Hey All,
Although, I refrain from getting into religious or political discussions, they tend to polarize people, instead of bringing them together. But, this topic intrigued me, so I thought I would through in my personal experiences. The original post by D was wondering what the feeling was like when one was saved. I read from this that his is talking about a person without faith, and the feeling they have when they first find it. If I am wrong D let me know.
I am born and was raised as an Irish-Roman Catholic. There is a considerable amount of faith (things we should believe in without question) but also a lot of dogma and ritual within the church. I was baptized as a baby, took my first communion, and was confirmed. I attended CCD classes every Sunday after Mass from pre-school to my confirmation at the age of 16. For those who don't know what this stands for it is, The Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, which was established in the 1500's to teach children the doctrines of the Catholic faith. I attended Novenas and Rosarys every month.
I digress, but, although I no longer attend Mass, on a regular basis, I still have faith and believe in the core teachings of my religion, and I still practice them, even though I have never felt that "saved" moment.
My point is, I believe it is a gradual transformation that comes from the willingness to accept faith and the willingness to expose yourself to those who have it, and learn from them. These people may not have faith at first, but after a while they discover that they are living a faith-based life and they don't know how it happened.
I guess my point is; there is no one monent