I am curious to know why you have chosen your religion, or why you have chosen not to choose.

How many of you were raised in one religion, but later in life chose another? How many of you have kept the religion you were raised with? Does religion give purpose to your life? Do you feel the need to be a part of something bigger than yourself?

I merely am curious and will not argue with your answers.

Personally, I was raised a Christian. I remained a Christian until around the age of 18 (I'm currently 19), until I realized that the only reason this was so was because that's how I was raised. I could of just easily been raised a Buddhist or Muslim and been wrestling with thoughts of loyalty to those religions instead. I never felt enlightened in Christianity nor can I in any religion. I choose to believe in things that have empirical evidence, and no religion has this. I am not capable of blindly believing in something that has never been proven. So this is how I have become an agnostic.

Why not share your stories .

An interesting topic indeed Solaris.

I was raised in a Christian home... specifically Catholic. My family actually lived our faith day to day, not just do what you want then go to confession. We practiced what we preached so to speak. During my teenage years, as custom in catholicism, I went through what is called confirmation( a two year study of the religion ). Confirmation is where the individual chooses the Catholic faith for themselves rather than just accepting it because that's how they were raised. At that time I actually started going to church because I wanted to and not because my parents said so. My church felt like home. Soon after my confirmation my church was closed. Since that time I have been unable to find "home" again. All of the churches I have been to, both catholic and churches of other faiths, seem foreign to me. God is not at those places. So I have ceased my search for "home" in organized settings. Instead I live my beliefs day to day, and serve my God the best way I can through my choices and actions in everyday life. I believe there is a God, but God is not confined to organized religion. God does not care which path you choose, as long as the path leads to Him. I do not claim to be right. This is just what makes sense to me.

However, for discussion's sake, perhaps religion was started for the purpose to scare humans into certain behavior. Human nature dictates that most behavior is performed out of fear of punishment. So in order to get humans to behave in a civil manner... threaten them with retribution in an afterlife. No one can prove OR disprove its existence. Therefore the majority of people will conform to certain rules out of fear of everlasting punishment. If you look at most stories, from the bible to mythology, there are startling similarities between characters. That leads credence to religion being a falsehood created to control human behavior since humans seem to be unable to discipline themselves in a way that would allow for co-existence with other humans. Thus, in order to keep us from destroying ourselves completely, and to offer an explanation for what we did not yet understand, the idea of a supreme being was born. It seems that humans need a reason for everything, and since we had no other answer at the time, "God" was a perfect solution to how things were created, why we should "play nice", and so on. If we behave, we will be rewarded by "God", but if we don't we will be punished by the all powerful being. The idea has lasted so long because though our knowledge base has increased, our human nature is still hard wired into us. We still operate based on fear of the unknown, punishment and reward.

This post has been edited by help4me: Feb 10 2008, 01:54 PM

Zomg, I didn't think anyone would actually post here lol. Thank you. And a very nice post too.

Like Bonnie, I was raised in a Christian home. I had so much religion shoved down my throat I became disenchanted with it. I had a problem with the people who would go to church on Sunday and then go out and do 'misdeeds' during the week, like going to church was going to negate what they did.

I kept my faith though. My relationship with my Savior, was personal and not for show. I still don't darken the door of the church very often now, mostly because my church is 30 miles away, and partly because I'm lazy.

Do I need it to be a part of something bigger... no, not really. My faith brings me comfort. Be it wrong, right, or indifferent, it works for me.
When we lost our son, I was really not into "understanding" his plan, however every where I turned He was there. Of course not in the physical sense, but in spirit, like He was reaching out to me.

You can all say it was just wishful thinking but it was more than that. It was more inside. Did I get mad, damn straight, I yelled and screamed at Him, I just knew He could have stopped it if He had wanted to. That's not how it works though.

There is just not one answer to why I chose to believe, to each their own, in their own time.

I can't really answer the question - I just do!

Not much of an explaination, but its what I have.

Those of you who've been following the threads here over the last several months might have noticed that I posses some firm beliefs in God, his authorship of the Bible, and his ability to preserve it's integrity down to our day. Having been raised in a Catholic home, that has not always been the case with my faith. I had lots of questions... specifically... "If 'God is Love'... why does he permit suffering?"(1 John 4:8) This was a topic I didn't think much about till I was in my early teens. I had gone to church but can't say I believed in anything... including God. I'd seen no evidence of God.

