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Konichiwa, Hola, Hello Everyone

Gavin Luckenbach

Contrite Candidate-- Coddled Catechumen
Hello all. I was on these forums quite a few years ago but have since given up on my account.

I have a very mismatched and...flip-floppy background with religion. I grew up in a non-denominational Christian household, was baptized at seven at a non-denom evangelical church (that is another story, of which I am often troubled by what I can and cannot remember from it), but left (in my heart and mind) soon after.

Throughout my pre-teen, high school and teenage years I was at first very edgy, but eventually took interest in spiritual and religious things (still in an edgy teenager kind of way) and was interested mainly in Dharmic and neo-pagan religions. I still have a basic understanding and appreciation for some schools of Vedanta and contemporary devotional Hinduism, as well as a bit of an understanding of Buddhist (even Mahayana) metaphysics. I have much less admiration for my neo-pagan days, as with any way of looking "cool," and the more generally shallow and ridiculous, misled, and almost solely aesthetic draw, that I personally had to it.

College has forced me to think through things that I once found difficult, and as a result has me reevaluating the multitude of ideas I used to shun. Over the summer I began reading the Bible largely out of an interest in Liberation theology and Leftist politics (strange, but God's grace really seems to work in incredible ways) and through an opened heart and mind, looking at things outside of my old "black metal neopagan" lens, the Truth and Love of Jesus Christ was presented to me. I'm astonished at how much more there is for me to learn, and I really cannot attribute most aspects of this conversion to my own doing, but to God alone. As it stands, I am growing my faith and relationship with Jesus. I have a lot to learn, confess, and do.

Being drawn to tradition and historical claims has led me to RCIA classes at a local Catholic church. If I had no historical background, and if most of the people I know were not non-believers--- given my conversion experience-- I may have had been theologically inclined towards Calvinist or Baptist theological views of justification... but perhaps it was just traditionally...Augustinian?

I'm still very interested in casual dialogue between other faiths, and fellow Christians of various denominational persuasions. My main interests are comparative religion (within reason and genuine scholarship), Medieval mysticism, Church history, epistemology (especially important when it comes to comparative and inter-faith dialogue), and practical spiritual questions. Hoping to make some new friends!
 
Last edited:

Fool

ALL in all
Premium Member
Hello all. I was on these forums quite a few years ago but have since given up on my account.

I have a very mismatched and...flip-floppy background with religion. I grew up in a non-denominational Christian household, was baptized at seven at a non-denom evangelical church (that is another story, of which I am often troubled by what I can and cannot remember from it), but left (in my heart and mind) soon after.

Throughout my pre-teen, high school and teenage years I was at first very edgy, but eventually took interest in spiritual and religious things (still in an edgy teenager kind of way) and was interested mainly in Dharmic and neo-pagan religions. I still have a basic understanding and appreciation for some schools of Vedanta and contemporary devotional Hinduism, as well as a bit of an understanding of Buddhist (even Mahayana) metaphysics. I have much less admiration for my neo-pagan days, as with any way of looking "cool," and the more generally shallow and ridiculous, misled, and almost solely aesthetic draw, that I personally had to it.

College has forced me to think through things that I once found difficult, and as a result has me reevaluating the multitude of ideas I used to shun. Over the summer I began reading the Bible largely out of an interest in Liberation theology and Leftist politics (strange, but God's grace really seems to work in incredible ways) and through an opened heart and mind, looking at things outside of my old "black metal neopagan" lens, the Truth and Love of Jesus Christ was presented to me. I'm astonished at how much more there is for me to learn, and I really cannot attribute most aspects of this conversion to my own doing, but to God alone. As it stands, I am growing my faith and relationship with Jesus. I have a lot to learn, confess, and do.

Being drawn to tradition and historical claims has led me to RCIA classes at a local Catholic church. If I had no historical background, and if most of the people I know were not non-believers--- given my conversion experience-- I may have had been theologically inclined towards Calvinist or Baptist theological views of justification... but perhaps it was just traditionally...Augustinian?

I'm still very interested in casual dialogue between other faiths, and fellow Christians of various denominational persuasions. My main interests are comparative religion (within reason and genuine scholarship), Medieval mysticism, Church history, epistemology (especially important when it comes to comparative and inter-faith dialogue), and practical spiritual questions. Hoping to make some new friends!


 

Milton Platt

Well-Known Member
Hello all. I was on these forums quite a few years ago but have since given up on my account.

