It all depends where you were born

[BebopBoy]

For the most part we inherit our opinions. We are the heirs of
habits and mental customs. Our beliefs, like the fashion of our
garments, depend on where we were born. We are molded and fashioned by our surroundings.

Environment is a sculptor -- a painter.

Thats a quote from an essay by some guy in the 1800's (ill get more info upon request). Basically it says, if you grow up in a christian household your christian when your an adult, and so on, you all know where im going. Now obvioulsy not EVERYONE is the same as their parents and whatnot, but whats everyones opinion on this?

 

[michel]

For the most part we inherit our opinions. We are the heirs of
habits and mental customs. Our beliefs, like the fashion of our
garments, depend on where we were born. We are molded and fashioned by our surroundings.

Environment is a sculptor -- a painter.

Thats a quote from an essay by some guy in the 1800's (ill get more info upon request). Basically it says, if you grow up in a christian household your christian when your an adult, and so on, you all know where im going. Now obvioulsy not EVERYONE is the same as their parents and whatnot, but whats everyones opinion on this?

I think that is very true - and it goes deeper than just religion.

I was born in Africa - where my parents emigrated in 1947; a culture of imigrants tends to try and maintain their culture, and so what often happens is that they don't 'keep up with modern trends'. Which means I was brought up in a sort of Pre-war environment - when I came to Europe I had a big Culture shock!

When you think about it it is normal - the immigrants want to feel comfortable, so they stick with their traditions.

Don't forget that studies have found that the character of a person is hard wired into his brain at a very early age, so that makes even more sense.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Then how do we explain my mom being an athiest, and my deep belief in Christianity???

 

[michel]

Then how do we explain my mom being an athiest, and my deep belief in Christianity???

The rebellious instinct of a child ?- and I can imagine that in you!:biglaugh:

and, don't forget that there is an exception to every rule!

 

[Unedited]

I think the religion we were brought up with has a lot to do with how we think about religion, but not necessarily are beliefs. For example, I've run into quite a few Wiccans who were raised Christian. They tended to want to worship by going to Church every Sunday, or wondered about the Wiccan Bible, or they celebrate Yule the same way they celebrated Christmas.

 

[michel]

I think the religion we were brought up with has a lot to do with how we think about religion, but not necessarily are beliefs. For example, I've run into quite a few Wiccans who were raised Christian. They tended to want to worship by going to Church every Sunday, or wondered about the Wiccan Bible, or they celebrate Yule the same way they celebrated Christmas.

I think there might also be a form of resentment at being dragged to Church every Sunday; I didn't have that - because religion was a taboo subject in my parent's house.

 

[robtex]

In a larger since religions are clustered. The middle east is heavily Muslim. The USA is predominatly Christian. India is over 81 % hindu. Africa is a large mix of Christian and Muslim. Central America is heavily Christian.

Not so much the parents but the religion of the region is a large factor. It would be hard for one to deny that a pattern exists of one or two religions being overwhelmingly the majority in many areas.

The pattern of the parents may exist to some degree and if anyone has stats on that it would be fun to see...like through a poll or something but I would concur with bebopboy except to say ones region instead of ones nuclear family has a cultural impact on their belief system.

 

[Katzpur]

For the most part we inherit our opinions. We are the heirs of
habits and mental customs. Our beliefs, like the fashion of our
garments, depend on where we were born. We are molded and fashioned by our surroundings.

Environment is a sculptor -- a painter.

Thats a quote from an essay by some guy in the 1800's (ill get more info upon request). Basically it says, if you grow up in a christian household your christian when your an adult, and so on, you all know where im going. Now obvioulsy not EVERYONE is the same as their parents and whatnot, but whats everyones opinion on this?

I think that, for the most part, you are absolutely right. I think one of the main things we learn from our parents (often by example) is our tolerance and respect for other people, people who look different than we do, act different than we do, and believe different than we do. If a person is born in a Christian household and is told from the time he is old enough to understand at all, that his Jewish friend down the street is bound for Hell, he will be more likely to believe that when he is an adult than he would be if he'd grown up in a Christian household where God's love for all His children is emphasized.

Kathryn

 

[may]

yes ,it is the general rule that we inherit our beliefs yet the bible foretold that God would take people from all nations to be his people , so it does not matter how we are taught in our youth , if Jehovah draws a person to him and he listens to the message that Jesus spoke about ...matthew 24;14then Jehovah will not be concerned about where a person was born only on his heart condition

After these things I saw, and, look! a great crowd, which no man was able to number, out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes; and there were palm branches in their hands. And they keep on crying with a loud voice, saying: "Salvation [we owe] to our God, who is seated on the throne, and to the Lamb....revelation 7;9-10

(Acts 4:12) Furthermore, there is no salvation in anyone else, for there is not another name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must get saved

And in response one of the elders said to me: "These who are dressed in the white robes, who are they and where did they come from?" So right away I said to him: "My lord, you are the one that knows." And he said to me: "These are the ones that come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb revelation 7;13;14....it does not matter to God what nation we belong to he is not concerned about that.
God, who long ago spoke on many occasions and in many ways to our forefathers by means of the prophets, has at the end of these days spoken to us by means of a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the systems of things...Hebrews 1;1-2

 

[michel]

That's all very true May, but not every child gets the opportunity or understands how to listen to God; I know I missed out there, in my early years.....and that was because Religion was taboo in our house.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Great scripture May.

