Testimonies


UltraRaccoon's avatar
Someone of a faith usually have a reason as to why they believe what they believe. I want to know what lead you to that point. I'm not here to state whether you are wrong or not. I just think its cool to hear what moves people's lives.

For example mine is... I tried a couple of different religions, but none seemed to fit MY lifestyle; I turned Atheist. Later I grew into severe depression (hated myself). I married a Baptist girl and she radiated with love and compassion for me. I was too busy sulking in my depression to realize this love she had.

The clincher was this...I tried to kill myself when my depression got the best of me. When my wife wasn't home, I put a loaded gun to my head. It took a lot of time a guts, but before I could pull the trigger, something or someone said "I love you more than this." I freaked out and started to put the gun away. And that's when the gun went "click." It should have went off, but the bullet was a dud. Don't ask me what made me, but I fell on my knees in tears and cried a loud. When my wife came home, I told her what happened. (after we both blubbered) She said it was God.

It took me a year to decided when I could fully commit to God. That's when I gave over every bit of MY life to Jesus Christ. So now I'm a non-denominational Christian...not a very good one, but I'm still learning.
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CDRaccoon's avatar
I Am an Atheist.

Atheism is not a belief, but the lack of belief. However I have taken that extra step, and actually believe that there are no gods.

I used to be a Lutheren Christian, and actually believed most of the stuff.
The process of loosing my faith (in religion) came gradually, but mostly came from highschool where I had Biology and Biochemistry which showed me the true nature of life on earth. I was taught, and saw with my own eyes how evolution would change life right infront of me.
I never believed in a young earth, so with that last straw removed, my faith in religion drowned completely.
Some years later I gained "faith" (the active belief that there infact are no gods) again.
While I was training in the army, I spend a night on guard duty in a foxhole.
The sky was exceptionally clear (and cold!), there was no moon so the darkness was almost complete.
I have never seen as many stars as I saw that night, and while I was looking at them I suddenly realized that I was looking deep, deep into the abyss of space. As the saying goes, "ehrn you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back at you.", and it did. I thought of the unfathomable distances out there, and I felt so small and insignificant. It suddenly dawned on me that, somthing as small and insignificant as me, infact the entire human race could not be the center of creation, and there not only "properly" was no gods, but there WERE NO GODS.
UltraRaccoon's avatar
interesting usually looking into space does the complete opposite for me.
Penguinton's avatar
I'm a Christian because of events in my life as well. It's not as powerful as your testimony however and since I'm shy I'll refrain from expounding on the details. But hey another non-denominational Christian! *high five*

It's really cool to hear other peoples testimonies though and learning why others believe what they do.
UltraRaccoon's avatar
I personally think knowing one's background is good to hear; helps to witness better.
IncandescentInsanity's avatar
I was raised Christian. It never really clicked with me but I was too scared to doubt it because of the fear of hell. It also tainted my education, causing me to disregard evolution, the big bang, and the notion of an earth older than 10000 years.

Once I got older and I started doing more research, it became harder and harder to believe there was a god. Once I totally removed it from the equation, the world made so much more sense, and I am a much happier person now
UltraRaccoon's avatar
It's good to settle in ones belief.
WolfySpice's avatar
I think you're better off seeking help for your mental health. Hallucinations are serious, and given your suicide attempt, I can only recommend you seek help immediately before it happens again.

Other than that, I was born. Like all babies, I had no concept of religion. I was not indoctrinated and I was encouraged to learn and make up my own mind. So I did. I've remained an atheist since the day I was born and I see the problems religion, if it doesn't cause, worsens. In particular, the area of mental health. Schizophrenia in particular; it's wicked that people would treat their hallucinations as 'demons' or 'gifts from god'. These people need help, not god.
Ink-Robertson's avatar
Not born atheist... Athiesm is the belief in no God or lack of it, and if you were to say the latter you would have to tackle if a baby is born with a belief in God.
WolfySpice's avatar
Babies can barely comprehend anything. So they lack belief in god, the same way they lack belief in almost everything around them. They're not yet developed enough.
Ink-Robertson's avatar
Again, your not giving proof but your own opinion. If God was real,this wouldn`t be so, if he was not real this would be true. Then you have to have disprove God as well as provide proof of a baby born with a lack of belief.
WolfySpice's avatar
The onus is on you to first prove a god, and then actually prove that babies are capable of such high-level thought.

Because they aren't. To say otherwise is to say that a newborn has high-functioning cognitive capacity that many adults don't even possess. Yours is a ridiculous position.
Ink-Robertson's avatar
Again I already said I couldn`t and niether can you untill God is proven/disproven. The point is not to win the debate, even if you win you still cannot prove the claim.
WolfySpice's avatar
Relax, you don't need to say anymore. It's been amply demonstrated that you care not for the truth or reality.
Lytrigian's avatar
I think it's almost self-evidently true. If babies are born believing in God then it's presumably from some sure, objective knowledge acquired prior to birth, or perhaps instilled in them while being formed within the womb. You would therefore expect all religions to be similar, with agreement on at least a few general principles derived from this knowledge: the nature of God, details of the afterlife, etc.

Yet, it seems that children acquire the religion by which they're surrounded as they grow up, as it is deliberately taught them by their parents or their larger society. An American of European descent is usually Christian; an Arab Muslim; a Siberian shamanist; a Japanese Shinto and/or Buddhist; an Indian Hindu; etc. All these disagree strongly on many fundamentals, including whether a supreme, transcendent God even exists.

It's sanest to conclude that babies are born knowing nothing about God, and that all religion is learned behavior.
Ink-Robertson's avatar
thats your opinion and whatever floats your boat
Lytrigian's avatar
No, that's fact. Children have whatever beliefs they were raised with. There's not a mote of real evidence that they have any pre-existing knowledge of God. If it's otherwise, show it.
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Ink-Robertson's avatar
thats your opinion and whatever floats your boat
Smkiller's avatar
"Then you have to have disprove God as well as provide proof of a baby born with a lack of belief."

And even if we fail to disprove the existence of a God, that doesn't mean he's real. One would still have to prove that he exists.
Ink-Robertson's avatar
Didn`t say that, and if I were to fail on proving God that wouldn`t mean he Doesn`t exist. Glad you see your claim as your own opinion.
Saeter's avatar
The one making the claim holds the burden of proof. If you say something exist you have to present it to be falsified otherwise there is no reason to believe the claim is true.
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Smkiller's avatar
If we fail to prove that one exists, and also fail to prove that one doesn't exist, then a baby being born with belief or not is just a guess, isn't it?

Congratulations! This was pointless!
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Smkiller's avatar
A baby is born not being aware of even the concept of a god. They're not aware of the idea until they start picking up on it in later years.

A baby lacks a belief in a god. Therefore, it is born atheist.
Kenny-White-Lion's avatar
A baby is not born Atheist LOL A baby is born uneducated. Lol
Smkiller's avatar
Atheism = lack of a belief in a deity.
Being uneducated in the concept of a god = lack of belief in a deity.

Well, look at that.