INFJs, Changing or Losing Religious Faith | INFJ Forum

INFJs, Changing or Losing Religious Faith

SpilledMilk

SpilledMilk

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May 30, 2011
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INFJs:

Have you or any INFJs you personally know ever lost faith in a religion generally, and specifically Christianity?

*What I mean is that you were devout in adulthood, but then became less devout, experienced partial/total disbelief, or began to believe in heretical versions of your faith (or some other faith). Please explain why it happened. Please also explain what you believe in today.

The reason I ask is because I know many INFJs who are intensely devout in their beliefs, but was wondering if there are ever cases when INFJs have changed their spiritual/religious worldviews?

Thanks in advance!
 
Well I was raised catholic and I'm practically atheist now but I'm only 19. I changed my worldviews quite a lot when I was about 16 through the rest of high school. I was confirmed but I kind of thought it was a joke so I never took that seriously. The only reason I did it was if I wanted to get married in the church, I would have to have been confirmed but then I started discovering I was gay and well, the marriage thing kind of went out the window. Irony.

After my parents split, my dad was "born again" as they say and it has entirely turned me off of any sort of religion like Christianity in any way. There are parts of the bible that are poetic and can be referenced in poetry and I can appreciate that but I have little patience outside of that for the kind of thing.

I couldn't bring myself to believe in it because of how much I see through it now. It's for people who are afraid of themselves, people who are scared to be told they don't matter and for people too weak for truly deep introspection. People are scared of themselves, what's actually inside, so much that they ignore it until their 40s and then become born again just so that they can cling on to something that makes them feel better. But making themselves feel better is an illusion, just a patch to cover up what they don't want to actually see: themselves for who they really are.

In time, maybe Buddhism. For now, just love is good enough for me. Ironically, that was Jesus' message right?
 
The way this question is constructed makes me so incredibly uncomfortable.

First of all, why are people on this forum obsessed with Christianity? There are other religions, you know. A world of crazy exists out there, revel in all of it. Also, what is "devout"?, what is "adherence"? If someone does not take Eucharist all the time or if they eat beef instead of being vegetarian, they are less "devout"? What is "heresy?", what is "blasphemy"?
 
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My experience of belief is always changing/evolving/growing. Not that Reality has changed, I am the one who is either gaining new awareness, letting go of assumptions I have made, or finding peace in not knowing it all.

I think it is normal to re-question beliefs at various times in our lives. If there is a common problem, it is that we often do not move from a more childish perspective regarding faith to a more complex and nuanced one more suitable to our adult faculties. That and we are sometimes unable to let go of control enough to really immerse ourselves in the Mystery....we might want things to agree with us and our programs. These conditions, as I said, are quite commonplace these days.

I advocate moving past these obstacles, of course...there is so much that lies beyond. However, everyone has their journey and I am ill-equipped to do much more than encourage.
 
Yes, I rejected religion. I grew up going to a nondenominational church and hated it. Years later I went with friends to their church and found "spirituality." I moved to another state and attended a Southern Baptist Church for 5 years. It consumed my life until my mother died. Under their teachings, she went to hell ... so I told them to go to hell. I took the time to educate myself on many religions and introspect. I never lost the concept of spirituality. It's been many years and now (my other thread), I'm at a crossroads with religion. Ugh.
 
Sriracha said:
I'm at a crossroads with religion. Ugh.
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Depending on how you choose to proceed, I'm sure your previous experience will be quite valuable. In many cases, it takes real wisdom and insight to navigate the cultural world of religion. I tend to be pretty careful, picky, and deliberate about the choices I make in this realm. Best wishes!! :)
 
Never lost my faith, but did lose my faith in the church. I went to Catholic school with the most vicious child predator "priest" in history. There's even a documentary made about him called "Deliver Us From Evil." Many of my classmates were horrifically abused by the hands of this criminal. I always had a "sense" that something was off and all of the abuse was swept under the rug by the diocese. When I found out about all of this in middle school, that's probably when I stopped attending. What I couldn't accept was that even after things came to light and he was convicted, my mother still alleges his innocence! If that's what the church is about I want nothing to do with it.
 
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First loss came at 12 when I rejected just about everything the Catholic Church had to tell me. My dog did NOT go to Hell!!

