Have you ever changed your mind about religion?

[AlanChambers]

Originally Posted by OldDrone

Has anyone had there opinion about Christianity (or religion in general) changed by reading any of the forums on this or any other chat room?

I suspect people occasionally see ideas which inspire them to read around, think a lot, and re-evaluate their belief systems, one way or the other. I've recently visited a site of a former convinced Mormon who is now an equally convinced atheist.

Changing your beliefs is hard - there is a lot of invested emotional and social energy - but not impossible. But who can say what the catalyst might be?


Al

[Naomi]

Those contributing to such forums fall roughly into two groups: those that agree with me that there is no God. They will not convert me.
And those who do believe in God. Their arguments are always based upon belief, never upon anything factual. Facts are of course rather difficult to come by for them, I accept that. So none of them has ever changed my mind, not even made it quiver a little. I am perfectly capable of weighing evidence, but whilst the pan remains empty the reading remains zero.

I may be open to those who try bribery. I may be open to a direct argument from God. Otherwise I shall remain very much an atheist.

Nao

[dudewithasock]

I've never been swayed by anything on these forums...but my ideas are constantly altered by people I'm close to in real life. I've heard so many different views that I don't really hold any concrete ones as of this moment...agnosticism makes the most sense in this world of so-called "sureties."

[UniBrier]

No, the fora have not changed my positions. But I have been enlightened to others' opinions and perspectives, from both sides of the aisle, that I ususally wouldn't hear in my usual course of social conversation.

[hobo_chuck]

My ideas of reality have not changed due to the forums, but i have gone from an atheist who randomly cried out to "god" or said "thank you" or something, and now i am a being that uses the word "god" to refer to himself, both stages in a joking manner...

no changes in opinion, just changes in verbage.....
damn you captain hook!

[cathwood]

Is the purpose of the discussion to change other people's minds?

Personally I was bought up a christian, but through a process to silly to mention at the beginning but which then led to me questioning the world around me, I became an aetheist.

Also through the process of stating my own position I have probably become clearer about what I myself believe/think (but I'm talking about many subjects, not just religion).

[harper]

Originally Posted by uni57

Zero.

I'm not going to fill in your other blank because it would surely turn this into another debate thread.

Thank you. I will fill in the other blank. That would be the accumulated equivalent gross national products of all civilizations throughout history.

[ivan]

I began to believe in the Invisible Pink Unicorn after reading about her in MR.

[thejdw]

Well if people can be convinced that 'in memory of ...' web pages are worth commiting sucicide for then I would say it is very possible for sombody religious to go athest after reading stuff on the internet.

[johnfoss]

Originally Posted by OldDrone

Has anyone had there opinion about Christianity (or religion in general) changed by reading any of the forums on this or any other chat room?

Yes. I have gained a much better understanding of Christiandom, and gotten insight into how several Christians think.

As Pele so-well described, what we get from these discussions is (hopefully) a better understanding of each other. This understanding can be used for debating purposes, or just to learn more about your friends and fellow unicyclists.

People who are *determined* not to have their minds changed are the ones that worry me. I hope for me that I'm always willing to listen, and never reluctant to accept something I learn that's compelling. If I "shield" myself from new information that probably means I'm clinging to something I think I might stop believing and don't want to.

Originally Posted by James_Potter

I disagree, I don't believe it could come from another person at all...any point of view you have upon the world is in your own mind completely, and no one can force you to believe something or not believe something.

But it *can* come from another person, even though only you can change what you believe. The other person is the source of the new information. As a former teacher of physical skills (juggling, driving, unicycling, motorcycle riding), on the one hand, nobody can "tell you" how to do it. On the other hand, a good teacher or coach helps you find the shortcuts to learning the skills, and provides the information you need to understand what you're doing and why. Not the same thing as converting religious beliefs of course, as the student usually has a vested interest in learning the skills...