When I first started out I was a hardcore Christian, then later on I went into a transitional phase where I didn't know. Now I'm an avid atheist.

So what have you converted from/to (if anything)?

One can say i went from Atheist to Agnortic and than later in life Theist.

Although i hardly count that as convertion. More "I don`t know what the hell to believe"

Catholic>Agnost>Atheist

quote:Originally posted by Paradise Lost:

When I first started out I was a hardcore Christian, then later on I went into a transitional phase where I didn't know. Now I'm an avid atheist.

Catholic>satanist>pagan>bruceleeist, just kidding, still pagan.

Catholic True Believer -> Atheist -> Agnostic/Buddhist -> Not aligned with any religion, but not atheist by a long shot

I have a sordid past:

Catholic (birth to 4th grade), Pentacostal (4th to 6th grade), Southern Baptist (7th to 11th), agnostic, Catholic (again), agnostic, weak atheist, secular humanist.

What a long, strange trip it's been.

Let's see... when I was about 8 I decided I should really get closer to God (I'm Jewish, so we're talking Jehovah)... But after a few weeks of that I decided religion is stupid so I became an extreme atheist. Today I don't care, so I guess that makes me agnostic... though I'm still Jewish by definition.

Hardcore Christian> just plain ol' disbelief in God> don't give a bleeding fuck (although religionselector tells me I'm a Ba'hai Buddhist)

your damned if you do and your damned if you dont.

lol, that religion selector said in a unitarian universalist, the vaguest of the vaguest so i dunno.

Catholic-> atheist

Catholic > Deciding between Judaism and Islam > Deciding between Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism > Buddhist/Catholic > Buddhist/Taoist/Atheist > Atheist

Lol, it seems most people here have seen the light, as it were, and come to reason. That's nice to see http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/smile.gif)

I've been an atheist all my life, to the extent that I never really thought religion existed as widely as it does until my teens... everybody around me seemed atheist, and my family have been atheist for as long as anybody can remember apparently, and although we had to sing hymns in school, it just seemed like one of those silly things they make you do, and religion seemed a bit old-fashioned and irrelevant. So in short, I'm an atheist, though I do try to look for religion, I just don't find it anywhere. I even 'pray', but I'm not talking to any real thing, just a pretend god that I know isn't there, like a psychiatrist, only in my head. So I'm walking along and I'll be talking to this fictitious 'outside influence' which it gives me comfort to talk to and to pretend has influence over my life, but is almost certainly not there at all.

But I'm still an atheist and not an agnostic, because I suppose I can't say I know God isn't there, but it hardly seems likely.

[This message has been edited by sp0rkius (edited 10-21-2005).]

^Me too...

But, my mom made me get baptised, get my first communion, and all kinds of other Catholic stuff.



Im an athiest though, woot woot.

So is my mom now, toot toot.

random protestant -> Baptist -> agnostic -> mormon

Agnostic > atheist.

I've never been to church a day in my life and I don't plan on it.

I once converted some MPC files to mp3 because mp3 players only play shitty mp3 and wma formats.

atheist --> agnostoc --> christian

And I've never been happier.

Christian to Atheist. Atheist to Agnostic. Agnostic to A believer in the Word of God.

I was raised in a Christian home. So people would SAY things, but not live what they were saying. Like, Don't smoke **puff** it's bad for you. I ended up thinking about a few things and finding myself doubting then, I just stopped believeing. I stopped believeing because I didn't underdstand, and instead of seeking GOD to answer my questions, I sought the world, and turned from God. Some things happened, and I realized, "I still don't understand, and this world isn't helping me any". I turned to God, and begin to seek him with my whole heart, and I understood. Now, when I have a question the first thing I think is, "Well, I'm not sure, but I'm going to see what God has to say about it". I always get my question answered by him. But men turn to men to answer their questions. Like the blind leading the blind. They don't know either, but we trust their words, instead of Trusting God. Instead of trusting truth, we seek theories. I believe so much, if you keep seeking the answer to your questions in this world, beating yourself over the head, trying to understand, then giving up on the world, you'll turn to God with all your heart and say, "SHOW ME", and he will.

non-denomination protestant>struggling with that, islam, athiesm>Roman Catholic

been an atheist since i was old enough to think about such things.

<UL TYPE=SQUARE>

<LI>Orthodox Christian

<LI>Weak Christian (didn't go to church)

<LI>Agnostic (right from 2003 to now)

</UL>

Though I don't really know if I would ever go back to religion.

