Non-believer/believer converts please help

[jimtem]

Please,,,, I beg of you. I wish to receive testimonies from non-believer to believer converts. Please don't disrespect this by posting a preaching line or speech.

 

[Zunalter]

I became a believer because evolution was not convincing enough for me. I was like most school kids, I never questioned it, but I always felt that it was insufficient to explain things like emotion, consciousness, and logic. How could conceptual realities be explained by physical processes? I knew that they couldn't.

My next thought was that, if there is a God...which one? My background was Mormon, and so I went right there and began to try and find God, and instead found a yoke of rules and regulations that said I needed to do all the right things to be accepted by God. There was something deeply disturbing about that to me, so I left.

Then, I began reading the Bible, and it was like a light came on. I read about God creating the world, creating man in His image, and it all clicked. Here was the source of conceptual realities, a God that created mankind with the ability to think, be empathetic, love, create. After that it wasn't much to see how the Bible was truly God's Word, and then I became a believer.

I hope that this was what you were looking for. -Z

 

[jimtem]

I became a believer because evolution was not convincing enough for me. I was like most school kids, I never questioned it, but I always felt that it was insufficient to explain things like emotion, consciousness, and logic. How could conceptual realities be explained by physical processes? I knew that they couldn't.

My next thought was that, if there is a God...which one? My background was Mormon, and so I went right there and began to try and find God, and instead found a yoke of rules and regulations that said I needed to do all the right things to be accepted by God. There was something deeply disturbing about that to me, so I left.

Then, I began reading the Bible, and it was like a light came on. I read about God creating the world, creating man in His image, and it all clicked. Here was the source of conceptual realities, a God that created mankind with the ability to think, be empathetic, love, create. After that it wasn't much to see how the Bible was truly God's Word, and then I became a believer.

I hope that this was what you were looking for. -Z

Thanks a ton for your conversion testimony. It helps so much when I hear form some one who use to be in my shoes and has found what I am looking for. Thank you.

 

[jamiel]

Hi jimtem,

I do share some of what you're going through because I was in the agnostic/flirting with atheist camp and now I'm right with Christ. I believe when I was growing up I was at least drawn to God (although looking back not really "there" if you know what I mean?) and then over time drifted further and further away. So, maybe I could be of some help here.

Some things are standing out to me in this thread:

First, (and I PROUDLY declare this): I'm a Christian and I believe in EVOLUTION! There, how's that?

Some people chose to take certain parts of the Bible more literally (what should be allegory and isn't science). So if whether or not to believe in evolution is keeping you from God . . . By all means please let that go because IMO it shouldn't even be an issue . . .

You have Christians who do not accept evolution -- and then you have those who do! Problem solved there as far as faith is concerned.

What I find is SO disturbing is how many Christians (even unconscously) are making non-belief in evolution some kind of litmus test for Christianity.

Then what happens is that this creates a stumbling block for those who otherwise might come to God and accept Christ as their Savior more readily (or, they may continue to reject the notion altogether). That would be a shame, wouldn't it?

I shudder when I think of how many people have delayed or thwarted their potential salvation all because (ironically) of other Christians . . .

However, becoming more "scienfically-minded" I suppose and a disbelief in the possibility of the supernatural did deter me in part from God. Don't let that stop you though, either. There are things (and Persons) greater that exist than our eyes can see. Look into your heart, pray, and read the Word and the answer will come more readily over time to you.

What drew me finally to God was the classic "nudge". I kept coming back until eventually I said to myself there HAS to be something (Someone) here. Why do I keep coming back? After that everything just snowballed fantastically. I was being called and ITA you indeed have faith already (and you need ONLY a mustard seed's worth! ), or you wouldn't be here posting as you have.

How did you develop faith?

It requires time. Stay the course and read the Word. Fellowship with other believers by going to church regularly. Read whatever you can.

But very importantly too: spend time with God.

Ask Him to reveal Himself to you and increase your faith. It will come. In any meaningful, loving relationship you need to spend time together. I was so surprised (and delighted!, and grateful!) at the insights and communication, and LOVE (oh wow does God LOVE us!

