Growing up

Quite an interesting quote by Vanadorn there:

I wonder what your views will be on this subject in 10 years? I hope that you have the forethought and wisodm by then to have accounted for the growth and maturity that will affect you and those around you by that time.

To put it plainly:

What did you believe in as a child/adolescent and no longer believe?


Since about 6 years ago I've turned away from the belief in God, love, marriage for life, happy ends, bio-energy-crystals&misc, aliens, infailibility of parents and teachers, glorious past of the Romanian people (long story), the right of the US to rule the Earth... There are probably more and I will elaborate later on.

I've always been pretty much the same. I never believed in anything spiritual, was always sceptical and even kind of cynical about things before knowing the word.

I was happier as a child, though, I guess I had a little more hope about life. But the change in that (and some minor views) is not the result of "growing" up, but simply of changing external situations and especially the growth of general knowledge.

I think when i was about 12, I was pretty much a pinko commie. I might have made Ted Kennady nervous. While Im still a democrat, Ive turned away from communism, and have become much more conservitive, (prob the most in my family)

I think the biggest development that has happened to me through my life is I have grown more and more fascinated with using larger vocabulary. Whenever I post, if I use larger words, I'm not meaning to show that I'm better than you, I just used those particular words in that post. So please don't take any umbrage.

As for politics, I've always been a democrat. What more can I say?

Wow, a thread about something I said re; abortions. Thanks .

I guess I had a little more hope about life.

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Unfortunately Hitro, this is the crux of it. As youths, we have a worldview that is undimmed and shiny, a look at the universe and knowing that in it and our place as such is set up a specific way - a series of absolutes: the princess marries the prince, god loves us, the hero slays the dragon, every game has a winner.

As we get older, we lose that innocence and grow up.

changing external situations and especially the growth of general knowledge.

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That is exactly what happens.

I for one miss on many levels the truths and worldviews that I had as a child and a young man, but knowing what I do now, I can also see how naive and "quaint" those opinions were. The hero doesn't always win, god does or does not exist dependant on who you are and what religion you follow, the princess marries whoever her father demands or ceases to be a princess to marry her heart's desire, and live is not a game and therefore has no winners.

Maturity and adulthood can be just as much of a growth and expanding adventure as youth was and is to most; just don't get and be complacent that everything you know is everything you need to know and that everything you believe now is what you are supposed to believe. As the saying goes, you learn something new everyday.

And I plan on doin that until I no longer draw breath.

My 2 cents

Agree to Vanadorn. The older you get the more illusions you lose.
E.g.
Life is fair.
It isn't.

I was a stupid pinko ten years ago.

I've changed many of my beliefs over the years, but only because I have always been first and foremost a rationalist and believer in logic, evidence, and science. As long as you stick to that it doesn't matter if you change your views.

I do not beleive in Santa Claus as a physical person anymore. I do beleive Santa Claus in a spiritual sense. The Spirit of Santa is in the little kids faces that light up when you tell them he will visit them with gifts. That's something you can tell your kids when the finally ask you if Santa is real. You don't have to just say 'No'. There is such thing as the spirit of Santa and Christmas.

I have changed my views on a lot of things since when I was a kid to where I am now. Like, I was for the death penalty but now am heavily against it.

As for politics, I'm definitely republican.

I haven't really radically changed my politics or philosophy. In fact, I've moderated them for the past 5 years. I've always been left wing and liberal, and I always will be left wing and liberal. The only thing that has really changed are the arguements. Before, I was a victim of tired rhetoric and lame slogans. Now, I can argue ideas on their own merits without resorting to quotes from dead Germans.

My outlook on life and spirituality in general still reeks of teenage nihilism and jaded cynicism.

I no longer believe the mormon church is true.
I no longer believe Jesus Christ was the son of God.
I no longer believe in God.
I no longer believe that being Gay is wrong, sinfull or a perversion.
I no longer believe pure socialism is effective.
I no longer believe corporations can be trusted.
I no longer believe tough discipline is a bad thing.
I no longer believe God helped create the USA.
I no longer believe any nation is better then another nation.
I no longer believe people are born innocent and are corrupted by society.
I no longer believe marrage is for everyone.
I no longer believe my father was a bad father.
I no longer believe in entitlement.

I no longer believe in God.
I support Israel.

I used to think the moon was the other side of the Earth.
I used to think I could have the powers they have in DBZ.
I used to not be afraid of death, now I am thanks to an episode of Star Trek Deep Space Nine.
I used to believe in God because my mom did, now I don't believe in God.
I used to be republican.

I was a stupid little kid.

I use to not be afraid of death
I use to (when I was about 6) believe in God
I use to believe I was always right
I use to be pro-America

Sobieski II said:

I use to be pro-America

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Well, if you ain't pro-us, are you aginst us? (me, talking through a Texan for some reason... )

I used to

believe in god
believe in religion
believe creationism had some valid points
believe in the Iraq war
believe life had a meaning
believe people were generally good
believe homosexuality was wrong
believe communism had it's merits
believe in an afterlife
believe in the good vs. evil(now I realize most things are just shades of grey)


The times change I guess.

I thought for the longest time that the USA 'won' Vietnam...

I once feared Satan and hell.
I once thought that Christianity was the only path.
I believed that Power Rangers had character development.

I was a very self centered kid, I was all about war and blasting everything to hell. Once I started to actual have some political views I was quiet the socialist, but as I have learned more I quickly turned Libertarian.

I used to think that everyone who believed in religion was stupid, until I went to college.

I also used to think that I would just sail through college and right into a cushy job...but am still unemployed

I also used to think I had good taste in music in highschool and everyone elses sucks.