Title says it all. Not interested in hearing about ‘conversion’ to non-religion (atheism/agnosticism/etc.), but people who grew up in one religion (or with no religion) and converted to some other religion.
For some background – I was raised with no religion, and I still have no religion. My parents are some variation on deists, and I’m an athiest/agnostic.
This probably doesn’t count, but I moved from a pretty conservative Baptist upbringing to now being resolutely Episcopalian. To a non-Christian that probably sounds like moving from Pepsi to Coke, but it’s more like moving from the Tea Party to the Green Party. Both believe in democracy in a general sense, but there are big differences in how it is applied.
I’m not really qualified to answer, as I’m a stil-practicing cradle Catholic.
But if I were to leave (and I AHVE thought about it), it would have nothing to do with doctrine. It would only mean that I’d reached a breaking point at which I could no longer abide the undeniable corruption of much of the hierarchy, and had concluded it could never get better.
That is, I still believe in what the Church stands for, but there COUD come a time when I completely gave up hope that the hierarchy believs in the same things.
So what convinced you? Why did you change?
I was raised pretty fundamentalist non-denominational and have recently converted to more liberal Methodism. My ideology changed (on a route that took a detour into agnosticism) and therefore my beliefs needed to match the doctrine a little better.
I was raised generic non-churchgoing Christian by an ex-Catholic and an ex-Jehovah’s Witness. I came to paganism as a teenager, and have stuck with it for 30 years now. I had always thought it was my own idea, but recently I realized that it’s actually a pretty good way to reconcile the non-Trinitarian JW view of God with the Catholic pantheon of God, Jesus, Mary, and saints, while simultaneously making me feel special / unique / different (which I needed as a teen).
I’m pretty agnostic about the whole thing, though; I don’t feel the need to commit to belief in the supernatural in order to make use of it in my personal life, so it’s not a matter of being “convinced.” It was more that Christianity wasn’t satisfying and I wanted to find something that was more so.
I was raised without any religion. I think we went to a Methodist church about 3 times. I regularly attend a UU church now and have for 5-6 years. I still don’t believe, but like going to church. I can’t say I enjoy the sermons much but I like everything else. The Sunday service is my least favorite part, maybe because I never had the habit. I mostly began attending for the kids- to give them some religious education and a wider friend circle. They have stopped attending, but I still go.
Militant Agnostic* speaking. I offer this without comment or judgement.
A friend of mine, one of the most decent human beings I’ve ever knwon, was raised in a large family of Roman Catholics. At age seventeen he converted to Baptist. His turning point was when his local priest couldn’t answer this question:
“If two people on opposite sides of the planet pray to the Virgin Mary at the same moment, does she hear both of them at the same time?”
For the record, I am agnostic by knowledge and an atheist by belief.
I too have a friend, also a very decent person (and powerful mathematician) who grew up as a Baptist, went through being agnostic and is now UU. I have no reason to think he has any belief, but he likes the social aspect.
I grew up Catholic. I think of myself as Buddhist now, though I am not especially dedicated or devout. I like Buddhism because the teachings (around suffering, craving, delusion, self, etc.) make sense to me. I can apply them directly to my life on a daily basis, and they help me be happier and kinder.
I was raised a Muslim, I became an atheist in college and I converted to Christianity a few years back (in a Pentecostal Church, but I consider myself Lutheran now). I was an atheist for, oh… 8 years or so.
Why’d I change? I attended my girlfriend at the time’s church because it was important to her and I figured why not support her by going every once in a while (and getting to meet friends of hers that she only met at church). I ended up meeting people so full of love and charity that it completely upended my world. I was always up front with my atheism, but I was never (aside from one uncomfortable encounter) accosted for it. It was far more of a “that’s cool; so, tell me about yourself”. As if it was no big deal at all; they cared more about loving me for me, not for a salvation number. Being fairly cynical at the time, I first thought it was some trick, but it was amazingly genuine. I had always thought of Christians as judgmental and overprosyletizing and I like to say that this was the first time I met “true” Christians (though my view of Christians at the time was some strange media stereotype). But these folks had a light that was infectious and it drew me like a moth.
