Have you chosen a different religion than your family?

Question

I know very few people who are the same religion as their parents...

the christians are all born again...
the pagans all had catholic parents...
the buddhists are spawned by agnostics....
the catholics are barely going to church at all...

is it normal for people to become the opposite of their upbringing or do I just hang out with a bunch of rebels?

Answer 1

Actually I believe it's the norm to remain in the faith you inherited. However, I was born the son of a Methodist minister, and I'm now an atheistic Buddhist.

While you may hang out with a "bunch of rebels," it sounds like you also hang out with people who think for themselves. There's precious little that can be found at fault in that.

Answer 2

I suppose I follow a different religion than my family, but it's never been a rebellion-thing. When I was growing up, my parents didn't practice a religion. They told me to research and follow whatever I thought was best. I liked a New Age philosophy and had different deities and spirits. Eventually, my parents became Christians. We respect each others beliefs. It's been thirty years and I am still polytheistic---I don't imagine that will change. I am neo-pagan but there are no Catholics in my family. We have SDA, Mennonite, Methodist, Baptist, Atheist, and New Age beliefs but most of my family is probably agnostic.

Maybe you do hang out with a bunch of rebels, but not all who follow a religion which is different than their family is rebelling. Perhaps it is more embracing something different rather than rebelling against or running away from something.

Answer 3

I can't confirm each one of them, but I'm currently Wiccan (a reformed Pagan religion) and I was raised Catholic.

My mom still considers herself one, but she's non-practicing.

My dad's an agnostic theist, though.

It's not a rebellion thing, though. I never went to Catholic school, and my family stopped going to church before I was out of elementary school. I was sort of free to do what I wanted so there was nothing to rebel against. It was more of a "find what truly makes the most sense to you personally" kind of thing.

Answer 4

I chose a different religion than my family. My mother and my father both are Lutheran pastors in the church. I am a Muslim. Chose it at age 20. Some people like to tell me I rebelled but I know I didn't. It's just what I needed and wanted.

Answer 5

My family was Christian, and it was something I always questioned-that Jesus was G-d. I could not accept it. G-d is One. At age 30, I converted to Judaism, and that was 35 years ago. It was the best choice of my life. I cannot imagine being anyplace else. I also have found a fabulous congregation of Sephardic and Mid--Eastern Jews. I am very much at home here.

Answer 6

Like the majority of the residents of my Country, my parents are Catholics. I feel I'm the black sheep of my family by quiting from all religions, but the truth is I DON"T CARE!

Answer 7

i'm catholic and in my opinion and of the stories i've heard of people who've gone to catholic school (most turn out crazy,with anger issues or a porn star), i would not and do not practice it. somethings i do believe, but the rest is just utter crap.

Answer 8

my great grandma is a christian, my grandma and mother have no religion, my uncle is a preacher at the church of christ, and i am a witch i found my own path after studying many different things

Answer 9

Most of my family are "Holiday Christians".. I don't believe in any religion.

Answer 10

My parents and family and friends are chrisitans. I'm a secular humanist.