Someone, anyone

Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

Originally posted by dottewell
Anyone learned anything ever?

Sometimes, especially from constructive posters (I have to admit, mostly from vistesd and LemonJello).

Actually, from you, I remember encountering the concept of eudaimonia.

Originally posted by dottewell
Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

I can't say these forums are completely responsible for my shift from theist to athiest, but they certainly played a role.

Originally posted by dottewell
Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

They made me take a philosophy degree, which has fundamentally altered my view on existence.

I learned I was full of crap when it comes to evolution.

I had evolution confused with the origins of human beings. Now I know that science doesn't explain the "in the beginning" part .. just what happened after .. and that with a theory not a law.

Originally posted by dottewell
Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

Without question, and in too many ways to detail. Often by having my head handed to me for sloppy thinking.

My whole spiritual viewpoint has been in a re-forming process for the last three years, largely due to discussions and arguments on here—although that process sometimes now requires that I take a break from here. Since I live something of a quasi-eremitical life in the country, this is the main place that I have to test my thinking in argument.

It was through bbarr that I first began to really dig into the “perennial philosophy” across spiritual traditions, rather than trying to simply find one tradition that I could firmly re-plant myself in. That has opened up vistas. LemonJello has helped a lot with that. No.1 Marauder’s recent studies there have helped me correct some errors.

You helped me immensely on problems of language, ala Wittgenstein. Lucifershammer made me see that even a monist might have (need) recourse to trinitarian-type language (e.g., ground-of-being, power-of-being, being-itself—or form/manifestation of being), which has led me to examine more closely Christian symbology from a “perennial philosophy” perspective.

Dr. Scribbles has helped me get a better grounding in basic logic.

My reading has broadened tremendously, based on recommendations by folks on here (who no doubt know who they are).

Okay—I am leaving a lot of people out (I trust they know who they are without my mentioning them), so I’ll quit. Suffice it to add that I have benefited from adversaries with diametrically opposed views, as well as those with whom I find myself in closer agreement.

Originally posted by dottewell
Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

Yes, I've had to modify my views because of discussions I have been
in.
Kelly

Originally posted by KellyJay
Yes, I've had to modify my views because of discussions I have been
in.
Kelly

Care to elaborate?

(Or are you just doing your usual trick of pretending to listen and take note, when in fact you are a closed-minded fool)

Originally posted by dottewell
Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

Yeah. Because of the spirituality forum I hang around churches and kick the living daylights out of pro-lifers.

Originally posted by dottewell
Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

I have learned that religious folk are even more stupid than I had thought.

Originally posted by howardgee
Care to elaborate?

(Or are you just doing your usual trick of pretending to listen and take note, when in fact you are a closed-minded fool)

Ah. And this thread was going so nicely, too.

Originally posted by KellyJay
Yes, I've had to modify my views because of discussions I have been
in.
Kelly

Interesting that you say you've had to modify your views. I suspect I have not been viewing this forum long enough to see it. It's also quite possible that I'm being unobservant or just that the crudeness of the medium makes it difficult to read people.

My views, I think, have become a little more certain but they have not fundamentally changed in any way. I've learned much about theist beliefs but have failed to really understand them. I think for most people, this forum just helps to consolidate whatever views they already have.

--- Penguin

Originally posted by howardgee
I have learned that religious folk are even more stupid than I had thought.

i agree, and i am one...

i suppose i've learned that some people hold some rather whacky opinions, both religious people and non-religious people, and that this forum is a darn good way of gettinig to grips with what you really believe. fast. also that a lot of people do not listen to what you are saying no matter how plainly you lay it out for them.

i have also learned that i have an acute inability to explain concisely what i actually mean. 😕

i lurk, by the way 😛

Originally posted by dottewell
Has anyone ever fundamentally changed their belief on something because of a post/thread in the spirituality forum?

Anyone been converted? Deconverted? Anti-deconverted?

Anyone learned anything ever?

I have learnt a lot from the discussions both from information from my opponents as well as those with similar views to mine and from having to think about and research various topics.

I have also learnt quite a lot about some theists though I am still struggling to understand why they believe what they do and how they manage to (in my opinion) knowingly and willingly self delude themselves.

I have relearned something that I came to the conclusion to long ago and that is that ANY position can be properly defended to the death no matter how obscure/crazy it may seem to others around them. That is so long as the position is properly thought out and prepared to rebuff others arguements.