<-- beyond a doubt I know this) I received from God during my prayer time. Draw close to God and He will draw closer to you.

But I realized after reading hundreds of theories from both sides of the discussion that there is no ultimate theory that will disprove all theories beneath it.

Sometimes I think people (not just you, other Christians as well) are simply reaching too hard . . . I've been there. Just let go and let it flow.

For faith you must believe first and then you see . . . And it's impossible to please God without faith. We are not to understand everything (not that we shouldn't try,- for God gave us such things like "science" - just that we won't understand everything). We see it imperfectly now but eventually we will know as we are fully known (1 Cor. 13:12) -- and that's okay . . .

You know in your heart what the "theory" is, and I believe personally it has nothing really to do with anti or pro-evolution explanations (which are good, and should be persued) but it has to do with God!



I'm praying for you and hope this helped.



God Bless.

 

[Faith In God]

I believe in EVOLUTION!

I believe the Bible where it says that sin brought death, and that before sin there was no death.

Not to argue. You gotta have faith either way, and I believe in the Bible.

(B) I tried to feel/understand faith threw theory but theory for me instructs the mind and has no influence over what I feel to be true.

Theory is a hypothetical, a "likely possibility". In science, it is a likely possibility which scientists assume to be true for the sake of doing other things related to it.

Theory can convince you of truth, but it cannot be the focus of Christianity. In that way, you are right.

(1) I feel that I am an atheist because the supernatural seems irrational.

What's irrational about it?
The only way it's irrational is if you forgo the concept that God is the Individual who is bringing it about.

(2) But I think I am agnostic because I know that I do not know everything.

Being open to learning doesn't make you agnostic.
An agnostic is an atheist who does not discount the idea of deism and theism.

(3) I have been drawn to try to know God for about 20 years now.

...if you don't mind my saying so, I think you have been pushed to make up your mind, rather than drawn to know God.
God is longsuffering, but He is also no-nonsense.
But that's semantics. Your next statements say exactly what I just said.

I realized 15 years ago that I am in a tiny minority that has no belief in a higher power. This has been the most confusing part of my life because I am so normal. So far I have gathered that faith is not knowledge or disposition. People who grow up as atheists can develop faith. The faithful can lose faith. No amount of education can give or take away faith. Faith is not a product of a certain environment or any other type of experience. This is evident by the demographics of the faithful and non-faithful. The rich, poor, happy, unhappy, disturbed, sane, sick, healthy, stagnated, thriving, good, bad, old, young, educated, ignorant, etc. do and do not have faith. Some make it their life's work to discover faith and some effortlessly have faith for as far back as they can remember and these two types of people can grow up in identical house holds. Faith comes from within and how this happens must be impossible to understand. I think the only person who can answer this is someone who has honestly been a non believer and then a believer.

I know only what I have learned in my position as a non believer. What I need is the view of someone who was in my position but is now a believer.

Please non-believer to believer converts,,,,,, what happened? What for you clicked? What changed? How did you develop faith?

There is no such thing as a "believer by default". Everyone was at one point a non-believer, whether they "acted Christian" or not. In fact, a large majority of Christians assume that they were "always Christians", yet even now they are not.
You develop faith like you exercise muscles. You exercise faith.

You don't exercise faith by putting your toe in: that is relying on your senses in order to bridge the gap between known and unknown.
There is no "safe" way of exercising faith in God. You gotta put all your eggs in one basket, burn your bridge, and jump out of the plane. Then you trust in the parachute to keep you alive.

You can't be halfhearted about it, though. Did Jesus "develop faith"?
No. He exercised it. God never did anything for the sake of Jesus' faith, and Jesus is our model.

Have you ever thought "...to heck with it. Let's do it."?
That's Christianity. "God, I'm Yours 100%. Let's go." A decision and a lifetime of follow-through.
That's faith. And He will take care of you.

 

[jimtem]

Hello Faith In God,

You are right, you have to have faith either way.

You asked, "What is irrational about it?".

