A Year Without God / A Year With God

[cloudyday2]

There was a Christian theologian who spent a year pretending to be an atheist and soon discovered that he had actually transformed into an atheist. The theologian was Ryan J. Bell and he named the experiment "A Year Without God" ( Ryan J. Bell - Wikipedia ).

This started me wondering what would happen if I spent a year pretending to be a Christian - "A Year With God".

• Would I become a Christian again?
• Would I want to become a Christian again?
• What type of Christian beliefs would I want (progressive or fundamentalist, liturgical or non-liturgical, ...)?

To be honest, I suspect that I could transform myself into a Christian again simply by pretending to believe and immersing myself in a community and practices. I'm not a particularly organized and rigorous thinker, so it probably wouldn't be hard to confuse myself. I just don't know that I want to be a Christian again. I always thought that I missed being a Christian, but I think I only miss my past.

Assuming you could change your beliefs to convert to a different religious orientation would you want to? If so, what would be your preferred religious orientation?

 

[MehGuy]

I don't think it would do any good for me.

I actually know how to recreate the spiritual highs I experienced as a theist, thanks to probing deep into my psychological depths when I was a believer. Although, even immersing myself in that trance again probably wouldn't turn me into a theist once more. Most likely I'd just get exhausted trying to fake it and probably suffer another bout of chemical withdrawal, lol.

 

[Halbhh]

Definitely I'd always want to chose that religion that is about love --

"Love your neighbor as yourself."
"Love one another"
"Love your enemy"
"So in everything, do to others as you would have them do to you"

Because when I tried these I found my life got far better.
I enjoy myself more, and feel much better as I interact with people.

It's the religion based on Christ Jesus. On faith in Him.

Even turns out you get help even to find Him and gain faith:

"7“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened."

13 "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
14 I will be found by you,” declares the Lord...

That's very straightforward. An act of faith. Seek and you will find. All of your heart.

 

[awitch]

There was a Christian theologian who spent a year pretending to be an atheist and soon discovered that he had actually transformed into an atheist. The theologian was Ryan J. Bell and he named the experiment "A Year Without God" ( Ryan J. Bell - Wikipedia ).

This started me wondering what would happen if I spent a year pretending to be a Christian - "A Year With God".

You might want to also read "The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible" by A.J. Jacobs.

Assuming you could change your beliefs to convert to a different religious orientation would you want to? If so, what would be your preferred religious orientation?

I don't see any reason to change religions at this point in time but it certainly could happen in the future.

 

[Stancet]

If you really want to, I would definitely suggest going for it.

 

[Cassidy Bennett]

There was a Christian theologian who spent a year pretending to be an atheist and soon discovered that he had actually transformed into an atheist. The theologian was Ryan J. Bell and he named the experiment "A Year Without God" ( Ryan J. Bell - Wikipedia ).

This started me wondering what would happen if I spent a year pretending to be a Christian - "A Year With God".

• Would I become a Christian again?
• Would I want to become a Christian again?
• What type of Christian beliefs would I want (progressive or fundamentalist, liturgical or non-liturgical, ...)?

To be honest, I suspect that I could transform myself into a Christian again simply by pretending to believe and immersing myself in a community and practices. I'm not a particularly organized and rigorous thinker, so it probably wouldn't be hard to confuse myself. I just don't know that I want to be a Christian again. I always thought that I missed being a Christian, but I think I only miss my past.

Assuming you could change your beliefs to convert to a different religious orientation would you want to? If so, what would be your preferred religious orientation?

Didn't work for me (trying to be atheist). God is VERY persistent...who can stop him?

Furthermore, he's working on you now. Even I can see that.

 

[Chesterton]

There was a Christian theologian who spent a year pretending to be an atheist and soon discovered that he had actually transformed into an atheist. The theologian was Ryan J. Bell and he named the experiment "A Year Without God" ( Ryan J. Bell - Wikipedia ).

This started me wondering what would happen if I spent a year pretending to be a Christian - "A Year With God".

• Would I become a Christian again?
• Would I want to become a Christian again?
• What type of Christian beliefs would I want (progressive or fundamentalist, liturgical or non-liturgical, ...)?

To be honest, I suspect that I could transform myself into a Christian again simply by pretending to believe and immersing myself in a community and practices. I'm not a particularly organized and rigorous thinker, so it probably wouldn't be hard to confuse myself. I just don't know that I want to be a Christian again. I always thought that I missed being a Christian, but I think I only miss my past.