Second loss came in my mid-late-20's when I rejected just about everything the "good Christians" (Southern Baptists) around me were trying to preach and I realized they were all miserable trying to force themselves even into believing what they were preaching.

First gain came in my late-20's when I discovered the religion that voices everything I believe had nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity and everyone I've met who followed it was always a pleasant human being to be around.
 
I confess I have had very good experiences in the Catholic Church all through my life and have known some fantastic, visionary people over the years. I did have a big shift, though, about 20 years ago when I went through a divorce. I guess I had worked so hard to keep things together, the failure of it all left me with tons of questions and a bit disoriented. It was a big, big shift for me. Fortunately, I had some very good pastoral people (priests and counsellors) who helped me along....and God was SO present. In the end, I moved away from a more idealized construct in which everything goes right and according to plan, to one much more organic, free-wheeling, yet still rooted in the essentials of faith. I suppose some think I am a bit of an anarchist, and it may be so. Still, I know the ideas I tend to work with most are not crazy....they are very much part of the most ancient and sound traditions we have. They just aren't accessed in a more typical fashion. That's okay...for me the whole shift has been very liberating.
 
SpilledMilk said:
INFJs:

Have you or any INFJs you personally know ever lost faith in a religion generally, and specifically Christianity?

*What I mean is that you were devout in adulthood, but then became less devout, experienced partial/total disbelief, or began to believe in heretical versions of your faith (or some other faith). Please explain why it happened. Please also explain what you believe in today.

The reason I ask is because I know many INFJs who are intensely devout in their beliefs, but was wondering if there are ever cases when INFJs have changed their spiritual/religious worldviews?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

I tested god a number of times as a child, daring it to bring my stuffed pet monster to life so I could have a friend, or revealing itself to me, never happened, stopped believing fervently, by the time I was 12 or 13 I was fully against the idea of there being a personal god, its a fairy tale. I saw no difference between god being a fake like the tooth fairy, Santa, the Easter bunny, etc.
 
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Sensiko said:
Never lost my faith
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This is a fascinating statement and a bit of a wonderment considering the horrific circumstances you mentioned. I think a lot of people (including me) were deeply, deeply shaked and disturbed (an understatement) by these occurances. I find it quite amazing that you were able to hang onto faith somehow.

I guess for me I saw more clearly (it had always troubled me) the distinction between the political/administrative arm of the Church on one hand and the teachings/witness of Christ himself on the other. I was fortunate to know quite a few really good priests (although much abuse was documented in my diocese by other who I did not know). Even now, I tend to focus on the Christian heritage and ancient rootedness within the Church, the lived experience of those who came before us in faith, and the spiritual mysteries which enrich the Church as a dwelling God's People and Spirit....that is what has kept me functioning in this community. The administrative stuff, while perhaps necessary on some level (I think), is much less of an interest and I do not count on it, even at the parish level, so very much. Still, for me the whole reality is like a great intertwined rope so I manage to hold onto (or at least try and understand) both on some level. I find the good so rich and valuable that I simply work with the less engaging (or even off-putting) parts.
 
randomsomeone said:
This is a fascinating statement and a bit of a wonderment considering the horrific circumstances you mentioned. I think a lot of people (including me) were deeply, deeply shaked and disturbed (an understatement) by these occurances. I find it quite amazing that you were able to hang onto faith somehow.
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I was a really devout child and would even go as far as to recite my own masses (seriously weird, I know) by myself at age 6 (and would trip out my father lol). If you're open to reincarnation, as an adult, I uncovered that I was a monk in another life, which thankfully somewhat explains this behavior?! I felt a "connection" with God early on and was able to separate "Him" from the "church" quite easily.

If you're not particularly religious, you may think I'm just nuts (if you don't already) but I've seen the hand of God and the gates of Heaven firsthand and I KNOW for myself, without a doubt, that this realm is for real. I'm really fortunate to have had Archangel Gabriel speak to me when my father passed away and Archangel Michael show himself to me when I called for his help.

