I wasn't planning to jump into this thread because (as is often the case) I disagree with the prevailing mindset and didn't feel like debating it. However, Sam said something that I very much disagree with, and I had to respond.

He says that "you're either a Christian who has temporarily lost his way, spiritually, or you were never a Christian at all except on the outside."

Well...no. If you're a firm Christian, maybe it's nice to believe such a statement, but it simply isn't necessarily the case. I, for one, was a firm Christian, inside and out, for a long time. It wasn't a case of going through the motions; I believed strongly in the Bible and what the pastors at my Lutheran church taught me. There were moments where I thought I felt a connection with God.

Fast-forwarding to today: I am agnostic, but am most of all not a Christian, as I have many fundamental problems with the religion. I have not "temporarily lost my way, spiritually"; I have spent a lot of time examining various faiths and considering them (which is, of course, something that most people of faith don't bother doing), and have come to my own conclusions. I consider it an awakening on my part.

I feel obligated to point out that I am not attacking people who believe in Christianity. People are welcome to believe whatever they want as long as they don't bother me with it. And it doesn't really matter to me whether the writer here returns to Christianity or chooses some other path. But Sam's statement is simply not the case; it is indeed possible that some true Christians can change from that belief.

I also don't feel like discussing things with a rabbi or a Christian youth counselor or whatever is really what's most useful here. The writer has gotten plenty of the church's viewpoints over his lifetime and is looking for outside input. Probably the best thing is what he's doing: talking to his friends, finding out what they believe and why they believe it, and so on. The more he is exposed to, and the more information he has, the better-formed his beliefs will be.

-- Trip