How have you shifted politically and religiously?

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Politically: As mentioned in another thread, I used to dabble with libertarianism around the time I joined the forum.  I'm still pretty individualistic on social matters and am more of a dove on foreign policy, but I dropped the label once I realized how at odds libertarianism is with my core beliefs and values.  For a very brief time after that, I called myself a populist, and now I don't think there is a label that accurately describes me other than 'center-left Democrat.'  I've been fairly leftist ever since I started following politics in 2004, and now that I'm an adult I don't see that changing, especially with the current GOP.

Religiously: For most of my life, religion never really appealed to me much at all.  My father was an agnostic up until his near-death experience in early 2012, but affirmed his belief in God from then on, until he passed away several months ago.  My mother was, and still is, a Roman Catholic, and she exposed me to much of what I know about Christianity today.  Yet, I didn't get a real taste of Christianity until I read the Bible in my freshman year of high school.  Afterwards I read a series of books on Social Christianity, or 'progressive Christianity' as it's better known today, and in doing so my faith has become more prevalent in my life.  So, here I am today: applying to parochial colleges and researching divinity schools where I can study theology and pastoral care.  I volunteer at my local UCC every Tuesday and attend weekly services and Bible studies.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

P: Yes, I was quite right winged in my youth and didn't really start thinking about politics until I was an adult. Today, I am probably more in line with the Democratic Party given the tea party's transformation of the GOP, but I remain in it to fix it from within, even though my efforts may be futile. I am less of an ideologue and much more of a problem solver, regardless of which ideology it may come from.

R: Yes. My religious views have shifted as well. I used to have a strong belief in my orthodox faith, but as of a few years ago, I began to question it and look outside of my faith. I am not sure what I exactly believe today. Unfortunately, a large portion of Christianity give Christians a bad name, with their judgmental views on people who are different than they are.

I do my best to live my life as a good human being and respect all of mankind. Deep down, I still have faith that there is a god, but what role that god plays in our lives is a mystery to me. I don't think he controls much of what goes on in our lives, and I very much believe we control our own destiny.

[Torie]

I haven't really. I was raised Godless and still am. I was raised Pub and still am. My exposure to the law I think has made me more centrist, but I was always, from about age 8 or so, a moderate Pub - as I was raised (Goldwater was a bridge too far). From my earliest memories, I always wondered what this fuss about sexual preferences was about. Who cares? Why does it matter? The one thing I needed to shake off, and did by college, was my parents' anti-Catholicism (they needed to suck it up when I was dating a Catholic girl in college, and of course did, particularly my Dad). I almost always vote for the more moderate Pub when given a choice, and if the Pub gets too far out there I bail - again just like my parents (in Texas I would probably vote more Dem than Pub for example). In short, in 62 years, I haven't learned a F'ing thing!  

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

Politically, I don't think I've changed that much since I was a teenager.  I've always had a mixture of conservative and progressive impulses that in a country other than the US where liberal retains its older meaning I'd likely be called a liberal progressive.  However, my skepticism of government never was so great as to be called libertarian.

Religiously, I'd say my basic theology hasn't changed much, but it has gotten better defined over the years.

[They not like us]

Wow I just got home about 2 minutes ago and I said "hmm i wanna post a thread about how people have shifted religiously and politically since joining the forum"

odd coincidence

Anyway,

Politically: I went from Conservative to Libertarian to Libertarian Conservative to Moderate to Liberal to Progressive to Socialist/Utopianist (now)

Religiously: Very Catholic from birth to about the age of 13, then I became an Atheist, then a Catholic for a few months and now I'm like...a weird combo of Agnostic and Buddhist.

[WalterMitty]

politically:  im much more progressive than i used to me. 

religiously:  grew up believing in god.  never was particularly religious.  four years ago or so i realized it was all nonsense. 

[They not like us]

im much more progressive than i used to me. 

heaven knows what you used to be like then

[traininthedistance]

Haven't changed a whole lot.  The one thing that is obviously noticeable is that I have steadily moved leftward on gender and sexuality issues.  I guess I will occasionally shift emphasis/tone on certain issues as my surroundings change, and/or I take into account newer and better knowledge.

I guess, as far as religion goes, I've gone from Catholic to agnostic to Quaker to agnostic, which obviously feeds into why I started out as a retrograde on issues like abortion.

[Maxwell]

Politically: More pragmatic, but not very different in terms of actual views.

Religion: No change, still an atheist.

