People of Faith Please?

Question

Would you be the faith you are if you had not been born into a family that was that faith?
For example, if you are Amish (then you're not reading this because you don't have a computer), but if you were Amish would you choose to follow the Amish practices if you hadn't been born to an Amish family?
In other words, if all the religions were laid before you, Christianity, Islam, Hindu, Jew etc.; you have explored the different faiths and understand why they believe what they believe; you leave aside the personal bias of how you were raised, and make a free choice. Are you certain you choose the faith that you are?
Please explain.

Answer 1

I was born and raised in the Methodist church. I started asking questions at a young age, but always got the 'read your Bible' answer, which did not help since that was why I was asking. The Bible contradicts itself, and I wanted to know why. I have studied different religions and have visited various 'holy' places. I am now what would be referred to as Agnostic, I follow my own personal path of honor.

The main idea is how many people really make a choice out of free will and religious exploration. I believe that there are too many Christians that are sheep that follow whatever leader most moves them, whether he be a cultist or not.

Answer 2

1. We are all born into a culture. Christianity can be considered a culture (just as most Jews today consider Judaism a culture rather than their practiced religion). Thus, many people call themselves Christian, even if they do not practice the tenants of Christianity.

In that case, we are often the subject of our environment. We grow up with certain values in a certain culture, and most of retain much of those values throughout our life. If you are born "Christian," you'll likely consider yourself so the rest of your life.

2. However, we must all come to the crossroads where we decide what to FOLLOW. Who will be Lord over our lives - God (or some other god), ourselves, our career, or something else? It is here that we must decide what we truly follow.

Many identify themselves as Christians, but the road is narrow and few go through it. I don't think I'm stretching when I say that most "Christians" are not genuine believers and will not find themselves in Heaven.

True belief takes a lot more than just your background - it takes an entire change of life and dedication to God above all. After all, Jesus said that if anyone wants to find his life (eternally), he must deny himself, forsake all and carry his cross. He must, in effect, kill his old self. That's the most difficult of things to do.

Answer 3

I would have explored all religions I think and would have chosen something. I am comfortable in being a Christian. I was brought up as a Christian and it's the only thing I have ever known. Once I tried a different faith but it didn't feel right so I came back to Christianity.

Answer 4

Typical question, I follow Hinduism because I was born in India and in a traditional Hindu family, if i was born in USA in a Christian society i would have followed Christianity and if I would have born in Muslim countries I would be a muslim. I think place of birth/Family plays a important role in choosing faith

Religion feeded since childhood, I dont think I can choose anyother faith than Hinduism even If i loose faith in it !

I do have faith in Christianity/Islam/buddhism etc, every religion is wonderful.

is this answer look stupid ?

Answer 5

This question is different for everyone, each individual has to find out for themselves weather the faith that they have placed in their religion comes from a real place.

Personally my faith is based on the knowledge Ive gained by studying many different religions to gain a better understanding of the expressions of god.

so I PERSONALLY am certain of the faith Ive chosen.

but i know many are not, purely because they do not live by the faith, rather they choose to be labeled by the religion, yet not follow it. That shows uncertainty, if you are certain about something you will follow it whole heatedly. :D

Answer 6

I am not the faith I was born with , nor the same as any of my family and friends
however
I was born into Christianity , only because my family were Christian and I am in the UK ... I know that if I had been in the east , I may have been Buddist , Muslim etc

Answer 7

This question gets asked over, and over, and over again, and often the person asking seems unwilling to accept the answer I give, but here goes again.

I am a Catholic, but I was not born a Catholic. The process of my religious conversion was a long and arduous journey, involving a lot of people and friends who were an influence on me, as well as one strange and mystical experience I had one night well before I came to believe.

My wife had taken a much lower paying job around the time she learned she was carrying our second child. And then I lost my job, and couldn't easily find another. One night, with blue moonlight streaming in the window of our bedroom, I propped my arm up and stared at my wife sleeping peacefully.

"How are we ever going to get through this?" I asked. Instantly a peace settled over me like nothing I had ever felt, and I heard a voice like trumpets say, "Everything is going to be alright." That's it, that's all. I know the typical non-believer will simply snort derisively that I was huffing glue, or whatever, but I don't care. I know what happened to me.

I was an agnostic at the time, and strangely, this did not shake my convictions on this. But the whole pregnancy was incredibly spiritual. Two weeks before my daughter was born (we didn't know what gender), I had a dream about my older daughter and a young blonde girl coming into my room, laughing and leaping on me. Three years later it happened, just as I dreamed it had.

So a few years later, I met a remarkable man who was a Catholic priest. He looked like Jesus, even, and talked with the kind of enthusiasm and joy for life that the real thing must have been like. This and a few other things reawoke the spiritual longings I had had during my daughter's time in the womb, and I spent a year studying on my own and in RCIA (the course in Catholicism converts take.)

On the day of my confirmation, I had another remarkable spiritual vision... during a meditation, I saw my whole life through new eyes. The time I was waterskiing and a boat crossed my tow rope... I felt and saw Jesus, this time, pushing me off the line. The time I flipped an ATV and it flew into the air, bounced off of me and I was left unharmed.... a gentle saviour was between me and the vehicle.

I could say I chose my faith, but that is only partly true. It came calling, knocking over many years. Not insistently, but gently. I only had to assent.

No - my faith chose me.

"Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast." (Psalm 139)

Answer 8

I was born a Hindu I chose to follow Christianity because i simply believe in it there is no other way to explain how i feel its just a wonderful feeling that u feel in your heart and a choice u make..

Good question..

Answer 9

I am muslim by birth. When I was child, I kept on following it bcz my family was muslim and they told me to do what Islam tells.
But now I have grown up and after studying Islam and Quran my belief has got more and more stronger because every word of Quran is true. Quran tell about past, present and future. Its logical. Mind accepts it.
I know about other religions too but none of those inspire as Islam do.

Answer 10

properly i'm a christian so...i will attempt to furnish you some perception. faith is perception and need mutually variety of. we've faith in god, we've faith in him and need for the main suitable for each man or woman on the same time, it is definitely what we are all approximately. faith is significant with the aid of fact it retains your head out of water once you quite won't be able to do below, our faith supplies us wish, that god will help us with our issues and that each little thing is positive. additionally as I stated faith is believing, if we've not have been given any faith...if all of us would not have faith in god, then they are actually not christian and as I stated back from time to time we decide for somebody to look too interior the worst circumstances.