Why Change - Religion's, Faith's and Belief 's?

Hi Sacrel,

I just love the ideas you have for threads! 🙂

I don't have a very dramatic (or particularly interesting) journey, as I was brought up in Christian Science (though I had to make it my own eventually) but I would just LOVE to hear others' stories. So please everyone, get going!

One thing I hope though, is that this thread can just be about people sharing their individual experiences, without all the recent one-up-manship, personal attacks etc that put people off getting involved (and off HP). Most people here consider themselves to be Light-workers - let's stay in the light please!

On a recent "Thought for the Day" on the radio, these words rang so true to me that I wrote them down: "If we are secure in our own identity, we don't need to undermine anyone else's"

Love and peace,

Judy

My beliefs have changed as my experiences have changed. I have had my eyes opened to things I didn't believe were possible before, and I have learned things that made we made question long held beliefs.

I started off a Christian - and I still regard myself as a Christian but I can recognise how Christianity took over many of the pagan/druid rituals.

I do not believe any one religion or path has a monopoly on being right. That ha been the major change in my beliefs because at one point I believed Christianity was the ONLY correct system

'All roads honestly followed lead to God' so I am tolerant of those who sincerely follow different paths to min

My brief story: I was brought up in a strong Christian family but not always lived by positive Christian values as one would expect. As a child whatever misfortune I found myself in the usual family response would be ‘God did that to you’. Talk about a reverential fear!

These family messages I found to be conflicting when at the age of eight I read the new testament all the way through twice over a period of a two week bed rest with chicken pox. At the time what I thought was the best book I ever read challenged conflicting messages that god was someone to fear.

Until one day I had the revelation how can an all loving god be so threatening? From this point I dropped all previous experiences of the threat god could be because I could not believe an all loving god would hurt and cause fear in his children.

From this point I sensed there was someone with me, a someone who seemed to always be by my side. Quite a comforting and protective experience. Of course I could not prove it but I had always had the feeling this was jesus. A feeling he was next to me.

Ok what happened? Well various church experiences were not as I expected. I had expected those who represent themselves as a voice for god didn’t seem to be that way at all. I didn’t feel the genuiness , the connection, a sense of falseness. On occasions I felt all they wanted was my money!. mmm? Now I’m confused again.

However one significant thing I do remember every Saturday I used to give donations to a salvation army elderly person who would stand in all weathers holding a collection box. My donation were not of the loose change type. One week I recognised that two members were standing here and wanted to meet me. The other person has a kind of stature, a figure head role in the church.

I was thanked for my donations which they felt was unusual and asked “Do you go to church? Are you a Christian? And do you pray?” all to which I replied “No”. A voice within me said “Do I need to be all these in order to give to another in kindness?”

I didn’t find in the churches and those who are figure heads to be living or teaching what I read in the New Testament. I found myself beginning to lose my faith and what I felt was more of a loss to whom I felt was always by my side.

Today? Well I have travelled many paths and experienced many things since and I would today consider myself a ‘Neutral’ not an atheist or anything else, I don’t discount my old belief in Christianity. But maybe now ‘remaining on the fence’ looking from afar. 🙂

I have had my eyes opened to things I didn't believe were possible before, and I have learned things that made we made question long held beliefs.

I started off a Christian - and I still regard myself as a Christian but I can recognise how Christianity took over many of the pagan/druid rituals.

Hi Sally

What opened your eyes? the questioning of your long held beliefs? What was it that you recognised? Was there something significant? something that said to you one day " I found it or this is where I need to be?:)

I don't have a very dramatic (or particularly interesting) journey, (though I had to make it my own eventually)

Hi Judy

Your journey and experiences may be most interesting? shown in the expressions and knowledge you give on HP. Especially the point you make 'though I had to make it on my own eventually.:)

Hi Sacrel,

One thing I hope though, is that this thread can just be about people sharing their individual experiences, without all the recent one-up-manship, personal attacks etc that put people off getting involved (and off HP). Most people here consider themselves to be Light-workers - let's stay in the light please!

