Ex-believers-What once convinced you of God's existence?

[madaz]

I've never had that experience...something I would attribute to god, so it always seems a little baffling when someone does. To me, it would take that bolt growing a pair of legs and walking over to you while you're praying...you know?

Good topic though.

Thanks, I guess you need to really believe in God first, I certainly did.

But in my opinion a walking bolt would only be evidence of God if I prayed to God to ask the bolt to walk to me. Otherwise I would dismiss such phenomena as merely hallucination or some other explanation.

 

[madaz]

I believed because I was told he existed since I could understand words.

So did I, but did you pray for anything unlikely that happened?

 

[juvenissun]

My experience was (for me at least) very convincing indeed.

What do you think is the "right" word to use?

What once brought you to the Christian God?

This question would fit the situation of 99% ex-believers. Look at the responses to your thread. Nearly all of them are not "convinced" in their experience. Exploring is the right word for it.

 

[bhsmte]

All started with exposure as a young child, which grew into a psychological need to believe someone was out there watching after me.

As time went on and reality hit home, I couldn't deny reality any longer.

 

[Paradoxum]

Hi Paradoxum, , thanks for sharing, now apart from the personal experiences your peers shared with you and the feel good experiences you had with other people, did you ever have a remarkable experience or event while alone or perhaps a prayer answered that you thought would be near impossible to answer or some unlikely event you had difficulty trying to find an explaination for?

I can't remember anything that was massively unlikely that happened. After praying some things turned out for the best... but it wasn't anything absolutely amazing.

 

[juvenissun]

All started with exposure as a young child, which grew into a psychological need to believe someone was out there watching after me.

As time went on and reality hit home, I couldn't deny reality any longer.

Yes, that is probably what it was.
However, what was really the need? Certainly it was not God.

 

[znr]

Because charasmatics go on and on about healings so much and because God doesn't heal that much, it's very disappointing. It took me a few very painful years to finally accept that I don't need, or want, parlor tricks. As a charasmatic leaning Christian myself I do hope that God will heal people, but I've been seeing that "healing" can take many forms and mean many things. I've come to want to walk with God and feel secure and loved, not see or hope for parlor tricks. I do think God still moves, I'm saying that it's some people who assign emotions and feelings to an event or prayer instead of actually hearing from God.

Sigh, the charasmatics, a source of great joy and great frustration sometimes.

I attributed lots of things to God. I was in a charismatic kinda church.

When I was quite young (under 10) I felt cold shivers, normally during worship. My mum or dad told me that could be the Holy Spirit. I knew back then we were near a closed door which could probably let wind through, but I still held it in my head that it could still be the Holy Spirit.

The sort of churches I went to were ones where people talked about healings happening, and people being raised from the dead in modern times. I trusted such people, so these stories gave me reasons to believe.

I felt the high you can get from good worship.

There was a preacher guy at a small youth gathering that said that lightning from heaven was going to hit a friend of mine. Then she fell down. Afterwards she said she felt something.

I, and three others, seemed to feel a warm shiver as I prayed once. I tried to convince myself that this was God's presence, since what are the chances of us feeling it at the same time. I was already losing faith by this point.

Etc, etc... healings were a big thing for me.

 

[znr]

That's a beautiful memory, madaz. I'd like to submit that it happened to serve as a reminder to you, an intimate reminder, that God knows you.

Yes it's possible that everything lined up perfectly in nature and so you found your bullet. But nature doesn't care for you, God does.

Thanks for sharing this. You write well. Do you write a lot?

 

[Paradoxum]

Because charasmatics go on and on about healings so much and because God doesn't heal that much, it's very disappointing. It took me a few very painful years to finally accept that I don't need, or want, parlor tricks. As a charasmatic leaning Christian myself I do hope that God will heal people, but I've been seeing that "healing" can take many forms and mean many things. I've come to want to walk with God and feel secure and loved, not see or hope for parlor tricks. I do think God still moves, I'm saying that it's some people who assign emotions and feelings to an event or prayer instead of actually hearing from God.

Sigh, the charasmatics, a source of great joy and great frustration sometimes.

I don't see why you say healings are parlor tricks. I doubt someone with some disease or who is dying would consider them parlor tricks. God healing people would be a good and worthwhile thing.

Healings, if they did happen often, might be a good reason to believe in God. But, as with all such things, God is hidden to such an extent that it seems like he's not there.

That's my opinion anyway.

 

[znr]

No I didn't say God doesn't heal, he does; but often it's not physical, but spiritual. I know several people who prayed to be healed of their physical ailments and were not, but have grown spiritually, and grown closer to God. To clarify, no I don't believe healings are parlor tricks all, but some are not healings. Some are wishful thinking and false testimonies, but not malicious, but just not entirely what they appear to be.