So, after a few months, I decided I’d be open to possibility of God, though I had made a decision one way or another at this time - if something happened to me, great; if not, great as well (at least I was open to any possible new experiences). Not terribly long after that, I had what I can only describe as a religious experience - one of my friends (not related to this church) describes believing in God is like falling in love, and I had a falling in love type of experience. A supernatural joy, if you will; and have had more experiences of supernatural joy since.
I am a Lutheran now because while I “fell” for God in a Pentecostal church, I was never really into their fundamentalist views and anti-science beliefs (though I do believe that the Spirit is acting and working - which I always felt was at odds with a fundamentalist viewpoint, if you really think about). I was far more at home and felt right to be in a tradition that affirmed God and science (another aspect of God’s revelation as some traditions would argue). Though, interestingly enough, the Pentecostals were far more into anti-poverty programs than I had previously realized.
I’d be curious to hear how the Baptist answer was more satisfying to him (change “Virgin Mary” to “God”).
Well, that’s easy. God exists outside of time and space… of course God can listen to both prayers at the same time. Mary (or any other Saint) is human, so she’s gotta have them stop and talk one at a time ;).
His misgivings about Catholicism concerned Mary, mother of JC, being elevated to demigod status.
(I’m being squirrely about commenting because he and I have been close friends for 40 years, despite being absolute polar opposites in our religious and political outlooks. I don’t want to belittle his beliefs behind his back, as it were.)
ETA: what ISiddiqui just said.
I’m not Catholic nor particularly small-o ‘orthodox’, and the ‘outside of time’ thing has never made much sense to me. That being said, my understanding of classical Roman Catholic thought is that glorified saints, angels, demons, etc. are ‘aeviternal’: they aren’t outside time, but they don’t experience it the same way we do, and thus the Virgin Mary can listen to prayers simulaneously. Googling the term takes you to Thomas Aquinas: I’m not going to try to expound the concept since I don’t understand it, but sufficie it to say that Catholics believe they have an answer to the question.
I was raised a Catholic, though the family stopped going, and fell away from the church when I was still a youngster. But it’s wrong to really ever call me a Catholic because even as a child the whole thing was a little too, ‘Emperor’s New Suit’, to me. Everybody just going along, afraid to ask any hard questions or look too closely.
I am now a Buddhist, attend a temple and have ‘taken refuge’. I came to Buddhism via my travels. I visited several Buddhist countries and found the people so open it almost seemed childlike. I loved that! I began to read a lot of Buddhism. And found myself magnetically drawn to Buddhist places and people. It would be several years before it ever occurred to me that I should practice it myself, I’m embarrassed to admit. Initially I thought it was just intriguing and interesting. A way of stretching my mind to think differently.
It was easy to see that traveling was having a very positive influence on me, it took some time for me to see the Buddhism I’d been reading, and exposing myself to, WAS having an effect on how I viewed and conducted myself and my life. A positive effect. When that happens unexpectedly it’s pretty powerful. But I think my friends all knew I was turning into a Buddhist before I did, to be truthful!
The only time, what your religion is, comes up, around these parts, seems to be when there are evangelical Christians at the door. And telling them you’re a Buddhist sends them packing instantly as they have no idea about that at all. It’s actually kinda funny.
Interesting side effect, of curious nature, is that a few times I’ve been sought out for a conversation akin to, “My Dad’s dying, we’re all scared, you’re a Buddhist, what can I say to my Dad?” I’ve obviously horribly abbreviated, but you get the point. I’m never sure why they feel I possess some special insight into such things, and assume they are just clutching at straws for hope or comfort. Having nursed someone to their death I can offer them some comfort, I hope, but there isn’t anything Buddhist about any of it, other than my attitude, I expect.