What! Missed all the action! On, and -off hp as well! where when who how..?? I am only half joking. I seem to miss things right under my nose

On a slightly more serious note- what a lot of sensible questions you have crammed in there Sacel!

Hi Sacrel and everyone,

Yes, I agree with Jnani - very sensible questions, and a good topic to discuss!

I don't know how typical my own story is, or if anyone will relate to it at all, but for what it's worth, here goes...

I grew up in a more or less completely secular environment, which is probably the norm in Australia (where I come from) these days; my family was nominally Christian (as in, that's what they would put on the census), but there was not the slightest interest in anything to do with religion, faith, spirituality, or anything beyond "ordinary" human life. I grew up not actually knowing anyone who did take religion or faith of any sort seriously, apart from the dear elderly ladies who taught our non-compulsory religious education classes at school. Those classes were about Christianity, but non-denominational and non-preachy - just stories about Jesus and other Bible characters and the amazing things they did. (I'm hugely grateful that there was never anything about original sin or wrath or damnation, which would have terrified me. I could never have believed in a God like that; I still can't.)

I suppose it was there, and from reading C.S. Lewis's Narnia books (which were my favourites), that I just had this sense deep down, as a little girl, that there must be a God somewhere who is good and who loves us. I remember once seeing the quote "God is Love" (I had no idea it was from the Bible, but it is - 1 John 4:8 and 4:16), and that just stayed with me. God IS Love! Not just "someone" who loves, but Love itself. That made sense, at least to an 8- or 9-year-old. So I sort of innocently trusted in that, even though I didn't know any other people I could talk to about these things (and would have been far too shy to, in case I got laughed at).

Well, I suppose this happens to a lot of us as we grow up, but that innocent faith took some hard knocks as I got into my teens, until before long I more or less forgot it entirely. I was suffering from what was pretty much chronic depression - not that my life itself was that hard, but I felt I'd completely lost my moorings and my bearings. I knew deep down that I was seeking for answers - for meaning, for stability, for certainty - and that those answers, if they really existed, must be something spiritual. Like probably most people here, I too couldn't (and can't) accept that any teaching or group has a monopoly on truth. But I also couldn't see how anyone could ever prove anything about spirituality, or the divine, or the ultimate - whatever you like to call it - for certain. I looked into lots of religions and teachings and alternative therapies, and I found lots of good ideas, but nothing that I was ever certain about. Like a lot of people, I pretty much cobbled together my own patchwork of "the best bits" from various systems I encountered. But it didn't satisfy me, probably because there wasn't anything substantial - anything I KNEW I could trust - underneath to hold it together.

I'll continue in another post so this one isn't too long! 😉

Hi Sally

What opened your eyes? the questioning of your long held beliefs? What was it that you recognised? Was there something significant? something that said to you one day " I found it or this is where I need to be?:)

It wasn't one thing it was a succession of small things - and it took a long time.. There was no 'eureka' moment. It was evolution rather than revolution

Like Sacrel said, I think for someone to convert to a new path and stay with it (or, in some people's cases, to make a complete commitment to the path they originally had), they do have to find "that significant 'something' that changed everything". It might be different for every one of us. For me, it was a book that someone gave me - Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. (The quote in my signature is from it.)

I can tell you, that book did not have the world's most appealing title to me at the time, and when I saw on the first page that it mentioned God and Jesus, I strongly considered tossing it out the window - that was how I felt about traditional religion (especially Christianity) by then. But something told me I should at least give it a go, from the start, with an open mind, so I did. And, well... it did change everything.

What was it about this particular book that made a difference for me, when nothing else I'd come across did? I think it was the sense it gave me of a God who is not a giant human being in the sky, nor a vague and unknowable entity "out there", nor one of many competing cosmic powers, but who really is universal, divine, infinite Love-with-a-capital-L. And every one of us - everything in the universe - is, in truth, the perfect and immortal expression, or reflection, of this one infinite Love.

