How Did You Decide Which Religion To Follow?

[naomi24]

Leading on from Goodlife’s ‘Atheists: When Will You Finally See The Light?’ thread, most atheists reach their conclusions through analysis and a process of elimination, so how thoroughly did you investigate all the other religions before finally deciding that one of them was right – and what convinced you?

[mikey4444]

naomi...if I had been stuck in that fecking muddy lane for another hour, Alcoholics Anonymous would have had to come and rescue me....3 bottles of 14.5% Pinotage from Lidl in the boot, nearly in me. I was sorely tempted.

Dim AA girl on phone " Do you know the postcode of the place where you have broken down please Sir ?"

"Hang on a minute...I will go and ask that black and white cow over there "

[naomi24]

Steve, only people who are afraid of death and believe they are somehow special continue to believe. The rest of us acknowledge reality.

Mikey, Haaaaaaaa! How funny! Pleased you're home safe. :o)

Night all. x

[mikey4444]

No but even I will try it next time the AA is so bl00dy slow !

[Cannedgranny]

Only people who are afraid of death and believe they are special??? What a presumption.

[LazyGun]

Interesting that, despite around 3 pages of posting, we have actually heard from precious few of those people who actually believe.

According to the Pew Research Institute in the USA - a pro-faith think tank- switching religions is very common in the USA - I have seen them claim as high as 50% of all believers! which I find difficult to believe. Other studies I have seen suggest it is far less common, but there is little actual evidence out there.

Keyplus claims to have studied alternative religions -"including atheism",no less- in his mid-20s, but despite this exposure to different belief systems has elected to stick with the one he was brought up in.I think reviewing your faith like that is uncommon amongst believers, especially fervent ones, but that among those that do, they will change, usually prompted by a real world event.

It would still appear that the initial thesis behind naomis question holds though; Those with a self-professed faith generally were brought up in that same faith. So if you were brought up a christian you will be a christian in adult life, brought up a muslim you will remain a muslim in adult life, and that points to a couple of things - that stuff we learn as a child tends to shape us as individuals and influence us throughout adult life, and second that it is difficult to break such early influences and conditioning.

[naomi24]

Cannedgranny, I'd say more an observation. In a universe as vast as this is, any inhabitant of this minute speck of dust who is convinced that an almighty creator takes a particular interest in them and their day to day lives must surely believe they're rather special, no?

This puts it into perspective.



And what reason to believe that this mysterious and allegedly mighty entity cares especially for individuals other than the hope of cheating death?

Two questions for you there. Rather than simply saying my conclusions are presumptuous, I'd be interested to hear your reasons for claiming that.

[pixie373]

I agree with lg. All believers are just taking in what they've been told by another human. That proves a lack of thought, not an in-depth analysis. Nobody could independently arrive at their belief through common sense and logic. It has to be someone already susceptible looking for something that's missing and not bothering to look any further.

[Cannedgranny]

Because Naomi, I for one am not afraid to die. As for thinking I am special, No. I am not a good enough Christian.

[naomi24]

Cannedgranny, but do you think you will go to heaven when you die - or at least that your soul will live on?

[RATTER15]

Naomi, I'm sure Goodlife would like you to think that the video is not really true, all those little dots in the sky are just put there by the devil to deceive us all.

[Cannedgranny]

Yes, because by accepting Jesus as my Saviour I do believe I will go to Heaven, and nothing you or anyone else will make me come to believe otherwise. For someone who does not believe, you seem to spend a lot of time thinking up questions to ask those who do. Are you searching for something to change your mind?

[BlueToffee]

I don't follow any religion any longer but, having been brainwashed between the ages of 7 and 17 by nuns and monks in Catholicism, am reluctant, at approaching 70, to completely dismiss the existence of some greater being.

[naomi24]

Ratter, ha ha! Probably.

Cannedgranny, there you are. As an inhabitant of this little speck of dust, you think you are special enough to have some sort of communication on a personal level with the almighty creator of this universe and you think that will enable you to cheat death - which is what I said.

//Are you searching for something to change your mind?//

I found something that changed my mind - rationality.

[LazyGun]

@canned granny "Yes, because by accepting Jesus as my Saviour I do believe I will go to Heaven, and nothing you or anyone else will make me come to believe otherwise. For someone who does not believe, you seem to spend a lot of time thinking up questions to ask those who do. Are you searching for something to change your mind?"

Defensive or what?
"Yes, because by accepting Jesus as my Saviour I do believe I will go to Heaven," Not just a casual believer then.But hey, if thats what you personally believe, good for you.

"and nothing you or anyone else will make me come to believe otherwise" This is where it gets interesting. By that statement you indicate a complete refusal to countenance any other view, and that is the problem I have with religion - a tendency to reject any evidence or worldview counter to their own, which in turn leads to attempts to impose religious worldviews on a secular culture.

"For someone who does not believe, you seem to spend a lot of time thinking up questions to ask those who do. Are you searching for something to change your mind?"" Defensive, and passive-aggressive. One can be interested in the areas of religion and its affect on thinking in culture without necessarily looking for something to believe in.

[naomi24]

BlueToffee, I can understand that - but it's completely irrational to claim to know what that 'greater being' is, or how it thinks and behaves, as the religious do.

[Cannedgranny]

LazyGun, maybe that was a bit defensive but it is rather irritating to virtually be told you are a fool for believing in God. And don't say that has not happened on here, because it has. Lets face it, you atheists strongly deny the existence of God. I, on the other hand believe there is a God, and because of that belief do not feel it is necessary to delve into what others believe.