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What made you change your beliefs?

idea

Question Everything
Something from another group:

..."Organizations cannot make you free. No man from outside can make you free..." - | J. Krishnamurti

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Unveiled Artist

Veteran Member
This almost precisely as I see it too. I know that some people run hither-thither seeking, and that's fine, but it isn't really necessary, and could be quite frustrating, not finding a match. Wait and see what happens works too, generally. And if it doesn't, so?

Yeah. Exactly.

How I did it was just said, "I'm going to try something new." Went to church and said "I am ready to be a community with you guys" to the whole congregation. It was beautiful. Then (if you haven't read it, cool), then I asked if I can be part of their pastoral care. I have never taken care of anyone before nor be their Friend. Going to training next week Saturday. Our reverend is carpool me and another member. I may be teaching youth in August in between trying to find a paying job.

@idea But I didn't quite search for this. It just happened back to back and just trust and let go to what works right for me.

:leafwind:
 

Ellen Brown

Well-Known Member
Im dyslexic, by age 14 i was sick to death, (literally, i was so depressed i thought of suicide) of the mockery and verbal abuse poured on my by "good" christians becaus i couldn't read the bible.

I left the church. Soon after i was diagnosed, tools were prescribed, i learn to read and became an avid devourer of books. Eventually i read the bible. Not as christianity would have you selectively read recommended verses but read it as written.

I learned why (some) christians are real nasty people and decided, if thats what the bible teaches i want no part of it.

My first serious experience with the Bible was when I sat down and read pretty much the whole thing through. Admittedly a couple of books in the OT were too toilsome.
 

Salvador

RF's Swedenborgian
I used to believe we were almost certainly living in base reality, but the movie the Matrix, along with indicators we are living in a simulated reality has convinced me we are more likely living in a computer simulation rather than base reality.

A "machine" is any causal physical system, hence we are machines; thus, machines can be conscious. The question is: What type of machines could be conscious? Odds are robots passing the Turing Test Turing test - Wikipedia would be indistinguishable from us in their behavioral capacities --and could be conscious (i.e. feel), but we can never be certain. There's no way for any "conscious" being to know whether or not he is actually experiencing a virtual reality produced by an interface between his brain and a computer .

However, there are some possible indications we are living in a computer simulation....

1. A particle passing through a double-slit behaves as a wave causing an interference pattern when unobserved, but this same particle doesn't create an interference pattern when its path of travel can be determined by an observer. This collapse of the wave-function could be happening in order to save computational resources necessary for our simulated reality.

2. There is indeed a mark of intelligence left in our genetic code as evident by how the numeric and semantic message of 037 appears in our genetic code. Each codon relates to 3 other particular codons having the same particular type of initial nucleobase and sequential nucleobase subsequently then followed by a different ending nucleobase. Half of these 4 set of codon groups ( whole family codons ) each code for the same particular amino acid. The other half of those 4 set of codon groups ( split codons ) don't code for the same amino acid. So then, in the case of whole family codons, there are 37 amino acid peptide chain nucleons for each relevant nucleobase determinant of how a particular amino acid gets coded. Start codons express 0 at the beginning of 37 Hence, the meaningful numeric and semantic message of 037 gets unambiguously and factually conveyed to us descendants of our cosmic ancestor(s) with our genetic code invented by a superior intelligence beyond that of anybody presently bound to Earth.

Reference: The "Wow! signal" of the terrestrial genetic code. Vladimir l. shCherbak and Maxim A. Makukov. Icarus, May 2013,Redirectinghttps://www.scribd.com/document/35302916...netic-Code

This mark of intelligence left in our genetic coding is indicative of an intelligent designer, who may be responsible for the simulation of our reality.

3. Theoretical physicist Dr. S. James Gates Jr. has revealved that a certain string theory, super-symmetrical equations describing the nature and reality of our universe, contains embedded computer codes; these codes have digital data in the form of 0's and 1's identical to what makes web browsers function, and they're error-correct codes.