Sorry my wording is a little subtle, "feel" and "think" are very different terms for me on this subject. I can't explain what is irrational about it because it isn't something that I think to be true. I can explain rational beliefs and irrational beliefs that I believe to be true or false but I can not put some feelings into words.

That's the problem. I know God exists. All my studies have taught me that God exists. If I were able to influence how I "felt" with rational information then I would also feel God to exist. But how a person feels is not controlled in the same manner in which the mind is influenced with knowledge. That's why this is a thread asking specifically for non-believer to believer converts to give their testimony on what changed for them.

So, I can't answer your question.

Thank you for your help.

 

[arunma]

Please,,,, I beg of you. I wish to receive testimonies from non-believer to believer converts. Please don't disrespect this by posting a preaching line or speech.

Perhaps you could define what you mean by a "non-believer." Are you referring to atheists and agnostics? I converted from a non-Christian religion to Christianity, so I'm not sure if I'm your target audience here.

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

Originally Posted by jimtem

Please,,,, I beg of you. I wish to receive testimonies from non-believer to believer converts. Please don't disrespect this by posting a preaching line or speech.
​

Hi. My convesion to JESUS happened in a rather "unique" way. I was a heathen agnostic up to one day when I was sitting at home on my computer in May 2003.

I was going to the usual "shady" sites and somehow a screen popped up from a site concerning the Holy Spirit! It was like a hammer hit me and the next thing I knew, I was grabbing a Bible from my daughters room and ended up reading it that moment. I read it at work during lunch, break and as soon as I got home.

I must have read it thru twice in about 5 months and I had yet to find a church to attend during that time as the Lord seemed to have led me into studying the Hebrew and Greek and since I have retired, that is my so called "hobby".

Anyway, needless to say my family and friends were shaking their heads in utter disbelief and amazement, and eventually they just decided the Lord had just decided to come to me in a special way. I have been devoted to YHWH and His Christ ever since.

 

[Sophrosyne]

I was brought up by a christian mom and an almost atheist father. As you know we tend to stereotype ourselves in part by what our parents inspire in us... I tried being a christian and I believe I accepted Jesus as a child but I believe it was out of emotion and later when I was more able to intellectualize about things the god I knew of... didn't make it as I knew very little of god. I backslid and as I was a smart kid I excelled in science and math. I gobbled up all what they said and believed it as fact, in fact those *facts* replaced one religion with another. I had faith science would explain everything. In time in my late 20s I felt something missing. Science did not seem to make me feel any better, did not explain many things and in my 30s I started to contemplate why do we exist? I saw many things in life I did perfectly and wonderfully became.... meaningless to most and fade into... nothing while evil others did became recognized and lauded and exalted. I began to ponder, why bother fighting on and on just to die and never exist... yes it was a selfish desire of mine that I wanted to matter, I wanted something after this life to give me hope that things I do in this life mean something. I read about evolution and darwinism... and they did not explain why we should have any hope that we matter. They try to make you feel that we will evolve into super beings that one day will perhaps discover the cure for mortality and then live forever, this is noble but for now I will die and not be one of these "gods" that matters and exists beyond their deeds. I then started picking apart science and discovered it oversimplified and used vague explanations to explain the most complex things and to me... that was akin to slight of hand or trickery or magic. Unless you know a magic trick you can be astonished by it and the wonder of it... but after the truth is revealed it no longer has the glamor and is just a trick and nothing more.
It was a hard struggle to believe in God and to learn and understand who he is.. I had an oversimplified idea of God as a child.. again on the level of magic... not intellectually solid IMO.
I found that with me faith grew as I unraveled sciences shortcomings to explain away God... God was an option and the more and more I studied about God the more my faith grew. Some people do not get the wonderful feelings that other christians talk about they are not that way, they believe on an intellectual level and God speaks through them and others tell them they really must know God because the ones listening to them *felt* God talking through their words.
If you feel my words are talking beyond just words perhaps you will get the idea where I came from to find faith.

 

[aiki]

I hope you won't mind if I ask a question or two.

