Seriously? People always talk about free will and choosing...but if you are born into a religion and your parent bring you to church and you grow up thinking something is complete truth then how is that free will? I mean if I was born to a Jewish family in Jerusalem I would be Jewish right? If I was born to a Catholic Family in Mexico I would be Catholic....if I was born in Africa To a tribe that worships a Goat then I would worship the Goat...all the time thinking it was true and real. So how can anyone born into something really have free will? If you are born into something then how do you know that its the right choice and not just by chance that you are, Jewish,Catholic, Hindu, Buddihst, Muslim? And How can you be sure your right...because each group thinks they are.
2006-12-20 01:24:45 · 32 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
What most of you guys don't understand is that Statistically people stick to what they were initially taught. Alot of the monotheistic religions have the same basic ideas but what about the polytheistic religions? This question is probably over alot of your heads.
2006-12-20 01:32:11 · update #1
When you get older you have thoes same initail ideas in your mind. Changing from a Catholic to a Pentacostal isn't free will? Its bascially the same thing.
2006-12-20 01:33:33 · update #2
Hey Fireball2, Did god use Caller ID Block when he called you or did he give you his cell phone number?
2006-12-20 01:34:46 · update #3
Very good point there. I think that's why education is so important. Yes, when one is born into a religion, they are taught so and so beliefs of that religion only. But with education, one has the chance to stop, think and consider what other religions(including atheism) are about and then choose which they will want to follow.
I was born a Buddhist myself but am now an atheist.
2006-12-20 01:45:50 · answer #1 · answered by T Delfino 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No one can be sure s/he is is part of the "right" religion, especially when geography, time, and cultural groups are brought into the equation. Most often, people are products of their environments. People will stay the same religion because it's easy, or they don't question the authority of their parents and religious leaders. The threat of Hell from Chrisitianity, and religions that exclusively proclaim their "rightness" also have strong authority. Many religious groups also demonize other religions to keep people from leaving the group. While I chose my religion after years of study, and it differs completely from anyone from the community I grew up in and my family's, most people are content with their family's religion.
Not all religions claim that they are exclusively "correct," like the Abrahamic faiths do. My religious beliefs do not include this dogma. A truly loving and just Deity wouldn't mandate that everyone has to worship him/her when not everyone is exposed to this particular religion.
If you're worried about an Eastern religion being the "right" religion, you always have another chance to get it right in your next life. As for the other religions, I believe that all religion is fallible, especially when the human factor is counted. However, I also believe that most religions hold universal truths. Have a good soul, strive to be an unselfish person, care for others, and try to be altruistic. Try to leave the world a better place for the future, and I think that's the best you can do.
2006-12-20 01:33:57 · answer #2 · answered by Mrs. Pears 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are absolutely right. If you took a random sample of a million people with Christian parents and a million people with Muslim parents the first group would have more Christians and the second would have more Muslims. Anyone who accepts that fact but denies that children raised with a religion are denied choice is fooling themself. To teach religion to a child is a form of abuse and is contrary to freedom of religion.
The idea that once you leave home you can make an objective decision, completely oblivious to the religion you were taught for a couple of decades is absolute bullshit. For everyone who goes against their childhood religion after objective thought, there are hundreds who don't, and that figure is vastly inconsistent with the proportion of any religion in the world.
And I think you're right about this question going over people's heads. Which is pretty depressing when you consider how many of these people have or will have children.
2006-12-20 01:37:16 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You still have free will because you can choose to leave the religion. But more specifically, because you choose what to take from your experiences. You choose whether you find things to like or to hate about your everyday life; about every experience you endure.
You have free will because you can question, "is what everyone has told me all my life true?" and you are certainly free to seek out the answers.
Free will is proactive; those who just go with the flow are certainly bound by the currents up until the very moment they choose to swim.
Statistically people behaving a certain way does not mean that they could not have chosen otherwise. It simply means that they didn't. That in itself is an act of free will.