Assuming you could change your beliefs to convert to a different religious orientation would you want to? If so, what would be your preferred religious orientation?

So when you pretend to be an atheist, do you have to eat the babies, or just pretend to eat the babies? Anyway, I spent many many years acting like an atheist, hanging around atheists, but it didn't ever really take. But if you think you can become something by pretending to be it, I'd suggest that instead of just pretending to be a Christian you should pretend to be a Christian billionaire.

 

[Silmarien]

There was a Christian theologian who spent a year pretending to be an atheist and soon discovered that he had actually transformed into an atheist. The theologian was Ryan J. Bell and he named the experiment "A Year Without God" ( Ryan J. Bell - Wikipedia ).

Looking at his article on CNN, I'm really not surprised. There's such a thing as unhealthy religion, and it's stamped all over that piece.

Assuming you could change your beliefs to convert to a different religious orientation would you want to? If so, what would be your preferred religious orientation?

I'm about seven months into seeing if I can actually convert to Christianity.

It's taking, but very slowly. I don't look like a skeptic, since skeptics are not allowed to think that theists have the stronger case, but that minor eccentricity aside, I'm actually pretty skeptical. I've experienced too much personal revelation and intriguing coincidence to walk away, but there's a huge gap between my vaguely agnostic assent and orthodox Christianity.

 

[TheOldWays]

The mind can be easily convinced if one is open to it. I think it would be possible for a Christian to become an atheist and vice versa very easily. Just takes the mind and soul agreeing on something and things can shift quickly.

I have experienced that a bit. When my soul was longing for a spiritual path whatever my mind could latch onto I would try. Christianity, Islam, Zen, Pureland Buddhism, few different pagan paths, etc. When the soul and mind ally, things can move very fast.

Of course on the other end it takes the soul actually wanting to leave a path to make it shift. If a person's soul is longing for a spiritual path like Christianity, even with the mind thinking atheism is the way, that person will probably return to Christianity, even if they try atheism for a while.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

Assimilation is an instinctual impulse in a social species such as our own. The need for company, the need to belong, and the impulse to differentiate between "us" and "the others" is ingrained into the very fabric of our being.
Cults actually use this phenomenon to keep people in line, by showering new members with attention and affection while simultaneously restricting their access to the outside world.

So yes, I do believe it is very much possible to genuinely embrace a world view by performing it for an extended period of time. The mind has a way of pushing aside cognitive dissonance and paying closer heed to whatever supports our desired stance than to information that might call it into doubt. Otherwise, there would be no fundamentalists (of any religion or secular ideology).

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

My experience was largely conversion AGAINST my will. I did not try to become religious, I tried not to be. So I have attempted this, for years actually, but in the end to no avail.

The difference was that I started to deconstruct my own views, realised how narrow and specific I thought, and tried to see both sides to a question. This invariably caused drift between the two extremes and over time, I had more and more arguments where I couldn't discount a side completely and some spiritual experiences. I think if you completely leave reason at the door, only accept points on authority alone, then you can probably brainwash yourself into anything. If you sincerely attempt to live out a worldview, it may in the end remain incongruous, no matter how hard you try and maintain it.

To me, it seems that atheism is quite unnatural. It requires a lot of work to keep to the idea that this is all there is. Most people don't tend to such nihilism naturally, and our constant search for meaning is inimical to it. Atheists themselves adopt some form of Existential strategy like Distracting themselves with their day to day lives, or Absurdism or somesuch. Similarly, neuroscience seems to suggest we gravitate toward religion as well, that a lot of our beliefs are held intuitively in this way. I don't think it coincidence, even from a completely secular viewpoint, that most people and societies have been religious in the past and to this day.

 

[Zoness]

I could probably pretend to be a Christian again, and I'd fit into a lot of my old social circles once again but I don't know if there is value in that. Doesn't seem fair to anybody.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

To me, it seems that atheism is quite unnatural. It requires a lot of work to keep to the idea that this is all there is. Most people don't tend to such nihilism naturally, and our constant search for meaning is inimical to it. Atheists themselves adopt some form of Existential strategy like Distracting themselves with their day to day lives, or Absurdism or somesuch. Similarly, neuroscience seems to suggest we gravitate toward religion as well, that a lot of our beliefs are held intuitively in this way. I don't think it coincidence, even from a completely secular viewpoint, that most people and societies have been religious in the past and to this day.

