Gilgamesh writes:
I've spent over 10 years trying to identify a intellectual path to belief, and have failed to find it. It is my experience that there is no such path and that conversion (whether it be a born again process or a slow evolution of thought) is an emotional process. A degree of intellectualisation occurs after conversion, or what I call "backrationalisation", only to the extent that is necessary for psychological comfort. Compartmentalisation is then used to ensure that the emotional need is not compromised by rational analysis. Many Christian faiths have processes/rules/tenets that assist with this process.
I only agree partially. When I made the decision to determine just what it was that I believed in my mid thirties, I started out by reading C.S.Lewis. I found his arguments convincing enough that I came to the conclusion that the basic tenets of the Christian faith were probably true. With that questioning faith I started church, prayed infrequently and worked at living by a Christian standard.
Shortly after that I found that I actually was looking at the world differently. I have no doubt that I had some experience of God in my life, (nothing in the least spectacular) and that things were different particularly in my dealings with others.
It's all pretty straight forward and mundane but I after years of experience I don't doubt my Christianity. Frankly I wasn't, and I'm not looking for psychological comfort I just want to get as close to the truth as I can.
What I am very curious about is how God did it. As I don't have a scientific or biological education I am dependent on others to garner information as to just how it did happen. If it is by evolution or by instant creation doesn't really matter to me, I would just like to have some idea of how he actually did it.