Have You Ever Changed Your Mind...

[Emher]

J., since you brought up your switch from christanity to atheism, I do have that say that even when you where christian and was very open about that, you never ever pushed it on people.

And nowadays he doesn't push his "lack of" it, which I also respect.

Excellent point, and I agree.

Yes! Some of the most beautiful things you can see, happen in shades of grey. I should also thank you for being my friend. You're a good man, Emher.

Aw shucks, thank you

 

[Mr Awe]

A great thread! I've read each and every post in this fascinating thread with great interest. Finally, I have the time to write up some of my own thoughts.

Yes, I've definitely changed over the years. I've always been a very emperical, data driven person so changing my beliefs to fit the latest data has never been a problem. I tend not to latch on to beliefs as being inherently correct so it makes changing them as needed easier.

As I've grown older I've noticed that I see far fewer issues as black or white. Almost everything is a shade of gray. You can't put most of the real world into neat little boxes. In the same vein, I don't try to label people and put them in these little boxes. People are people and you should judge them in their entirety, but mostly on kindness, caring, etc.

Like many have mentioned, I used to think homosexuals were icky up to around high school. However, that has long gone by the wayside and I think equal rights for everything (including marriage) is required. Again, they are just people who want to live a happy life. Why make it tougher?

My attitudes towards people have become both more open and more narrow. I'm happy socializing with many more types of people. I LOVE women and, similarly, can be attracted and care about many more types than before. However, I've also become more closed off to certain types. Anyone who is self-absorbed, uncaring, etc., I just don't have the time of day. Life is too short, which becomes all the more clear as you grow older. Also, anyone who is, well stupid and consistently making bad choices, into the drama, etc, again, I just don't have the time for.

I guess the most surprising change for me relates to spirituality. As I said, I'm very emperical and was always an extreme skeptic. Now, I still don't believe in any good or even spirituality. I haven't gone that far. But, I'm willing to believe that there could be more. And, that's more based on the truly extreme weirdness of the universe that we're just barely scratching the surface of. That doesn't mean there is a creator or some other basis for spiritualism, just that I no longer dismiss it out of hand! For me, a huge step!

Mr Awe

 

[RandyS]

Also, as I got older, I found my beliefs turning away from liberalism and more conservitive. I'm now convinced that it's an age thing. I actually saw it happen to the adults in my life when I was growing up, but, naturally, being young, I didn't understand what I was seeing. But once it started happening to me, I understood it completely.

And of course, my story and many others show that the opposite is just as true. So it definitively isn't an "age thing", except for people who want to paint the opposite stance as childlike and foolish.

Rather than resort to the name calling that you did, I'll simply say, "whatever works", and leave it at that.

 

[Tora Ziyal]

I don't consider myself hardcore religious, but I do try to go to church every Sunday (or most Sundays) but I am starting to really be disenfranchised with the Church. I think the question I have is why is the Church that we get in the Media so different from the Church I go to on Sundays. For example, this last Sunday the readings were all about forgiveness, yet in the media, you don't get that one bit. It's all persecution, being judgmental, and, honestly everything against what Jesus Christ stood for. Granted, some of the news might be sensationalized, but truth be told I try not to get into Religious debates here because for some reason I have a strong feeling that I would lose. Whether that is changing my mind or not, I don't know, but in terms of "big issues", that's the biggest one.

At this point in my life, I consider myself an agnostic Catholic. But, like you, I rarely discuss religion online. What we hear about in the media is barely recognizable to me as Christianity.

 

[iguana_tonante]

such a loaded question, while fundamentally I have always been "me" never had any crises of faith (athiest), always been straight and nonpolitical (I hate the right for it's greed and the left for it's cowardice) my experiences in life have turned me from a playful and friendly child, one who would be the first to welcome new kids to play to a person who detests most other people, in person anyway. Words are meaningless, and most "people" don't deserve my actions.

Lulz.

Also, as I got older, I found my beliefs turning away from liberalism and more conservitive. I'm now convinced that it's an age thing. I actually saw it happen to the adults in my life when I was growing up, but, naturally, being young, I didn't understand what I was seeing. But once it started happening to me, I understood it completely.

And of course, my story and many others show that the opposite is just as true. So it definitively isn't an "age thing", except for people who want to paint the opposite stance as childlike and foolish.

Rather than resort to the name calling that you did, I'll simply say, "whatever works", and leave it at that.