At least one of the following statements is very likely to be true:

1. The human species is very likely to go extinct before reaching a post-human stage.
2. Any post-human civilization is extremely unlikely to run a significant number of simulations of their evolutionary history.
3. We are almost certainly living in a computer simulation.

"Bostrom's argument rests on the premise that given sufficiently advanced technology, it is possible to represent the populated surface of the Earth without recourse to digital physics; that the qualia experienced by a simulated consciousness are comparable or equivalent to those of a naturally occurring human consciousness, and that one or more levels of simulation within simulations would be feasible given only a modest expenditure of computational resources in the real world."

ARE YOU LIVING IN A COMPUTER SIMULATION? BY NICK BOSTROM

Faculty of Philosophy, Oxford University

Published in Philosophical Quarterly (2003) Vol. 53, No. 211, pp. 243-255.

Are You Living in a Simulation

I took the red pill knowing there is no turning back. I didn't take the blue pill, because I didn't want the story to end, then waking up in bed and simply believing whatever I want to believe. I took the red pill for staying in Wonderland and getting shown how deep the rabbit-hole goes.


matrix-neo-red-pill_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqqVzuuqpFlyLIwiB6NTmJwfSVWeZ_vEN7c6bHu2jJnT8.jpg


After taking the red pill, I watched the below video about possible evidence of us living in a simulated reality.


 

arthra

Baha'i
for those who changed beliefs and settled into a new home, was there any "moment of truth" where you found your previous beliefs to be wrong? What was the catalyst for your change?

Looking back in my earlier life I was raised in an American Baptist Convention Church that my family was active.. As I matured in my teens I became interested in the epic poetry of Edwin Arnold … The Song Celestial and The Light of Asia.... Both books opened up to me Buddhism and Hinduism. I had some close friends of mine who were interested in Yoga and so began a practice of meditation and later Hatha Yoga. I dropped out of University and went to an Ashram. Later I returned to my family and begin to feel strongly that I could not reject Krishna or the Buddha or Christ... to accept one above the others was not right to me... awhile after that I read "Baha'u'llah and the New Era" by Esslemont and knew in my heart I would have to declare my Faith if I ever met a Baha'i.
Active in the Civil Rights movement and the Peace movement in the sixties I learned that the Baha'i Faith had teachings for the oneness of humanity and the establishment of a world parliament. So I became a Baha'i.
 

TransmutingSoul

Veteran Member
Premium Member
If I go Back in 1984, I was happy with life and still pursuing a professional golfing career. I had no Faith and no interest to pursue Faith. But my wife read a prayer at a friends place and she embraced the Baha'i Faith on the spot, this is that prayer.

"O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life.

O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord." Abdu’l-Bahá

Upon arriving home she told me the good news and I was furious, a bit of a happy deflation that was. I wanted to know who got all the money, as at that time Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was a big hit in Australia and, well, he had 92 Rolls Royces. About a month later I came home and found a book by the bed called 'God Loves Laughter, by William Sears. Again I was not happy and in the end my wife said just read it please.

I did that weekend and in fact I could not put the book down, the oneness it presented in such a comical way, resonated with my soul. I had also now totally changed, I accepted the Baha'i Faith then and there.

Regards Tony
 

GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
I was raised a Christian (Anglican) and my education was scientific and academic. Naturally this lead me to consider the evidence for Christianity, to study theology, and to read the Bible. The more I thought and studied, the less happy I was: with the evidences, the explanations, and the morality. Eventually, after many years I rejected Christianity.

The empirical evidence available was individual people's religious experiences. Unless you indulge in a lot of special pleading, these experiences can only be explained in a polytheistic framework. I selected the Hellenic gods more or less as an experiment and found my choice confirmed by my own experiences. Of course, I might have had similar experiences if I'd chosen the gods of Egypt or Japan. For a polytheist, all gods are real.
 

PruePhillip

Well-Known Member
build-windmills.jpg


To those who are still seeking, or for those who changed beliefs and settled into a new home, was there any "moment of truth" where you found your previous beliefs to be wrong? What was the catalyst for your change?

