I dont think so. Faith is something different from having formed an opinion if someone really believes. It is why I cannot change my opinion if there exists a god or not: The belief is just not there. No amount of convincing will change that.
this post was submitted on 16 Mar 2024
0 points (NaN% liked)
Atheism
1662 readers
1 users here now
- Be respectful to other members Treat others with kindness and courtesy, even if you disagree with their opinions.
- Stay on topic Keep your discussions relevant to the purpose of the forum. Avoid going off-topic or derailing conversations.
- No spamming Avoid posting irrelevant or unnecessary content, advertisements, or links to unrelated websites.
- Use proper language and tone Choose your words carefully when commenting or replying to others. Avoid using profanity or engaging in offensive language and personal attacks.
- Do not share personal information Protect your privacy by refraining from sharing personal details such as addresses, phone numbers, or email addresses on the forum.
- Report any issues If you come across any inappropriate behavior or content, report it to the forum moderators or administrators.
- Have fun and contribute positively Participate actively and add value to the discussions. Engage in meaningful and constructive conversations with fellow members.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
I've actually witnessed multiple people who became believers after years of atheism. I've also seen people lose their faith. I think that religious beliefs are usually just really tough but not impossible to change, just like some opinions
I dont doubt that, Im just saying i believe it would never be because you logically convince someone.
Catholic here.
We preach to our kids that Religion is a choice. Above all else, it is the choice to believe in the mysteries (by definition unprovable) issues of faith.
But what you believe isn't a choice. You can not consciously choose to believe anything, you can only be convinced to believe or convinced, coerced, forced,... to pretend to believe but your actual belief is not under your conscious control.
But what you believe isn’t a choice
Catholics believe it to be a choice because we believe in free will, among other things. And we choose to believe in free will as a gift from God.
At which point the argument becomes circular, therefore a choice. You can choose whatever now
your actual belief is not under your conscious control.
People seem to choose to join, or leave, our religion on a regular basis. So as a matter of practicality... I've seen people choose and change their beliefs.
As I explained to others on this subject: do you believe that others can manipulate your opinion? If so, you can use those same techniques to manipulate yourself in the mirror. That's your choice as well.
Even if you are a helpless sheep, you have the advantages of psychological research today to manipulate yourself into choosing your beliefs through simple psychology and mirrors.
Of course people's opinions and beliefs can change. You just can't decide to change them. You can obviously e.g. decide to learn more about a subject and as a result of that action your beliefs change but you can not just decide to change what you believe any more than you could decide to grow taller or to have your fingers fall off.
Well, the first religions in the history of humanity were a huge step forward, from basically nothing to a basic sense of culture and identity.
That said, most religions are thousands of years old, and we have updated our knowledge and wisdom since. Clinging to religion nowadays, to me, is just braindead.
Edit: but old customs hardly die, so there's that.