Calling all Christians...?

Question

Were you raised Christian?
If not:
What religion were you raised with?
When did you break away from the religion of your youth?
Would you say you were enticed away by something new or pushed away by something you disagreed with?

Answer 1

I am God. You are God. We are God. The heavens are God. The earth is God. Good is God. Love is God. Everything is God. Nothing is not God.

Any questions?

Answer 2

I was raised Presbyterian and my father was a deacon. My family was not horrible, but it was not a God centered home. Latter my parents got a divorce when I was 10 and home life really got bad. I did not believe that God cared. I was 19 before I really gave him any thought. My fiancée died three months pregnant, and I had taken a job working for the police.

I saw ugly and really bad horrible homes. I saw the evil that people can do to other people and even in a little place like Olympia, WA. I also saw the church, Pentecostal really get involved and acting like real Christians, really living it all week not just Sunday morning. I wanted that difference in me.

Answer 3

I wasn't really raised in any religion, but I consider myself a Christian anyways. My parents weren't religious at all and we never went to church. I have went back and forth my whole life. I have always consider myself a Christian, but I would have to say I am still non-denominational. I just don't agree with everything and I am very open minded to different perspectives.

Answer 4

My family was never involved in one particular religious group. We attended a Methodist church on Easter and Christmas but that was mostly because those were the people my mom met and knew when her and my dad first moved to town. Growing up, my parents were totally ok if we wanted to go to the Baptist church one week and synagogue the next and the Mormon temple the next.

I stopped believing in Christianity when I figured out I was gay because I got tired of everybody telling me how "wrong" I was when I knew in my heart that this is the way God created me. I was pushed away from organized religion. So for a very long time I was an atheist. Somehow, though, after meeting my partner and her convincing me to go back to church -originally to meet new people in our community- I learned to separate God/the Bible/Jesus from fallible human religions. Since then I've gone through a stint of not believing in Jesus either, though I did believe in God, etc. However, my wife gave me John Shelby Spong's book "This Hebrew Lord" and that really helped me to separate Christ from Christianity as an institution.

I now consider myself an agnostic, very non-traditional, and progressive Christian. I use Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary's defintion of "Christianity" to define my view on it: "one who professes a belief in the teachings of Jesus Christ." For instance, I don't believe in the traditional definition of God, I don't believe in heaven or hell, and I don't believe in the infallibility of the Bible. I don't believe that Christianity (or any religion) is the one true path to God, but I know that it is the one that works for me right now in my life. Though not my first choice though limited through geography, we currently attend an Episcopalian church in the town next to where I live. I'm happy to say that my spiritual/religious journey will probably never end and I'm looking forward to learning and growing. I really feel that I've been called into the service of God, not to bring light to those non-Christians, but rather to enlighten other Christians and redefine Christianity.

I hope this helps to answer your question. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need any clarification.

~ FR

Answer 5

I was raised a Lutheran. But I lost my belief and became a Devil worshiper. Then after years of torment I became a Christian again.Because I found through my own experience that God is the true way.

Answer 6

Christianity was the religion of my youth and I broke away from it when God showed me the hypocrisy of it all. Now I worship God in my own fashion and He and all the angels fill my heart with peace that Christianity never did.
When trying to follow the Christian religion, I was constantly depressed and in fear of not pleasing God, And all the preachers and churchgoers kept the fear of Fire and Brimstone a constant terror. God is LOVE! He would never banish His children to such a horrible fate no matter how many Christians say He will.
They will find out that we are ALL loved by God when their time comes.

Answer 7

Christian mother - atheist father...

I prefered atheist when I was young, then I got into spiritualism and wicca because I had many experiences with ghosts and spirits and wanted to tap into that.

I have recently changed to Christianity as that God is the only one who has power over the ghosts and spirits who were haunting me daily.

Now I am freed from being spooked, and I see there is much much more to this God then just a place to hide from spirits.

Answer 8

raised catholic
at 25 I became christian - that is I read the bible and does what ist said, instead of going to church on Sunday, and being generally good (or at least better than my friends)

Enticed by the love of Christ!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 9

I was raised going to the Mormon church. I stopped going at age 14 because my parents got a divorce. Now I am 34 years old and a born again Agnostic. Now, I feel happier with myself ;-)

Answer 10

I was raised Mormon and fell away from the Church as a kid. I was a rebellious punk that wanted to explore the world. I'm grown now and am back with the Mormon faith. I couldn't see myself without it any longer.

Answer 11

First of all I was not really raised in a christian home ,but my mother did send us to bible school and church sometimes ,I was living with my grandmother we went to a freewill baptist church ,I loved it .And as I grew older and married my inlaws go to church of God ,they believe Different than I was raised ,and sure they tried to push me into the way they believe and I stood up to them and told them I was raised this way and until God shows me different himself I remain .they pushed me for awhile ,telling me I was not going to Heaven until I believed like them .thanks and tat is a good question .God Bless