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316 sats \ 10 replies \ @Undisciplined 8 Aug 2023 \ on: What's a strong belief you used to have that you changed your mind on? meta
I used to relate to the label "militant agnostic" and strongly felt that religion was stupid and irrational. I now relate more to "pro-religion atheist", because I still don't believe it, but I appreciate the value it's adding to society.
Here's my journey:
Protestant -> Agnostic -> Militant Atheist/Anti-theist -> Pro Religion Atheist -> Eastern Orthodox Christian
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So many of the thinkers I respect the most have found religion as adults that it's just impossible for me to look down on it anymore. However, I also have just never found any of the arguments persuasive, at least so far.
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I think very few people can be argued into faith. I did hear an argument for faith in God (not for the existence of God funnily enough) that was the straw on the camel's back. However, I was already receptive at that point. If it wasn't for all the things I experienced previously, I would have rejected that argument outright.
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must be willing to listen and humble enough to understand that there are things they do not understand, have no experience of, to date.
All of that definitely applies to me wrt religion. I go out of my way to hear what people I respect have to say about their religious beliefs, so far nothing's clicked.
There are ways of thinking about certain "non-physical" properties of the world that I think are reasonably describe as supernatural (spontaneous market order, for example), but it would be disingenuous to claim that I mean the same thing as religious people by that.
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The issue is probably that I'm not seeking anything other than understanding. If you try to believe something, you'll find reasons.
I'm open to believing anything, but I'm not trying to believe anything.
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