(SiameseAddictedto;60543)
Hello all. I'm a newly converted Atheist. I guess most people wouldn't refer to it as a conversion, but for me, it is a big change. I've believed in God my entire life until a few days ago. I prefer to avoid anecdotes so I won't go into detail, but, in short, I have come to the conclusion that God doesn't exist based on several past experiences with churches, ministers and various other "Christian" individuals, but, most pointedly, a very recent negative interaction with a priest.
Please don't get any inappropriate ideas, because I can assure you it's nothing like what some of you might be thinking. Anyway, I guess I'm just more upset now than anything else because God has been a major source of comfort and love for me for a greater part of my life, and now that I no longer believe, it's hard to get by without making bad choices out of desperation.... If I could choose my faith, I think I would choose to be Christian, but unfortunately, spiritual beliefs are rarely conscious choices. Anyway, it's nice to be here.PS--I'm not one of those aggressive atheists who goes about trying to disprove God to whoever I meet so please don't fear me
Hi there! I normally only post on the political section of this site, but I ran across a post of yours over there and followed you back here.
I figure that since you mentioned your background and conversion, you probably don't mind talking about it a little bit (in a non-prying sort of way). Whether or not you believe in God is a personal decision that no one can make for you, kind of like who you vote for in an election. People can try to convince you one way or the other and it's often helpful to hear what they have to say, but in the end it is you alone who makes the decision. It's a decision that should never be made in order to appease someone else. I'm a conservative. I often see "conservative" politicians doing things I feel are inappropriate. It's a big turn-off and it can be both frustrating and depressing. At times, it makes it hard to remember why I'm a conservative. Then I remember that me being a conservative has nothing to do with them. It's a personal decision I've made as a result of what I believe. That's how I view my belief in God too. I've had a number of bad experiences both with churches and with people I knew from church (including a pastor). That's why I haven't been to church in several years. I just have to remind myself that my belief in God isn't related to them. It's my own personal decision. I also have to remind myself that other Christians are just as human as I am. They make mistakes just like I do. And not every person who claims to be a Christian really is one. There's no way for me to tell for sure whether a person truly is a Christian. That's God's deal, not mine. I know I sort of related it to politics there, but that's just how my brain seems to function lately. Glad to have you here, at any rate.
