Do you practice a different religion than your family? Why?

Question

What turned you away from the religion you grew up with?

Answer 1

Great question. Being raised in a Catholic family, I attended mass regularly, attended Catholic school, Catechism, etc. There were many questions that no one could or would answer. I was told not to question anything but to simply obey. Then, as a sophomore, our religion teacher, a priest, told us we should not consider ourselves to be Catholic simply because we were raised Catholic. He said we should explore other faiths and only then declare ourselves as Catholic if it was where our heart led us. It was then that I began to study in earnest all the belief systems of the world, the history of each, the transformations of each and the willingness of each to embrace questions and progress in their members as opposed to blind obedience. I've studied most all of the religious texts of the world including the ancient scriptures. Along the way I've become ordained. Still I hold no specific religion as my own but embrace the basic underlying concept found in all, of a creator who wishes us to love one another, to assist one another, and to become the best person we are capable of becoming and to create heaven here on earth. My family is sad I've left the church but I feel closer to God now than I did as a member of a church that couldn't answer my questions. Each day finds more light shining and more answers being revealed. To know is to love. Wisdom brings compassion. The dualities of life are coming together to a discovery of unity and synthesis of all that is.

Answer 2

I became a Christian when the Holy Spirit came into my life; I did not even know the fundamentals of orthodox belief on the subject as my mother was a Christian Scientist and my dad an atheist. Before the Holy Spirit came I was so ignorant about Christianity I did not know what the day of Epiphany or any other doctrinal word mean at all, not even including the concept of theTrinity or being saved by Grace or Communion, nor even that the Catholics believe that the priest interprets/intercedes for the multitude and accepts confessions as opposed to the Protestants who believe that each person has a direct line thru prayer to God and not to the Virgin Mary or the Saints. I mean I was IGNORANT. And there was no Christian in my life who tried to browbeat me or coerce me into believing - I mean NOBODY!!!

Nobody else in my family except an aunt and her husband and two daughters are Christians (and no, I have had very little contact with them and they did not even find out about it until years later). Mostly they are agnostics, Wiccans, neo-paganists and Christ-haters, or doubt His divinity. Their loss.

Answer 3

My dad was Greek-Orthodox; my mom was Catholic; both were non-practicing. Then my mom became interested in the Mormon church and followed for a couple of years; I was forced to tag along; but didn't really understand it.

I knew who God and Jesus were; but never had a relationship; I didn't "get it".

It wasn't until my adulthood; well into my 20's that I started to learn about Jesus and developed a relationship.

Now, the tables are turned and I'm showing my parents by my living examples what it means to be a Christian. I've found that words are not enough (talk is cheap as some say). It's a process; people are slow to change. I think that this is what God wants me to do. It's not easy, but well worth while.

I'm a much more sound, complete and happier person accepting Christ as my saviour.

Thanks for asking!

Answer 4

I grew up with no religion and became a born again Christian 10 years ago. I am currently walking away as one of my many problems with Christianity is that nobody else in my family and many friends have accepted Jesus so that means they are all going to hell. So I guess I'm returning to the religion of my youth, none.

Answer 5

My family is catholic, some are christians and I'm a deist (as no other)... Why? Well, the only explanation I have is that I turned out to be a very independent and unique person with ideas, thoughts and feelings of my own. Also, they don't practice religion very much (like going to church every week), and my family is very open minded; they are basicly good people and encourage it: "what matters the most is to be a good person and respect yourself and others".

Answer 6

Religion isn't hereditary. Truth draws people. Many religions become just that - religion. Religion is something you do to meet a requirement. Go to church once a week, do a good deed today, I've been a good person today so I met the requirement. Relationship is between you and God and you can do NOTHING of yourself to gain favor. Otherwise you can boast about how good you are. So, many people leave their church in search of a place teaching relationship rather than doing good deeds.

Answer 7

No, but both my parents do. I think that they just found they're more comfortable with the basic ideas of the one they switched to than the one they grew up with. Maybe they were having some doubts about their old belief systems, too.
My dad says he was never very religious to begin with, and when he found out about the other religion, he found it interesting and liked the fact that no one told you what to believe.

Answer 8

My family is christian, I'm atheist. The Bible turned me away from the religion I grew up with. It tended to contradict itself. Biology and World Civ. class also played a big part in it.

Answer 9

My family were nominal protestants. As a child I went to church when it was possible (we lived far from church). At the age of 13 I came to the conclusion that if God came to judge the world, he would hit the churches first!!! So I decided I would not have anything to do with church. Bue since I came to know Christ as my Lord ans Saviour at the age of 16, I haven't been able to keep away from church. Not in the same denomination as my family was nominally, although I have had good fellowship with people of the evangelical minority within that denomination too.

Answer 10

1) Yes - my family is mostly various denominations of Christianity, while I am Pagan.

2) Because Christianity isn't spiritually fulfilling for me.

3) The answers (or lack of) that I got when my father died. Including the Born Again Christian who told me that my father must have done something wrong to be taken so young, and was burning in Hell now.