Do you believe in your chosen religion because you believe it or because your parents believe it?

Question

no matter what you religion do you believe it because your parents raised you that way or because you choose it? did your parents give you a choice? or did you choose a diffrent religion from your parents because of them? did you convert to a diffrent religion once you were old enough to do so on your own? why?

i would like to add that i'm an athesist mainly due to my parents when i was growingup religion was just not discussed and i never really thought about it (although here in england there is always a hint of christainity in the background). a few years ago i wanted to find out what the big deal was so i read everything i could on the subject bibles in various guises the koran two diffrent english translations (i know its not really the koran unless its in arabic but learning arabic is big task) as well as various other books about religions such as sikhism, confucism, (my person fav)druidism, heathenism ,the greko-roman gods, egyptian gods even wicca but even after reading about all these im still predisposed to follow the atheism of my parents i was wondering why this is or is it just me?

ps id like to add that paganism is not a religion as such but is a discription of various religions used by greeks as an insult to people who didnt follow the greek gods

Answer 1

My answer to your question is contained within a question I asked a while ago:

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkPIFFoyI6pj02wCMjZDW8cgBgx.?qid=20061006075043AAxBP3P

Learnt behaviour and social conditioning.

Answer 2

My mom is Christian, my dad is Agnostic (so is my Hub and my son) and I'm Wiccan. I chose it on my own after studying different religions and coming to the one that closest fits my personal beliefs. I wasn't raised in any religion, as neither of my parents believe in pushing something that personal onto another person, even their own children. I went to Wicca when I was 14, went back to a form of Christianity by the time I was 22 and then back to Paganism/Wicca by the time I was 24.

I studied, is why I did it.

Answer 3

Good Question.... I grew up in Northwest USA many years ago. My parents raised me with the faith they had and they were raised the same by their parents. There was no conversion. It's funny now because I know other religions from other countries don't believe in Jesus as I do. Funnier yet is that some religions fanatic's see me as a infidel and would love nothing more than to cut off my head because of their own beliefs. Ouch...........

Answer 4

When I was very young, my parents didn't practice a religion. My grandparents practiced forms of Christianity but I didn't see them very often. When I was around seven my parents told me to research and decide what I believed in. They had meant a Christian denomination, but what I found was a new age philosophy called Macro Philosophy (but it really isn't a religion) and then I added to it the deities/spirits that I believed in. I chose the belief system that resonated with me---it felt familiar. It just rang true for me and explained things in a way that felt right. I'm now in my 40's and the foundation for my beliefs is still the same. Only I have developed closer relationships with my deities and follow a Celtic path. My parents eventually started practicing Christianity but they respect my views and I respect theirs. I wasn't raised to believe that there is only one "true" way to worship or believe.

Answer 5

I was christened into the Church of Scotland. When I was about 20 years old, I became one of Jehovah's Witnesses against my parents wishes because I believe that it is the only religion that makes sense. You are not required to learn a series of rules, regulations and Bible passages, but you are encourage to reason on what the Bible says. If you don't agree with what the Bible says, then fair enough, you wont want to become one of Jehovah's Witnesses anyway. If you do agree with the Bible, you will want to make it a pesonal struggle to fit in with what God requires by folowing the example of His son Jesus Christ as well as you can.

Answer 6

I'm in the UK, and I wasn't raised in any faith either, although both my parents had been raised in christian homes. Neither of them taught me or my brother or sister about christ, we never went to church, we weren't even christened.
About 4 years ago, I moved to a new town with my ex-christian husband and our 2 kids, and I made friends with a christian lady who had also just moved. I was not impressed by her faith any more than I had ever been impressed with the few christians I had known.
She invited me to her baptism about a year later and during the service Jesus simply became real to me, in a big, undeniable and spiritual way. I used to be an independent hot tempered (and depressed) woman, but Jesus showed me how wrong my life was and that He was there all along, waiting to be found by me. I felt the love and peace in a way you can't describe, like a taste of heaven. I was healed of depression, and all I did to get this feeling was put my hand up when the pastor asked if anyone wanted to be blessed by Jesus. Nobody prayed over me or 'scared' me with talk of Hell. It was real, Jesus is real, and the studies I myself have done of other faiths since that day have only made my faith in Jesus stronger.
You can read all the books you like, but only by meeting Jesus will you know the truth in your heart.

Answer 7

I did choose it myself but partly because my parents believed it if that makes sense.

There was a point in my teens where I began to question everything my parents believed and just question faith and religion in general. But I think the thing that really turned me back was seeing my parents and how they live their lives. If they were hypocrites or crazy or something there's a strong possibility that I would not be a believer today, but when I look at their lives I see a lot of integrity and faith and I admire that in them.

I definitely think that parents affect choice of religion. Sometimes in the way they intended, sometimes not.

Answer 8

Parental influence is definitely a prevailing factor when "Religion" is a part of the family.
I believe all children should be given the right to choose, although parents should still be able to show benefits and negatives to all religions, including their own.

Some cultures will not give the choice to choose.

How unfortunate...

Answer 9

My parents both had different beliefs and I grew up not knowing either. I chose, in the sixth grade, to follow another path, which I renounced a few years later cos it made no sense. I've been an atheist ever since.

Answer 10

i became raised in a non non secular relatives. i became nonetheless taught what became stable and undesirable. So I grew to become out ok in spite of the lack of ability of non secular exposure. Now i'm thinking my ideals and am attempting to decide on on which faith to persist with. i'm at conflict with myself between determining on the existence of a christian or a muslim or according to risk a buddhist. i've got been finding for an prolonged time, yet i understand i will get it regarded after out at last. To quickly answer your question i'd say a lot of human beings have blind faith as yet another answerer reported. I also have a catholic pal who's catholic in basic terms with the aid of fact his mothers and fathers are.

Answer 11

I was Church of Ireland but as the years went on i tried a lot other religions and was not content i tried spiritualism but in the end i give up and just believe there is a creator or some sort of energy so i am content in my sort of way.