Religious Question for class. I need your help.?

Question

Do you feel that we are born into our religion or is it something that we learn to become?

Answer 1

It has always puzzled me how people are born into their religion. It always seemed contradictory to me how religion is viewed as such a deeply personal thing when most are thrust into it based on their family's heritage.

Based on this, I've come to think that there are several answers to this question. Do people learn to become the religion they are born into? I think many people do. While they may have questions about it's aspects and workings, and even may not agree with some of it's points, they believe it has the power to provide them with some nourishment and purpose and learn to live through it. Do people completely disagree with the religion they were born into, hating it completely, and dropping all memories of it the second they get the chance? Of course. Aspects of different religions move different people because of what that person's personality, beliefs, and life experiences.

I think you might have meant your question in a more figurative way however, questioning if we are born into our beliefs or if they are molded over time. I think it is also a combination of both. Our personality traits and basic makeup, to a certain extent, do come from our genetics. But, in my opinion, the environment, experiences, and opinions we are exposed to help us more to form along the way the system of beliefs that we hold.

I hope this kinda gave you some ideas.

Answer 2

Well that is not a very logical question at all! There are people that are born into religion, i.e. their parents were religious and raised them according their own religion, and there are people who are not 'born' into religion because their parents were not religious so never forced their beliefs onto their innocent children. However, that does not stop any individual to choose to follow religion at a later time in life, or to leave it altogether when the blinders of false religious belief has fallen from their eyes.

We ARE however born with free-will -something that the Church does not want people to understand or realize because then they wouldn't have any followers of their garbage false teachings.

Answer 3

I believe that people learn there religion because when you come out you have no idea about it until your family make you go to church and teach you to pray everything is taught to you. I also beleive that you are born with a sense of god in you and that some how some way whether you are taught or not you will find your religion.

Answer 4

In general, you are born into a religion as it is customary to have a child christened, or introduced etc, into the religious community. It can be very hard to break away from the religion of your family if they have strong beliefs, say regular chuch goers, as they may not be able to accept your change of heart and can use pressure and guilt to try to re convert you. I was brought up a church going catholic but after lots of soul searching, studying the bible for answers and praying I realised that it wasn't me. I was living up to what relatives wanted and not being myself. I found a religion that given me peace and room to breath and learn which is what religion is supposed to do. I firmly believe that no one should be pressured into conforming to a religion, if any. Religion is personal so it has to be the person who chooses it for themselves. Not all of my family know about my faith, I am now a pagan and it would be very hard for some of them to come to terms with due to the unfair stigma attatched. I am lucky to have a dad who also rejected the church so he was extremely supportive of me.

Answer 5

One can be raised to believe a certain religion, and not others, so the former is certainly viable. I know that is the case with my mother to some extent. (Was raised Christian Scientist, but is now Catholic. Never left the Christianity tree though).

But for others, they think something else makes more sense, say Buddhism, and they convert. That's certainly possible too.

Overall, I would say it's a combination of both. The childhood and upbringing certainly has a profound influence, but one's inner beliefs play a role as well.

Answer 6

I was raised without any religion in the home to speak of. Yet today, i am counted as quite devout, and have become a Priest.

I would say most Americans Christians are probably of a different stripe than were their parents.

Answer 7

As newborns, we have no control over the environment or the family we are born into. Psychology teaches that those who are born into impoverished environments and/or abusive environments and/or a certain "religious" environment are predestined to remain in it and repeat it throughout their own lives.

I believe those are the exception...not the rule, because then people like Oprah Winfrey would never have achieved and done with her life all that she has.

I believe that every person, regardless how they were raised or what environment or demographic they were raised in, they come to a point in their lives where they question, investigate, and challenge beliefs and isms in their lives and then they choose what they will accept, dismiss, do, believe, and be for the rest of their lives.

I think what we see, learn, and experience as we are growing up "colors" positively or negatively how we view things within our limited space. It is only when we become single, independent young adults that we CHOOSE how we will proceed with our own lives.

The mistake many make is that Jesus Christ is an organized, legalistic "religion". Jesus Christ was none of those things. He had no use for pomp and circumstance rituals and organizational do's and don'ts that tied and bound people to be carbon copies of each other to be considered "godly" or "religious".

Jesus Christ loved people. He could care less whether they were financially or materially rich or poor, educated or illiterate, government leaders or common laborers, religious leaders or not. He wanted people to realize that none of the superficial things that covered us or surrounded us were important to Jesus Christ. He wanted to know people, warts and all and for them to realize that He and Almighty God loved them & that they were important and precious as they were in their very soul and in their marrow.

This thought infuriated and frightened religious leaders & governmental leaders who retained their vaulted ivory tower existence, wealth, power, and control only as long as they were SEEN and BELIEVED to be special, powerful, and above and beyond the masses of humanity.

Jesus told the masses that Almighty God loved them and valued them as equals in importance to the religious and governmental leadership.

And fear drove them to kill Jesus because of it.

Answer 8

I wasn't born into my religion at all and there are
many who were not.
Some of my traditions are from family,
but my belief in God is from divine
revelation.
As "fallen" human beings, we have this unreasonable,
futile desire to be self-sufficient but realize it
is futile, meaningless, and turn to God
in order to truly identify and search life.
Science can not really determine the true
essense of life and spirit, only the natural part of it.
We are more than physical creatures.

Answer 9

Most people i know were not born into the religon they believe today. I think if you do not question what you have been taught there is a problem. I know people who tell me they believe the way they do because it was what they were taught from birth. I find it sad. But then again, if you cant trust your parents, who can you trust?

Answer 10

Because you weren't specific as to whom this question was directed, I will give my input. As a Muslim, we believe that every person is born a Muslim. What does the word Muslim mean? It means someone who submitts his or her will to do the will of Allaah.. So we are all born Muslim. It is our parents and or society who introduce us to be other wise.