Your Birth Religion

[1137]

Well I'm Jewish by parentage myself, but I wasn't raised in Judaism. I would still like to learn more about it, but I know I wouldn't ever be a religious Jew.

I was close only with my mother's side, the jewish half of me which makes me jewish by blood. Was raised semi-conservative, now I just participate in things such as the Seder with them, haven't been to services in a long time. I kind of miss them. I may not believe in the theology but Jewish services are quite amazing.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

I was raised Baptist, and followed it zealously until I was 16. I left because I read the Bible and didn't like what I read, it never seemed like God was there, the idea that I should hate myself because I was born into the wrong sex, and finding out that I had been lied to (especially in science and history, I was taught in a Christian school women have an extra set of ribs and Alexander the Great conquered the world shortly before Jesus' birth) are the reasons I left. And I've not once looked back or doubted my decision.

 

[Quagmire]

Near as I can remember I was born agnostic.

Raised Catholic though. The "Guilt by reason of existence" version.

 

[Alceste]

I was raised in the United Church of Canada. I "left" because my mother stopped taking me there when I was about 13. I don't recall ever believing in God or the divinity of Christ. By the time I was in my late teens and contemplated the question of God for the first time, I pretty quickly came to the conclusion there is no such thing - at least not in the sense my church had taught. The fact that there are many different religions with very different gods - and some with no gods at all - was the sole basis for this conclusion at the time. The idea that only one of these religions can be true was far too irrational for my mind to embrace.

 

[Levite]

Born Jewish, still Jewish. But I was raised Modern Orthodox, spent some time when I was younger not observing, first as an agnostic-leaning-toward-atheist, then looking into (but never really practicing) other religions. Came back to Judaism, ended up being ordained a Conservative rabbi, though I don't really fit neatly into any of the movements.

 

[SnackerBob]

I was raised Jehovah's Witness. And while I was disfellowshipped for a sexual reason, that was as much protest as it was carnal.
I didn't believe. In my relatively young understanding, I attempted Works to try to build Faith. I felt nothing from any of it.

*Skipping to AFTER the disfellowshipping*

I was angry and nearly alone after that. I- like many other former Christians- started looking into issues with Christianity. I discovered Gnostic Christianity and plunged into research. Then I found the Dead Sea Scrolls, Asimov's Guide to the Bible, and from there I started picking up any Anchor Bible book that I could find.
I found that Judaism and Christianity were far more complex than I originally was taught. To this day, I love reading and studying the teachings.
But that is as far as my passion goes. I see the wonder that is our Earth- the wonder that is our Universe- and I still cannot feel in my heart that there needed to be a creator. I do not believe that this will change.

Until I'm on my deathbed, of course. Then I'll retract all of these statements and PRAY.

 

[Koldo]

Very hard question.
I was raised on spiritism which is also christian.
So, which one should i select?
It is 'christian' and 'other'.

I am not christian anymore, and highly skeptical of spiritism.
Currently, i would simply prefer to say i am agnostic.

 

[arthra]

What religious background do you come from? Were you raised something other then you are now? Why did you leave it?

If you've remained in it, why? If you ever left it and then returned to it, why?

Feel free to share if you like. I've known some of you on here awhile, and others I'm just meeting, but it'd be interesting to see where you come from.

I'll be sharing too

Well.. My background was in a Baptist church until I was about fifteen years old.. Then I set out on a search of other religions.. I think it was because I wante dto see if what people said about other religions was true or not.

I later found the Baha'i Faith when I was twenty five years old..and it has been my religion since then...through marriage and raising a family. For me the Faith has provided continued guidance and provided spiritual growth..

 

[DeviChaaya]

I was raised only nominally Christian. I converted to Hinduism over 5 years ago now. I was never christened or baptised either so I never really belonged to Christianity. Late this year or early next, however, I will undergo the Hindu name giving rite (namakrana samskara) and change my birth name.

 

[Revoltingest]

A Revolting Ode To Disbelief

Born ignorant of all religion,
and raised in that heathen tradition,
I've learned quite a lot,
& find that I've got
no reason to change this condition.

 

[Kathryn]

I was raised in a very Calvinistic, what I would call Protestant on steroids, home. My father worked for ten years full time in a ministry called The Navigators, which is non denominational and works mostly with active duty military personnel. It was a great upbringing for the most part, though over time I really began to doubt some spiritual concepts such as predestination and some people being "chosen" while others were "thrown into the fiery pit" with never even a chance of salvation.

