Former Atheists: What Convinced You?

[Haven]

I've noticed quite a few of the Christians here claim to be former atheists. This intrigues me, because I know of very few people who used to be atheists and are now Christians. In contrast, I know plenty of former Christians who are now atheists (including myself).

If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you guys a few questions on your atheist past and your conversion process.

1. What religion were you raised in? How serious was your parents' / guardians' faith?

2. When did you start to question the religion of your upbringing? If you were raised in a secular home, when did you come to realize that you were an atheist?

3. How did you become an atheist? What made you decide to become an atheist?

4. What caused you to question your atheism? Did you start questioning for intellectual or emotional reasons?

5. How old were you when you began to question your atheism?

6. What caused you to make the decision to convert to Christianity? Once again, did you convert for intellectual or emotional reasons? How old were you when you converted?

7. What has changed in your life since becoming a Christian? Have your perspectives on things such as science (including evolution), philosophy, politics, etc., changed as a result of your conversion?

8. What would you say to an atheist considering converting to Christianity?

9. Are there any other comments you'd like to make?

[ThatGirlAgain]

Really, a spark of light? I must have missed that. Which modern cosmologist describes the Big Bang as a spark of light?

I was under the impression this was what most scientists believed. I must check this...

According to the Big Bang theory and the latest measurements, light – photons traveling through space – did not exist until 379,000 years after the Big Bang. That is when the temperature and density of the expanding universe dropped low enough for free electrons to combine with nuclei and form atoms. Before that the photons and electrons were just interacting electromagnetically and the photons were not going anywhere. With electrons no longer in the way, photons could finally travel and become light. With the continued expansion of the universe, these primordial photons have spread out and become the Cosmic Microwave Background. (Ref)

[dusk]

Without absolute moral laws, as society becomes more corrupt so does the laws. It just stands to question doesn't it? So just sit and weight as all the relativist moral laws start slipping along with society. Now I am not claiming that the slope will always slide downwards, but that is the real danger.

Yet if you are honest and take a good look at history. This has always been the case either way. Just that if the concept of absolute objective morals where in play they needed no reasonable justification and there was no way to debate them or explore their reasons. Kosher food(as an uncontroversial example) made sense once, today it is just an expression of culture and unreasonable to still hold. Make it absolute and we will forever have to live by them even if they are complete nonsense.
Absolute morals never saved corrupt societies, they just gave a select view the option to impose on the rest and control everything. They never where less corrupt but usually more.
Non absolutism is like Democracy it is less efficient, costly, more troublesome, yet still better than the alternative. Absolutism is totalitarian. It is simple, efficient and often turns out badly. Everybody thinks their morals are the best(when absolute pretty much by definition), Jesus doesn't save the project. And if he would there would be no need for absolutism on so many subjects that his basic message never really touched. A lot of stuff he would probably think of differently today with different living conditions, technology, ... yet still the Catholics make a shit load of stuff absolute instead of just the very basics.
While the pope simultaneously says stuff like this: "Absolutizing what is not absolute but relative is called totalitarianism."
Making all too much absolute is just the simple way out, so you cannot be held responsible for your own actions and reasoning, because there is none. Like a Nazi that says, "I have only done what they told me".

I understand the concept of absolute morals and why some think they are needed, I just think it is wrong and a lazy way of understanding the world.

[catalyst]

Hmm....... I am not a former atheist...so I cannot comment ON the "change" but frankly I see many of JM's comments lacking any actual explanation TO your questions, Haven.


Just an observation, but there was a pile of of lip-service and not much else.




Cat..x