What the...What?!

[Chimera]

So, I just read a note on Facebook from my sister. She has apparently (and suddenly) decided to be a Christian again. We were both raised by Christian parents and as a teenager she drifted into agnosticism before getting into Wicca. Now she has decided that Christianity is the answer. I'm just sitting here sort of stunned. She is an intelligent person, but has always had a deep interest in anything spiritual. She tolerated my atheism to a point, but now I'm sort of afraid of what may happen. I'm all alone!

[oldschooldoc]

So, I just read a note on Facebook from my sister. She has apparently (and suddenly) decided to be a Christian again. We were both raised by Christian parents and as a teenager she drifted into agnosticism before getting into Wicca. Now she has decided that Christianity is the answer. I'm just sitting here sort of stunned. She is an intelligent person, but has always had a deep interest in anything spiritual. She tolerated my atheism to a point, but now I'm sort of afraid of what may happen. I'm all alone!

Wow, I'm really sorry to hear this. Of course, this does put you on par with most of us here I think. Just hope that it doesn't interfere with your relationship with her. Christianity, as I'm sure you know, has this weird brain-washing effect on people. I'll pray for her...sorry I shouldn't joke.

Have you ever tried to reason with her, by which I mean bring her to the side of reason? Maybe she is just scared of a life without a spiritual being and having a loved one really sit down and talk about it may help...just a suggestion.

[Chimera]

She has told me on a couple of occasions that it scares her to death to think of life without some higher being in charge of it all. I have always been candid about my beliefs and opinions and what I've learned but she still needs that "security blanket" in the form of God. I know where she's coming from because for a long time I couldn't conceive of a universe without God, but now I'm okay with it because of the evidence (or lack thereof). I can't imagine that this will stay with her for long, and I can always hope that she'll eventually come to terms with reason. It's just kind of hard to accept this. She's my sister, and we'll always be close, but I really feel like the odd one out now.

[Whitney]

That is strange.

Do you know what brand of Chrsitianity she is trying to follow this time?  Maybe she's one of those I don't care what other people believe non denominational types.

Did something happen to her recently to cause this?  People typically don't convert for no reason.  Maybe she needs to talk.

[gwyn428]

So, I just read a note on Facebook from my sister. She has apparently (and suddenly) decided to be a Christian again. We were both raised by Christian parents and as a teenager she drifted into agnosticism before getting into Wicca. Now she has decided that Christianity is the answer. I'm just sitting here sort of stunned. She is an intelligent person, but has always had a deep interest in anything spiritual. She tolerated my atheism to a point, but now I'm sort of afraid of what may happen. I'm all alone!

It is possible that she may had just jumped into Christianity and isn't 100% sincere about any of it. Some people, who are intelligent and know that the Bible isn't true, go through things like this.

I like what Oldschooldoc wrote...

Maybe she is just scared of a life without a spiritual being and having a loved one really sit down and talk about it may help...just a suggestion.

As a person who has contemplated alot on how insignificant we are in this universe and that we are not born knowing what the meaning of life is and where we are going, I understand why some people want to believe in some kind of divinity. I see no problem with someone needing a crutch called [insert deity name] and a prescription called [insert spiritual practice]. The only thing I would not like is the person developing the mindset of "all people need to follow my religion." I say let a person keep their comfort, they may eventually no longer need it. But if they say "I want you to open your heart to my god," just tell them that you have made up your mind; trying to pull away their crutch is not necessary. After all, were any of us Nontheists coerced into our Theological positions?

[Chimera]

That is strange.

Do you know what brand of Chrsitianity she is trying to follow this time?  Maybe she's one of those I don't care what other people believe non denominational types.

Did something happen to her recently to cause this?  People typically don't convert for no reason.  Maybe she needs to talk.