I have a very mismatched and...flip-floppy background with religion. I grew up in a non-denominational Christian household, was baptized at seven at a non-denom evangelical church (that is another story, of which I am often troubled by what I can and cannot remember from it), but left (in my heart and mind) soon after.

Throughout my pre-teen, high school and teenage years I was at first very edgy, but eventually took interest in spiritual and religious things (still in an edgy teenager kind of way) and was interested mainly in Dharmic and neo-pagan religions. I still have a basic understanding and appreciation for some schools of Vedanta and contemporary devotional Hinduism, as well as a bit of an understanding of Buddhist (even Mahayana) metaphysics. I have much less admiration for my neo-pagan days, as with any way of looking "cool," and the more generally shallow and ridiculous, misled, and almost solely aesthetic draw, that I personally had to it.

College has forced me to think through things that I once found difficult, and as a result has me reevaluating the multitude of ideas I used to shun. Over the summer I began reading the Bible largely out of an interest in Liberation theology and Leftist politics (strange, but God's grace really seems to work in incredible ways) and through an opened heart and mind, looking at things outside of my old "black metal neopagan" lens, the Truth and Love of Jesus Christ was presented to me. I'm astonished at how much more there is for me to learn, and I really cannot attribute most aspects of this conversion to my own doing, but to God alone. As it stands, I am growing my faith and relationship with Jesus. I have a lot to learn, confess, and do.

Being drawn to tradition and historical claims has led me to RCIA classes at a local Catholic church. If I had no historical background, and if most of the people I know were not non-believers--- given my conversion experience-- I may have had been theologically inclined towards Calvinist or Baptist theological views of justification... but perhaps it was just traditionally...Augustinian?

I'm still very interested in casual dialogue between other faiths, and fellow Christians of various denominational persuasions. My main interests are comparative religion (within reason and genuine scholarship), Medieval mysticism, Church history, epistemology (especially important when it comes to comparative and inter-faith dialogue), and practical spiritual questions. Hoping to make some new friends!

Are you in or from Japan?
 

ChristineM

"Be strong", I whispered to my coffee.
Premium Member
Hi, welcome to RF, sit down, relax and enjoy the cake

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Deeje

Avid Bible Student
Premium Member
What an interesting spiritual journey @Gavin Luckenbach .....what conclusions have you come to, and what drew you back to Christianity?

I was raised in the Anglican church myself but had issues with how far the churches had strayed for Christ's teachings and how much they had added to the "word" of God.

I went back to the beginning and started from scratch.....its quite a trip... :D
 

Gavin Luckenbach

Contrite Candidate-- Coddled Catechumen
What an interesting spiritual journey @Gavin Luckenbach .....what conclusions have you come to, and what drew you back to Christianity?

I was raised in the Anglican church myself but had issues with how far the churches had strayed for Christ's teachings and how much they had added to the "word" of God.

I went back to the beginning and started from scratch.....its quite a trip... :D
I have had a similar experience, although I have a deep appreciation for the tradition and history of the Anglican communion-- not so much a fan of many of the churches' (especially Episcopalian/American) openness to modernity or overly-politicized compromise of biblical teachings. As I began to look into the faith I naturally went about looking into different denominations and theologies and how the truth is so often sacrificed for what feels better or is most convenient to how people want to live their lives.

One of the things that began to open my heart to Jesus Christ was very much my dismay and discomfort with modern life, industrial capitalism, and angst surrounding more and more what made me consider the consequences of evil in the world. Prior to that I was very much a moral relativist and simply tried to ignore most suffering and unpleasant things, I took very little seriously but couldn't avoid the unavoidable evil both within me and around me. I lied to myself and others, ignoring anything bad-- or pursued lackluster things and interests to give myself meaning.

It started by reading the Bible and realizing the deep and difficult Truth of Christ's teachings. Alongside a better understanding of God through Christ, better theology (I was essentially a pantheist) and a more linear view of time-- I have begun to see the urgency of making things right, the need for a Redeemer, and the responsibility of picking up my own Cross daily (however flawed and lacking that may often be, hence still the need for faith in our Saviour.) Finally and most importantly, his incomprehensible Love and mercy, and Sorry perhaps this is this is a bit sappy and spiritual for an intellectually oriented forum, but this feeling of excitement and awe for so many incredible mysteries of faith.
 
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