Bit of crumpet' is possibly disrespectful of queens, but I'm a republican. Besides, I'm not the one who removed their heads.
2) Yes, I was reading English history at 8 or 9. Don't tell me you think I was ever 'normal'!
3) Yes, I know my take on how and why the Church of England was formed is a little simplistic and off-kilter. I was 8, for frig's sake
Rick O'Shez
Irishman bouncing off walls
I was converted by Saint Dawkins!
No, not really. The Roman Catholics tried to brainwash me from an early age but it didn't work. After a period as a delinquent wine-drinking altar boy I converted to atheism at the age of 15 and never went to confession again! I escaped the Catholics, hurrah!
No, not really. The Roman Catholics tried to brainwash me from an early age but it didn't work. After a period as a delinquent wine-drinking altar boy I converted to atheism at the age of 15 and never went to confession again! I escaped the Catholics, hurrah!