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Why Did You Change Religions?

Nakosis

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
What made you decide to "renounce" one religion and take up another?

I'll start.
I thought/felt God led me to a number of different religions and I was supposed to take something away from each and "God" let me know when it was time to move on.

I'm not saying that was the truth of it but at the time it was what worked for me.
Actually I often didn't feel like I had actually "renounced" anything, I just felt that about the time I had learned whatever it was that I needed to, another path was put in front of me.
 
JustGeorge

JustGeorge

Imperfect
Staff member
Premium Member
I'm starting to look at this all differently.

Did I ever change religions?

Being as I never formally sat down and joined any religion, how could I change them? I suppose I joined 'groups' here and there, but not entire religious systems. I do not really count my Christian upbringing as any part of 'my' religion. It was dad's religion, I was exposed to it, but never truly adopted it(despite his pushing).

I think of it like a tree, now. The trunk of my tree is Hinduism. It is what holds me up, and is the core of what my beliefs are. It it the largest part of me.

My roots, however, are Pagan. I spent 15 years as a Pagan, and it affects how I view things, and how I interact with the world... (Much like one's childhood affects how they act later in life). Rather than reject this religious system, I thank it for all its given me, and treat it like one might if they occasionally visit loving parents.

Lastly, sometimes I get leaves and flowers that are a mix of these things... and sometimes random flowers pop up here and there from the folks that 'water' the tree... I sometimes do practices with friends within their own traditions, while, aren't necessarily mine, bring beauty to my life during the time I share with them.

I like trees. :D
 
Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
There are different ways to tell the story. All are something of the truth and none are the whole story.

One tale tells of a child who grew up in the woods and was more or less Pagan from the start. They did not change who they were as much as learned there was a word for that and that this is who they were all along.

One tale tells of a child who was forced to go to services that were dreadfully boring. They wanted to do something better with their time that was more fun and interesting then stomped their feet until their parents stopped forcing them to go.

One tale tells of a child who was intellectually brilliant and endlessly curious. They found the stories being told in their religious education class didn't make sense and didn't get satisfactory answers when pointing out these issues to the teacher.

One tale tells of a child who adored swords and sorcery, dragons and daring do. They found no appeal in the stories being told in that religious education class or during services as there were more inspiring tales to be found elsewhere.

Then there are the tales of the adolescent who, from these experiences, decided all religion and theism was stupid nonsense. They wallowed in ignorance about what these things actually were because they had no exposure to their breadth or depth.

Or the tales of the college student who was still an intellectually brilliant and endlessly curious nerd. They looked up words they didn't know and this led down a rabbit hole of exploration and research that dispelled ignorance about theology and religion.

Just depends on how one feels like telling the story on a particular time.



 
George-ananda

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Nakosis said:
What made you decide to "renounce" one religion and take up another?
Click to expand...
What does 'Non-Binary Physicalist' mean?

Anyway my religious progression was from raised Catholic, to atheist, to Baha'i, to 'spiritual but not religious', to nondual Hindu/Theosophy.

I do suspect each stage was not only a growth in understanding but fostered by guidance from beyond.
 
Nakosis

Nakosis

Non-Binary Physicalist
Premium Member
George-ananda said:
What does 'Non-Binary Physicalist' mean?

Anyway my religious progression was from raised Catholic, to atheist, to Baha'i, to 'spiritual but not religious', to nondual Hindu/Theosophy.

I do suspect each stage was not only a growth in understanding but fostered by guidance from beyond.
Click to expand...

Basically, just another way of saying materialist.
I believe that the physical universe is all that exists.
 
George-ananda

George-ananda

Advaita Vedanta, Theosophy, Spiritualism
Premium Member
Nakosis said:
Basically, just another way of saying materialist.
I believe that the physical universe is all that exists.
Click to expand...
I see. So do you then believe all the various types of so-called paranormal phenomena can be satisfactorily explained within that framework.

Great minds think differently, apparently. I happen to believe in planes of nature beyond the physical plane provides the best explanatory model.
 
beenherebeforeagain

beenherebeforeagain

Rogue Animist
Premium Member
When I was 12, I had a born-again experience with Jesus. I later pretty much dropped Christianity, but kept Jesus. Also from the time I was 12, I was an animist, and that has pretty much stayed with me all through the years...but has increased during the 25 years or so as I learned more.

So: I am an agnostic (meaning can't know anything meaningful about deity) animist follower of Yeshua...

Why did I leave Christianity? My current summation of my changes is that I've decided to stick with the living Jesus rather than the mythic death cult of the Christ.
 
Trailblazer

Trailblazer

Veteran Member
Saint Frankenstein said:
Faith isn't a big thing in my views. I haven't seen that faith in some deity or other changes things at all. I don't really believe in personal gods that are concerned with us, and I don't believe nature cares, either.
Click to expand...
I don't believe that faith in a deity changes things, what it does is give me hope.

I have my reservations about a personal God who is concerned with us, in spite of the fact that my religion teaches that, since I see no real indication that God cares. Sorry God. I have been saying that a lot lately, and I believe God knows why I am saying it.
 
stvdv

stvdv

Veteran Member
Nakosis said:
What made you decide to "renounce" one religion and take up another?
Click to expand...
My parents were Christian but renounced it

So, I started with Christian roots, never accepted Christianity officially, but at age 10, I discovered something I could not accept

In short:

The Christian claim:
"our Religion is Superior; others inferior"

I could not at age 10, nor at age 60 condone this belief
 
Madsaac

Madsaac

Active Member
Nakosis said:
What made you decide to "renounce" one religion and take up another?

I'll start.
I thought/felt God led me to a number of different religions and I was supposed to take something away from each and "God" let me know when it was time to move on.

I'm not saying that was the truth of it but at the time it was what worked for me.
Actually I often didn't feel like I had actually "renounced" anything, I just felt that about the time I had learned whatever it was that I needed to, another path was put in front of me.
Click to expand...

Still looking for a new one, know of any good ones? No seriously......
 
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