Losing Faith, Shaken Religious Beliefs Personal Stories

Skip navigation!

Begin Slideshow

Photographed by Alexandra Gavillet.

A single moment can confirm your faith — but it can also shake you to the core. When we experience something that challenges our spirituality, we have to make a choice. We can change our faith or change our beliefs. This is, by no means, an easy decision, but it's one that many of us have faced.

We took to Reddit to get a better idea of what can truly "shake" someone's faith. From taking issue with something in a religious text to suffering a grave personal loss, all sorts of things can force us to question our belief systems. We always have the choice to redefine our spirituality, but we may also choose to walk away from it completely.

Ahead, the people of Reddit share what changed their faith, if only for a moment or for good. Please feel free to share your own story in the comments.

More from Spirit

Your Horoscope This Week: April 21 To 27

Mercury retrograde ends this week on the 25th — hooray! But before we get there, we’re still integrating the potent effects of the Jupiter-Uranus conju

by Dossé-Via Trenou

Taurus Season Is Here —Exciting Changes Are On The Horizon

The sun will be in the earth sign of Taurus from April 19 to May 20. This marks the middle of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern

by Lisa Stardust

The Pink Full Moon In Scorpio Is Here To Rock Your World

The pink full moon in Scorpio is here and it will give us a chance to shed our old beliefs and incorporate new views into our lives. Under this moon we are

by Lisa Stardust

Your Horoscope This Week: April 14 To 20

Take a deep breath, cosmic beings. We’ve made it through the two eclipses of the season, and now we’re emerging on the other side. With Mercury in its

by Dossé-Via Trenou

Your Horoscope This Week: April 7 To 13

The final week of eclipse season has arrived, cosmic beings. On April 8, a total solar eclipse new moon in Aries takes over the skies and transforms life a

by Dossé-Via Trenou

The Great American Total Solar Eclipse Is Rare & It’s Here

The Great American Total Solar Eclipse is set to occur on April 8 at 2:21 p.m. ET. This occurrence promises to usher us into a new chapter in our lives, op

by Lisa Stardust

Venus Is In Aries & It’s Going To Be Really Intense For A Bit

Take note and beware, cosmic beings: Venus will be transiting the sign Aries from April 5 to 29, creating two weeks of fiery passion and desire. The combin

by Lisa Stardust

A Week In The Bay Area On A $235k Salary

Welcome to Money Diaries where we are tackling the ever-present taboo that is money. We’re asking real people how they spend their hard-earned money duri

Your Horoscope This Week: March 31 To April 6

We should celebrate ourselves — we’ve made it through the first stretch of eclipse season. This week presents us with a breather as we traverse the por

by Dossé-Via Trenou

Your April Horoscope Is Here — Emotions Are Running High

As we enter the month of April, we’re in the midst of eclipse season, which means emotions are likely to be running high, and our patience may be running

by Dossé-Via Trenou

Redefining My Spiritual Relationship With Self-Care As A Muslim W...

Amid the swirling chaos of work meetings, the persistent struggle to have my art respected as a Muslim woman of color, and the cutthroat NYC firm culture,

Mercury Retrograde Is Here To Cause All-Around Chaos

One of the most significant astrological events of spring, alongside the two eclipses, is Mercury retrograde. This cosmic event will last approximately thr

by Lisa Stardust

R29 Original Series