I reread my reply. It does appear I said all healings are tricks. I'm on an iPhone and should probably post when I can type clearly!

I don't see why you say healings are parlor tricks. I doubt someone with some disease or who is dying would consider them parlor tricks. God healing people would be a good and worthwhile thing.

Healings, if they did happen often, might be a good reason to believe in God. But, as with all such things, God is hidden to such an extent that it seems like he's not there.

That's my opinion anyway.

 

[madaz]

What once brought you to the Christian God?

This question would fit the situation of 99% ex-believers. Look at the responses to your thread. Nearly all of them are not "convinced" in their experience. Exploring is the right word for it.

But most of the responses are from people who did not have any remarkable experience's while they were believers.

They were believers simply because they trusted what other people told them.

 

[madaz]

All started with exposure as a young child, which grew into a psychological need to believe someone was out there watching after me.

As time went on and reality hit home, I couldn't deny reality any longer.

Thanks bhsmte

 

[madaz]

I can't remember anything that was massively unlikely that happened. After praying some things turned out for the best... but it wasn't anything absolutely amazing.

Thanks once again Paradoxum.

 

[madaz]

That's a beautiful memory, madaz. I'd like to submit that it happened to serve as a reminder to you, an intimate reminder, that God knows you.

Yes it's possible that everything lined up perfectly in nature and so you found your bullet. But nature doesn't care for you, God does.

Thanks for sharing this. You write well. Do you write a lot?

Thanks znr, I dont write much, I am trying to write better, but as most people here know, my communication skills are poor at best. I also fail to comprehend what other's are conveying sometimes too, I'm not sure why this is, but I will blame it on my dyslexia.

 

[Ana the Ist]

Thanks znr, I dont write much, I am trying to write better, but as most people here know, my communication skills are poor at best. I also fail to comprehend what other's are conveying sometimes too, I'm not sure why this is, but I will blame it on my dyslexia.

Give yourself some credit. Had you not said you were dyslexic, I never would've guessed. You communicate better than many here that don't have the disadvantage you do.

 

[Eudaimonist]

So...ex-believers-care to share a story of what once convinced you of God's existence?

I don't think that I was ever 100% convinced.

Rather, as a child I was told that God existed by adults who I looked up to as sources of knowledge and wisdom. It seemed reasonable to believe these things on a tentative basis until I could become an adult myself and gain a similar perspective and form my own conclusions.

There wasn't anything in my experience that led me to think that God existed. I would speak to him in my mind, quite often, but I never heard a response or interpreted anything happening externally to my mind as coming from God. God was suspiciously indistinguishable from my imaginary childhood friend, "Mister Nobody".


eudaimonia,

Mark

 

[madaz]

I don't think that I was ever 100% convinced.

Rather, as a child I was told that God existed by adults who I looked up to as sources of knowledge and wisdom. It seemed reasonable to believe these things on a tentative basis until I could become an adult myself and gain a similar perspective and form my own conclusions.

There wasn't anything in my experience that led me to think that God existed. I would speak to him in my mind, quite often, but I never heard a response or interpreted anything happening externally to my mind as coming from God. God was suspiciously indistinguishable from my imaginary childhood friend, "Mister Nobody".


eudaimonia,

Mark

Thank you Mark, it would seem (so far) that I am the only ex-believer here to have an almost impossible prayer request...answered instantly.

 

[Paradoxum]

No I didn't say God doesn't heal, he does; but often it's not physical, but spiritual.

Spiritual (psychological) healing seems to be something that could happen even if God didn't exist. That doesn't prove God doesn't do it... it's just another reason for me to be doubtful.

I know several people who prayed to be healed of their physical ailments and were not, but have grown spiritually, and grown closer to God. To clarify, no I don't believe healings are parlor tricks all, but some are not healings. Some are wishful thinking and false testimonies, but not malicious, but just not entirely what they appear to be.

I reread my reply. It does appear I said all healings are tricks. I'm on an iPhone and should probably post when I can type clearly!

Ah, fair enough.

 

[madaz]

Give yourself some credit. Had you not said you were dyslexic, I never would've guessed.

Thanks Ana the 1st, I'm making the effort, some days it is more burdensome than other days.

You communicate better than many here that don't have the disadvantage you do.

At least I have the advantage of time on my side, to proof read, spell check, proof read again etc.


Thanks once again for your input.

 

[quatona]

So...ex-believers-care to share a story of what once convinced you of God's existence?

Even though I was raised strictly Catholic, I doubt that I ever was convinced of God´s existence. As a child, you naturally do what everyone around you does, without critical questioning. Just like, say, you eat meat because that´s what´s on the table every day - and not until you become a teenager you even consider the possibility of being a vegetarian.

So, sorry, I don´t have a story for you.