Agnostic---&gt;Roman Catholic---&gt;deist/Catholic apologetic.

quote:Originally posted by Snoopy:

I once converted some MPC files to mp3 because mp3 players only play shitty mp3 and wma formats.



agnostic then. I was one who beleived in god now I am one who doesnt

Atheist-Christian-Agnostic.

quote:Originally posted by HellzShellz:

Christian to Atheist. Atheist to Agnostic. Agnostic to A believer in the Word of God.

I was raised in a Christian home. So people would SAY things, but not live what they were saying. Like, Don't smoke **puff** it's bad for you. I ended up thinking about a few things and finding myself doubting then, I just stopped believeing. I stopped believeing because I didn't underdstand, and instead of seeking GOD to answer my questions, I sought the world, and turned from God. Some things happened, and I realized, "I still don't understand, and this world isn't helping me any". I turned to God, and begin to seek him with my whole heart, and I understood. Now, when I have a question the first thing I think is, "Well, I'm not sure, but I'm going to see what God has to say about it". I always get my question answered by him. But men turn to men to answer their questions. Like the blind leading the blind. They don't know either, but we trust their words, instead of Trusting God. Instead of trusting truth, we seek theories. I believe so much, if you keep seeking the answer to your questions in this world, beating yourself over the head, trying to understand, then giving up on the world, you'll turn to God with all your heart and say, "SHOW ME", and he will.



You looked at reality and you couldn't understand it. That's no reason to start pretending you do. Stop lying to yourself! Accept the unknown for what it is, and try to chip away at it until there's nothing left! Men don't turn to men to answer their questions, men turn to reason, men turn to cause and effect, to logic and to induction, which are not human and not devine but natural.

quote:Instead of trusting truth, we seek theories.

http://www.totse.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif) where the hell did this very recent Christian notion that well proved theories are somehow worse than Making Shit Up come from? Theory != to hypothesis. You wouldn't distrust the theory of gravity, would you? Or set theory?

quote:Catholic apologetic.

Heh, is that someone who's a Catholic but they're sorry? Actually, being sorry for stuff seems to be a central pillar of Catholicism http://www.totse.com/bbs/tongue.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/tongue.gif)

[This message has been edited by sp0rkius (edited 10-24-2005).]

quote:Originally posted by Paradise Lost:

When I first started out I was a hardcore Christian, then later on I went into a transitional phase where I didn't know. Now I'm an avid atheist.

So what have you converted from/to (if anything)?

Agnoticism to SubGenii/Discordianism, though its not so much conversion as just extra perspective on things.

1) Jehova Witness (only cause my grandparents made me)

2)Agnostic, once I was at a curious age ot ask many questions which couldn't be answered

3)Athiest, ultimately my decision based on what I have learned and decisions on how I should live my life.

So now I am just an aethiest. I always find it fun to entertain the idea of the existence of a God, just for debate and discussion.

sp0rkius-

Uh, ever read Immanuel Kant?

If not, you should.

Maybe not other people's ideas. However they aren't ideas to be claimed. If you think something up, you'd be a punk to think someone else hadn't thought it before. Men seek their own, is that better? They get no where. As Kant said, with every theory there is a loop hole, and if you question it, you'll find it.

God isn't a loop hole. Since the beginning of Christianity there has been questions and oppisitions, but none have disproved God.



[This message has been edited by HellzShellz (edited 10-25-2005).]

Anglican -&gt; Catholic -&gt; Nondenominational -&gt; Southern Baptist (and a compelte asshole) -&gt; raving atheist -&gt; agnostic -&gt; Buddhist -&gt; weak atheist -&gt; agnostic -&gt; pantheist

I agree, AngryFemme. While we don't know each other, the trip has been long and it has been strange. Some found their word in Christ, others found it in Muhammad, while I found mine in Nietzsche. Most people don't understand that belief in the Holy Spirit doesn't make you Christian automatically. It is something every religion shares and something I believe in deeply, though I refuse to place it in the hands of a single God. It is too powerful.

Hardcore Christian to Atheist to Raelian-ish(I believe what they believe, minus the hokey culty stuff)

quote:Originally posted by HellzShellz:

If you think something up, you'd be a punk to think someone else hadn't thought it before.

Oh no! Not a punk! http://www.totse.com/bbs/eek.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/eek.gif)

quote: Since the beginning of Christianity there has been questions and oppisitions, but none have disproved God.

That's like saying "disprove this toaster". Disprove what about this toaster, exactly?

If you mean its existance, then that's true; however, nothing's proved it either. It's more rational to believe in nothing than to believe in something unproven, especially when there is good reason to disbelieve in this unproven thing. Nothing's disproved the existance of a large purple elephant hiding on the far side of Pluto, either, but you'd be fool to believe that there is indeed such a being.

