When did you start questioning your beliefs?

Question

When did you start questioning the religious beliefs you grew up with? Or if you never have, you can answer that and explain why if you like. Lots of us as children believed in religious somethings without question simply because we were children and we were taught that. Whether or not you never stopped believing them or went back to them later in life is irrelevant to the first part of the question (though it is relevant to the second part of the question below), what I want to know is just when did you start questioning and such.

And, where are you at with those beliefs now? Have they changed much, are you no longer a believer in what you grew up with, or what?

Answer 1

Ever since I can remember, certain things didn't make sense to me.
I remember at school (I was raised as a Catholic) we had religious education classes. The teacher once said: Man came on this earth to work, suffer and die!
This was seen as a great reason to bow down to God.
I was about seven. I didn't have the courage to stand out at the time, but I remember thinking: Well that doesn't make any sense. If that's the case, why not just go to step three and get it over with?

Now, many years later, I have moved away from Judeochristian religions. Through study, travel and an interest in the martial arts, I have taken more and more interest in oriental philosophies. I practice Zen Buddhism today. It is more of a minimalist world view and more of a system of self-education than a religion. I find that in Buddhism, discipline comes from within and you are not expected to accept anything from without unless it is in harmony with your deeper self.

Answer 2

I was taught my religion and my God since I was a baby, nothing has changed. I'm 19 now and in fact I have never been so dug into my beliefs ever before. There are so many things in my life that wouldn't have happened without God. I did start thinking about the chances of a God and my beliefs back when I was 15, but I soon realized that there is nothing to doubt. I believe ever more in my religion and in my God. Things like praying for someone to come in my life and the next day I met my future wife, which we are married now with a baby. I have been blessed and it's not because of something I did but from something God did. I believe strongly in everything I know. One day we all will see the truth. But we can't chose then we need to chose now because we could be gone tomorrow. I must chose now. If you want anymore info email me at [e-mail]

P.s. I hope this helped out as much as possible

Answer 3

I first came into contact with religion at school, and by that time I had been literate for 3 years, so it was a bit too late to convince me. One reason might be that I have this tendency to find out things I don't understand, I keep diggind until I get it. As a child, I spent hours every day reading through encyclopedias, looking for explanations to something I'd seen or heard.

So, you could say I was born an atheist, and managed to educate myself before religion had a chance at me. I did use to believe in Santa, does that count? Apparently the parents thought Santa was more important than jebus, thank FSM.

I didn't believe in the supernatural when I was a child, and I still don't.

Answer 4

Started questioning as a child, around 10? Raised Catholic. I didn't want to believe some of my friends were going to hell. That would not be heaven. Started searching in High School. Now spiritualist as I could not find a religion that made sense. Bible had too many unanswered questions. Now I believe the bible is a key, still believe in Jesus, Saints and Angels. All religions have some truth and as long as it leads them to a better life and a relationship with God, it is all GOOD.

Answer 5

I used to believe in Mormonism, I always knew there was something wrong. I just didnt know what it was until I was 40 years old and I came to the truth about Jesus Christ and I became born again and began a real relationship with the Living God Jesus Christ. Now I know without a dought that Mormonism is a lie from the very pits of hell, and I will never look back. I will now try to help people see the light.

Answer 6

When I became depressed I started questioning everything including my beliefs. I grew up Catholic and as of now I am Catholic in name only, for my parents sake and for my family. I do not believe in God or organized religion. I think Jesus, could have, been a real person. Although I don't believe in God anymore, it doesn't mean I don't believe in being nice to others, etc. - there are still good aspects of religion.

If God tried to communciate with us it would only be dismissed scientifically as just hallucinating. With all the religions that have ever existed who's to say which one is real and which one is not. Anyone could start a religion - now or in the past. But if you believe in God or whatnot it's fine by me. One good thing I like about religion is it gives people hope (in most cases or fear...).

Answer 7

Like most Americans, I grew up under the title "Christian". As I began to observe the behavior of so called Christians around me, I realized that I had never truly met a real Christian; someone that embraces every precept taught by Jesus. Every Christian I met was all about selfishness and I thought that no different than everyone else in the world.

When I left church and renounced the god of war found on the OT I felt real freedom. Something like what Jesus spoke of, but that I never saw in a Christian.

Two weeks after that I met a girl that said she could see light coming out of my eyes and that I must be a Christian. I thought that was funny for so many reaons.

To this day, I have yet to meet a Christian.

Answer 8

I began questioning the beliefs themselves when I was in my 40s. I had been active at one time in a Christian church but left when personalities became more important than the religion. I didn't think much about it until I was in my 40s and then began to look at Christianity and realized that it did not match what I believed in my gut and heart. It was a freeing day when I admitted to myself that I was no longer a Christian. Then began my search to discover the name what what it was I DID believe, and I found it was called Paganism. Right now I've been Pagan for about 4 years and have never felt so confident in my spirituality, so buoyed by what it gives me, and how it frees me to be my best self in all ways.

Answer 9

To hear my parents tell the story I started questioning their beliefs they were trying to teach me soon after I learned to speak.. The first I remember questioning was around age 5-6 when I kept asking how Noah could have gotten all the animals on one boat.. It never made any sense that many animals on one boat..

The question only got bigger and more numerous from there and never a clear answer that didn't involve "Ask God when you die." or "Because the bible says so." both of which are not answers, they are simply a means to shut the questioner up because there is no answer...

Answer 10

I was around 15 when I started to question. I searched for about 10 years trying to convince myself that what I grew up believing was real, that I just hadn't found the answers yet. Finally I realized that no one had the answers because they didn't exist. The only answer I ever found was "You just have to have faith". Since that statement doesn't work for anything else on Earth I figure it doesn't work so well for spiritual matters either.