I know a lot of teachings would agree with that in general, but there always seems to be a "yes, but...". Yes, but... we've sinned and don't deserve this Love. Yes, but... God creates or allows evil and suffering in the world for some greater purpose. Yes, but... there are other powers or spirits or entities that can control or harm us. Yes, but... we (by choice or force) have become mortal beings in order to learn things we couldn't learn as purely spiritual beings.

I think where Science and Health makes the difference - for me, anyway - is that it shows what happens when we kick out every single one of those "yes, buts" and accept this divine Love as the ONLY power and the ONLY reality. (That, naturally, isn't an intellectual process, but one involving a lot of prayer and deep spiritual searching, putting aside human will and human ego.)

It didn't happen all at once, but this new spiritual understanding really did turn my life around - it freed me from the depression, healed me physically as well as mentally and emotionally, and gave me a sense of sureness and purpose and desire to bless others that I'd never had before. So, as I felt, how could I do anything else but give back, by devoting myself to this path? It isn't always an easy ride - I doubt any spiritual path is - but from the start, it's given me the certainty that no matter what happens or how hard things get, there will always be an answer. And there always has been.

Anyway, that's my story. 😀 I'd love to hear how others have found their own way, too!

Love, Charis

I started out life being put on a bus and sent to the Presbyterian Church where I got...well if I remember correctly...predestination style Christianity.

I was kind of naughty as a teen and put into a convent. I kind of liked it. I was going to be a nun and studied every day in the library. Unfortunately study doesn't lead to commitment; it leads to disillusionment. The whole Constantine thing blew me off.

After the convent, I went to live with a Jewish Aunt and Uncle. Jews are not big on converting people so that had no real effect. I just floated aimlessly not addressing the issue and not believing in anything.

Somewhere sometime I came across the Mormons. Well they addressed the Constantine issue and I thought wow this is it and joined. It was a good experience as to personal growth. Everybody has a job in the church, nobody gets paid, everybody takes care of each other. There are no poor among them. It's kind of nice. But it is male dominated Church and after 13 years, I'd had enough of doing what I was told.

So I was nothing again. Buddhism came along and I started to study. It was comfortable so I wore it. Reiki came along and it was a good match. I like the whole being connected to the source thing.

On further study however; and if I had to wear a lable...it would be taoist. I feels like home. Everything makes sense to me now. I love the earth school theory. I love the Taoteching. I am really comfortable in the beliefs I am experiencing now.

If someone asks? I say spiritual but not religious; with a smile 🙂

Ahhhhhh...but...Hmmmmm...we'll see what next year brings.

On further study however; and if I had to wear a lable...it would be taoist. I feels like home. Everything makes sense to me now. I love the earth school theory. I love the Taoteching. I am really comfortable in the beliefs I am experiencing now.

Hi Stephanie,

Taoism was my favourite, too, before I settled where I am now! 🙂 I loved a beautiful paraphrase-style translation of the Tao Te Ching by Timothy Freke, which I still have - it gave me a lot of peace when not much else would. I don't know how accurate it was from the point of view of the original Chinese language and culture from which these teachings came, but it's a particularly lovely and inspiring version.

I also just loved Benjamin Hoff's "The Tao of Pooh and the Te of Piglet" - his explanation of basic Taoist concepts using the Winnie-the-Pooh characters! Very sweet, especially for those of us who grew up loving those stories. Actually, Pooh and co. have been used by various authors to illustrate many different philosophies and teachings. I guess it goes to show how spiritual truth, in some form or other, can turn up just about anywhere! 😀

Love, Charis

:grouphug: I love this. Just stories. Take'm or leave'm. No right or wrong. No great long philosophical rantings. Just stories and feelings shared; for every body to understand each other a little better.

OH SO KOOL :dance:

I guess I'll sound a bit like Sally when I say that I don't have any fixed belief and I just go with experience.

