Do they really believe it?

[Severan]

This is really aimed at ex Christians (or ex any other religion). When you defined yourself as a Christian, did you actually believe God existed? And is this belief different to say belief in something that is easy to see existing, say the house you live in?

I find this fascinating. I've never really had belief except when I was 5-6 years old and taught it at school (you don't really realise at that age that an adult could teach you something that wasn't fact) but was an Atheist by the time I was maybe 9 years old.

I think the closest personal experience of this would be believing in Santa. I was told if I didn't believe I wouldn't get presents. This didn't actually affect my disbelief in Santa. At first I would just sort of apply cognitive dissonance and try not to think about it, and later just I would lie and tell my parents I did believe. I don't have to do that with my house.

I think that I consciously believed that there was a man in the sky. Instinctually, however, I knew otherwise.