Do you think you believe the way you do because your parents brought you up in that faith? (religion?)?

Answer 1

NO, MY PARENTS PUSHED ALL THE OF US KIDS AWAY.....I REALLY NEVER SEEN MY DAD MUCH AND MY MOM WAS DRUNK 85% OF THE TIME.......SO I DID WITHOUT ALOT OF THINGS, MOSTLEY A HOT MEAL.....BUT I MET MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS 44yrs old. TO MANY YEARS HAVE GONE NOW, AND THEY DONT KNOW ME STILL, BECAUSE THEY ARE 5 STATES AWAY AND DONT CARE I GUESS...NOW TO ANSWER....A REAL OLD FELLER SHOWED ME HOW TO WORK AND NOT STEAL, HE TOOK ME TO CAMP MEETINGS, I GOT SAVED DURING ONE OF THOSE CAMP METTINGS....IM NOT PERFECT, JUST FORGIVIN'

Answer 2

I think it depends on the person. Alot of people, naturally, whether they admit it or not, do adapt the faith or religion their parents have. Its easier, their parents believe it, they dont need to question what their parents believe, and thats that. Other people, also break away from family faiths and beleifs. So, to answer your question, I think it all depends on the individual person. Sometimes, people are just content with their upbringing faith and sometimes other people feel this need to search the religion thoroughly before they accept it, or must look for another religion that best suits them. So, I believe it all depends on the individual person.

Answer 3

As for me, personally, no. I listened to my pastors and my parents and trusted them on religious matters for several years. My parents raised me to think of God as an angry man setting down rules and judging us when we failed up in Heaven. Faith was all about meeting the expectations of my religion, and always failing. It was a guilty existence, but one I adhered to strictly throughout my childhood.

I'm not like anymore. I did a lot of soul-searching on my own, and figured out my faith, and what I thought about God. It's much different from the all-powerful judgemental God my parents taught me about. I think of God as an all-encompassing yet also transcendent reality that's loving and caring, more like a mother than a judge.

Very different than how my parents brought me up. I use to be bothered by my faith, because I felt somehow not right with God. Then I figured out that I simply wasn't right with the old idea of God, so I was at peace when I finally figured out my own truth.

Maybe a part of this was because I didn't go to church much when I was very young. Maybe I needed to have it all drilled in my head years before I became old enough to question, but who knows.

However, I do have friends raised much like me, perhaps in an even more religious household, that hold onto the faith that their parents gave them. I guess it all depends if the religion your parent's raised you in was the right one for you.

Answer 4

In a way, I think it contributed. My parents were both forced into religion during childhood, made to attend church every Sunday and both went to Catholic private schools for a short time. So, when my brothers and I were born, my parents decided not to push that upon us. They still both believe in God, yet they wanted to allow us the freedom to decide on religion (as opposed to their raising). I went to church with family friends when I was younger, and then later to different denominational churches with friends. However, I am an agonstic-atheist because I never really felt anything at all re: God/Jesus. When I was younger I went to church camp, vacation bible school, sunday school, etc. and I loved to idea of God/Jesus, but later I realized it just didn't make sense. I never had that "Jesus is in my heart" feeling.

I think perhaps I would be Christian if I had been raised in the church or forced to participate/indoctrination, but I wasn't. However, my parents are both Christian, and I think that they just allowed us to make a choice. We made (my brothers included) the same choice - agnosticism/atheism - because we came into religion with open-minds and open-hearts, we just never became religious.

Answer 5

I do not agree as far as Christianity goes. Almost every kid I grew up with during the 60's went to church, but now many of them do not go now. I was raised Lutheran. I did not know God personally, so I got bored and quit going to Church until the Holy Ghost came into my life. Now I enjoy going to a Nondenominational Church and my life is fun and exciting because my relationship with the Lord is so deep.

Answer 6

No because my parents never forced religion upon me and the religion I practice, follow, and believe is different then my parents' religions (my father is Jehovah's Witness, my mother is nondenominational Christian....as in the church she goes to does not belong to any Christian denomination, and I am a Hindu). My family encouraged myself and my sister to explore our spiritual and religious beliefs and to choose to practice whatever religion best expressed those beliefs and our spiritual experiences (if any). My sister chooses not to practice any religion, I choose Hinduism, I have a cousin that is a Buddhist, etc. My immediate and extended family is very religiously diverse, though I'm the only Hindu in the bunch. :)

Good question. Peace be with you.

Answer 7

No. The only thing they taught me was how treat others with respect, myself, and how to live in this hectic world. My religion has 20% to do with my thinking process but 80% of the time, it's based on common sense and risk analysis thinking before I make an answer.

Answer 8

In addition to some of the sensible answers before me, there is also the factor of geography.
If you were born to muslim parents in Saudi Arabia, just accept the fact that you will be raised as a muslim and, even later in life when you are enlightened about the reality of life, you would dare not question what you are supposed to believe. Islam is compulsory and deviation is punishable by death.
Now, if you live in a more liberated part of the world, there is still every chance that you will be raised in the belief system of your parents and so many impressionable young children so suffer.
It then takes superior levels of education and some inbuilt intelligence to come to terms with all the nonsense spouted by religious groups and to be able to have the confidence in one's own self to be able to stand up and denounce it all.
Many have done so. More are joining the ranks.

Your religion, if in fact you have one, is primarily down to who your parents are, what they believe in and your location in this world. Simple fact of life.
Your own actions, once you reach the age of being able to reason, then dictates your direction and your lifestyle choices. Usually, doubts about religion begin to creep in to young minds at an average age of 12 yo, with a decision being made at about 15 yo. 'Coming out' and stating your case, your atheism, generally crops up at an average age of 20.

And you are how old?

Answer 9

Yes it does. My dad is a minister. I myself have not been to church for about 13 years and i still cant get away from it. I guess i don't really believe in the church much but because i was brought up with it. It is still there in the back of my mind. that probably don't make sense to anyone but it does to me.

Answer 10

No. I wasn't religious when i was young, i used to hate to go to mass and prayers.
I have a mind of my own, i don't necessarily agree with what the priest would say/talk about during the homily of the mass, i wouldn't totally agree with a leader of a study group, and i don't take everythin that is in the Bible literally.
I have a mind of my own, I believe that God created me with a free will. the Freedom to choose good against evil. To have a kind heart, not a heart that condemns. I am still growing in my faith, and i believe my faith have grown because of my experiences in life and the ways of the world.

Answer 11

In some ways, even at thirty my parents are still a huge influence in my life. My parents didn't practice a religion and neither do I. They shed being raised Catholic, and deal with the baggage from it still. I was raised without the sky monster guilt. I explored all kinds of spirituality growing up, a path I continue to follow.