Ok, this is going to be a long one... this is the life story cut down to a single post... abridged version...

For me, I guess it all started when I was young. I was one of those kids who always wanted to know how things worked, watching my dad work on the car engine when it was playing up or, much to my mums horror, sticking a screwdriver in the plug socket to test the electricity (fortunately it was the ground hole I pushed it into hehe!) and all those sorts of things. I was brought up Church of England, christened and went to Sunday school etc. and my primary school was CofE too. I remember the Gideons came to our school and handed out small bibles for each child to have, and I took it home and was determined to read it all so that I could understand how God, Christianity and the world worked. Well... I read it... and it didn't make sense... it was telling me what to understand without explaining why I should understand it. Nevertheless I was determined that I would find God for myself and figure out how it all worked. The more I looked; the more I examined; the more I compared experience to what I was being told to believe... the more I found it just didn't fit together, and I eventually found that nobody could explain this Christianity thing to me, and that wasn't good enough... so I declared myself an Atheist.

Obviously, with my interest in how things worked and my skills being in maths and sciences, I went down the science route at school, though I did also like art. As home computers came out, I had one at home and, whilst playing games on it as most kids did, I also taught myself how to program it and fathomed out how it worked... and even got some programs in magazines... (1998 edition of Your Sinclair magazine...)...

[url]World of Spectrum - Archive - Magazine viewer[/url]

I didn't really think much of most religions, as they all seemed to be based on "belief" rather than facts, but, as circumstances would have it, I ended up doing my A levels at a Roman Catholic school. That was a in 'interesting' experience. Whilst the headmaster of the school had said to me that it wasn't necessary for me to attend the Religious studies class (mandatory for all other students) I felt there was no reason I shouldn't go along to be involved with everyone else. The classes were held by the school priest, and he was certainly a kind man, considerate of the fact I wasn't a believer, and did like to try and get me involved in the class discussions, so that the other students could hear a view outside of their beliefs. At the end of my 2 years there, he came to me and thanked me as, he said, I had added some interest to the lessons rather than all the students just blindly following everything he said. It was quite obvious how 'brainwashed' (to use the term in a non offensive sense) the students were from the assemblies that were held... the first time catching me by surprise, as the headmaster leading the assembly said a few words and then all of a sudden everyone was crossing them selves and saying something in latin, like a bunch of robots who had just received an instruction in unison. It was quite bizarre. This was also the same school where one student came up to me in the 6th form common room, out of the blue, and said "I don't know how you can be an atheist, you can go out there and kill someone and not feel guilty about it"... and taken aback, I spoke the truth without having to think about it... "I can assure you if I went out there and killed someone, I would certainly feel guilty about it. At least I wouldn't go out there, kill someone, say a few hail Mary's and feel a whole lot better about it". He couldn't respond to that, and some of the other students around me were also taken aback by how narrow minded he had been. However this didn't do anything to make me feel that religion (especially RC) was something that made one a better person.

I went on to do Computer Science at University, and whilst there, studying was the primary focus, so religion etc. didn't really feature much. Except I was in Leicester, a City of multicultural people and many different religions. It was quite horrifying to see how some of those cultures beliefs meant that the women were treated as lesser beings than the men or how it seemed ok for an Asian guy to go out with a 'white woman' but if a 'white guy' even talked to some of the Asian women they risked getting a serious 'talking to' and the woman would also be scolded for it. I just couldn't understand this racist attitude that seemed based on their society and religious beliefs. What really hurt was that a house mate of mine was walking to university minding his own business one day, and walked past a couple of Asian guys sitting on a bench, shortly after to find himself on the floor with blood pouring out of his head where they'd hit him with a bottle. Fortunately he managed to run and get to help. Now, before people think I'm picking on Asians (I assure you I'm not, I've got plenty of friends of different cultures), the story continues. The police had identified these two offenders and managed to track down one of them, but struggled to find the other. Eventually they did find the second one... dead in the canal, and as inquiries by the police found (so I'm told and to cut a long story short) this was because he had disgraced his family and their beliefs by what he'd done, and it seems they had arranged for him to be killed. Again, I failed to see why any religion would condone the killing of another person, especially one who is of your own family. My faith in finding anything good about religion or strongly held beliefs was being tested.

