Beliefs you have made a mental u-turn on?

[kemosabeimalone]

Just that really? Are there things you believed strongly in the past that you have had a complete turn around on? Maybe your religion, who you vote for? Maybe your stance on drugs or the football team you support. Talk to me about it - was the change a ‘road to Damascus’ moment of revelation or more subtle or insidious? How did your family and friends react? Was it hard to ‘come out’ with your new viewpoint?

As a young adult and teenager I always believed I would be a "career woman". I also had no interest in getting married and having children. I met DH and am now married with 1 DS. As far as being a career woman I didn't achieve all I needed to academically so I have a job that I don't hate but it's not the centre of my life the way I thought it would be.

Thank you for comments everyone. Fascinating stories- I’m loving reading them!

I've had a complete u-turn on Scottish Independence.

I used to think that smoking cannabis wasn't a big deal (despite the fact I'm not a smoker) until I saw first hand the affect it can have on someone.

@Shayisgreat

I was a practising Catholic. Was told when I was about 18 that my auntie had been abused by her uncle who was a priest. He had also interfered with other cousins. His brothers and sisters refused to believe it because a priest could do no wrong. He was eventually moved overseas by the church. I've completely turned my back on the church now and only attend mass for weddings and funerals.

I stopped going to Christenings when the priest started going on about how its purpose was to get rid of original sin. I realised that I hate that notion. Babies aren't born with sin and I hate the idea that they are seen like this. How can I support a church that sees innocent babies this way?

I then read/thought further about how women are seen and treated within the Catholic church. In Ireland it was fucking disgraceful and it became public policy and it just reinforced my view that I could no longer support the church with my attendance.

I'm still on the fence about whether I believe in God but the church will never get me back in the fold.

I went to a Catholic Covent school from the age of four. The nuns were evil and publicly ridiculed girls whose parents were poor and paid reduced fees and those girls who lived in council housing. I was told when I was five by a nun that as my mother wasn't a Catholic that she wouldn't go to heaven when she died which terrified me. I refused to go to confession as the tiny dark confessional box frightened me so I had to have one to one 'sessions' with the priest which involved him making me sit on his lap. I completed renounced this religion as soon as I left school and only attend weddings/christenings if not doing so would upset close family. I wear tiny undetectable earplugs throughout so I feel I am making my protest. Read Caelainn Hogan's 'Republic of Shame: Stories from Ireland's Institutions for Fallen Women. Shocking.

Idontlike - that’s sad about pa, I’d never really send that before either.
I used to bein favour of the death penalty, no longer am.
I used to think women were equal in society and that feminism was wrong. Age and children has corrected me on that one!

Used to be paid-up Labour party activist. Now politically homeless like others on this thread.

Used to be evangelical Christian-brought up in it . Now firm atheist

Used to be anti abortion (as part of Xn thing), now very pro women's choice.

Used to be lukewarm feminist, now rad fem.

Giving up the God stuff changed everything. Have it up as a trial as it was making my depression worse..so much guilt and trying to please God all the time.

After a month I felt so much better. Never looked back. Firm atheist now.

MsEllany, I will have a read of that. I loved the Little House books at primary school, so much so that my teacher lent me her personal copies so I could read them all. At the time they seemed like a lovely, brave wholesome family but some of it is awful- the bit when Charles and Caroline are building the cabin and the log drops on her foot, when the wolves surround the cabin and they only have a quilt for a door or when the native tribes past by the Inglis house on the way to a nearby conference about whether to kill all the white people in the area. Can you imagine subjecting your family to that amount of risk? All while still shagging your wife so she had to contend with the whole shebang plus childbearing/rearing. It is really sad when your heroes fall and that man plummeted like a stone.