Standing by your "convictions"

Has God ever challenged your opinions, and required that you lay down what you once considered a strong "conviction?" Perhaps an opinion about a specific issue that you were very vocal about?

Or, if you don't believe in God -- have you ever felt compelled to change your position regarding a moral issue, to the detriment of your own pride?

Just wondering. I wouldn't mind hearing details.

I once announced how much I was for the death penality. After some discussions with some coworkers I changed my opinion. I kind of had to swallow my pride when I reversed my opinion. Basically, I learned that life imprisonment costs less than seeking the death penality. Plus the death penality is irreversible. After that, I learned to be a little more careful of announcing my convictions until I had talked about them enough so I could strongly support them.

Scott (Quath)

yea and it has taught me not toshoot off my big mouth until I have all the facts.

Like Scott I also changed my views on the death penalty.  Also on another site an agnostic's arguments forced me to change my opinion on allowing the choice for abortion if the mother's life is in danger only because my viewpoint was inconsistent.  Also as time goes on I am becoming more liberal than I used to be.  Not just politically but economically and even theologically.  (while keeping a firm foundation in the essentials of the coservative side of faith)  I guess as I grow I am seeing how families and especially how fathers or the lack thereof affect people for the good or bad. So I support strongly things I used to not like getting more black male role models out there.  (I guess before I never saw that as so important)

 

 

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Through the power of the Holy Spirit I am resolved to fully know Christ and to serve Him as Lord and Master of my life until I am with my Father in heaven which will be my gain.

To live is Christ and to die is gain. Phil. 2:10


That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; in order that I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Phil 3:10-11

Sounds like a theme here. I was ok with capital punishment for a long time, but changed my mind. All along I thought it was more of an education than an epiphany. But now I'm thinking maybe God hit me over the head with the education. M

Yes, I learned the hard way that not all "Christian authorities" are absolutely right on some issues, and that true convictions usually see distinctions rather than all or nothing. I say the hard way because I ended up alienating people who I really, really wish I could be friends with now ;;^.^;; I sometimes feel like I'm hopelessly behind the times, and I missed out on a lot because of that false conviction. A part of it also earned me my first "vacation" here last May.

The best advice I can give you to avoid this is beware of anyone who tries to use guilt or fear to make you form a secondary conviction, and don't throw away what you personally know to be fact about something because someone else says that you're wrong and decieved.

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You wouldn't throw away a gold coin-why then would you throw away a life, which is infinitely more precious than gold?
We as Christians are ambassadors for God, not vigilantes for Him.
I speak the truth and have no regrets.
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I used to be quite vocal in support of YEC but after actually hearing the case for The Theory of Evolution, I found that I was quite wrong. I've also reversed my views that marijuana should be illegal, that homosexuality is despicable (I apologize for ever holding that view), and that atheism comes from a desire to be evil and is induced by Satan himself. Over the past few years I've generally become more "liberal," although I try to avoid the term because of its association with the democratic party and their positions. 

-jon

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"The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going." -Proverbs 14:15 KJV

"The unexamined life is not worth living." -Socrates

"If the Medes darken the sun, we shall have our fight in the shade." -Dieneces at Thermopylae

Also, Blackhawk, I certainly know what you mean. . .I think it's just a part of growing older and more knowledgable about how things are, and more accepting of the fact that not everyone and everything fits into a specific "idea" of what it should be. Or at least I hope so. . .LOL -^.^-

__________________
You wouldn't throw away a gold coin-why then would you throw away a life, which is infinitely more precious than gold?
We as Christians are ambassadors for God, not vigilantes for Him.
I speak the truth and have no regrets.
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 10 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

I used to have some fairly fascist views of certain things (pornography, gun ownership, religion, etc, should be banned), but I'm softened my position on a number of issues. Of course, I was younger and much more ignorant when I originally held those views. But rational thought and learning eventually intervened.

i used to hate brocolli

but after i combined it with teriyaki sauce i cant get enough of the stuff

well what do you want? its 3 am and i cant sleep