[H. Ross Peron]

Politically: Went from being a populist conservative (think Gaullism but with an extreme partisan Republican streak) (roughly 2007 when I first began to espouse coherent political views to around 2010) to being a Huntsman-style technocratic Republican (2010 to 2012) to neoliberal reluctantly leaning toward Obama (2012-2013) to ordoliberal/social liberal/Third Wayer/"National Progressive" with borderline social democrat tendencies these days (in the last few months). In all this I've been strongly pro-life tho'.

Religiously: Went from being apathetic (I ended up avoiding going to church services when I was six because I was frightened by the potential of them preaching on the Noah's Ark) (up to around 2007) to vague theism to vague Christian-leaning theism (this period dates from around 2007 to 2010) to increasingly Calvinistic tendencies (since 2010). Not sure when to date my conversion to.

[ElectionsGuy]

Politics: I began with pretty much my parents views at age 12 (or 11 possibly?), then once I got to be about 14 I changed and tweaked the issues heavily for what I thought was right. After I invested much time into politics and thought for myself, my views changed a lot, and it really hasn't been any different than now. I went much more liberal on social issues and probably slightly more conservative on economic issues. Put heavy emphasis on limited spending, government, taxes, and individual responsibility with no one oppressing freedoms, while at the same time trending libertarian on social issues for maximum freedom. My parents PM is about the same for both of them, at +5 Eco and 0/-1 Social. My PM is about +7/8 Eco and -6/7 Social.

Religion: When I was little, I went to a Lutheran Church, but eventually we quit as we had to much to do on Sundays. As of now and the past 2 years at least, I am agnostic. I completely respect the religious rights of others around me and don't judge whether their an atheist or born-again christian. I believe in Science, evolution, etc. Am skeptical of the belief in God. That is not to say I'm an atheist, because I'm not. Pretty much non-religious/secular when it comes to religion. And the beliefs have stayed that way since pretty much my lifetime (never really payed much attention to church anyway since my family didn't stress it as a super important issue).

[morgieb]

Not much in either ways. I used to attend church on occasion, but that was largely because I was forced, and my family only attended due to the school factor. I never had time for religion, it isn't a factor in my life.

Politically I used to support the death penalty, and I was slightly more left-wing on economics than I am, plus I was more partisan to the ALP than I am now.

[Oakvale]

I'm shifted away from politics in any real sense, as for the other question I have never been and remain not at all religious.

[afleitch]

Politically - New Labour to Cameron Conservatism. So no shift there

Religiously - Was raised Catholic. Drifted away when I was 15/16 (in 1999/2000) but remained culturally Catholic. While searching for faith, I realised that there wasn't a god in 2010.

[Alcon]

Politics: I was pretty liberal when I was younger.  I've probably always had a light libertarian-ish bent because of my attitudes toward autonomy.  My economic views have changed based on learning about economics, and as my general views toward libertarianism have changed.  Political test score changes notwithstanding, my fundamental views on politics haven't shifted that much.

Religion: No real shift at all.  When I was younger, I tended to have less sophisticated views on metaphysics, but I've basically always been an agnostic/atheist.

[DC Al Fine]

Politically: I was libertarianish in high school. My personal views haven't really changed that much, but I've grown more accepting of government intervention over the past few years. I've embraced a modest welfare state and veered sharply to the right on social policy.

Religiously: I've flirted with a few different Christian sects, but I'm still in my native Calvinism.

[Redalgo]

Politically:

1. Social Liberalist -> I was unquestioningly Democratic until educated
2. Trotskyist -> I eventually de-radicalized and became more tolerant,
3. Democratic Socialist -> and then got pragmatic on economic affairs
4. Social Democrat -> I became anti-corporatist and an individualist...
5. Democratic Socialist -> then accepted primacy of limited government
6. Social Liberalist -> I got to learning more on market socialist models
7. Liberal Socialist

Religiously:

1. Theist -> I was raised to believe in an almighty God but became skeptical
2. Atheist -> after waffling on the matter quite a bit I was left very uncertain
3. Agnostic Atheist -> I went astray on a detour of confused species identity
4. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (spiritual) -> also found a replacement for faith
5. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (spiritual) / Secular Humanist -> skeptical revival
6. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (non-spiritual) / Secular Humanist -> rejected athropocentrism
7. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (non-spiritual) / Secular Personist

[Donerail]

Politically: As mentioned in another thread, I used to dabble with libertarianism around the time I joined the forum.  I'm still pretty individualistic on social matters and am more of a dove on foreign policy, but I dropped the label once I realized how at odds libertarianism is with my core beliefs and values.  For a very brief time after that, I called myself a populist, and now I don't think there is a label that accurately describes me other than 'center-left Democrat.'  I've been fairly leftist ever since I started following politics in 2004 2008, and now that I'm an adult I don't see that changing, especially with the current GOP.

