People who were once non-believers and now believe in God...

[Anonymous]

That is why all these debates lead nowhere. Atheists never experienced faith, they don't know what they are talking about. They try to reason their way into convincing religious people that God doesn't exist. But faith is never logical or mathematical. It's like love. Do you have to reason you way into loving your kids? I hope not.
It is completely irrational and yet it is the most beautiful thing I have known. Once you truly experience it, you never want to go back, because life is so empty without God in it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a really high point in my life but felt really empty and felt the desire to search for a deeper meaning to it all.

Thanks - and religion gave you the deeper meaning that you were looking for, I presume. If that is correct, how did religion give you the deeper meaning?

Because Christianity teaches that everything happens for a reason and there is a deeper meaning to it all. It might be a cliche now but it really is like falling in love. One day the world could be gray and boring and then you fall in love and everything around you is suddenly so alive and vibrant.

I was just thinking about it the other day. Faith is such an experience, it's hard to explain it with words because it's like love. You just KNOW you love your kids, spouse etc. You don't logically arrive to the conclusion that you love your family. You just do.

No one is questioning whether you have faith or what you feel.

The question is WHY.

I wasn't talking to you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is why all these debates lead nowhere. Atheists never experienced faith, they don't know what they are talking about. They try to reason their way into convincing religious people that God doesn't exist. But faith is never logical or mathematical. It's like love. Do you have to reason you way into loving your kids? I hope not.
It is completely irrational and yet it is the most beautiful thing I have known. Once you truly experience it, you never want to go back, because life is so empty without God in it.

Well said.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:That is why all these debates lead nowhere. Atheists never experienced faith, they don't know what they are talking about. They try to reason their way into convincing religious people that God doesn't exist. But faith is never logical or mathematical. It's like love. Do you have to reason you way into loving your kids? I hope not.
It is completely irrational and yet it is the most beautiful thing I have known. Once you truly experience it, you never want to go back, because life is so empty without God in it.

The above is your opinion. I experienced faith and now I'm an atheist. Many atheists are like me, in that they were once religious.

I'm very happy. I enjoyed life when I was a believer and I enjoy it a bit more now, knowing that it's the only life I will have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a really high point in my life but felt really empty and felt the desire to search for a deeper meaning to it all.

Thanks - and religion gave you the deeper meaning that you were looking for, I presume. If that is correct, how did religion give you the deeper meaning?

Because Christianity teaches that everything happens for a reason and there is a deeper meaning to it all. It might be a cliche now but it really is like falling in love. One day the world could be gray and boring and then you fall in love and everything around you is suddenly so alive and vibrant.

I was just thinking about it the other day. Faith is such an experience, it's hard to explain it with words because it's like love. You just KNOW you love your kids, spouse etc. You don't logically arrive to the conclusion that you love your family. You just do.

No one is questioning whether you have faith or what you feel.

The question is WHY.

I wasn't talking to you

In other words, you don’t have a why.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a really high point in my life but felt really empty and felt the desire to search for a deeper meaning to it all.

Thanks - and religion gave you the deeper meaning that you were looking for, I presume. If that is correct, how did religion give you the deeper meaning?

Because Christianity teaches that everything happens for a reason and there is a deeper meaning to it all. It might be a cliche now but it really is like falling in love. One day the world could be gray and boring and then you fall in love and everything around you is suddenly so alive and vibrant.

I was just thinking about it the other day. Faith is such an experience, it's hard to explain it with words because it's like love. You just KNOW you love your kids, spouse etc. You don't logically arrive to the conclusion that you love your family. You just do.

No one is questioning whether you have faith or what you feel.

The question is WHY.

DP but I am not sure what you are asking. The original OP asked how or why people came to become believers and our answer is that we fell in love with God (or you can also say, we realized that God is in love with us). That is the how and why of our conversion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is why all these debates lead nowhere. Atheists never experienced faith, they don't know what they are talking about. They try to reason their way into convincing religious people that God doesn't exist. But faith is never logical or mathematical. It's like love. Do you have to reason you way into loving your kids? I hope not.
It is completely irrational and yet it is the most beautiful thing I have known. Once you truly experience it, you never want to go back, because life is so empty without God in it.

The above is your opinion. I experienced faith and now I'm an atheist. Many atheists are like me, in that they were once religious.

I'm very happy. I enjoyed life when I was a believer and I enjoy it a bit more now, knowing that it's the only life I will have.

