Is it a choice, or are you born that way?

Question

I mean having faith... do you choose to believe, or does belief just happen on its own?

So, the process of choosing.... "I don't believe, but when I snap my fingers, I will choose to believe... one, two, three SNAP... Now I believe" Is that how it works?

Answer 1

I suppose theoretically people will say it's a choice. However, when you consider that the overwhelming majority of people grow up believing what they had conditioned into their minds from early infancy.... by parents, family, the community, in the school setting, and by prevailing social thinking at that time, you begin to realise that by the time you have become a thinking adult, capable of questioning what it is you have been told was "the truth", you may no longer be able to ask those questions because you are thoroughly programmed into that way of thinking.
Some people do manage to break loose from that programming and are able to free themselves from those bonds. They are the fortunate ones because their own minds can then take control and they can then go on the determine for themselves whether they wish to continue believing as they were taught, or change to some other way of thinking and believing that, on investigation, makes more sense to them.

Answer 2

I think everyone has a choice. God would not create people who could not make a choice. Some folks find it easier to believe, what reason that is one can only imagine. I have found it easy to believe in Jesus from a young age, why that is I don't know. But, all people can chose.

Answer 3

I've got to say that some people are born with it b/c I was a little girl that had faith. I wasn't raised in a religious family and I would have to make my mother get up on Sunday mornings to get me dressed for church. Lucky for me it was one right down the street and I walked. So faith wasn't taught to me like some people has it taught to me. It just came natural for me and when I mean a little girl (pre-school age)

Answer 4

Faith is taught through tradition and family story.

That is why there are geographical regions that clearly define religion. There are differing levels of ability in humans for every aspect of physical and chemical make ups. There for it is fair to say that faith is also given to people in differing levels from birth, based apon the makeup of the brain.

If I can't hear God, it is possible that I was created that way.

Answer 5

"So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Romans 10:17)

"But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name." (John 20:31)

"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." (1 John 5:13)

Faith / belief comes when someone with a good and honest heart hears or studys God's word. By the things written in that word, we can believe and we can know if we have eternal life!

Answer 6

I believe people choose to have faith and believe- because if you were born with a sense of faith in God, most televangelists wouldn't be begging you to save your soul! (and send your money!)

Answer 7

Dear brother the Bible says faith comes by hearing of the word so with out hearing how can we believe?

Answer 8

I was taught about God at the age of 3...
We have a choice once we are at the age of accountability for our sins..
We can either follow God or choose to be 'of' the world.
The more you listen to and read the Word, you understand what God is all about. At that time you choose your road to take...

Answer 9

It's a choice. I've seen too many people switch from faith to atheist to think you're born that way.

Answer 10

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God, so, that makes it a choice!