When did you accept God in your life, or realize you did not believe in him?

Something that hasbeens wrote in another thread got me to thinking about this. I have been in the Episcopal church my whole life - was baptized as an infant and confirmed at 13 - and have never really thought twice about it. However there are others who did not find God - or more appropriately probably The Church - until older.

When I was a consultant we did some work for Campus Crusade for Christ and many of the floks that worked there were born again. They celebrated their "find Christ days" as second birthdays. I always understood how important an event that was, but I think I only now understand how much more of an impact it was on their life.

Where do you fit in?

PS - This is not a Christian-centric question. I want to hear from all religions and if you do not believe in God, when did you find that out

 

I became fully engrossed in Rastafarianism after my first bong hit.

 

Raised in the church all my life, didn't really have a choice until I was 18 and quit attending.

 

when i was a kid i swore to god that i hadn't done something that i actually had done. when i wasn't struck dead by a bolt of lightning, i figured it was a crock.

i suppose growing up and learning the scientific explanation of things probably helped ground my disbelief in christianity (which was the only other option to me at the time).

 

Amen, Brother Grid.

Why do these hands remind me of pictures I've seen of praying hands? :applause:

 

Ha y'all have ears left, must of been reformed rastas

 

Never went to church as a kid, though I attended Catholic high school. It was during my daily "religion" classes that I realized I didn't buy into what they were telling me. None of it seemed plausible and still doesn't til this day. So I guess you could say I've been a non-theist for close to 22 years now.

 

For me I accepted Christ in the fall of 2000. It changed my life. I grew up in a Christian home in the Lutheran Church. I was confirmed at age 12 into the church where my "class" was paraded out at a service and we recited the Nicean Creed.

In High School I started questioning things but more than anything just wanted to party. Church put a damper on that somewhat though it was a great place to buy some good pot. In college I quit going to Church and really didn't think about religion or God much. I went over 20 years like that, not praying, going to church, just working, traveling and having a good time.

I started attending the church where I accepted Christ because my 5 year old son wanted to go to church. My wife and I would leave him with his grandparents while we went to Panther games and they would take him to church. He liked it so we looked for something in our town for him. We found a small contemporary worship service where you don't have to get dressed up. The minister usually gives people an opportunity to accept Christ at the end of the sermon. There was no alter call or anything I just said the prayer at my seat. My life changed from that moment but not all at once. It has been a gradual process that I am sure will continue for the rest of my life.

 

I was young when we moved and it was a long way to the branch closest to us to continue practicing what we were. After some tries at the more prevalent local churches (Baptist, Methodist, etc) my family just didn't stick with anything. I never grew up innately spiritual and made it into high school before I really started to take a look.

When I dated my first true love in HS, I started going "religiously". I got a bible, went to Sunday School and the youth things on Wed. nights at a big Baptist church with her and her family. A while after the youth minister was caught cheating with one of the kids' mothers, things went south for us as well and I stopped going to church. After she and I got back together, I still didn't go. I was in college at that point, a few tries at Baptist Student Union and Intervarsity never really interested me. I'm not a "club" person, I don't even really think my spirituality and beliefs are things that I often share. Only when specifically asked by someone who's struggling do I share, but it's done good to do so, I feel.

So in college, almost despite these attempts, one day I was just walking to myself, thinking of something someone had said, and I just did it. It just came over me and to myself, I just accepted Christ and have spent time ever since exploring my spirituality and, to no small part in that, figuring out myself and who I should strive to be.
And it's been a struggle since. It may always be a struggle. But I try to take steps, some big steps, some slow and steady, and I'm a better, more aware person today than I was five years ago, and I hope to be better spirtually in five years than I am now.

 

Thats great Mags :applause:

Just wondering what was it "that someone had said" that caused you to ask Christ into your life?