ppp
Well-Known Member
And how did you come to "strongly" believe in God? If you were like me, I was told God was real from a very young age. And not just any God, but God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
What happened?
Upbringing was how I came to believe in God. too, but not the 'strongly' part. In 7th grade I had a friend who was very serious about it and her thoughtfulness over religious and philosophical subjects impressed me. It made me realize that I should have a better grasp on my beliefs. So I read the Bible, then Augustine, then Geisler and assorted other apologists. I became involved in youth groups, and had discussions.and debates. I had experiences in prayer and in singing that felt like what people described as being infused with the Holy Spirit. It was great. At that point, I believed strongly.
But I was always bothered by the fact that no one could make a rational connection from belief to God. I didn't have the language for it at the time, and just referred to it as The Gap. In my journal I drew it as dangling over a hook; just one link away from connecting. Several dozen times. I got good at drawing chains. :-D Eventually, I came to realize that no one to whom I had spoken or read had that last link. It was at that point that I started asking myself when evaluating a claim, Do I have any reason to believe that this persons knows, or has the capacity to know the thing they are saying.
The last nails in the coffin for Christianity (at least) were pounded home I read Mere Christianity, followed by Evidence that demands a Verdict. Ironically, both recommended by that same girl from 5 years before. Those were hideous, pandering books with no redeeming value.
IMHO