I used to think that conservative Christians were misguided or deluded (or both). Now some of my closest friends and some of the most faithful witnesses to the Truth I have met are conservative Christians. As someone from the progressive side of the continuum, this was a biggy!

I used to believe that you had to hold to a very literalistic reading of Gensis.

I used to believe it was easy to separate Christians from non-Christians. Christians had said (in some form) the believers prayer and had a “conversion experience”.

Caused consternation – I knew I had “prayed the prayer” but how does a five year old – ten year old – even fifteen year old raised within the church have a CONVERSION EXPERIENCE worth the bold caps? I have since come to appreciate the idea of journey and becoming. There will be milestones and turns along the way, but they may not be dramatic, within or without (i.e. deeply felt or abruptly obvious from the outside).

I used to believe authorship conclusions were a test of orthodoxy, as were smoking and drinking beer or wine.
I used to believe the only Christians were “our kind” of Christians.

I used to believe Catholics were not really Christians.

Wow – this is a great question and I could list many!
1) I used to believe in the pre-trib rapture.
2) I used to read the Bible literally and believed that Jonah lived in the belly of a whale. (It was a miracle.)
3) I used to go to a church where women wore head coverings – EEK!
4) I used to believe that the people in the church (Lutherans) across from our fundamentalist church were not Christians, and I would look at them sadly as they left church on Sundays.
That is just a beginning.

I used to think knowledge about the truth was the same as lived knowledge.

I used to believe my whole faith rested on the Bible being inerrant and that a threat to inerrancy (people claiming contradictions, historical errors, etc) meant my faith itself was in jeopardy. I also thought traditional views on authorship also needed to be true in order for my faith to survive (e.g. the apostle Matthew had to have written the book of Matthew).
I certainly made a lot of other things necessary for Christ to be King, Lord, and Savior.
And, this doesn’t mean I deny inerrancy or a Matthew authorship… I just no longer believe they are necessary or me to believe that the Gospel accounts, for example, are true and trustworthy.

I used to believe:
(1) The Pope had a closer relationship to God than anyone else
(2) The bread and wine literally became Christ’s body and blood
(3) That skipping mass was a mortal sin, and dying before you confessed that sin would send you straight to hell
(4) That people worked off their venial sins in purgatory
(5) That if people dedicated masses or offerings in your name after you were dead it would shorten the time you had to spend in purgatory
(6) That it was sinful for clergy to marry

I used to believe that no intelligent, educated, good person could take a conservative approach to Scripture.

The necessity of Penal Substitutionary Atonement to a true Christian theology. I now think that there are far better ways of understanding salvation, justification and atonement.

I used to believe Jesus and Paul thought like me.

I use to believe that the King James Version of the Bible was the only version in English that should be used/read.

Amen Rodney @ 13. Well put.
I used to think that I could argue people into the kingdom and salvation.

I used to think all Christians were brainwashed fools.

Used to think Jesus only died for/loved Christians. I now believe he loves us all, died for us all.

1. I used to think faith was pimarily intellectual assent to propositions and facts.
2. I used to think there was no real place for emotion in my walk with God.
3. I used to think being right all the time and winning arguments about faith was being faithful.
4. As with the author of the article, I used to think converts with really sordid pasts gave the most powerful testimonies (and, at times, wished I had such a story). Now I think the best testimonies come from those who have remained faithful over the long haul.
5. I used to think I was more spiritual because I had no “grand” sins to report (“Screwtape Letters” helped punch a hole in that) and because I had theological education (life helped punched a hole in that).
Captcha: worship that

What an interesting thread. My list is probably a bit different than that of many I see above.
1. I used to believe in the transmigration of souls. Now I believe in resurrection.
2. I used to believe that karma was the basis of reality. Now I believe the ground of reality is love.
3. I used to believe in an impersonal (though transcendent) God. Now I believe in a personal (and both immanent and transcendent) God.
4. I used to believe in the eternal cycle of nature. Now I believe God is filling and renewing all things — “Behold, I make all things new!”
I suppose the list could go on at some length, but that’s a taste of it. Within Christianity, I’ve tried on and discarded any number of beliefs (actually most of the deconstructed to nothing on their own), but was never particularly invested in them. They are more like things that never were much below the surface — kinda like trying on some clothes for a while and deciding they are ill-fitting. The things I still believe within the context of Christianity are roughly the things I have always deeply believed. They are the things that make me Christian still today and not something else entirely.
general despairs is an odd but perhaps fitting captcha in the context of this thread.

