Oh wow, I would love to hear what made you change your mind. I can understand the progression from a believer to an agnostic or an atheist, but am fascinated by the evolution in the opposite direction.
I'm not part of this group myself, but I've seen this quite a lot as people get older. My anecdotal evidence is that it's less about becoming a "believer" in the supernatural, and more about realizing that many of the traditions and practices can be useful for personal happiness, mental health, and sense of belonging, regardless of the science behind them. Praying is not so different from e.g. meditation or yoga, just a different type of practice.
I believe that Atheism already achieved its peak on Western world.
Anecdotally, I don't know anybody that became Atheist recently but many that embraced some kind of Theism. No matter how we deal with it, Atheism is linked to individualism and it may make your existence more difficult than it needs to be. By the other hand, Theism is linked to communities. There's nothing better to unite people as a shared belief.
> No matter how we deal with it, Atheism is linked to individualism and may make your existence more difficult than it needs to be. By the other hand, Theism is linked to communities. There's nothing better to unite people as a shared belief.
I see what you are saying; but this idea, which I have seen expressed many times, has always perplexed me. I understand that, pragmatically speaking, having a shared belief in a supreme being may be beneficial; but one cannot just turn a belief on or off based on how beneficial it is. Even if it is true that the believers live a psychologically better, healthier and more fulfilling life (as opposed to, say, agonizing whether they will end up in hell), it is only a statement about their mental state rather than about the truth of what they believe in.
> one cannot just turn a belief on or off based on how beneficial it is.
True, but you can soften your views. I soften mine after sharing my life with a Christian for several years. I used to assist weekly mass - as a non believer - with an open mind. I didn't convert but it changed me. I morphed from a raw Atheist to an Agnostic. She made me understand that I don't need to believe, only respect to be included in the community.
It started when I stopped seeing religion as an "edgy atheist" that would make fun of everything. Then I listened to Jordan Peterson's "Biblical Series" podcast which made me see the contents of the Bible from another perspective.
That made me read and listen more to religion related stuff. I'm also very analytical and critical with everything and if something doesn't make sense I won't simply accept it because I should believe it.
I wouldn't consider myself religious but I wouldn't dare say God doesn't exist because I'm pretty sure He does.
I see it as a journey, now. And it doesn't have to do anything with getting older and being afraid of death. I made my peace with the ending of my own existence/conscience when I was an atheist. That doesn't scare me at all.