Like the Rush song:
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
2006-12-20 01:32:35 · answer #4 · answered by sunflower_pyxie 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
thats the same as being born into christianity i mean when u get older and realize that there are other things out you may choose if you want to do something new or stick to what u know, i dont have a religion. if i had to choose one i would be part of sarahism, sarah is my name, i am a unique different person and i have my own beliefs about things, and with my beliefs i wouldnt be able to be part of an actual religion. I have respect for all religions i dont think there is a right or wrong religion they all have good ideas and can back them up including athiests!!!!
2006-12-20 01:31:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Everyone has a choice to believe what they want to. I know some people who were born into Catholic families, but chose not follow that religion because they didn't believe in it. As a Christain, I believe that asking Jesus to be your savior is the only way to get to heaven. As for the proof, tons of Bible prophesy has come true, including the description of the new Bablyon, and the natural disasters and wars that come before the end times. And those are just a few.
2006-12-20 01:32:49 · answer #6 · answered by crayolaskies07 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There is quite a bit of truth to what you are saying about people staying in the same religion that they were born into. For many it is however that they believe in it and have exercised their free will and made the choice to remain in that religion. For most, I have found that it is just apathy; they really don't care one way or the other. I say this because I talked to many people that don't even know what their church teaches, when and if they go to church it is very formalistic. There are people that are zealous for their beliefs; you will find that on this forum, however the majority of people are very apathetic with regard to their religious beliefs.
2006-12-20 13:17:40 · answer #7 · answered by nicky 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are right. that is why we do not allow children under twelve in temple. Faith is personal. It belongs to the child. Not to an organization no matter what that organization forces them to believe.
Remember that unlike faith, religion is designed to control the thoughts and feelings of it's followers.
A person gives their faith to the Deity of their hearts. as we see in todays current events, people of all religions are scoffed at or belittled for their beliefs because people don't truly get to choose.
Catholics have taken a severe bashing over the activities of priests, Christians over the money grubbing of their leaders. Islam over the hatred and intolerance it teaches.
It all starts in youth. Faith is taken by these overly large groups and the children have no choice. They grow up being controlled and in time revolt. Then they have need to strike back. to get even for the loss they feel for something being taken. Honestly that faith has been taken.
Those that discover their religion and choose to follow it become much stronger in the belief and in their own faith.
Take a moment and look at the rapid growth of earth based faiths. A huge amount of it's followers are those children that were hurt by churches.
My temple has grown enormously these last six years. A great many of my people were once in a church of some sort and revolted against the control and stifling of thought. Unlike most other earth based faiths it is my task as a Priest to return them to the faith of their hearts. I'm finding that many of them do return to Christianity but most of my followers don't return.
People must be allowed to believe. That belief must be nurtured and not forced.
2006-12-20 01:54:16 · answer #8 · answered by tian_mon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That is really a good question ....... How would you know which one is right ? I dot know ... when the day comes we wil all know.... But basically follow teh simple 10 commandments and ull be fine ..... To be honest with u .. i have thought about this for a long while..... and teh only logical answer is that ... WE are all born with brains ight? We are all capable of tinking and taking decisions... So Educationis teh key .. We are ment to look around and find teh true religion that satisfies us. Even tho .. with a conservative family u cant .. but some people do convert from one religion to another after geting educated about it. Its hard to answer this question .. coz there isnt a real answer to it ... Most of us casnt convert .. cause of our families.... and society.
Good luck now thinking about it.
2006-12-20 01:33:24 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
What about converts? Just because you grow up a certain way, doesn't mean you stay a certain way. Growing up into a religion increases your chances of wanting to stay in it (usually), but it doesn't set your destiny in stone that that's how you'll be, nor does it control you. Not to mention that there are some people who came from very religious families, but they themselves choose not to be religious at all. Then, there are converts, who came from one belief and converted to another.
If being taught a religion from when you were a child crushes free will, why not stop there? If that is true, then teaching children morals like don't steal, or don't lie, or share, or be kind to people, and be polite and courteous also impose on free will, since they will probably (but not necessarily) grow up acting according to those morals.
2006-12-20 01:33:00 · answer #10 · answered by Lady of the Garden 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