You asked how a person moves from not believing in God to believing in Him. But you have asked for testimonies from people who were not raised in the Christian faith. You have stated that you want testimonies of experiences of faith that begin with a condition of unbelief that more closely parallels your own. Why is this important? Do you think that all those who have been raised in Christian homes have a false or lesser faith in God than those who have come to faith in Him from agnostic or atheistic circumstances? If so, why do believe this?

Peace to you.

 

[jimtem]

Perhaps you could define what you mean by a "non-believer." Are you referring to atheists and agnostics? I converted from a non-Christian religion to Christianity, so I'm not sure if I'm your target audience here.

Absolutely yes,,,, please, please tell me your story. What did you think,,,, What did you feel,,,, what changed for you??????

 

[jimtem]

Hi. My convesion to JESUS happened in a rather "unique" way. I was a heathen agnostic up to one day when I was sitting at home on my computer in May 2003.

I was going to the usual "shady" sites and somehow a screen popped up from a site concerning the Holy Spirit! It was like a hammer hit me and the next thing I knew, I was grabbing a Bible from my daughters room and ended up reading it that moment. I read it at work during lunch, break and as soon as I got home.

I must have read it thru twice in about 5 months and I had yet to find a church to attend during that time as the Lord seemed to have led me into studying the Hebrew and Greek and since I have retired, that is my so called "hobby".

Anyway, needless to say my family and friends were shaking their heads in utter disbelief and amazement, and eventually they just decided the Lord had just decided to come to me in a special way. I have been devoted to YHWH and His Christ ever since.

Wow!!! That is great to hear. It is shocking how this occurs in different ways for different people. Since I began this thread I have began an email dialog with a friend who is becoming a close friend. He is the husband of my wife's friend. He is a devout christian which in the past has in a way, separated us. I am thankful that he is willing to walk along side me in my journey to understand faith.

 

[Minty]

This is going to be a fairly long story, so grab a drink and a comfy chair and I'll begin

I was raised in a secular household. I had no religion as a child. The nearest I came to Jesus was celebrating Christmas or the usual christenings, marriages and funerals. Looking back, there was a fair mix of religions that where present in my childhood. I remember dancing around a maypole (very pagan), but then, we also sang the Lord's Prayer. Religious education at school seemed to focus on every religion, but Christianity (and the teacher was a former monk, but never mind ).

All through my teens and early twenties, I had no time for any religion, however when I was about 26 (I think) I started to feel a kind of emptiness in my life, like there was something missing. As someone that is a complete feminist, I started to search for something that was compatible with me, in that it was able to be equal with the roles of men and women within the belief system. As a result of this I first came to Paganism, mainly Wicca. Men and women have an equal and fair role in their religious rites, and I was happy there for about a year.
Then I found many places online (forums) that thought the same as me and I was happy. I stayed with many varied and differing branches of Paganism for a few years.
Eventually, though, the same empty feeling returned.

Then I started to watch a show called The Vicar of Dibley, and it made me want to learn more about Christianity. So I went out and bought a big King James Study Bible. It was at this time that my Nana went into hospital for the first time (it wasn't for any thing serious, but she was there for about a month). During this time, I had decided to read the bible, just to see what all the fuss was about (most pagans have some knowledge of the bible, to deflect negative comments from some Christians).

I used to take the bible with me when I went to visit Nana, as sometimes she was sleeping, and hospitals are quite boring places, really. The more I read, the more I started to agree with some things (the 10 commandments, especially). One day, I walked into the ward and the lady in the next bed was on the brink of death. Even though, the curtains where pulled around the bed, I had never been in the presence of someone that is dying before and it really shook me up. The lady died as I was sat not five feet away from her, surrounded by all of her family. It was quite upsetting, and I ended up reading Psalm 23 and finding it so comforting.

I carried on reading, on and off for a few months.