 

[Jaymes]

I think, to a degree, it is true. There will always be people not satisfied with the answers they're given or what they see around them who will seek out other belief systems.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Great scripture reference, May!

 

[DreamQuickBook]

Then how do we explain my mom being an athiest, and my deep belief in Christianity???

Because,

Now obvioulsy not EVERYONE is the same as their parents and whatnot, but whats everyones opinion on this?"

He was merely pointing out, in general.

 

[Scuba Pete]

So,

do we have hard data on this? Or are we assuming that this is the case? Lots of assumptions my friend.

 

[Green Gaia]

Well it's true that religion is a vital part of culture, and the culture we are brought up in of course effects us. I think it's only been recently that people have started viewing religion as something separate from the culture, something that can be chosen, instead of just lived. If you look at ancient cultures, and some not so ancient ones, there was no distinction between religion and the rest of your life. It wasn't something that you did only on Sunday mornings, you lived it everyday, every moment and everything you did was influenced by your beliefs (how you saw the world and explained it). Religion today seems to have lost some of that cultural influence.

Of course today, Christian parents want their children to grow up to be Christians, Jewish parents for their children to remain observant Jewish law, Muslim parents for their children to follow the Qu'ran, ect. Until recently, I think most people did this, and of course many still do. But because this is the information age, people are learning and exploring other religions and ideas and are not always staying with what they were brought up with.

But yes, culture is still a major influence on religion, but maybe a little less than it used to be.

 

[Natas]

For the most part we inherit our opinions. We are the heirs of
habits and mental customs. Our beliefs, like the fashion of our
garments, depend on where we were born. We are molded and fashioned by our surroundings.

Environment is a sculptor -- a painter.

Thats a quote from an essay by some guy in the 1800's (ill get more info upon request). Basically it says, if you grow up in a christian household your christian when your an adult, and so on, you all know where im going. Now obvioulsy not EVERYONE is the same as their parents and whatnot, but whats everyones opinion on this?

I agree, and another way to put it is that people are a product of their environment, meaning [font=trebuchet ms, arial, helvetica]that they are conformists whose behavior is determined by tradition and the customs of the area in which they were raised. Whenever new environments are introduced, people conform while retaining at least part of their former beliefs.

If that isn't complex enough, multiply that by heredity and it's easy to see why there is such a diversity of opinion when it comes to religion or anything else for that matter.[/font]

 

[michel]

Well it's true that religion is a vital part of culture, and the culture we are brought up in of course effects us. I think it's only been recently that people have started viewing religion as something separate from the culture, something that can be chosen, instead of just lived. If you look at ancient cultures, and some not so ancient ones, there was no distinction between religion and the rest of your life. It wasn't something that you did only on Sunday mornings, you lived it everyday, every moment and everything you did was influenced by your beliefs (how you saw the world and explained it). Religion today seems to have lost some of that cultural influence.

Of course today, Christian parents want their children to grow up to be Christians, Jewish parents for their children to remain observant Jewish law, Muslim parents for their children to follow the Qu'ran, ect. Until recently, I think most people did this, and of course many still do. But because this is the information age, people are learning and exploring other religions and ideas and are not always staying with what they were brought up with.

But yes, culture is still a major influence on religion, but maybe a little less than it used to be.

I remember the other point I wanted to add. The influence, during the last 50-60 years in travel has also brought much more awareness of other's religions and cultures - perhaps something most 'ordinary' people would never have had the opportunity to experience before.

 

[may]

so if there is only one true God and he is going to have people from all nations gathered in spiritual unity it will happen no matter what . in fact the bible says

For then I shall give to peoples the change to a pure language, in order for them all to call upon the name of Jehovah, in order to serve him shoulder to shoulder....zepheniah 3;9 Gods word will always come true

And many peoples will certainly go and say: "Come, YOU people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths." For out of Zion law will go forth, and the word of Jehovah out of Jerusalem....isaiah 2;3



(Zechariah 8:23) "This is what Jehovah of armies has said, ‘It will be in those days that ten men out of all the languages of the nations will take hold, yes, they will actually take hold of the skirt of a man who is a Jew, saying: "We will go with YOU people, for we have heard [that] God is with YOU people."........so it looks like people will make choices to be instructed and speak the pure language, some say that the Jew is a litral Jew here but the bible tells us

But he is a Jew who is one on the inside, and [his] circumcision is that of the heart by spirit, and not by a written code. The praise of that one comes, not from men, but from God...Romans 2;29...so they must be spiritual Jews from all nations ,so i believe that it will not matter to God where we live or how we are raised because whan a person chooses to go with the true God he will be instructed in Gods waynot mans way.choices ,choices, choices.

​

 

[Valjean]

The point is that most people do not choose their religion on its merits. Few do a comprehensive comparative analysis of competing viewpoints before choosing a religious label. Most people do not really understand the finer points of even their own religion's theology and cannot explain how it distinguishes itself from competing sects.

Such people are in no position to to make any assertions of the superiority of their own religion over others -- and yet they so often do....

If you cannot make a good argument for all sides of a controversial topic, then you're either not familiar enough with it to have a valid opinion, or the issue was never really controversial.