After University, (and on a lighter note thankfully), I recall watching a TV program about Princess Diana and how she use alternative therapies. One of these was crystal healing and I remember watching the practitioner demonstrating the crystal dowsing over a person, and me saying "Oh that's so fake, you can see their arm moving... they're swinging the crystal themselves, what a load of rubbish" (or words to that effect). I couldn't see anything scientific about it. I certainly didn't accept any of this woo rubbish. 😉

Jumping ahead a bit, I was in employment and was working hard. Made harder by the fact that our company had moved offices, so rather than a 10 mile drive to work and 10 miles back, this turned into 50 miles to work and 50 miles back... making it very long tiring days with a lot of pressure and, to put it bluntly... ****e management (the good managers ended up leaving as they were sick of the place). In order to try and help myself to feel better; less stressed; and more healthy, I joined a gym and started exercising and swimming and relaxing in the sauna etc. This certainly helped, but wasn't complete. The gym offered free classes to all members, but due to the hours I was able to get there, and the fact I didn't really "do" the high energy "body pump" loud music type classes, the only one left was a Tai Chi class. The class was a mixture of experienced members and beginners like myself. In the first lesson I learnt the first few moves of the Tai Chi Form, and at the end, the teacher came to us beginners and said, "can you feel a warmth and tingling in your hands? That's the Chi energy. You can use it to help yourself, say, if you've got a headache, just put your hands to your head and it will help". I thought to myself "uh oh! what's all this?", but I was intrigued as I certainly could feel something in my hands... so I went away to research this "chi" energy she talked about.

Now, the Tai Chi classes continued, and we also practiced Qigong during these, and there was certainly some experiences that I couldn't just explain myself, and was wanting to know more and more how this was. I guess you could say this was my 'turning point' 🙂

I continued researching the Chi energy, and came across Reiki on the web. This sounded interesting and sounded like something that would work along with the Tai Chi practice, so I asked a friend (my girlfriend wasn't interested) if she would be interested in taking a Reiki class with me. To my surprise she had already done it, so I was on my own. I visited a local Reiki Teacher to discuss taking a class and arranged to learn with her, but this just seemed to get delayed more and more. I spoke with my friend and she recommended her Reiki Teacher, who was a lot further away, but I was keen to learn this and see what it could give me to help my understanding. I spoke with her Reiki Teacher and she was running a course a couple of weekends away and had just one place left on it. It seemed it was fate. So, I went, and I learnt Reiki, and I experienced more things I couldn't explain.

Now, cutting it short (cos this is going on tooo long and I guess you're all bored if you've even made it this far! :D)... one thing led to another, and I kept on studying my sciences (reading up on the latest things like quantum theories and the like, as well as theories on the working so consciousness and the mind) as well as attending further courses in Reiki, EFT, Sekhem, Freeway-CER, All-Love, meditation, practical philosophy and more. I attended Buddhist meditation classes and started reading up on Buddhism and other religions, as well as the texts of the Bhagavad Gita and the Upanisads, and learning more about Hinduism, and Advaita (non duality) etc. and started to realise that many of the teachings from these different philosophies all reflect what was really being taught in the main religions such as Christianity, but that the churches are mis-using the religious teaching for "control" (for lack of any other way of saying it). The underlying principles of most religions are the same... to respect each other and learn to recognise the Self, and, I feel personally, to recognise that "god" is the Self and not something separate from us.

Along with all these new teachings, as I said, I've continued studying the sciences, and recognise that science is just another 'religion' of beliefs (especially around the 'theories'), and generally there is a lot of crossover between the sciences and the truth behind the spiritual philosophies, just that they are described in different ways. This has helped me to understand how things like Reiki, EFT etc. work from a scientific understanding and how there shouldn't be any divide between anything. Actually putting that understanding into words for others to understand, regardless of their background, is the challenge... 😉

Still studying, still learning... always will be. No fixed religion or belief though.