"That's like saying "disprove this toaster". Disprove what about this toaster, exactly?"

I didn't say disprove something about God, I said disprove him. You can't, no one else can. You just simply can't. You can try and try and try, but you can't do it. You can't even disprove something ABOUT him. Lack of understanding doesn't disprove anything but lack of knowledge, not lack of existence.

"Nothing's disproved the existance of a large purple elephant hiding on the far side of Pluto, either, but you'd be fool to believe that there is indeed such a being."

If there were written documents all through-out history by different people bearing the same truth, and power behind the truth, which there is power behind the truth, but I've seen no truth leading up to the possibility of Purple elephants. However, if there WERE proof, you'd be a fool to say, "NOT A CHANCE, I CAN'T SEE IT, OR FEEL IT."



[This message has been edited by HampTheToker (edited 10-25-2005).]

quote:Originally posted by HampTheToker:

"That's like saying "disprove this toaster". Disprove what about this toaster, exactly?"

I didn't say disprove something about God, I said disprove him. You can't, no one else can. You just simply can't. You can try and try and try, but you can't do it. You can't even disprove something ABOUT him. Lack of understanding doesn't disprove anything but lack of knowledge, not lack of existence.

"Nothing's disproved the existance of a large purple elephant hiding on the far side of Pluto, either, but you'd be fool to believe that there is indeed such a being."

If there were written documents all through-out history by different people bearing the same truth, and power behind the truth, which there is power behind the truth, but I've seen no truth leading up to the possibility of Purple elephants. However, if there WERE proof, you'd be a fool to say, "NOT A CHANCE, I CAN'T SEE IT, OR FEEL IT."





^^^That was my post, under my brother's name.^^^

Sorry.

Not being able to prove God... what does that count for? Remembering that the burden of proof lies on the individual making the claim of existence, not the other way around. But this is a tired old argument.

Someone recently put it to me like this: Can a schizophrenic PROVE that there are actual voices talking to them? No? Well, does that prove that the schizo doesn't hear the voices? No. It proves that he is experiencing something that is beyond my comprehension because we are on two completely different levels of "thinking". Our brains work differently.

Perhaps the same for my Christian brethren. Not comparing them to schizos or anything, but I wholeheartedly believe that it takes a certain kind of mind to believe in certain kinds of things. Mine isn't operating at any kind of deficiency just because I don't believe. Theirs isn't operating at any kind of deficiency because they do.

Though one cannot prove or disprove the existence of God (insofar as one can prove or disprove anything), you can disprove described aspects of the godhead (id est: the fact that omnipotence and omniscience are mutually exclusive, as are omniscience and free agency).

I was raised Protestant (Uniting Church to be specific), though I am now profoundly disinterested in whether God does or does not exist. I suppose that qualifies me as a weak atheist/agnostic, but I'd just prefer to continue to whistle in the darkness.

quote:Originally posted by HampTheToker:

"That's like saying "disprove this toaster". Disprove what about this toaster, exactly?"

I didn't say disprove something about God, I said disprove him. You can't, no one else can. You just simply can't. You can try and try and try, but you can't do it. You can't even disprove something ABOUT him. Lack of understanding doesn't disprove anything but lack of knowledge, not lack of existence.

"Nothing's disproved the existance of a large purple elephant hiding on the far side of Pluto, either, but you'd be fool to believe that there is indeed such a being."

If there were written documents all through-out history by different people bearing the same truth, and power behind the truth, which there is power behind the truth, but I've seen no truth leading up to the possibility of Purple elephants. However, if there WERE proof, you'd be a fool to say, "NOT A CHANCE, I CAN'T SEE IT, OR FEEL IT."





First of all, a toaster has definable qualities. If a thing is approximately box-shaped, metallic and toasts bread, it's a toaster. If you were to point to an empty counter top, and tell me that there was a toaster there, I'd think you were a fool. Same thing as a literal belief in the Bible.

Now, the Bible is fucked up. First of all, the old testament was written entirely by humans. Rabbis. None of that "Holy Spirit won't let us pick the wrong books" bullshit.

The oldest scrap of the bible we know of, was written not quite 200 years after the death of Jesus. The other three main Gospels were written another century after that. There are no contemporary reports of Jesus. Are you honestly telling me that something written 200 years after the fact, 2000 years ago, is going to be absolutely factual and true to the events that occured? Those books weren't even written down by the actual apostles. One of the main writers for the Bible never met Jesus.

Now, it's not like all of those books and writings were completely independent, and thus show the truth. They all had prior knowledge of what had been written before. People build of a previous foundation. No one in India, in 150AD sttod up and said, "Screw Hinduism, let me tell you about Yahweh." Every other religion on the planet, with the exception of Wicca, can make that same claim. How is yours better?