One day, I was walking to our local corner shop, and there was alot of glass on the ground. I missed my footing, and fell down the kerb, and I remember thinking 'Oh Lord, help me!' I landed on my hands and knees, in all of the glass and I got up without a scratch on me!! Not even a scrape from where my hands had hit the road!!!!! I'm a big lady, and I fell like that once before at school and I broke my wrist and had a really bad and deep wound on my knee. The fact that apart from being a little shaken by the fall I had not a mark on me shook me to the core. I started to read my bible with more respect from then on.

I started to attend my local church, but although the people there are very nice and welcoming, it didn't feel quite 'right' (I hope you understand?) so I stopped going.

Then my Nana had a fall at home and broke her hip and wrist, and was taken back to hospital, and she never came out alive. Somehow, she just went downhill from the moment she entered the place and she passed away peacefully on Boxing Day 2006 (she held out bless her and didn't die on Christmas Day as the doctor's had predicted).

I felt compelled to be strong for my family and I found such strength from Scripture and was able to pass that strength onto my family. I still don't know how I was as strong as I was. It was during this time that I felt the call to one day be involved in the ministry somehow (a belief that I still have). As a woman, my possibilities for going into the ministry are limited in certain denominations, so I began looking for one that is all welcoming and I have found Methodism. By sheer coincidence (actually God's doing) there is a new Methodist Church being built not ten minutes walk from me and I am hoping to attend there when it is finished around September this year.

I have lately backslidden extremely badly, but I have taken a break from any faith, and as such my belief in Jesus Christ has become stronger because of it. So I'm back on track and am growing in faith by the day. I'm not there yet, but I am firmly on my way.


Sorry about the length of this post, but I hope this is something like the testimony you where looking for?

 

[duskiness]

Please non-believer to believer converts,,,,,, what happened? What for you clicked? What changed? How did you develop faith?

Hi Jimtem

Grab another drink, this one is long too....(btw: it's been some time since I wrote anything in English so it might be "rough").

I'm from a country that is through and through catholic. My parents are both atheists but because of social pressure they were made to baptise me. To be allowed to do this they had to swear they will bring me up as a catholic.
They did try
After 13 years of forced religious education I was a very angry atheist (who wouldn't ??? ). Deschner - if this name rings any bell to you - was my favourite author at that time.
But like you I was yearning for "something more" (although I was rather thinking I'm having a little "sanity problem"). I remember a moment when I was standing at the mountain edge in Alps in Italy, clouds were running above my head and I felt...really, really insignificant. I felt I will never understand everything, that there maybe things bigger than me, that I may be not that clever and strong as I hoped. I don't claim that you need to "meet" this feeling to find faith. I had to. Beforehand I was stupid to think that I'm master of myself. Month later I was diagnosed with brain tumour and had a good lesson of humiliation.

People say there are no atheists in trenches. I made a "bet" with Him when I was driving to Germany to have an operation. The terms were - I'll give a faith a shot if I'll see a fish bumper sticker on a car before border.
I didn't.
I just went to sleep, someone else was driving. I woke up in traffic jam on German highway looking straight at a car standing before us with a fish bumper sticker. Thought came to my mind that I was not in the position before Him to make demands. I wasn't the one to set conditions of when, how signs should look like. Signs are grace, not my right. And I got scared.
Months later when I was on my feet again I told this story to my friend making jokes of myself that I could be so naive that I got scared of a bumper sticker. She said I wasn't naive, I was just hoping.

She was right. It starts with hope. Then it slowly grows. One day I was atheist, next one I was thinking "but maybe He is real??". I was reading a lot. I come to terms with the concept that believing doesn't necessary mean that you're mentally handicapped. I have seen strength some gain because of faith and I respected that.
And then one day I had to confess to myself that I believe much more often than I don't. I know my way to faith stared in Italian Alps and on German highway. But how I arrived here I'm not sure.

You'll have you're way. You've heard He promised "seek and you'll find, ask and you'll be given". Just be patient. It my take a loooong time. Don't expect you'll find certainty or that faith will cure doubts. Don't expect it to be strong and bright. Don't wait for an epiphany or that the Red Sea will split so that you could believe:

And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

1 Kings 19; 11-13

Just watch out for still small voices...

