How did you choose your religion? Was it forced upon you by your parents or did you choose it on your own?

Answer 1

When I was young, my grandmother used to drag me to church with her every Sunday from when I was a baby until I was ten or eleven. I was raised Methodist. I would be at the church from about 10:30 am to 3pm. My grandmother was on, what I like to refer to as, “The board of something or other” and, after a painfully long church service, she would be in the back room with multiple other people counting money and keeping books. I, on the other hand, would be left in the church to occupy myself from about 1pm to when we would leave. I was absolutely miserable. I distinctly remember one day, taking two paper plates and stapling them together and throwing them for entertainment. I had to keep myself occupied. Because of my extensive and uneventful solitude, I dreaded going to Church.

That is no way to raise anyone into religion. When politics caused my grandmother to leave the church and take me with her, needless to say, I was ecstatic. She never returned to church, and I grew up with my Sundays free since I was about 10 years old.

After a while, i stopped believeing in God. I actually don't think i believed in Him in the first place, i think i was just told so many times that He existed that I just came to accept it. But time passed, and i questioned His existence. I stopped believing, and became an atheist.

I tried to destroy the idea of God for a while to many people. But one day, when holding the ladder for my father who was doing work on the roof of our house, it occured to me, that there must be something after death. I thought that our whole lives are built on memories, and if we cease to exist when we die, then those memories are pointless and did not happen. (it's complex and, years later, i still can't explain this revelation satisfactorily) So i became agnostic.

But then two years ago, something happened that made me believe the Lord is there. It was a personal experience, i just felt Him. I can't explain it, but i knew then that He was there.

And through a series of events, i came to Swedenborgianism, the religion of my father. It is a Christian religion. I love it so much, and am actually in school to become a minister for the church so that i may spread the teachings of the church.

Answer 2

It was the only religion I was exposed to, but it wasn't forced upon me. I now respect the religion but am not necessarily a religious person.

Answer 3

Forced?

Answer 4

I was forced into it from birth. Soon as i gained some common sense at around age 7, I began to reject it. And here I am now, smarter then ever; and I only could have reached this point if I dropped the religion.

Answer 5

my parents gave me life as my choice, and I am grateful they didnt pressure me to believe anything but what my experiences tell me.

I really feel for the people who had no choice and grow up believing in something that wasnt even their choice. grow up believing what your parents believe and you will never truly be free. you are trapped by their fears for the future and the illusions they have are your also.

you dont have to be forced to believe what your parents tell you, as an infant they are your map to the world, and what they say or do is like gold. you can be made into a cold blooded murderer or a meak and mild introvert because of your unbringing, and once you are who you think you are, you are doomed to believe it is you. we are all products of our surroundings, a combo of 'nature' and more specifically 'nurture'.

if you dont believe me, you havent had children. they are easily swayed by our actions, our fears for their safety can make them fearful and insecure. religion must be the worse illusion to befall mankind.

Answer 6

I wouldn't say forced, but i was raised in my current religion. I love my religion so I plan on sticking with it

Answer 7

I went to Sunday School at a Baptist Church as a child only. I cried out to God of my own choice and he heard me. He hasn't let go of me yet. I believe in faith--not organized religion.

Answer 8

I chose for myself, my parents actually discouraged it at first, but they eventually joined. THere were just 2 young men in dark suites who came to my door with a message and it just felt right

Answer 9

by my own accord was raised a baptist-went to holiness was dunked by 7th day & chose to belive what the book says not a bunch of preachers with there own ideas & what they were tought at some bible school by people with there interpations

happy day
old geezer

Answer 10

I wasn't forced into anything. I went to church with my parents