The issue isn't about "disproving god", a logical abortion of a phrase, really. It's about the fact that there is no evidence whatoever to support a divine creator. At least, there isn't if you're willing to be intellectually honest. Any proof you see, is only because you want to see it. Someone with a more discerning eye for truth would see that it's bullshit.

quote:Originally posted by SurahAhriman:

First of all, a toaster has definable qualities. If a thing is approximately box-shaped, metallic and toasts bread, it's a toaster. If you were to point to an empty counter top, and tell me that there was a toaster there, I'd think you were a fool. Same thing as a literal belief in the Bible.

Now, the Bible is fucked up. First of all, the old testament was written entirely by humans. Rabbis. None of that "Holy Spirit won't let us pick the wrong books" bullshit.

The oldest scrap of the bible we know of, was written not quite 200 years after the death of Jesus. The other three main Gospels were written another century after that. There are no contemporary reports of Jesus. Are you honestly telling me that something written 200 years after the fact, 2000 years ago, is going to be absolutely factual and true to the events that occured? Those books weren't even written down by the actual apostles. One of the main writers for the Bible never met Jesus.

Now, it's not like all of those books and writings were completely independent, and thus show the truth. They all had prior knowledge of what had been written before. People build of a previous foundation. No one in India, in 150AD sttod up and said, "Screw Hinduism, let me tell you about Yahweh." Every other religion on the planet, with the exception of Wicca, can make that same claim. How is yours better?

The issue isn't about "disproving god", a logical abortion of a phrase, really. It's about the fact that there is no evidence whatoever to support a divine creator. At least, there isn't if you're willing to be intellectually honest. Any proof you see, is only because you want to see it. Someone with a more discerning eye for truth would see that it's bullshit.

That's because, you lack understanding, and understanding comes from Christ. The reason 'fools' can't read the bible and understand is because their motive isn't right. The only time you'll read the Inspired word of God and understand it is when you're SEEKING GOD with your whole heart, and not some alternative motive. When you become God's child, by accept Christ as Lord of your LIFE.

That's why Paul said, "If a man thinks himself to be wise, let him become a fool so he can become wise."

Paul also said, The Gentiles sought wisdom, not God. When you SEEK GOD, He'll reveal all things to you, but God knows a man's heart, you can't fool God.

quote:Originally posted by HellzShellz:

That's because, you lack understanding, and understanding comes from Christ. The reason 'fools' can't read the bible and understand is because their motive isn't right. The only time you'll read the Inspired word of God and understand it is when you're SEEKING GOD with your whole heart, and not some alternative motive. When you become God's child, by accept Christ as Lord of your LIFE.

That's why Paul said, "If a man thinks himself to be wise, let him become a fool so he can become wise."

Paul also said, The Gentiles sought wisdom, not God. When you SEEK GOD, He'll reveal all things to you, but God knows a man's heart, you can't fool God.

Ah. I lack understanding. That explains it.

So you're telling me, that the only way I can "understand" the bible, is if I allready want to believe it's true. Which is exactly what I said. The first time I did read it I was 13, and honestly considering becoming a priest. The thing is, I'm brutally honest, especially to myself.

Incidentally, I'm certain your God should be able to "read my heart". Which is why I'd reject him even if his existance were proven. Anything else would be a lie.

quote:Originally posted by SurahAhriman:

Which is why I'd reject him even if his existance were proven.

Deep.

If it were presented to me in a way that I found impossible to refute, and omniscience was inarguably a factor and somehow everything had been pre-determined prior to mankind...

-I'd blame it on extraterrestials.

quote:Originally posted by Paradise Lost:

When I first started out I was a hardcore Christian, then later on I went into a transitional phase where I didn't know. Now I'm an avid atheist.

So what have you converted from/to (if anything)?

Atheist to agnostic to theist back to atheist

The circle of doubt

i was a catholic . then i became kinda athiest . Now though im a Muslim and i ahvent regretted it scince

quote:Originally posted by Phantom_X:

i was a catholic . then i became kinda athiest . Now though im a Muslim and i ahvent regretted it scince

Don't blow us up, please.

Why can't most Christians be like the Chaplain here in my Hall of Residence. He openly admits that all the writers of the Gospels copied Matthew (or was it Mark, I don't remember), and that the Bible is a completely fallible account of events. However, he still believes that Jesus was the son of God and I'm not sure why. To be honest, I think he doesn't really believe in God at all, but he just likes being a vicar. Also, he does seem to pretend to take some Bible stories as given in order to argue his point, so I guess he's full of crap really. But at least he's not fooling himself.