Ps:
Have you seen "Indian Jones and the Last Crusade"? At the end of the film, just before reaching the Grail, Indy has to pass some traps. The last of them is a huge abyss he has to cross by faith. So he makes a step into the void and finds out that there is a bridge he was just unable to see.
That's faith. First we make step into nothing, and then it comes out that we have something solid beneath our feet.

 

[Zunalter]

Just a thought for you to chew on:

This whole thread eventually comes down to your personal search for faith. However, we must be sure that you are looking for the right thing? What I mean is, the world has one definition of faith, but the Bible has another:

(Hebrews 11:1) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

The Bible also has some instruction on how to obtain faith:

(Romans 10:14,17) How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without a preacher...So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

I have read several testimonies of people thus far on this thread. Each one I am sure struck a chord with you personally in one way or another. However, no matter the variation of the story, the same thing has happened to all believers: God opened our eyes and allowed us to see His Truth.

The fact that you are here with such a brutally honest request is a good sign, most people are not that honest with themselves, let alone a group of strangers. It is a good sign that God may be working in your life. Let me give you one last chunk of truth from the Bible, I hope it will aid you in your journey:

(Jeremiah 29:13) You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.

That's a promise. If you want to find God with all of your heart, He will reveal Himself to you...

God Bless Friend!

 

[Jesus_Luvs_techies]

I am a happily married father of 3. I am honest, smart, successful and have a great life. But something is missing.

(1) I feel that I am an atheist because the supernatural seems irrational.

(2) But I think I am agnostic because I know that I do not know everything.

(3) I have been drawn to try to know God for about 20 years now.

(A) I tried to feel/understand faith threw knowledge but knowledge does not seem to create faith.

(B) I tried to feel/understand faith threw theory but theory for me instructs the mind and has no influence over what I feel to be true.

I realized 15 years ago that I am in a tiny minority that has no belief in a higher power. This has been the most confusing part of my life because I am so normal. So far I have gathered that faith is not knowledge or disposition. People who grow up as atheists can develop faith. The faithful can lose faith. No amount of education can give or take away faith. Faith is not a product of a certain environment or any other type of experience. This is evident by the demographics of the faithful and non-faithful. The rich, poor, happy, unhappy, disturbed, sane, sick, healthy, stagnated, thriving, good, bad, old, young, educated, ignorant, etc. do and do not have faith. Some make it their life's work to discover faith and some effortlessly have faith for as far back as they can remember and these two types of people can grow up in identical house holds. Faith comes from within and how this happens must be impossible to understand. I think the only person who can answer this is someone who has honestly been a non believer and then a believer.

I know only what I have learned in my position as a non believer. What I need is the view of someone who was in my position but is now a believer.

Please non-believer to believer converts,,,,,, what happened? What for you clicked? What changed? How did you develop faith?

Well I started with childlike faith. I had faith from the beginning because my parents instructed me. But you eventually learn stuff to cement your faith. For me what cemented my faith was the Truth Project it answered about a million of my questions. Google it, it will help alot.

 

[Polycarp_fan]

I am a happily married father of 3. I am honest, smart, successful and have a great life. But something is missing.

(1) I feel that I am an atheist because the supernatural seems irrational.

You can look at your children and "reeeaaalllyy" feel that way? The emotions you have for them is supernatural. If they do not run as fast as other kids, you do not want them thinned from the herd. That, is a supernatural feeling. According to atheism anyway.

(2) But I think I am agnostic because I know that I do not know everything.

In that sense, all Christians are agnostics. We only know in part. All of everything is yet to be revealed. The Apostles were the first Christians and they struggled mightily and honestly with your thoughts.

(3) I have been drawn to try to know God for about 20 years now.

A "fact" you and many of us cannot escape. Isn't it awesome that God is not a puppet master? That's the atheist view, not the reality view.

(A) I tried to feel/understand faith threw knowledge but knowledge does not seem to create faith.

Not according to the Apostles and Christ Jesus before them. Knowledge and faith go hand in hand. "Trust" is a better way to translate "faith."

(B) I tried to feel/understand faith threw theory but theory for me instructs the mind and has no influence over what I feel to be true.

