inspectormustardinspectormustard's picture
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I'd like to pose a question to those of us who used to believe. And so I shall:


If you could travel back in time to a point in your life where you still believed in some theological mumbo-ka-blah and talk to yourself, what would you say? Do you think seeing your future atheist self might have made you more adherent to religion? Do you suppose you could convince yourself that god X doesn't exist?


(Please ignore the various chronological paradoxes for the sake of this question.)
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Submitted by inspectormustard on December 12, 2007 - 2:55pm. login or register to post comments

MedievalguyMedievalguy's picture
Posts: 188
Joined: 2007-03-01
I've often thought about

I've often thought about this. I'd like to go back to when I was 12/13 at my most religious state, pick my little self up off the ground and smack the shit out of myself for being so stupid. I guess I could try to talk to myself, but I don't know. I specifically remember lying in bed at that age talking to myself. "Well, how do I know Jesus did what he did? Well, the bible says so, that my proof, those people saw him do it." That was all the proof I needed at that age. I also thought to myself that it's easy to doubt, but it takes real courage and strength to believe......now do you see why I'd want to smack the shit out of myself? Sticking out tongue

Reason has always been a part of religion, ever since two nudists took dietary advice from a talking snake....
December 12, 2007 - 3:07pm login or register to post comments

TextomTextom's picture
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Joined: 2007-05-10
I have no regrets. The

I have no regrets. The burned hand remembers the fire.

"After Jesus was born, the Old Testament basically became a way for Bible publishers to keep their word count up." -Stephen Colbert
December 12, 2007 - 4:34pm login or register to post comments

inspectormustardinspectormustard's picture
Posts: 217
Joined: 2006-11-21
Textom wrote: I have no

Textom wrote:
I have no regrets. The burned hand remembers the fire.

So you prefer the experiences to a possibly more expedient wake up call?
December 12, 2007 - 5:57pm login or register to post comments

SadzaeaterSilver Member
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Joined: 2007-06-30
I tend to think of my days


I tend to think of my days as a theist rather like I think of the period during which I was convinced that the Tooth Fairy & the Tooth Mouse were both real;

Fairy stories that were fun to think about at the time, but ultimatley proved to be horse manure.

Come to the Dark Side...You can see the light far better from here.
December 12, 2007 - 6:37pm login or register to post comments

WatcherWatcher's picture
Posts: 400
Joined: 2007-07-10
My previous belief doesn't


My previous belief doesn't bother me either. I consider myself well innoculated against religion because of it.

You hear all the time about former atheists turning into christians or whatnot. I think it would be much harder for me to go back into a faith. At least for me. Some people are naturally more skeptical than I. I had to learn skepticism.

What can be asserted without evidence can also be dismissed without evidence --Christopher Hitchens

Science. It works, bitches.
December 12, 2007 - 6:44pm login or register to post comments

triftenSilver Member
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Does magical thinking


Does magical thinking count? I used to carry along a bit of that and would probably want to explain to myself the problems with "supernatural" and all that jazz.

-Triften
December 12, 2007 - 9:39pm login or register to post comments

inspectormustardinspectormustard's picture
Posts: 217
Joined: 2006-11-21
triften wrote: Does

triften wrote:

Does magical thinking count? I used to carry along a bit of that and would probably want to explain to myself the problems with "supernatural" and all that jazz.

-Triften


Same. That had me in and out of all sorts of different religions, mostly new age junk.
December 12, 2007 - 9:48pm login or register to post comments