I do recall thinking of my grandfather telling me of running with his family through the orchards ahead of the Nazi troops as they were retreating before the Russian attack near the end of the war. His cousin and he had climbed apple treas in the night as the sound of fighting was getting closer. As the soldiers came through the orchard one saw them up in the trees, took a shot and killed his cousin. She was 12 or 13 at the time. My grandpa never connected it with God or some conscious choice on God's part for choosing one person over another as some would have. It's just that thinking about him after he passed away and why in all the time of growing up in his house I can't recall him coming to church with us even once, yet having the horse whip in his hand if I wasn't ready to leave for Mass on Sunday morning.

In my teens my mother had looked into some differing churches, Church of Christ and United Church just to name a few. I had a Vietnamese kid in class who I remember questioning about his religion (early 80's) and I remember him knowing nothing about any God. Though she had started studying with these groups, my own studies began as well, some with her but as many were on my own.

It was grades 8-10 that I started to study the Bible. Math, history and science were to interesting subjects, evolution had come up this was the time my interest in getting some questions answered peaked. This was the time I worked out my understanding of scientific findings and their relation to the Bible's creation account support and strengthened my acceptance of the Bible. Evolution (though pushed by a few in classes at the time, I quickly dismissed, as I realized how the finding always supported the Bible account but scientists couldn't agree on the 26 versions of evolution around at that time). The accuracy of the historical accounts mentioned in the Bible added weight to Bible's side. It was probably looking into the Bible itself that was the real eye opener. Prophecies and their fulfillment was extremely interesting and that was I think the one item in particular that I'd credit with starting my faith in the Bible as the word of God.

More than 20 years now I've been a regular student of the scriptures. Math and science are interests but when it comes to "social etiquette' I'm yet to find anything that equals or even comes close to the high standard of living laid out in the Bible.

Sharing what I've been taught and what I've learned is even more enjoyable these days as I see others appreciate these things.

I was raised as a Catholic and up to this day, I go to church. Not on my own, but mostly because my father refused to talk to me the whole sunday if I didn't. So there, I resented it in a way.

During my teenage years(studying in an all-girls, catholic school), it was so easy to throw away my faith but I guess like Vicki said, it gave me comfort during times I hit rock-bottom, and when I was on a high, I felt like I had to thank someone because I knew at that moment, I wouldn't be able to do that without some higher power.

Although I don't like hearing mass, I'm still a firm believer, but I'd rather talk to Him directly than through a priest. Believing in Him, and sticking to my religion though I'm not exactly a devout Christian works for me. I guess that's really the answer to anyone who chooses a certain religion over another, it works for them!

What a pleasant thread! ;D

I am currently residing in the heart of the Mormon belt, and have been brought up under the beliefs of the LDS church. However, I recently took a course in philosophy that really made me think. I began investigation of the church, and was very disheartened. Everything I'd been raised to believe, to me, just simply could not logically be true.
At this point in my life, I'm trying to convey the message to close friends and family. Currently, I consider myself agnostic.

I too, now am an Agnostic.After 35 yrs of brainwashing, made a decision to opt out. Nothing makes sense to me, when I analysed the Scriptures thoroughly. As they say,"I saw the light" To believe all this nonsense is Fantasy.
I lead a clean Christian lifestyle, but never want to set foot inside any church ever again.I respect those that do believe.
Whatever rocks your boat.

I have never been raised to be religious/believe in religion, nor have I been raised to NOT be religious.

My parents are atheists, my sisters are atheists, so am I. I went through the regular religion classes at school, I even went to confirmation class (so did my sisters). Mostly because you get gifts when it's finished though......

My family wouldn't have anything to say about if I choosed to believe or if I choosed not to believe, it doesn't matter in any way.

I don't believe, and I don't think it's a matter of personal choice in that sense of the word. I can't just decide "OK, I'll believe".

Besides. I can live my life like anyone who's christian, catholic, whatever, maybe even better. I just don't read bible or go to church. Some religious people seem to think they are better than atheists or people who are in other religions, frankly, I can't appreciate people like that. Then again, that's just a matter of character really, maybe not the religion (although some DO believe they are better because of the religion, and that's even more ludicrous).

{{{When we lost our son, I was really not into "understanding" his plan, however every where I turned He was there. }}

I'm sorry to hear you lost your son too, Vicki. We lost ours 43 years ago this month and will never got over it. And did I get mad? YES!!! But in the end I have to believe He knows better than us.

I also had a problem with the "I go to Church EVERY Sunday" crowd when I was young. I rarely go anymore, most pastors don't know as much as I do (not trying to brag) and it gets a little silly sitting there on a hard bench trying to listening to the pablum they spoon out and calling it Bible. Very few ever get down to the meat of Scripture.