326 sats \ 4 replies \ @adam_coinos_io 15 Oct \ on: Have you ever completely changed your mind on something big? alter_native
I'm with you on those two. My latest 180 is on religion, specifically Christianity. I had some exposure to it as a child but was raised secular. In my teens and 20's I considered myself agnostic or vaguely spiritual with an interest in Eastern religions, philosophy and psychedelic experiences. I went through an atheist phase and thought Christians were all brainwashed zealots in a big cult. Lately I've started reading the bible, going to a church and praying and I'm coming around to accepting the possibility that God and Jesus are real.
Thanks for sharing that. As a Christian, I'm encouraged by your thought process.
The main thing I wish atheists would see is that it's not just some big brainwashed cult... it's a historical religion with solid philosophical and historical arguments, that has inspired billions for over two thousands years.
Also, the idea that religion is the root of repression and violence is very much overblown. One merely has to look at the damage done by atheist philosophies in the last century. It's our human natures that lead us to oppress and do violence to each other, we often merely use ideology as an excuse.
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Thanks for the comment. So if I understand right, you're going to church and reading the bible and praying, before actually being convinced that God and Jesus are real, is that correct? I'd be interested in learning more about what caused you to take this path.
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Sure yeah I never discounted the possibility that God is real and used to pray once in a while as a kid or even very seldomly as an adult usually for health, happiness and protection for myself and my loved ones. My life ended up turning out pretty well -- my parents are still with me, I fell in love and got married, had some beautiful kids, found financial freedom through Bitcoin and in general didn't suffer any major calamities so I started to feel blessed and that maybe my prayers were subtly answered after all.
I also started to get a sense of the extent of the evil and wickedness being perpetrated in the world and began noticing that some people I respect and follow online were Christian and were confident in Jesus' ability to protect them and overcome evil. More recently some people came into my life that had themselves converted to Christianity after being non-believers and I asked them about their faith.
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Thanks for the details. It's interesting how when people you really respect follow a certain path, that path becomes something to consider.
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