Do you realize that it was you that managed to sneak insults into your post, insinuating that liberals are inexperienced and naive, and I simply proved it to be untrue? No, probably you don't.

 

[cultcross]

I get more liberal with age. I'm worried that by my mid 50s I'll be living in a tree with a banjo I made myself.

 

[thestrangequark]

Also, as I got older, I found my beliefs turning away from liberalism and more conservitive. I'm now convinced that it's an age thing. I actually saw it happen to the adults in my life when I was growing up, but, naturally, being young, I didn't understand what I was seeing. But once it started happening to me, I understood it completely.

And of course, my story and many others show that the opposite is just as true. So it definitively isn't an "age thing", except for people who want to paint the opposite stance as childlike and foolish.

Rather than resort to the name calling that you did, I'll simply say, "whatever works", and leave it at that.

Dude, your post was condescending. Iguana's was benign. And he didn't call you any names -- you may want to try reading what he wrote again.

My grandmother also moved from conservative to liberal as she aged. She was raised very conservative, and, like many women of her era, was expected to just adopt the political stances of her husband rather than to think for herself. Her husband passed in 1983, though, and over the past thirty years my grandmother developed a great interest in politics and political history, and she formed very liberal views.

There is a myth that liberalism is for the young and naive and conservatism is for the older and wiser. However, I don't think there is any evidence that this is an actual trend.

 

[Sector 7]

I used to be in favor of the death penalty, but now I'm against it.

Same for me, MLB. There are too many cases of DNA proving the innocence of people on death row for me to support the death penalty. An imprisoned person can be released upon proof of innocence; a death cannot be undone.

I still troll them if it's Amway.

With MLM types many years ago, the first thing I would say is to send me a copy of their federal tax returns from the previous five years. Everyone one of them said no. (Obviously). In response I said I wasn't interested at all.

Today, I just tell them that I am not interested at all from the very start. I also immediately say right away that this will never be a topic of discussion again with me. (So far, they have not ever asked me again).

One of my half-brothers tried to get me into Amway over 20 years ago. He hasn't spoken to me since... even though he lost his job, house, etc.

My relationship with Christ is one thing I will NOT change. Except to make it better.

Amen to that!
I have grown from a religious, conservative zealot to having a personal relationship with my Creator. I have also become more progressive in my views with age. I see the uncaring side of organized religion, but instead of turning away from God, I developed a more personal relationship based upon my faith instead of religious dogma.

My biggest change came when I, finally, learned to stop hating myself for being gay. I am still not out to family and business associates... this is due to their bigoted attitude rather than my own beliefs. Online I can be myself and often am more free to discuss the issue.

 

[Amaris]

I get more liberal with age. I'm worried that by my mid 50s I'll be living in a tree with a banjo I made myself.

Hippie Tip #1: Your urine is consumable.

 

[cultcross]

To answer the question properly, my biggest change of mind has been religion, although I think it is more of a coming to understand the difference between following Jesus of Nazareth and following mainstream Christianity which I still utterly reject as hypocrisy and thinly veiled hatred. I have become involved with the Progressive Christianity Network here in the UK and have, through a lot of reading and research, come to a totally new understanding of Jesus as a liberal and progressive agent of radical social change. If anyone is interested, I recommend the book Living the Questions as a starting point. My change of attitude was one of a thousand small things, not a big revelation, but if anything was my Road to Damascus, it was that.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Whether consciously or unconsciously, we find ourselves digging in our heels more and more as we got older, than when we were younger. We frequently joke that our minds are "calcifying".

I'm sure Red Green has a lot to say about that.

You've awkwardly wedged a baseball, Katz's Deli, Corner Gas, and Red Green comment into several discussions all in one day. Now just mention Captain Robau and you can punch your tally card to earn a free P'Zone!

Oh, I'm so sorry I talked about things I enjoyed.

 

[Locutus of Bored]

I'm sure Red Green has a lot to say about that.

You've awkwardly wedged a baseball, Katz's Deli, Corner Gas, and Red Green comment into several discussions all in one day. Now just mention Captain Robau and you can punch your tally card to earn a free P'Zone!

Oh, I'm so sorry I talked about things I enjoyed.

It is sort of amusing that in a thread about changing your mind that you beat the dead horse with a broken record again by making one of the same five or six references you've made continuously for almost a decade now (except Robau, since you've only been dragging that one out for the past four years that it's existed).

 

[Pondwater]

All the time.

Personally and politically. I'm a little less naive and optimistic.