Albeit doing a bit more than dabbling, this is a solid summary.

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Have always had a pretty conservative bent to my views and values. That said, throughout my time here, I shifted slightly libertarian before returning to the "conservative center", and then now I'm back in the weird Catholic-hedonist-fascist phase. Religiously, I was much more sure back in the day than I am now. That said, I will never subscribe to the neopaganist, pantheistic liberal Christianity or anything like that.

[Hatman 🍁]

Politically: I've always been left wing, ever since I began thinking about issues. There were some issues that I was right wing on (I was pro life until I was 16) until high school. I remember that my support swung between the Liberals and NDP back then. I wasn't firmly committed to the NDP until I was 18. 

Religion: I was brought up as a religious member of the United Church of Canada. I still associate myself with the church, even though I suppose I would consider myself an atheist. The church is rather liberal though.

[AndrewTX]

P- Still the same as I always have been. I'm still a typical New England Republican.

R- Same as before, I have a strong faith that one of these days, our lord and savior, Bob Saget, will return and save us all

[Indy Texas 🇺🇦🇵🇸]

Political:
High School-Freshman Year of College: Rockefeller Republican who supported GWB more out of partisan than political reasons. Initially supported the Iraq War, then opposed it once it became clear there never were any WMDs. Pro-choice. Supported civil unions for same-sex couples.

Sophomore Year of College: Ron Paul Libertarian. I think part of this was me wanting to be a contrarian since I was surrounded by conservative Christians and conformist Bush/Romney Republicans. Also read a lot of Ayn Rand at this time and was basically almost as much of a shrew as she was. I didn't have many friends as a result...

Junior-Senior Year of College: Politically agnostic. Did a lot of workshops and internships with the Institute for Humane Studies (GMU). Wasn't as libertarian at this time but I appreciated being around people who didn't always fit into the left-right dynamic. Voted for Obama in 2008 because I was so revolted by Sarah Palin.

Post-College: Squishy centrist anchored by neoliberal economic policy, neo-Keynesian fiscal policy and a realist foreign policy. Voted for Jon Huntsman in the 2012 Republican primary (mostly symbolically as he had left the race months before); voted for Obama.

Religious:
High School: Agnostic

Post-High School: Reason-and-Faith Unitarian

[Bacon King]

Political: I was once I left-leaning libertarian but then I became a libertarian-leaning leftist and now I think labels are for squares

Religious: I used to be all "yay Jesus" now I am not

[Oakvale]

1. Theist -> I was raised to believe in an almighty God but became skeptical
2. Atheist -> after waffling on the matter quite a bit I was left very uncertain
3. Agnostic Atheist -> I went astray on a detour of confused species identity
4. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (spiritual) -> also found a replacement for faith
5. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (spiritual) / Secular Humanist -> skeptical revival
6. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (non-spiritual) / Secular Humanist -> rejected athropocentrism
7. Agnostic Atheist / Otherkin (non-spiritual) / Secular Personist

What is an Otherkin (non-spiritual)?

e: Or (spiritual) for that matter.

[Redalgo]

What is an Otherkin (non-spiritual)?

e: Or (spiritual) for that matter.

This first of all hinges quite a bit on what definition of religion one happens to use, but...

In a nutshell, Otherkin are adherents to a non-hierarchical, non-dogmatic, highly individualistic, and tolerant religion concerning the beliefs of those who do not identify as a member of their own species. Many believe in having the soul of a different animal or fictional creature, have faith in reincarnation, claim to receive insights through visions, meditation, and other New Age practices, and tend to feel they are trapped in a foreign or otherwise incorrect body. There seems to be significant overlap between the views of Otherkin and of people in the "furry" community.

In my case, supernatural explanations and beliefs are rejected as a default but I regard an other-than-human shape as sacred and more symbolically representative of me than the body I exist with as a flesh-and-blood human being. I do not feel like I am in the right body, would eagerly accept the animal shape I consider sacred - if ever somehow offered to me, and I still at times experience dreams from the vantage point of a body that is not human in shape and capabilities. Being agnostic, I think there is at least a chance supernatural phenomena and beings could be real, and am interested in the (albeit extremely remote) chance of an afterlife where I could continue on in the "correct" body.

The number of peer-reviewed studies out there dealing with these sorts of views could be counted on one hand as of the last time I checked, but there is very little doubt in my mind that there is a naturalistic explanation for why people like me are the way they are.