All Love and Reiki Hugs

Great story.
Science is so kool 🙂

I was watching a program on pbs about string theory and wow...the smallest parts of the smallest parts of the smallest things are strings of vibrating energy.

No wonder reiki works...DAHHHHH!

Great story.
Science is so kool 🙂

I was watching a program on pbs about string theory and wow...the smallest parts of the smallest parts of the smallest things are strings of vibrating energy.

No wonder reiki works...DAHHHHH!

When I am doubting I always remember 'its all about the energy' I explain reiki t doubters by saying that EVERYTHING is energy. Realising crystals are concentrated energy helped me understand how they could work in healing.

'Its all about the energy' is my scientific side supporting my spiritual one

It is interesting how the expression of individual beliefs, faith’s religions and spiritual paths contribute to such energetic discussions.

Have you always believed in the belief, faith, religion you have? Always walked the same path? For example Have you always been a Christian and still today remain a devout Christian and follow Christianity? The same goes for Buddhism, Hinduism, Shamanism, Pagan, and Wicca and so on.....What keeps you here?

Did you start off on one then changed i.e. from Atheism to a religious or spiritual belief? Christian to Buddhism?

Even from Christian to Catholic or Jehovah’s Witness etc. If so what changed? Did one faith show you something that your old faith didn't?, Such a difference for you to convert? Did one seem better, more real, more connected and speaking a truth to you the other's didn't?

Maybe going against your family and generations of the general family belief or religion causing discord with other family members?

Overall what has kept you to remain to the one belief, faith, religion, path that told you so strongly that this is for you? That you have a knowing this is ......right?

Or what was it that changed if you found yourself being drawn to another Belief, faith or religion? What was so convicting that shifted your whole perception?
To make such a dramatic change from one you may have been taught your whole life to a totally different one? or where you forced to change and didn't want to?

That significant 'something' that changed everything.

Hi

A good question, how and why people change from one faith to the other, personally I believe that there is only one God, and yet there are so many branches of faith and there only should be one path which leads to the Creator.

My personal experiences were very limited in the early years; I went to church as I was ordered by my parents, which wasn't that often anyhow.
It was in later years probably just over 10 years ago, I came across a book, at the time

I was a seeker, and was searching high and low, as I felt I was awakening I looked at many religions and beliefs from all over the world, including the churches and religions in the United Kingdom, but felt none of them were for me, I was looking for the Truth, it seemed an impossible task, but the yearning would not go away!

I feel that for many of the religions you must follow in blind faith, or you're not welcome to participate with them, I have since experienced this to be true I do not believe this was one of God's laws or intentions, but man's to accumulate numbers in the churches.

I believe that most people like the easy road, and the easier the road which the church offers is the one that tempts most people because it is the most alluring, and the least they have to do they probably like the best, I believe the hard road is the best one for some.

It is said I believe, it is easier to put a camel through the eye of a needle than for a man to attain the Kingdom of Heaven!
I know of church goers that believe they have already have their tickets to heaven allotted by the church! Poor ignorant people, as if the chuch could allot such places.

I once wanted to be baptized, but I was told I had to attend the church for a long period before this could be achieved, I assume it is the same if you want to get married in a church.

I believe God wants free thinkers, not church slaves following in blind faith the masses and false teachings that someone else interprets from the Bible or elsewhere and you had to accept it as truth.

I do not feel the need for a church, I believe you need a medium to talk to the dead but you do not need a church to talk to God!

I also believe in the judgements at some stage all followers will be shown the Truth and many will realize the wrong paths they have followed by following in blind faith the teachings of others, (Hopefully before they reach reach the land of Twilight if they ever do!) I believe even the teachers will be shown where they have gone wrong.

Peace and light
Peter