I called a friend who is a believer...

[I_am_not_mafia]

I never chose to change.  I never chose to not believe.  In fact, my immediate response was to try to start believing again.  It didn't work.

So you're saying you just stopped believing, exactly how's that work?

GC

What made you stop believing in Santa Claus?

[robvalue]

I know, I can't believe some people don't believe in Santa. How else do presents get under the tree?

I mean, I know parents claim to do it, but where's the evidence?

Oh, you filmed them? Well, he still gives them the presents to put under the tree.

Oh, you filmed your parents buying the presents too? Well, Santa still puts them in the shop.

Wait, he doesn't? They come from a factory? Well, he still sends happy thoughts out from the North Pole which make parents buy these nice presents, otherwise they wouldn't. Then children would be sad.

You're kidding, you've been to the North Pole and there's nothing there? Well, of course... he lives underground. Unless you also dug underground... wait, he doesn't have a physical form! How stupid are you? You can't just see him, or touch him, or smell him or sense him or use science on him. He's beyond science. Boy, are you stupid.

[MTL]

Maybe your feeling of judgement from her is actually guilt on your part.
GC

YUCK.

that is so asinine.

He may feel regret, but unless I miss my guess, he doesn't feel any GUILT
because he hasn't done anything wrong.

nice to start the day with a nice tall glass of sanctimonious judgment...

[MTL]

I gotta stop biting my hand.

[I_am_not_mafia]

I know, I can't believe some people don't believe in Santa. How else do presents get under the tree?

I mean, I know parents claim to do it, but where's the evidence?

Oh, you filmed them? Well, he still gives them the presents to put under the tree.

Oh, you filmed your parents buying the presents too? Well, Santa still puts them in the shop.

Wait, he doesn't? They come from a factory? Well, he still sends happy thoughts out from the North Pole which make parents buy these nice presents, otherwise they wouldn't. Then children would be sad.

You're kidding, you've been to the North Pole and there's nothing there? Well, of course... he lives underground. Unless you also dug underground... wait, he doesn't have a physical form! How stupid are you? You can't just see him, or touch him, or smell him or sense him or use science on him. He's beyond science. Boy, are you stupid.

Absolutely everyone believes in Santa Claus. Just some people deny his existence because they are angry at him for not giving them any presents for the last few decades.

All you need to do is start believing in him again and you'll find out that he does actually exist, although you still won't see him or receive any more presents.

And don't forget lying for Santa. Give presents to your children so they can believe in him too and can receive his sooty gifts as well, even though no one ever sees Santa Claus. The end justifies the means. Because after all, we all want some old man to illegally enter our homes and empty his sack at the bottom of our children's beds.

[MTL]

Why are most of the Christians on our forum so absolutely condescending and awful? Seriously, GC; you act like you've only been here for a few days, not almost six years.

I wasn't being condescending it's your over active imagination and hatred for Christians that brought you to that conclusion

GC

[Old Baby]

Yes GC, I made the choice to be honest with myself. 

It's so weak to just make ridiculous assumptions about people.  You don't even know me.

Why would fear take me away from the faith?  It's fear that kept me IN the faith. 

You make no attempt to understand, only to marginalize.  I can't take you seriously.

[robvalue]

Welcome to the club.

[Cephus]

I never chose to change.  I never chose to not believe.  In fact, my immediate response was to try to start believing again.  It didn't work.

So you're saying you just stopped believing, exactly how's that work?

GC

Belief is not subject to the will.  You can't choose to believe or not to believe something.  You have to be convinced internally.  If you are not, you cannot choose to believe.  If you are, you cannot choose not to believe.

[MTL]

So you're saying you just stopped believing, exactly how's that work?

GC

Belief is not subject to the will.  You can't choose to believe or not to believe something.  You have to be convinced internally.  If you are not, you cannot choose to believe.  If you are, you cannot choose not to believe.

Exactly.

I'd love to believe in God, in Heaven, in Jesus.

I'd love to believe in Santa Claus, too.

I just can't.

I guess people like GC would prefer that we pretend we still Believe, anyway;
and if we find Belief impossible, keep it to ourselves,

since they think non-belief is a deliberate choice
...and a conscious, irresponsible choice for evil, at that.

of course, there's a word for that kind of "pretending":  It's called DECEIT.

And I thought Satan was supposed to be the Father of Lies.

One more example of how Religion practices Cognitive Dissonance:

Making you feel responsible for committing the sin of Honesty;
since the only "truth" they're willing to acknowledge is their own.