- Apr 14, 2008
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it confused me a little actually :oYes, there are such people in every group, I suppose. But I don't think hypocrites are enough to turn one away from religion.. At least it wouldn't make much sense. Example:
I believe there is a God and he believes there is a God, but he acts poorly, so there must not be a God.
Possibly one might not stick with that particular group, believing they have a reputation one doesn't want to get by association.. but I suppose there's a long stretch between there and disbelief.
I was raise in Christianity, if that's what you mean. And I was one who "just realized". You can judge for yourself whether it was "by accident". I.. I suppose I realized it intentionally, but only in that I allowed myself to think about it and to be true to however I am at the time instead of trying to be how I was before.. (If there is any great difference, it is unwise, I think, to try to be how one used to be.. moments pass, never to return.) However, what I realized had been there before I allowed myself the liberty of self-acceptance and I knew before I had the courage to name the change. But the change itself.. that was not by my conscious design. I didn't decide to be an atheist, decide not to believe in a god. I wouldn't say it's by accident, though.. the change itself is nothing I did. It just is. *shrug*
Do you have any thoughts on account of my story?
i think you're absolutely right in saying that some don't understand their own beliefs. sometimes i think ideas about religion are just passed down from one generation to the next, and no one really thinks about it for themselves.No on both counts.
I try to discourage sloppy thinking by discouraging sloppy expression.. if only so I can understand.
I like to know and understand people's beliefs. It helps me understand what they mean, where they're coming from, and, to some extent, people in general. I've found that plenty of people actually don't understand their own beliefs, not enough to explain them simply to a relative outsider. (I don't hold much respect for those who can't explain and won't admit it..) If my asking questions gets them to understand their beliefs and the implications thereof better, then I think that's an inherently good thing. Whether it strengthens their beliefs or causes them to rethink their beliefs doesn't matter to me.. I just think it's good if they've really thought about it.
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