Here’s another big one, used to think “real” christians could not walk away from God. Now I take seriously the biblical warnings to stand firm in faith.

I used to believe you could state an absolute truth, absolutely.

I used to believe that believing there was a God and going to church (sometimes) was what made someone a Christian. I was unsure what Jesus had to do with the whole thing.

This is the first of many:
1. I used to believe in a quid pro quo God.

…republicans are Christians and Democrats are nonChristians.
…women were of less value than men.
…the good send their kids to private Christian schools or home school them.
…that you could have ALL the answers for everyone.
(I’ll leave a few for others)

Not just different, but necessary for orthodoxy or salvation — that was me on inerrancy (Chicago-style), literal/historical reading of Genesis, required tea-totaling, absolute certainty about everything related to God and Biblical interpretation (whew! makes me tired to remember that) and, oh, so much more.

I used to believe that I was the only one who actually thought that I too might be willing to die if I knew I could save everyone for all eternity. So what’s the big deal with Jesus? I would be willing to do that! Now I understand it just isn’t because he died for us.
I used to believe that God used to corporately punish groups of people (and still might….)
I used to believe Priests and Pastors were better than the rest of us, and that i could never be that good.
I too can go on, and may later, this is really thought provoking.
veranda ment

I used to believe that God had no choice but to send unbelievers to hellfire forever.

I used to believe that the Gospel was something that could be neatly systematized and propositionalized and tied into a rational logical package with no loose ends.
I used to think that “apologetics” meant evidentialist apologetics; had no appreciation that other kinds could be at least as valuable.

Used to believe
1. Pre Mill Dispensationalism
2. Unless you were in a Southern Baptist Church or Bible Church you were not a Christian
3. Inerrancy
4. A literal reading of Genesis 1-3 was a non-negotiable
5.

Used to believe it was a sin to play baseball on Sunday, but not to watch it played on T.V. on Sunday.

Used to believe:
1. Rapture
2. Inerrancy
3. Borg and Ehrman were enemies to the faith
to name just a few

Great discussion thread!
I used to believe that scientists couldn’t sleep at night unless they knew all of the answers, and that “Bible believing” Christians could live in the gray.
I now believe the statement is not only wrong, but is perhaps more accurate if inverted.
scienceandtheology.wordpress.com

That being nice was what my faith was about. I had to learn about the biblical concept of kindness and not caring if anyone noticed my niceness.
That I shouldn’t even date a divorced man.
That theology was a silly pursuit.

I used to think that if you didn’t read the Bible with the strictest literalism you were a compromising, ‘lukewarm’ Christian; I used to think the only eschatological view in existence was Dispensational Premill. I used to believe that if you drank in the least bit you weren’t saved and that the state of your salvation was in constant flux based on what you had or hadn’t done. I used to think we were made made for holiness (and one that we contributed to no less) instead of love and communion with the Trinity and each other.
Blame it on being raised as a kid in pentecostal revivalism but thank God that the Spirit leads us continually in truth and goodness.

I used to believe that the issues on the periphery were just as vital as the issues in the center. (You might say I used to not believe there was a periphery.)
I used to believe that the only way to be a good Christian was to have an hour long “quiet time” every day and lead at least one person to Christ every week.
…This is cathartic.

I used to believe that “every day in every way mankind was getting better and better.”

I used to believe that I was in best condition to be used by God (and that He would be most proud of me) if I were strong, intelligent and good.
I also believed that I was different and watched the world as an observer.
Now I know I’m human…not God. That ends up applying to a lot of other theological related issues.

I used tobelieve that as I walked with Jesus I would become more holy. Instead I just realise more and more how broken I am.

I used to believe that Christianity was just about getting a ticket to Heaven. Now I know that Jesus gives us not just life after death (which is still great), but also life before death.

Used to believe in grace without apostleship.