Is Belief in God Dependant on How Your Family Raised You?

Question

I consider myself to be an agnostic. I'm not sure what I believe.

On the one hand, I find most organized religion to be silly. I can't bring myself to believe that the Bible is anything more than a set of stories which contain moral guidelines. I can't accept that all of the events of the Bible actually happened. However, I simultaneously find myself in awe at the beauty of the world and human nature.

I guess I am just trying to listen to other people's perspective on this subject. I think if I had been raised with religion, I would find it much easier to have faith in something which cannot be proven. I would especially like to hear from people who took up religious belief as an adult, and why they thought that was a true and significant thing to do. If you were raised religiously, do you think your beliefs would be different if your childhood lacked religion?

Answer 1

I was raised in church. My high school pastor always encouraged me to investigate my beliefs. Why do I believe certain things? Are they just what someone's taught me my whole life, or did God lay it out in the Bible for good reasons?

Some of my beliefs and opinions have changed, for sure. But the same core beliefs are still there after all the searching.

If I didn't have God in my life during my childhood, I'd be so messed up right now. God is everything that is right in my life. :)

Answer 2

No, I was taught a certain religion growing up, and as an adult my faith in God grew stronger and is quite the opposite of how I was taught. sure we have some things in common but it had nothing to do with how my family raised me.

Answer 3

no matter how you are raised belief in God is a personal desisicion for me i was raised in a religious family but after becoming a young adult tryed to live my life my way without My faith sure it was fun for a little while but after some sobering life experiences i saw that the worlds way of its all about me it left me with nothing but unhappiness i returned to my faith and have never been happier not to say my life was without trials and unhappiness but my faith gave me strenghth to live my life with more purpose and direction and to me thats worth it ,it gives me a peace the world can never give you

Answer 4

I was not raised in a religious home but as a adult after much in depth study of religion, came to believe. In believing and having faith,God proves himself to me daily. Believing is seeing. Jesus is my church and those who believe in him are the members of that church, I can go to him anywhere, anytime, he is not a building down the street and my religion is this: Taking care of widows and orphans.

Answer 5

i was in a family that tought me all about Jesus and praying and every thing considring religion. but like you i had my doubts!

Days passed by and i fell in to trouble when i really needed direct help from a mighty force! or else i had either to kill my self or get cured i just couldnt take it, so i prayed and prayed with believe ( believe me when your in trouble you will pray to God if you belived in nothing!)

and after that i was stunned! believe it or not i was horrified from what i saw! i was cured and i was crying feeling ashamed that i had forgotten God and he did not forget me!

THAT was my EXPERIENCE nothing else! olso its an example of how family does not effect. its your EXPERIENCE that affects you.

Answer 6

I was raised with religion and my parents still try to shove it down my throat and it was very easy for me as I got older to pull my head out of my butt and think for myself. Being brought up going to church made me see how fake it really was.

Answer 7

Absolutely, religion is determined by family and geography.