Has anyone had there opinion about Christianity (or religion in general) changed by reading any of the forums on this or any other chat room?
I am curious because after participating in a few threads on this website I have yet to read one person say, “oh, I never thought of it that way, I am going to believe in (atheism or religion) from now on. Thank you for helping me change mind point of view”.
Has it ever happened?
IMO, very few people would change their view of what they believe to be true by what they read on a forum. I don’t know though…
I don’t think it could happen just by reading a forum, nor do I think it could happen instantaneously as you suggest in your example…with that said, I have changed my mind many many many times about religion.
This is a great question, OldDrone (I am sure I know you by another name, but I don’t know what it is). I wish more people would consider it before posting religious threads. Not only do I not know of anyone who has changed their mind about religion because of a message board discussion, I dont think I have ever known anyone who has been “argued” into changing their mind about religion at all. I don’t believe that is how faith works. And I certainly don’t see it in the life of Jesus.
Bill Hugo
Well C. S. Lewis says he was argued into the faith, of course that doesn’t mean that everyone can be; just an example.
I’ve heard of a lot of athiests or those against Christianity who end up being “converted” over time (like C.S. Lewis, great example). Although I seriously doubt it would happen over the internet. Something like that has to come from a person that you know well and trust, and have a good personal relationship with.
As for myself, no of course not.
it has happened before, people have been argued into believing in a religion or atheism. I haven’t seen it yet happen on the forums (actually, I’ve thought of starting a thread identical to this one, to tell you the truth). However, the debates we have had about religion and such subjects has definitely caused me to think. I think a lot about what people say on here, though I haven’t really had my mind changed about religion, abortion, or anything of the sort. from what the atheists say, I think about it, and think about whether or not what they said makes sense and is true, and then I use it in future debates. From what the Religious people say, I think about whether what they say is fact or opinion, then I think about why they are wrong and if theres a possibility that they are right. So yeah though I haven’t seen anyone’s mind changed, I find these debates still to be good since it causes people to think. I’ll admit, because of what people have said on here I have had doubts about atheism several times, but after checking facts and thinking further, I return to being more or less sure of myself.
I disagree, I don’t believe it could come from another person at all…any point of view you have upon the world is in your own mind completely, and no one can force you to believe something or not believe something. But you yourself can choose to try to see things in a different way, if you want.
You should try, it’s really quite enjoyable…
Who would expect anyone to change their mind about religion due to this forum, when scientists cannot change their mind about defunct theories like string theory, even after reading prestigious scientific journals?
Capitolists don’t become a bit more liberal, and socialists don’t become a bit more conservative from reading this forum.
Heck, I haven’t even changed my mind about MUni, Cokering, FlatRoad or Trials from reading this forum.
It would be interesting to look at the process whereby those 70% who approved of Bush dropped down to less than 30%, mostly due to reading this forum. Those are people capable of revising their thinking based on data.
Those 30% who still approve of Bush just can’t get anything into their thick skulls.
Billy
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
I will not believe in defunct theories like string theory.
My views on things have been altered by people forcing me to think about things. No radical difference, mind you. Just a few tweaks in the right places so that I have a more coherent set of beliefs. If yours haven’t changed even the slightest belief, you’re probably either not totally understanding what you’re reading, or you’re not approaching it with an open mind in the first place. The discussions are there to facilitate thought and yes, to force people to reevaluate their own thoughts. They aren’t just stages for people to get up and yell what they think. If absolutely nothing is changing about your belief from the discussion, you shouldn’t be in it.
That is interesting, 40% of a group did change their mind about something as strongly believed in as what is a good President. It only took about 1.5 trillion dollars to convince them that the Iraq war was a bad idea, which in turn makes the President bad.
How could we get that same kind of effect with religion, either for or against?
The total cost of atheism to society as a whole is…
The total cost of religion to society as a whole is…
this will surely change some minds.
For some people, their religion is like a sexual orientation, meaning that it runs deep and is woven into the very fabric of their lives.
I was raised as a Christian. We never went to church or even discussed it much. It was just sort of there in the background. I have so many happy memories of the Christmas holidays – family togetherness, love, happiness. And we would play Christmas music, of course. Over time, those good feelings attached themselves to the music. Now, as a devout atheist, when I hear Christmas music, I still get those happy feelings.
I’ve been programmed since birth. I can’t turn off those feelings. I can and have removed the God element. But I still enjoy celebrating Christmas. And the songs still evoke happy feelings.
I imagine that the more one’s life revolves around God, the more inextricably interwoven those beliefs and feelings become. God attaches to your various feelings, memories, habits, thought processes, and activities. If your life were a cup of coffee and God were a teaspoon of sugar, it would be hard to separate God from your life if you stirred the sugar into the coffee. God would permeate your being. But if you left the sugar on the side – where it was more of a concept that didn’t deeply touch you – then you could more easily discard the idea.
I have an Orthodox Jewish friend. His daily, everyday life is filled to the brim with God. I don’t think he can even go to the bathroom without saying a prayer. I’m sure his beliefs are as deeply ingrained and unchangeable as his sexual orientation.
So, I wouldn’t expect to change someone’s mind. I just like talking about the subject. And to echo and continue what the wise monkeyman was just saying, you shouldn’t be so rigid in your thinking and so sure of yourself and so sure that you know everything – that you don’t take something away from the discussions. Something.
Oops. I didn’t mean to write so much.
Zero.
I’m not going to fill in your other blank because it would surely turn this into another debate thread. Maybe you should re-post in one of the existing debate threads? This thread is a nice discussion about the effects and merits of our debates. I hope it stays that way.
As a boy in school I was in a very multicultural environment with christians, muslims and jews (I was raised in Morocco).
So for me discussing religion is not trying to convert someone: it is more about understanding others. For sure I am not totally liberal: is someone is using his religion to support behaviours I do not approve of … then I will confront him/her. On the other hand I can be a damned atheist feeling perfectly at ease in a religious ceremony.
I suspect people occasionally see ideas which inspire them to read around, think a lot, and re-evaluate their belief systems, one way or the other. I’ve recently visited a site of a former convinced Mormon who is now an equally convinced atheist.
Changing your beliefs is hard - there is a lot of invested emotional and social energy - but not impossible. But who can say what the catalyst might be?
Al
Those contributing to such forums fall roughly into two groups: those that agree with me that there is no God. They will not convert me.
And those who do believe in God. Their arguments are always based upon belief, never upon anything factual. Facts are of course rather difficult to come by for them, I accept that. So none of them has ever changed my mind, not even made it quiver a little. I am perfectly capable of weighing evidence, but whilst the pan remains empty the reading remains zero.
I may be open to those who try bribery. I may be open to a direct argument from God. Otherwise I shall remain very much an atheist.
Nao
I’ve never been swayed by anything on these forums…but my ideas are constantly altered by people I’m close to in real life. I’ve heard so many different views that I don’t really hold any concrete ones as of this moment…agnosticism makes the most sense in this world of so-called “sureties.”
No, the fora have not changed my positions. But I have been enlightened to others’ opinions and perspectives, from both sides of the aisle, that I ususally wouldn’t hear in my usual course of social conversation.
My ideas of reality have not changed due to the forums, but i have gone from an atheist who randomly cried out to “god” or said “thank you” or something, and now i am a being that uses the word “god” to refer to himself, both stages in a joking manner…
no changes in opinion, just changes in verbage…
damn you captain hook!