I'm not trying to sound "preachy" at all, and I totally understand if people who aren't religious think I'm loco bananas by now, but if you ever need God's help he won't let you down, no matter your past. If you call out for the Saints and Archangels by name, they will come to help you when they are needed. Seriously, "The Lord's Prayer" contains the most powerful words you could ever recite and has never failed me.
 
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i feared it would be unbearable to lose faith in things i believed in but it wasn't that bad because there were still so many important practical things to achieve in life. although i read a couple of novels by camus in the past and felt completely down with existentialism at the time i have stopped understanding how people can say life is meaningless without faith, because life seems just so blatantly packed full of meaning, sometimes my heart has felt like it would explode under pressure of all the meaning that keeps flooding into it.
 
Been raised Catholic and still am Catholic.
 
Billy said:
I tested god a number of times as a child, daring it to bring my stuffed pet monster to life so I could have a friend, or revealing itself to me, never happened, stopped believing fervently, by the time I was 12 or 13 I was fully against the idea of there being a personal god, its a fairy tale. I saw no difference between god being a fake like the tooth fairy, Santa, the Easter bunny, etc.
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You know God isn't President Obama, he isn't going to show you his birth certificate just because you wine about it.



back on topic though, up until I was about 12 I was non-religious. I converted when I was 13 and was formally baptized. I've had my fair share of doubts, and my own suffering. I wouldn't be to surprised if I had lost my faith in God at multiple points within the last 6 years. Truth be told I don't know what the difference between me and someone gives up their faith, though I'd be interested in knowing. I've never been afraid of not having any value as a person, I realized early on as far as the world is concerned people don't actually have any inherent value. I'm not looking for a patch really either I know I can be pretty rotten and in the grand scale of things I don't mean much. But still I believe.
 
I don't think so, but if Donald Trump's hair prays really hard we might get rain in Texas.
 
Hahaha you guys are silly :B

At any rate, religion has always been confusing for me. So uh, I know SpilledMilk asked for Christian specifically, but I thought I'd like to share my views as a Muslim.

I've been raised to follow my parents religion, and I did up until the later teens. Since then I've just gone along with it, though I've never found any personal satisfaction or sense of intense and intimate spirituality when practicing. All I knew was that I must follow God's will.

As I grew older and experienced the world more, my thought processes on the entire subject have shifted, and I've learned that I can have thoughts that extend beyond these religious guidelines. I began to question what it is I truly felt, what makes me feel at peace with myself. Practicing this faith though... I realized it's always been a placeholder for the true spirituality that I've been longing for, and an appeasement for my parents as well.

With further introspection and self meditation, I've found that I can derive meaning from thought. Interconnectedness with the world and life and the universe can be pulled from intuition and experience. I admit to being scared of this revelation at first, after being told my whole life that following my faith was what would bring me eternal happiness and a spot in Heaven. I was scared of having these conflicting thoughts. But then, after a disconnected revelation on a non-religious level, I concluded that death, afterlife, and all the repercussions aren't things that I fear. For me, living life to its fullest, how I want to live it no matter what any doctrine says, that's what is internally important. And realizing that I can develop my own sort of dogma has made me feel the more enlightened than ever.

Though I have reached my own conclusions regarding faith, I am glad that I was raised religious. Though I wish to explore beyond, I feel like practicing a religion while growing up really gave me a solid foundation of morals and eventually led me to having a sense of identity and individualism.

God, I really don't want to sound pretentious by saying all that, I'm not so great with wording, but that's a general idea of how I feel on this subject. Of course, I respect and admire others who find a refuge and personal enlightenment in practicing a faith, it's just that organized religion just isn't for me.
 
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Barnabas said:
You know God isn't President Obama, he isn't going to show you his birth certificate just because you wine about it.



back on topic though, up until I was about 12 I was non-religious. I converted when I was 13 and was formally baptized. I've had my fair share of doubts, and my own suffering. I wouldn't be to surprised if I had lost my faith in God at multiple points within the last 6 years. Truth be told I don't know what the difference between me and someone gives up their faith, though I'd be interested in knowing. I've never been afraid of not having any value as a person, I realized early on as far as the world is concerned people don't actually have any inherent value. I'm not looking for a patch really either I know I can be pretty rotten and in the grand scale of things I don't mean much. But still I believe.
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Maybe he should.
 
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