I guess you could say that John the Baptist built a wall. Jesus
said of him "What did you go out to see, a reed blowing in the
wind?"
John didn't bend to the winds of societies whims.
We bend to them. Notice how we have gradually come to
accept things that other generations refused to accept, like
debt, gambling, broken homes, pornography, violence as
entertainment, adultery - even Islamic laws on blasphemy
since the Salman Rushdie days have crept in, encouraged
by "Islamaphobia" correctness.
All these things existed in the past, but now they are main-
steam. We have become windmills, standing for nothing
anymore.
 

joe1776

Well-Known Member
I don't understand how people can accept any significant claim on faith. I was born incapable of it. I need supporting evidence.

But I didn't realize this early in life. So, because I was an obedient child. I acted like a trained young Catholic should act until one day I realized I didn't believe it.
 
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SalixIncendium

अग्निविलोवनन्दः
Staff member
Premium Member
I don't understand how people can accept any significant claim on faith. I was born incapable of it. I need supporting evidence.

But I didn't realize this early in life. So, because I was an obedient child. I acted like a trained young Catholic should act until one day I realized I didn't believe it.

What did you change your beliefs to? Or are you still seeking?
 

joe1776

Well-Known Member
What did you change your beliefs to?
The Pew people would put me in the category of Spiritual but not Religious. I allow the possibility that a Loving Creator exists. But, if it does, I reason that the love is unconditional.

That assumption leads to others: For example, it rules out the existence of Hell as eternal punishment for anything, much less punishment for picking the wrong religion.
 

robocop (actually)

Well-Known Member
Premium Member
To those who are still seeking, or for those who changed beliefs and settled into a new home, was there any "moment of truth" where you found your previous beliefs to be wrong? What was the catalyst for your change?

Well, I found that moral behavior helped me to reason correctly instead of the other way around.
 

joe1776

Well-Known Member
What did you change your beliefs to? Or are you still seeking?
I answered your question in Post 32. But, I neglected to ask about your beliefs. I got caught up in a debate on your thread. Do you find your "Cafeteria Catholic" position satisfying?
 

Nāmaka

New Member
I was born a catholic and I really believed in it until 10, I still believed in god and Jesus and that stuff, but I didn’t really believe all the stories with Adam and Eve or Noah’s Arc. Then when I was 11 I decided I was an atheist. At 12 or 13 I think, I decided to go back to Catholicism because I was always fearing hell so I wanted to go back “just in case”. Then I started getting into a long list other religions that I can’t remember the order of but here they are:

Hinduism- I got really deep into this
Islam- Got pretty into it but not as much as Hinduism or Judaism
Judaism- I got really deep into this also
Orthodox Christianity- It just seemed more original than Catholicism and I was into the Byzantine Empire
Messianic Judaism- Didn’t get deep
Buddhism- Got into it a little
Jainism- I was going to this multiple times but I could never go deep because I just didn’t like the supernatural part of it I just liked the concept of Ahimsa
Baha’i- Didn’t really get into it
Wicca- I just liked the vibe
There’s probably some others I’m forgetting

I never ended up practicing these really, but one time I did pray to Saraswati for me to pass my test because she’s the goddess of knowledge. I never practiced Islam or Judaism properly I would just tried once to face towards Mecca and once to face toward Jerusalem but I didn’t really pray properly.
I eventually got into ethnic/folk polytheistic religions and I really liked Polynesian culture and wanted to live in Polynesia someday so I got into traditional Polynesian Religion which is where I’m at now and I’m good here and I’m stable (unlike the way I used to be, I was extremely unstable in my beliefs). I also like Buddhist and Taoist philosophy in addition to the Polynesian Religion. I can’t really practice it though because I don’t have enough information to know how to properly practice and I don’t live in Polynesia so it’s not like I can go to an ancient temple to leave offerings.
 
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idea

Question Everything
I find myself thinking of another nake pastor cartoon with this thread. Thanks again everyone for your posts!

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InChrist

Free4ever
I'd say God caused me to change my beliefs through using every situation and circumstance in my like to call me out of religious errors into a living relationship.
 
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