You seem to suggest that personal deities are a requirement for people to locate meaning within their lives. I'd call that a naive conclusion.
Symbols and meaning are perhaps the most specifically human qualities in existence. But their shape is malleable, and I'd locate personal deities on a relatively early level of understanding, when people started to project agency and intent upon the natural world. "The river god is angry. We must appease him, so he may forgive our transgressions and not flood our village."

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

You seem to suggest that personal deities are a requirement for people to locate meaning within their lives. I'd call that a naive conclusion.
Symbols and meaning are perhaps the most specifically human qualities in existence. But their shape is malleable, and I'd locate personal deities on a relatively early level of understanding, when people started to project agency and intent upon the natural world. "The river god is angry. We must appease him, so he may forgive our transgressions and not flood our village."

I never said anything about 'personal deities'. I spoke of religion. Anyway, I mentioned other Existential strategies like Absurdism and Distraction as regards meaning, so you clearly did not read what I wrote.

Even so, I disagree as to its 'early level of understanding'. There is lot of debate on what came first, from supporters of primeaval monotheism, through polytheism, pantheism, animism, fetishism, etc. It speaks of the Ancient Unities of Barfield, that primitive man did not differentiate experience, act and entity in the manner we do.

Anyway, advanced Philosophy often ended up with personal deity in the end. Neoplatonism eventually largely deified its The One, into essentially a mind. Buddhism went the same way, with Bodhisattva and the idea of Oya-sama in Japan, rendering what should have been a cold philosophic idea into a compassionate entity. To me, this speaks of: "For the Snark was a Boojum, you see".

 

[TheOldWays]

It requires a lot of work to keep to the idea that this is all there is.

Not really. Everyone is different and wants different things. If a person's soul doesn't desire a relationship or understanding of the divine, then it won't be much work to 'keep' that idea that there is no god.

 

[Chesterton]

...when people started to project agency and intent upon the natural world. "The river god is angry. We must appease him, so he may forgive our transgressions and not flood our village."

Not really. Everyone is different and wants different things. If a person's soul doesn't desire a relationship or understanding of the divine, then it won't be much work to 'keep' that idea that there is no god.

Quid's right. I posted a video in here recently referencing scientific studies showing that discerning agency and intent comes very naturally, and that giving it up requires hard work.

 

[Quid est Veritas?]

Not really. Everyone is different and wants different things. If a person's soul doesn't desire a relationship or understanding of the divine, then it won't be much work to 'keep' that idea that there is no god.

Even the most hard-hearted would someday stare their own mortality in the face - be it in their autumn years or next to an open grave. Some would face it more often, some less, but all will face it. This necessitates an opinion or thought on the divine, at some point, for all men, be it acceptance, rejection or equivocation thereof.

 

[TheOldWays]

Even the most hard-hearted would someday stare their own mortality in the face - be it in their autumn years or next to an open grave. Some would face it more often, some less, but all will face it. This necessitates an opinion or thought on the divine, at some point, for all men, be it acceptance, rejection or equivocation thereof.

Sure. It doesn't always change much though. Moments of variation blow through life all the time. Some make lasting change and for some it's for a season. But I can tell you, it's not hard work if you're mind and soul is united to be on any path. Theist, atheist, agnostic, whatever.

It would be alot of work for me to go back to being a Christian and having that kind of view of the divine. Trust me, I have tried it. It just doesn't stick anymore. Feels unnatural. My comfort zone, so to speak, is one of agnosticism. I would have to fight to be an atheist or a theist.

 

[TheOldWays]

Quid's right. I posted a video in here recently referencing scientific studies showing that discerning agency and intent comes very naturally, and that giving it up requires hard work.

Of course, but it depends which angle you come from. If a man is going to Cleveland from Boston and another man is going to Boston from Cleveland and neither truly want to leave their home, then it may be hard work for both, but they both aren't starting in the same location.

 

[cloudyday2]

Even the most hard-hearted would someday stare their own mortality in the face - be it in their autumn years or next to an open grave. Some would face it more often, some less, but all will face it. This necessitates an opinion or thought on the divine, at some point, for all men, be it acceptance, rejection or equivocation thereof.

I'm not sure that is true. What I think might happen is that all the bologna of religion might seem very inadequate and artificial when a loved one is dying or when you yourself are dying.

I used to wake up at times in a panicky sweat, because I would feel that I was confronted in my dreams with the uncertainty of and incomprehensibility of my own death and non-existence or some other form of existence. I don't have that problem anymore, because I had another dream or vision where I felt that I actually died and saw God and Jesus and it seemed that it would all be o.k. Even though I suspect that it may have been all in my head, it still provides me some comfort. Of course losing loved ones is painful no matter what.