<p>I would like to pose this question. Assuming that you were raised in a religious household, any religion, and that your parents were the ones who took you to services and gatherings, do you think ,if this never took place, you would find a religion on your own and not being whatever your parents are?</p>
<p>Personally, I am Christian, I have a firm belief in my faith, and I have many friends who are different religions or who are not religious at all. With carefull and deep questioning of my morals and other philosophical questions, I had decied that if I was not raised in a Christian family or required to attend my parents religious services, I would be Jewish.</p>
<p>I was wondering if anyone else has had this same thought venturing religions. I would like to know if I was the only one who had this idea...</p>
<p>well, my mom was raised christian, my father was raised muslim. they could not really choose how to raise my siblings and i, so we chose our own beliefs...that was part of my college essay</p>
<p>So what are you now adam? You don't havta say if you don't want to. I think..at least I hope to think..that I'd still be my religion I am now. Religion is the best blessing, according to some people.</p>
<p>Political Correctness is now the most ubiquitous form of forced-fed religion/philosophy. The difference being; PC compliance has become codified into law with prescribed and onerous consequences for noncompliance. </p>
<p>Now Thats! Subjugation! </p>
<p>I often wonder: What happened to the country I was born to?</p>
<p>I've also had the same idea. My mom is Agnostic with pagan and Buddhist leanings, my dad is Atheist but I'm Christian because I found that it was the right religion for me. Your faith is a personal path and a personal choice. You have to find the right one for you or else you'll lose your faith like so many people.</p>
<p>I'm actually saddened that my parents aren't religous, never taught me religion and never took me to services. I feel I'm missing out on a part of life.</p>
<p>Wow I hate to admit I feel the same way Dima. Well my parents are both Catholic and they do believe in God. They just never went to church or forced us into it. I even tried to go to church but it just wasn't for me. I do feel left out because I don't believe in anything.</p>
<p>I, too, was never exposed to much religion as I grew up. The only thing I feel like I'm missing out on is the bonding that occurs between religious Christian friends, more so than friends who don't share a common faith. This is one more significant similarity that can bring people closer together, and one that I've never been or will ever be able to have. </p>
<p>At the same time, I'm glad I wasn't forcefed any type of religion/faith. In circumstances like that, I feel religion as an institution can be seen as brainwashing, as I've said before in a different thread. Bravo to those of you who have found your faith completely on your own, because I think that's the only way one can truly believe ~ when one thinks for oneself. Not to say that those who grew up with religion being an important part of their family life aren't thinking for themselves, but certainly less so.</p>
<p>I was not raised religiously at all and the only reason that I regret some of it is that I do not have a knowledge of the torah/koran/newtest for academic purposes. I have lived my life very happily as thus, and I believe that's what it's all about. I've talked a lot of theology with my best friend who's a mormn, and I have absolutely no regrets about the way I was raised. I think it's a part of who I am, or rather, it isn't a part of who I am. I am who I want to be and I set my own morals and standards, it's a part of the way I live and I live a good life. Some of my best friends are religious, some are existentialists, whathaveyou. We're all great friends and we get along well. There's something to be said for that. What I just can't take is things like that bible all coded into a teen magazine style design. That revolts me. It's when you see stuff like that that you should start to ask questions.</p>
<p>I was raised Catholic. I consider myself Christian, but not Catholic. The Catholic Church has too strict of a doctrine, and doesn't allow for different ideas/interpretations. My church made me feel guilty for voting for Kerry and seemed to isolate different types of people. I also don't see what the big deal is with the pope and all the priests. I don't even really like the pope. He's prejudgice against gays. I think it's weird that the priests can't have sex. It just doesn't seem natural to me.</p>
<p>I was raised Catholic and my parents never forced me but I am no longer religious. I guess that's what going to a Catholic school can do to you. Oh well so now I'm agnostic and don't find myself being that attracted to the idea of religion. This can make me feel different from a lot of my friends but I just don't really care. And GW you thought the Catholic religion was strict and didn't like gays so you turned Christian?? That doesn't really make much sense b/c a lot of my Christian friends don't like gays either or don't believe in them. I feel bad for gay people.</p>
<p>Well, I consider The Catholic Church to be Christian, but I don't agree with their ideas and philosophies. I also consider it overly secretive and corrupt with its extreme wealth at times. I understand that plenty of Christian Churches are way too conservative, but plenty aren't. I am considering joining the Unitarian Church...but I'm too lazy to actually attend, so...lol. I always am sensitive about the gay issue because of a hs teacher who was a lesbian and really changed my perspective on gays.</p>
<p>I am very christian, but my parents are both baptists, and I'm finding I cannot agree with some of the things they believe in. Because it's not a completely different religion I don't think they would disown me, but I don't think they would understand either.</p>
<p>well, my parents have religious beliefs, they just dont force them onto me. like tagran, i regret not knowing about religion for academic purposes, otherwise i am very happy. what makes me mad is how some people think that if someone is not the same religion as them, they cannot date/marry them. this girl at me school even refused to go to prom with my friend because his parents have a diff religion than she does. she was ignorant about it because he doesnt even follow his parents beliefs.</p>
<p>i also think that people use religion to make answers for questions they cannot otherwise find answers to. i dont think that is a bad thing, but i believe that answers are out there and that i dont need a "belief" to cover those answers...</p>
<p>hm, i was never force-fed religion, but my mom was (she went to Catholic school all the way through college), and she recently converted to Islam. I have discovered Christianity on my own and I love it. It provides me with a reason to keep going when things look bad. My only problem is my boyfriend (who I could see myself with in the future)... he's Catholic, and his parents said that they have to have their grandkids raised Catholic...</p>
<p>My dad's agnostic, my mother's an evangelical Christian who attends a Catholic church. They never forced any beliefs on me, and for that I'm glad. School in Ireland tries to brainwash you with Catholicism, it's horrible. In my last year in school, I was thrown out of my religion class for questioning something my 78 year old nun teacher said. Tbh I was happy, meant I had a study period.</p>
<p>Both my parents were raised Catholic, but questioned their beliefs for a long time. My mom wanted to raise us Buddhist, but my dad was like "do you really want to learn all of that just so they're not raised Catholic?" The only thing both my parents knew were Catholic schools, so guess where we went? I started going to public school in high school and I too am now questioning Catholocism. It's hard not to believe in stuff that a church tells you, especially when you're a little kid and you don't know any better...there was a long time where I knew that Jesus was God and not a man, he ascended into heaven and rose 3 days later, but now it not only seems illogical but impossible. It does help in my Art History class though. "Okay, this is a picture of ::insert random scene from the Bible here::" Oh, right, I know that.</p>
<p>I don't know what I'd call myself now. I guess classifying myself into a religion would kind of defeat my whole problem with organized religion. I hate organized religion, I hate any group of people who extort and manipulate based on the unknown. I mean, there are good points to religion, but any time where it makes you closed-minded and trying to convert everyone you come across, it's dangerous and kind of hypocratic. If that's a word.</p>