Christians, were you raised Christian or did you find God on your own?

Question

Okay, I am just curious…I have heard a couple of people say today that the reason Christians believe what they believe is because they had it drilled into their heads since birth. I am a Christian and it was NEVER drilled into my head as a child, on the contrary, I was told I could believe whatever I wanted to up until my mother married her third husband. He tried to force me to go to Catholic church and I rebelled. However, despite the rebellion I still found Christ…so I just want to know…how many Christians became Christians of their own accord and how many had it “drilled into their heads” since birth?

I really want to know because it seems like so many non-believers think we can't think for ourselves and make our own decisions...that is certainly not true in my case.

Captain Atheism,

Thank you for taking the time to thoughtfully respond to this post. In response to your comment about Shintoism and different cultures...my last name is Takekawa pronounced Tah-kay-kah-wa...which means Bamboo River in Japanese...my husband's name is Yoshinobu...he is Japanse, born in Yokohama...formerly a believer/student of Shintoism, Buddhism, as well as Sukyo Mahikari. My husband and I have talked extensively about these faiths as well as other Japanese religions. I am very well educated in the backgrounds of these religions...they center around a lot of superstition and a belief that the Japanese Emperor is divine...most of them believe in multiple Gods. I myself have been a Atheist, a Catholic, a Buddhist, a Mormon, a Kumite, and a Christian...and I have always come back to Christ. So now that you know more about my background I will say NEVER make assumptions without knowing a person.

Answer 1

my husband and I just became christians this year... neither one of us had it drilled into our heads........ my husband only went to church for weddings,funerals......I went when I was young but I wasnt from a christian family........ my 19 year son brought us to jesus.......

Answer 2

It's not just about what your parents drilled into your head.

Don't you see that Christianity is simply the most likely choice for you, since it's the dominant religion in this society?

What do you know about Shintoism? Not a damn thing I'd wager. If you grew up in Japan, I bet you'd know about it. Same with Islam, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism... I'd wager you know very little about any of these religions, but you would if you lived in another part of the world, and Christianity was not the dominant faith.

Open your eyes. You didn't choose Christianity. It was simply the only religion available to you. And such is the case with the majority of American Christians.

That is the point the non-believers are making. And I sure hope you understand it now.

Answer 3

We do not find God, he calls us to him. Our part is that we hear the Call. I did not grow up in a Christian home perse, my mother was born and bred a catholic (she later changed her denomination) and my mother didn't have alot of convictions in her life and didn't have a personal relationship with Jesus until later in her life. I heard the call at a young age, I've always since i was younger have felt connected with the Lord. I went through my rebellious stage during college, but even then the Lord kept me from going too far over the line...I thank Him for that. We have to be open to hear the Call and listen to it. We do not choose God, He chooses us! That's why it is such an honor to live for the Lord. Those who do not hear the Call do not understand the Glory that God is. They are too self-centered and arrogant and high minded. They think they are God, that's why even on this forum so many people can be so disrespectful toward God. I pray for their Souls.

Answer 4

Although I was raised in a home that believed in God, it wasn't until much later that I started searching for God and found Jesus's love for me. I started going to a non-denomination church and met some great people who encouraged me to read the word. That growth led to me being what I call a real Christian - developing a personal relationship with Jesus.

I don't push my beliefs down anyones throat. If they have questions they can ask otherwise I really don't say much. Everyone knows I'm a Christian though, I don't hide it either.

Answer 5

I was raised Christian, and attended a Southern Baptist church through high school.

What I was taught did not help me to find God. It only confused me, because the teachings didn't make sense (i.e., why would a loving God send people to hell for eternity?).

It was years after I stopped attending church that I started to experience God as something that is inside of me. Over time I have learned to trust my intuition rather than what other people write or say about the nature of God/Life. Sometimes I feel the truth in what I hear or read about this, but usually not.

Answer 6

Both, I was raised Christian as a child; but I feel that I didn't truly become a Christian until I was in college and had the opportunity to find God for myself. I know the fact that I was raised Christian definetely helped me search for God, but after I found God it was as if my faith and spirituality had reached a new level. It was more than just simply accepting what I my religion taught, but knowing that I had found the truth.

Answer 7

I was raised Christian and saved from an early age but like many people rebelled against God by following my own ways through my early adulthood. Since then I have seen that there is no life apart from Jesus Christ and I have returned him to the center of my life.

Answer 8

Mine either,

I was raised in a Christian home, a luke warm Protestant Christian home.

I studied a bunch of different faiths for the next 20 plus years and became Catholic last year.

I am sorry you had a bad experience with the Catholic Church, and am glad you became a sister in Christ!

Peace!

Answer 9

I was raised in a home that never spoke of religion at all. I became a Christian of my own accord when I was 20. I found God after meeting some very passionate Christians, who talked to me about their personal experiences. I then did my own searching and decided that God is the truth.

So no it was never "drilled" into me and I was never brainwashed.

Answer 10

convinced and no; i imagine we commence off that way as youngsters reason we don't have any opt for. although in our teenage years, or perchance a touch later all of us form of rebellion adversarial to the entire idea. After this faze is over we extremely develop into although faith we were meant on being. this may be atheist, back to Christian, or a good purchase of different religions. i believe all of us pass by this growing to be faze, even atheists, (born atheists in an all atheist section, and so on.) the reason I say it truly is inspite of the actual shown actuality that their a huge wallet of particular religions there are even some religions you does no longer anticipate in those elements. Like Christians contained in the middle east, Muslims the following contained in the States even earlier the warfare on terror, and so on. and so on. Even China and Japan has various diverse religions together with Christians.

Answer 11

As early as I can remember, I've believed in a higher power. I was so little, I didn't have a name for it, but I always felt it. I chose to go to church when I was younger and only then did it all make sense to me. As I got older, a series of true miracles have happened in my life that have confirmed my beliefs. I think we are born with the knowledge of a higher power. People around the world can believe in whatever religion they like, but one thing that they all have in common is one higher power, one God.