According to her, it's something that's been "weighing" on her mind for quite some time, and tonight she finally made the choice. She's still kind of liberal--pro-choice, pro-gay marriage--so I don't think she'll be quite as much of a Bible-basher as my parents are. She seems to be the type to think that Christianity works for her, but it may not work for everyone. It still just floors me though. Before she and her family moved to Germany, I quite clearly remember her saying she didn't believe anything in Christianity. She was all into herbs and spirits and candles and stuff. Now...it's so confusing.

I think a lot of it may be due to the move and being with the military. Pardon me for stereotyping, but it seems that military families tend to be more conservative and Judeo-Christian. And being so far from home for the first time in her life, with two kids under the age of two, has probably stressed her to the point where she feels she needs a crutch to help her get through the day. She obsesses and worries about EVERYTHING. What she really needs is some Xanax and a few good therapy sessions.

[Arthur Dent]

I think some people "go back" because they feel that ignorance IS bliss.

They often subconsciously think "Well, If there's no inherent meaning to life, then what's the harm in making up my own, even if I really DO believe it's true."

They're not going to "get in trouble" in the end for lying to themselves all their life, so some people are just happier this way; living life like a giant, happy-go-lucky childrens story.

It's the nuts who try to sell their stories that push freedom of thought (even in light of stark contradictory evidence) into dangerous waters.

[VanReal]

Sounds like she is trying to find herself.  I wouldn't worry and since you two are close there is no need to build a bridge between you about this.  My sister is a Christian, and she never talks about it to me as I don't bring it up for any reason.  My niece is a little fanatical about it and does the mission trips, etc.  I think for them it presents a sense of community.  I totally feel it's there business.  My mom and I joked about the pictures from their last mission trip, there were some skits I guess they did with black robes and little girls being carried off.  Kind of looked cult-ish to me.  But, I love my sister and would never say anything to hurt her feelings.  She's also a dog person and me a cat person, I don't worry about her love for black labs either.

[Chimera]

Okay...so I was talking to her on the phone today and I think she tried to sort of convert me. First, she tried the old argument that science and religion work together--that God created the universe but guided evolution and all that. She said that there is so much in the world that science can't explain that she has to believe in God. I said, "Science can't explain it...yet." I was going to go a bit further but the phone cut off and we didn't get back to the convo.

I read Sam Harris' "Letter to a Christian Nation" today. There was so much in there I wish I could have told her--I may just send her a copy to read. If she reads it at all...

[SSY]

Christianity ruins everything  

[keith2004]

Okay...so I was talking to her on the phone today and I think she tried to sort of convert me. First, she tried the old argument that science and religion work together--that God created the universe but guided evolution and all that. She said that there is so much in the world that science can't explain that she has to believe in God. I said, "Science can't explain it...yet." I was going to go a bit further but the phone cut off and we didn't get back to the convo.

I read Sam Harris' "Letter to a Christian Nation" today. There was so much in there I wish I could have told her--I may just send her a copy to read. If she reads it at all...

Thats a great book, If more christians read these kinds of books, there would be alot less Christians, but most of them don't have open minds to anything that could challenge their hollow blind faith  

[Chimera]

Lil' Sis wrote a bit more on Facebook today:

There is so much debate going through my head. Just when I think I’ve come to grips with it, I remember something I was taught as a child and have to argue with myself all over again. If it were easy there wouldn’t be such a thing as faith. But why does it have to be so hard?
Although written by God, the Bible was penned by man. That makes it human and to error is human. Are we then also given permission to pick and choose what parts we individually believe? And if so where is the line? And by picking and choosing are we questioning the Bible as being written by man or by God?
I was taught as a child to never question God or His plan. It was what it was and you could fight it but you wouldn’t win. I was taught that you had to believe the Bible and EVERYTHING in it 100% or you didn’t really believe in God and would burn in Hell. But the Bible was penned by man. Man makes mistakes. Man has the power to choose truth or lies. So if I question the Bible will it anger God or will it just show that I’m thinking? And is that even different?
WHO WAS JESUS REALLY?
Couldn’t it be possible that God created the Earth and dinosaurs, didn’t like it, sent a meteor to kill them off, and started over with man creating what we believe to be the beginning? Could religion and science both be right?
My cousin died of cancer a couple of years ago. A close friend of hers had a dream about her. Well, not so much about her as she appeared in it. Anyway, she was sort of glowing pale blue and she said, “Heaven isn’t what you’d expect but you wouldn’t want to leave.” Now, obviously, when you lose a close friend you will have dreams about them. But normally you dream about them being alive. Could this possibly have been a message from Heaven? Trust me, even I’m skeptical but for the sake of argument, let’s say it was a message. There is a Heaven but what we’ve learned from the Bible isn’t an accurate description. Man made an error and now I shouldn’t believe what they wrote about Heaven in the Bible. “…you wouldn’t want to leave.” Is that an option? Do we leave Heaven? Are we really reincarnated?
All I can do is question and go back and forth. It’s enough to even make me question if I really can call myself a Christian or if I’m still agnostic.
I do believe (for now at least):
There is a God.
Jesus existed. (I’m not fully sure of his role in everything. I’m even considering that the Da Vinci Code could be more fact than fiction. LOL.) I consider myself a Christian because I do believe Jesus existed and I believe in a lot of his teachings. I just don’t know if he really was the Son of God.
Being gay, transgendered, etc. is probably very confusing at first but 100% natural. It’s just a part of human nature and what some experience in life.
Wicca, etc. is not “evil” it’s just different. It’s peaceful and earthy. I like it. People need to stop being afraid of what they don’t understand and have no knowledge of.
Talking about politics and religion is both annoying and rude but I am very confused so I am talking about religion and faith anyway.
No one religion has it right which is why they are all so similar. (So perhaps it doesn’t matter the path so long as there is one being traveled?)
I think we are probably reincarnated. But new souls are created, thus, population growth.
We must experience new things in each life both good and bad so we can learn something new about ourselves and our innermost being â€" the point of living.
God gave us freedom to choose. With choice comes consequence â€" good and bad.
Karma exists and we will receive it in this life or the next.
Okay, so perhaps Jesus Christ was the Son of God. As God’s son he was a mortal extension of God and died for our sins. But I don’t think it was so we wouldn’t have to go to Hell. Perhaps it was to allow us to have a closer, more intimate relationship with God. We could relate to God and talk to Him as a mortal but still worship him as a deity. Plus, after the ultimate sacrifice we wouldn’t have to sacrifice animals. (That last part was at least a half joke.)
I don’t know. Even in my beliefs I draw up questions. But there is a God out there. There has to be. There are too many unexplained miracles for there not to be at least one. But am I really a Christian or am I still just agnostic?
WHAT IS THE ANSWER?
Input, feedback, answers, further debate â€" all welcome so I can hopefully figure this out.

To which I inquired about the "miracles" she keeps talking about. She mentioned stuff like the Hudson River plane crash, that guy who "died" and came back to life recently, some kid waking up from a coma after hearing a Green Day song, etc. My response was this:

Well...I think if you look into those a little, you'll find they're not as "miraculous" as you think. For everyone one of those so-called "miracles," there are children in Africa dying of preventable diseases. Tribes of people in South America who have no concept of the world beyond the jungle. People of every culture praying for cures to diseases...  Read More, or that their children will be returned, or that they'll be able to get a little more money to meet their needs, and their prayers go unanswered. What makes the people of the Hudson River crash more deserving? What kind of justice is it to allow a man to "return" to life, while a child dies of a brain parasite?

Faith does not give you the answers, it just stops you asking the questions. - Frater Ravus

[Loffler]

So, I just read a note on Facebook from my sister. She has apparently (and suddenly) decided to be a Christian again. We were both raised by Christian parents and as a teenager she drifted into agnosticism before getting into Wicca. Now she has decided that Christianity is the answer. I'm just sitting here sort of stunned. She is an intelligent person, but has always had a deep interest in anything spiritual. She tolerated my atheism to a point, but now I'm sort of afraid of what may happen. I'm all alone!

Ask her why she didn't become a Hindu.