Curious what made you stop believing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is why all these debates lead nowhere. Atheists never experienced faith, they don't know what they are talking about. They try to reason their way into convincing religious people that God doesn't exist. But faith is never logical or mathematical. It's like love. Do you have to reason you way into loving your kids? I hope not.
It is completely irrational and yet it is the most beautiful thing I have known. Once you truly experience it, you never want to go back, because life is so empty without God in it.

The above is your opinion. I experienced faith and now I'm an atheist. Many atheists are like me, in that they were once religious.

I'm very happy. I enjoyed life when I was a believer and I enjoy it a bit more now, knowing that it's the only life I will have.

Curious what made you stop believing.

I thought about it and read about it - academically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was at a really high point in my life but felt really empty and felt the desire to search for a deeper meaning to it all.

Same here. Unlike the other PP I am Hindu. Reaffirming my beliefs has helped steady my worldview and ground me.

It's the religion I was raised in but fell away from it with some frustrations and have felt very positive to make it an important part of my life and identity again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That is why all these debates lead nowhere. Atheists never experienced faith, they don't know what they are talking about. They try to reason their way into convincing religious people that God doesn't exist. But faith is never logical or mathematical. It's like love. Do you have to reason you way into loving your kids? I hope not.
It is completely irrational and yet it is the most beautiful thing I have known. Once you truly experience it, you never want to go back, because life is so empty without God in it.

The above is your opinion. I experienced faith and now I'm an atheist. Many atheists are like me, in that they were once religious.

I'm very happy. I enjoyed life when I was a believer and I enjoy it a bit more now, knowing that it's the only life I will have.

I too was once a strong believer. Then, I studied about different religions and science. Once the blinders of religion are removed, reality becomes clear. Religion is all made up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was at a really high point in my life but felt really empty and felt the desire to search for a deeper meaning to it all.

Thanks - and religion gave you the deeper meaning that you were looking for, I presume. If that is correct, how did religion give you the deeper meaning?

Because Christianity teaches that everything happens for a reason and there is a deeper meaning to it all. It might be a cliche now but it really is like falling in love. One day the world could be gray and boring and then you fall in love and everything around you is suddenly so alive and vibrant.

I was just thinking about it the other day. Faith is such an experience, it's hard to explain it with words because it's like love. You just KNOW you love your kids, spouse etc. You don't logically arrive to the conclusion that you love your family. You just do.

No one is questioning whether you have faith or what you feel.

The question is WHY.

DP but I am not sure what you are asking. The original OP asked how or why people came to become believers and our answer is that we fell in love with God (or you can also say, we realized that God is in love with us). That is the how and why of our conversion.

That’s nor a why. Unless you don’t care if it is true or not.

[Anonymous]

I was raised in a church, but mostly secular. We went to church and Sunday school sometimes, but not super frequently, and never on holidays (Christmas and Easter were family time, not church time).

In middle school, I stopped believing in God and it wasn't until sophomore year of college that I started feeling like I was missing something. I started looking for a way to reconnect with God and found a new religious home for myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was raised in a church, but mostly secular. We went to church and Sunday school sometimes, but not super frequently, and never on holidays (Christmas and Easter were family time, not church time).

In middle school, I stopped believing in God and it wasn't until sophomore year of college that I started feeling like I was missing something. I started looking for a way to reconnect with God and found a new religious home for myself.

My story is like pp's except that I stopped believing later in life and never went back, with an awareness that religion was made up.

[Anonymous]

Falling in love with my new baby. That moment was so profound I knew we humans were special and that we owe it to each other to love everyone as ourselves and to take care of this world. Those feelings felt anointed upon me by something greater so I started to explore faith in something greater than just this existence.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Falling in love with my new baby. That moment was so profound I knew we humans were special and that we owe it to each other to love everyone as ourselves and to take care of this world. Those feelings felt anointed upon me by something greater so I started to explore faith in something greater than just this existence.

It's a natural thing to love your child.

However, if God is love, or loves us, its a highly abusive relationship. He dictates that you worship him, and only him - and gets extremely jealous if you are unfaithful. He has already decided on a plan for you life, kind of like a bad date that orders meals for you. He's terrible at communication, as its either silence from him directly or dismissive of your input since only he knows what's going on. Add to it the threat of eternal punishment for disobeying and his terrible mood swings (old testament vs new).

I got smart and got the hell out of that relationship.