Anyone else have a similar experience?

[andreaslagom]

Has anyone here gone down this path?

theist --> atheist or agnostic --> theist --> atheist or agnostic

It's been a lifelong struggle for me, bouncing between the two. There were times I was absolutely convinced there is no God, times I did not know or care, and times I was absolutely convinced God was working in my life. Currently, I am probably in the area of not knowing for sure, but I am too ashamed/scared/confused to admit it to anyone. But the question is weighing heavily on my mind.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

[Jason78]

Not me, but welcome to the forum anyway.

[dtq123]

Questioning should be done thoroughly, but as for most people it is not always done this way; leading to lapses in logic.

Normal people don't go through all the arguments people make and can be convinced to theism again.

It can take a while if you just consider one or two arguments at a time to conclude one's atheism.

Take your time, it's OK if you make mistakes we all rush.

[aitm]

I would suggest that fear is the only thing that really stops you. It stops most people. Fear is very difficult to overcome. But the fear is misplaced when one realizes that there is nothing to fear from something that does not exist.

[stromboli]

Religion is about four things: fear, guilt, condemnation and judgment. This is not the same as spirituality, the beief or awareness in something greater than yourself.

And welcome.

[Desdinova]

Welcome aboard.  For me, my faith was shattered long ago.  It just took a while for me to realize it.  But once I did there was no turning back.  Also, we all start out as atheists, then get brainwashed.  Some of us swallow the red pill and some of us don't.

[PickelledEggs]

During the night everyone thought it was supposed to be the "Mayan Appocolypse", there was a HEAVY thunderstorm. While I was jerking off to some pretty good porn during the storm, the power went out in the entire area of my town. Aside from me being annoyed that I lost my wood, I looked around the inside  of the house and didn't notice anyone waking up from the battery backups' alarms  beeping away... I didn't see any lights in surrounding houses either and for a split second I thought... "holy shit... I wonder if they were raptured". But it was only for a split second and then I realized how the Mayan apocalypse has nothing to do with christian mythology. I think the worst part of that night is my jerking off got interrupted... Still kind of annoyed by that.


But yeah. Other than that, I have not had a similar experience. I know a few people either from online and on the forum as well as in person that shifted from not believing back to theist... the person that I know in real life that went back to Catholicism and now is a raging cunt explained her "atheism phase" in the way of "even when I didn't believe in god, I felt like there was something more out there to believe in" Which doesn't really make you an atheist, I forget the exact terminology, but I think that is a deist.

Me and her are no longer friends because she told me that no matter how good of a person I am, I am going to hell if I don't accept Jee-zussss as my savior. I don't feel like being friends with someone that believes I should burn in torment for all eternity.

Anyway... that was a bit of a tangent. Back on topic. Do some "soul-searching". Does any of that spiritual stuff have any validity? Even if it is attractive to believe, does that mean it is reality?

Have a quick browse of the forum and take part in some conversations. Ask questions. We will be glad to offer any help or answers we can.

[andreaslagom]

Thanks for the replies!

As I've spent my life in science, and read all the big atheist books (Hitchens, Dawkins, etc, etc), I really don't want to go down that path again. For one, I don't want to put the little free time I have into going back over those things (and partly because I made a promise that I will not go back to re-read anything unless I really, really need to). So I was wondering if there are some simple videos or articles you guys can suggest. Or maybe some of you are willing to share the one, absolute, major reason that made you decide once and for all?

And for the agnostics out there, feel free to share your thoughts as well.

I really do appreciate everyone answering... it is incredibly relieving. :)

[Jason78]

Or maybe some of you are willing to share the one, absolute, major reason that made you decide once and for all?

There's no compelling reason to believe in any of the gods.  It's the lack of a reason to believe.

That in itself is pretty major.

[Jason78]

And for the agnostics out there, feel free to share your thoughts as well.

Agnostic and gnostic refers to beliefs about knowledge of gods.  Theism and atheism refer to the belief in gods.

[SNP1]

Thanks for the replies!

As I've spent my life in science, and read all the big atheist books (Hitchens, Dawkins, etc, etc), I really don't want to go down that path again. For one, I don't want to put the little free time I have into going back over those things (and partly because I made a promise that I will not go back to re-read anything unless I really, really need to). So I was wondering if there are some simple videos or articles you guys can suggest. Or maybe some of you are willing to share the one, absolute, major reason that made you decide once and for all?

And for the agnostics out there, feel free to share your thoughts as well.

I really do appreciate everyone answering... it is incredibly relieving. :)

Well, I usually define myself as an ignostic (as well as agnostic and atheist) because no one ever really defines god that well.

The reason I do not think there is a creator god is because that is incompatible with the world we live in (I can post the argument if you want). The reason I do not believe in an immaterial god that interacts with the universe is because that is also incompatible with the universe we live in.

Most definitions of god are internally incoherent. Those definitions that manage to be internally coherent usually end up being externally incoherent.

[andreaslagom]

Well, I usually define myself as an ignostic (as well as agnostic and atheist) because no one ever really defines god that well.

The reason I do not think there is a creator god is because that is incompatible with the world we live in (I can post the argument if you want). The reason I do not believe in an immaterial god that interacts with the universe is because that is also incompatible with the universe we live in.

Most definitions of god are internally incoherent. Those definitions that manage to be internally coherent usually end up being externally incoherent.

Please do!

[Green Bottle]

I've never been on that path, always preferred to be on the Grass.......

An Welcome to the forum.

[SNP1]

Please do!

P1) If God created the universe, the universe has a cause
P2) The universe can only have a cause if tensed facts exist
P3) Tensed facts do not exist
C1) The universe does not have a cause
C2) God could not have created the universe.

P1 is true by definition.
P2 is pretty much uncontraversial among time theorists and is true based off the concept of causality.
C1 follows from P2 and P3.
C2 follows from P1 and C1.

This means that only P3 needs support.

There are currently 3 interpretations of relativity, only the Lorentz ether theory (least popular interpretation) supports the A-Theory of time (where tensed facts exist), the other 2 support the B-Theory of Time (where tensed facts do not exist).

There are also 2 current interpretations of delayed-wait in quantum mechanics, one which supports retrocausality (the least popular one) which would support the B-Theory of Time, the other has no bearing on either theory of time.

Recent experiments in Quantum Mechanics has shown that time is emergent from quantum entanglement, which (ulitmately) supports the B-Theory of Time.

From this, we can conclude that P3 is probable (has a chance of being true greater than 50%), leaving the conclusions as being probably true.

[Desdinova]

Oh no, here we go again.