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Does age affect a person's religious beliefs?

enlitenment

New Member
hi, i'm new here. I was just wondering what people thought about this issue.


anyone, of any religion feel free to answer this question.
do you believe that as somone get closer to death and God, they get closer to religion as a sheild from the unknown?

please answer back

enlitenment
 

darkpenguin

Charismatic Enigma
enlitenment said:
hi, i'm new here. I was just wondering what people thought about this issue.


anyone, of any religion feel free to answer this question.
do you believe that as somone get closer to death and God, they get closer to religion as a sheild from the unknown?

please answer back

enlitenment
hi and welcome.

From experience I would have to say no. My grandfather was in hospital and fully aware that he was going to die but still refused a priest when he was offered one.
 

jacquie4000

Well-Known Member
I really think it depends if you are secure in yourself as a person, or you are always seeking but don't have and answer. If you are always seeking and never come to any conclusion no matter what it might be the thought of death and religion can scare you and you are in hopes of finding a truth before it is to late.
 

michel

Administrator Emeritus
Staff member
Hi enlightenment!

Firstly, Welcome to Religious Forums!!!

I hope you'll soon get to feel at home , and be a part of our rapidly growing community.

You might like to post a thread on Are you new to ReligiousForums.com? , in order to introduce yourself to the Forum members.

As to your question..
do you believe that as somone get closer to death and God, they get closer to religion as a sheild from the unknown?
I can imagine that some people would react that way; there is no doubt that age makes you think about the "hereafter". When you are young, 70 odd years sounds a long, long way away, later..............

So, yes, I am sure that you are right, and that some people react the way you have described; but I don't , for a moment, believe that that scenario applies to the majority of people.
 

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
Welcome!

I reckon that this is true in many cases, and untrue in others (I've seen and heard of both). It would depend on the person. I can certainly see how the closer you are to death, the more you would be inclined to be spiritual. You are, after all, facing the biggest mystery of your life!

I think aging affects religious beliefs in a different way. I'm a firm believer that religions evolve, both on a microscopic scale (individually) and a macroscopic scale (culturally). The more one lives, the more experiences that person has, and the more their worldview widens.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
When I was a kid, I used to be an alter server at the local Catholic chruch. Every so often, I'd have to serve the 6am weekly mass, and invariably, the only people there were a few really old folks. All the alter servers believed that they came there every day because they were old and knew they would be dying soon. And at the time I believed that, too. But now that I'm older, I wonder if maybe they were just lonely, and the daily mass gave them somewhere to go.
 

Mavrikmind

Active Member
enlitenment said:
hi, i'm new here. I was just wondering what people thought about this issue.


anyone, of any religion feel free to answer this question.
do you believe that as somone get closer to death and God, they get closer to religion as a sheild from the unknown?

please answer back

enlitenment

Personally as I've grown older, I've become more interested in theology. By no means does that have to do with death or uncertainty. I for one are not afraid of death. But I am interested in what happens after we leave this plane of existance :)
 

Real Sorceror

Pirate Hunter
Yes, age can affect your religious beliefs, but age does not always lead to stronger faith. With age comes knowledge (usually ;)), and that knowledge, combined with a shifting mindset, can affect a person's religious belief's in unexpected ways.
 

Sunstone

De Diablo Del Fora
Premium Member
There seem to be many people who have essentially the same beliefs at 60 that they had at 6.
 

PureX

Veteran Member
I think age has effected me in many ways, including how I "believe". When I was young, I was always looking for the "truth" ... I wanted accuracy, and I wanted evidence. But now that I'm older, I have learned how silly this was, and how blind I was to the reality of our being. And so I am not especially concerned anymore with chasing after the "truth" as I am with just trying to be honest, and focussed on the myriad expressions of love in the world. Nothing else really matters. I couldn't understand this when I was younger. When I was young, I thought that being "right" mattered.

And I'm still learning. Now I'm trying to learn to let go of the fear of being "wrong" or looking stupid. I hope I can finally let go of this before I die.
 

enlitenment

New Member
thank you everyone for your comments, but i'd like to know, to those who said 'no, age doesnt affect a person's religioue beliefs'; would you not agree that age plays a part in somones understanding of religion and in turn, waht they believe.

Is it possible to believe at 75, exactly what you believ at 17? aren't curiosity and knowledge powerful tools with whic be build the foundation of what we believe, be it a turn for better or worse?

please do reply.

enlitenment x
 

Ozzie

Well-Known Member
enlitenment said:
hi, i'm new here. I was just wondering what people thought about this issue.


anyone, of any religion feel free to answer this question.
do you believe that as somone get closer to death and God, they get closer to religion as a sheild from the unknown?

please answer back

enlitenment
Age itself should harden self-serving commitment to ideology. This is no substitute for asking questions.

Oz
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
Age certainly affects religious beliefs because age affects how you think. A toddler isn't going to have the same beliefs as a 10 year old. Until someone develops the ability to understand rules beyond "Mom/Dad/God said so", their religious beliefs will probably be different than after the time they develop that.

That's not to say that their religion will change, just their understanding of it.
 

enlitenment

New Member
true true. But wouldn't your ability to understand deeper mean that you look at other religions as well as your own for answers?

meetng new people inspires new thoughts?
 

Jaymes

The cake is a lie
I don't think that would necessarily lead to someone looking into other religions. :) Learning about them, perhaps, but not necessarily trying them instead of the one they were raised in.
 
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