Hmm, it appears Jesus has a thing or two to teach you about how important "theory" is. He stated how important knowledge and reason are to "faith" in Him.

the·o·ry

(th

-r

, thîr

)
n. pl. the·o·ries 1. A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.
2. The branch of a science or art consisting of its explanatory statements, accepted principles, and methods of analysis, as opposed to practice:

I realized 15 years ago that I am in a tiny minority that has no belief in a higher power.

Oh really" And hwo told you that? Ever seen how many people "act" as if there is no tomorrow, no accountability. I think that on this position, you are presenting myth and fairy tale.

This has been the most confusing part of my life because I am so normal.

Wow, I always knew there had to be these kinds of people (like you) somewhere.

So far I have gathered that faith is not knowledge or disposition.

Quit watching HBO and network news. Stop believing hype.

People who grow up as atheists can develop faith. The faithful can lose faith. No amount of education can give or take away faith. Faith is not a product of a certain environment or any other type of experience.

The Apostles and Jesus seem to agree with some of your perspective in the first sentence, but disagree with the views of your second.

This is evident by the demographics of the faithful and non-faithful. The rich, poor, happy, unhappy, disturbed, sane, sick, healthy, stagnated, thriving, good, bad, old, young, educated, ignorant, etc. do and do not have faith.

Seems to me you just described the worldwide Church.

Some make it their life's work to discover faith and some effortlessly have faith for as far back as they can remember and these two types of people can grow up in identical house holds.

Jesus mentions this.

Faith comes from within and how this happens must be impossible to understand.

Not in Christian culture and community. Who or what is teaching you about Christian life?

I think the only person who can answer this is someone who has honestly been a non believer and then a believer.

Was that a knock I just heard? Well yes, come on in. It's me.

I know only what I have learned in my position as a non believer. What I need is the view of someone who was in my position but is now a believer.

Please non-believer to believer converts,,,,,, what happened? What for you clicked? What changed? How did you develop faith?

The world. It is what it is. I am no longer "of it." Totally rational tought process brought that sensible reality to me.

Keep asking questions and keep seeking. Obviously, you hear the knocking at the library door. The library of your soul.

 

[Flibbertigibbet]

JimTem, I am 44 years old and I became a Christian in February, 2007 after a lifetime of atheism/agnosticism. You can read a brief version of my story on my profile. The one thing I would add is READ THE BIBLE. And read what others have written that expounds upon various books of the Bible.

 

[Mythunderstood]

First, (and I PROUDLY declare this): I'm a Christian and I believe in EVOLUTION! There, how's that?

Some people chose to take certain parts of the Bible more literally (what should be allegory and isn't science). So if whether or not to believe in evolution is keeping you from God . . . By all means please let that go because IMO it shouldn't even be an issue . . .

Yeah, I never understood why some christians keep bringing up evolution as if it has anything to do with a belief or non-belief in god. My non-belief in god has nothing to do with evolution. Heck, I had no belief in god long before I ever heard anything about what evolution even was!

 

[LittleLambofJesus]

JimTem, I am 44 years old and I became a Christian in February, 2007 after a lifetime of atheism/agnosticism. You can read a brief version of my story on my profile. The one thing I would add is READ THE BIBLE. And read what others have written that expounds upon various books of the Bible.

The Lord entered my Life in May of 2003 just before I retired from the Post Office.
It was a rather "unique" way in which it happened but none the less, the Bible was the first book I had read in about 12 yrs, as I never had much time to read, and I probably read it thru 3 times in the first year and continue to read and study it daily, mainly thru the origianal Hebrew/Greek texts.

http://www.scripture4all.org/

Matt 7:27 And descended the rains and the streams and blow the winds and they toward-strike the House, that, and she falls/epesen <4098> (5627) and was the fall of Her Great.

Reve 14:8 And another messenger, second-one, follows saying "she falls/epesen <4098> (5627), she falls, Babylon the Great, the out of the wine of the fury of the fornication of Her she has given to drink all the nations. [Jeremiah 51:8]