In fact, at one point I became so disillusioned with the Presbyterian/Calvinist view of Christianity that I converted to Catholicism - which was an interesting spiritual journey in itself. Though my spiritual journey took me away from Catholicism eventually, I am grateful for the experience and the insight into the history of the Christian faith after the epistles were written.

My Christian faith has been very much shaken over the years, and I've had doubts and taken some side trips, but I've never lost my faith in God or my beliefs in the teachings of Jesus.

I remain a Christian - one who rejoices in God's grace, and who believes Jesus expected us to live by the spirit, rather than the letter, of the law. I apply this principle to my beliefs about the bible, about God, and about other faiths as well.

I think we're all in for some surprises when we cross over to the other side. God cannot be put in a box and slapped with a man made label.

 

[Storm]

I was raised nominally Christian, due to everyone in my family being devout, but Papa is an agnostic deist who focused on Enlightenment ethics and independent thought.

 

[Revoltingest]

I think we're all in for some surprises when we cross over to the other side.

I'll be surprised if there are surprises.

Geeze, that sounds stupid, now that I put it in writing.

God cannot be put in a box and slapped with a man made label.

 

[Kathryn]

Good try, but I bet He can get out of there.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

I have major problems with the idea of a "birth religion", but as far as religious influences growing up, I didn't really have religion pushed on me much growing up, but what influences I did have were Christian, primarily Baptist.

When I was little, we had a book of children's Bible stories that I would read occasionally, but it was never forced on me. I don't recall my Mom going to church until I was a tween, and while I was never told to come with her, I was welcome to come and did go occasionally. I found it pretty boring, and the kid's program awkward mainly because I didn't know the other people.

My main religious influence probably came from my grandmother. When I was little, I'd stay over at her house a fair bit, and if it ended up that I was there on a Sunday morning, she'd suggest going to church, but she wouldn't push it on me - if I was excited to ride the subway all day (when I was 8 or so, that was one of my favourite things to do. I was a weird kid, I know. ), she'd skip.church and take me to do what I wanted.

I'm not sure that I was ever so into religion that I had to "leave" per se. I remember when I was 13 or so, I found out that one of my classmates was VERY Christian - very devout, only listened to Christian music, all that. At the time, I was rather shocked: I simply couldn't wrap my head around the idea that anyone could take religion that seriously.

I don't know if this is what you're after, but looking back, I think that one of the big influences on my views on religion happened when I was around that same age... like grade 6 to grade 7 or 8. I got really into Greek mythology. I loved reading the stories - I had a kid's version of the Odyssey, as well as an "encyclopedia" of Greek mythology, and I read them over and over. The way they were presented to me as a kid, though, wasn't as literal fact; it was more as what ancient people believed, and something that can communicate meaningful messages through a non-literal interpretation, as well as being just fun, exciting stories.

Once I had this mindset in place about the Greek myths, I think I recognized the similarities in "storytelling feeling" (that's probably not the right term, but it's as close as I can get right now) between those myths and the Nativity story I'd get at our Christmas assemblies every year and the other Gospel stories I would get at my occasional visits to church, so I approached those stories in the same way: as vehicles to communicate meaning, but not as something that anyone would be expected to take literally. When I later found out that people do take these stories literally, I was very surprised.

 

[Gharib]

What religious background do you come from? Were you raised something other then you are now? Why did you leave it?

If you've remained in it, why? If you ever left it and then returned to it, why?

Feel free to share if you like. I've known some of you on here awhile, and others I'm just meeting, but it'd be interesting to see where you come from.

I'll be sharing too

Was born a Muslim, raised a Muslim, am a Muslim and hope to die a Muslim.

I was born to a Muslim family, but no one (even extended family) knew much about Islam, other than the obvious of not drinking alcohol, not eating pork, that there is only 1 god etc, all the basics.

Thinking back now, I would have preferred my family to have been more knowledgeable and more practicing. I began to learn more about Islam at around 15/16 on my own and have always loved it. My whole family is now more practicing and there is a great deal of knowledge flowing around.

That's my story.

p.s I have a question, why in the poll option when you view the poll or after you vote, only the word Muslim out of all others is in italic ie. Muslim?

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Eselam: it's in italics because that's what you voted for.

 

[Revoltingest]

Good try, but I bet He can get out of there.

Oh, yeah....next time I'll make it out of triple wall corrugated board!

 

[Gharib]

Eselam: it's in italics because that's what you voted for.

Me thinks you are bluffing?

Are you serious though, is that why?

 

[Koldo]

Me thinks you are bluffing?

Are you serious though, is that why?

Yes, that is why.