What If You Were Born Another Religion?

[Alien]

I recently signed up and have been reading what people have had to say about a lot of different topics. I didn't see any particular topics about the one I'm presenting. I am curious to know though, to some of the people who are zealous or even moderate with their religious views, what would you do if you were born into another religion? Would you still have the same beleifs? Would this nullify the God you have now since you would be brought up to know of another God? By God, I'm referring to the highest being specific to that religion. After all, we only beleive ideas that were drilled into our heads when we were young. Some of us have learned to form our own...others haven't.

 

[Rhizomatic]

I have never practiced a religion that I was born into, so I doubt that my religious history would be that different.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I was born into a Catholic/Christian household and never believed any of that crap, so I doubt I'd have a different response to any other religion, seeing that the reason I don't believe in one, is the same reason why I don't believe in any of them.

 

[Mister Emu]

I am curious to know though, to some of the people who are zealous or even moderate with their religious views, what would you do if you were born into another religion?

No idea... I can't accurately expound upon experiences I've never, and never will be able to, have.

I can say that if I'd had the same experiences I've had aside from my childhood, I can't see me being anything other than what I am...

After all, we only beleive ideas that were drilled into our heads when we were young.

This is false.

 

[Alien]

No idea... I can't accurately expound upon experiences I've never, and never will be able to, have.

I can say that if I'd had the same experiences I've had aside from my childhood, I can't see me being anything other than what I am...


This is false.

First of all you took only a portion of what I said and quoted it. I said afterwards, some of us choose to beleive them and some form their own ideas.

Second...False why? You didn't beleive in santa when you were young? tooth fairy? You didn't beleive in ANYTHING you were taught? You were just born with the wealth of the universe? No idea was ever shared with you? This isn't false, when you're young, adults teach you. This is called school.

 

[LuisDantas]

I don't think I could ever come to believe in any god, regardless of which culture I was born into.

Although I suppose I could be a bit less militant in my atheism if I had different parents.

 

[Alien]

Also Mister Emu.
How did you come to be Christian if no one shared the ideas of christianity with you? You made it up on your own? Obviously not, these ideas were shared with you when you were young and through the course of your life you have accepted and beleive them. This is why you are Christian.

 

[YmirGF]

Welcome to the nuthouse known as RF, Alien from Queens. Are you a legal alien or no? Extraterrestrial or terrestrial? :flirt:

I am curious to know though, to some of the people who are zealous or even moderate with their religious views, what would you do if you were born into another religion?

If I am understanding this the way you have intended it it is unlikely that one could give an accurate answer as their life would have been completely different. I am from a long line of staunch atheists, so it is unlikely that my attitudes would have been similar had I been raised in a religiously observant family. In my household, "Oh god" was synonymous with "good grief" and "go to hell" wasn't meant literally - well, most of the time. It's not like we believed in Hell. Also, "Jesus Christ" was considered a form of objection or indignation rather than an object of devotion.

Would you still have the same beleifs?

That is impossible to say, in my opinion. If you change small elements during the formative years the results could be considerable. It's not like life is predetermined and that my path is etched in stone regardless of the rock I come across on my way. My path creates itself, so I may not have come to that juncture had I been saddled with unnecessary religious trappings.

Would this nullify the God you have now since you would be brought up to know of another God? By God, I'm referring to the highest being specific to that religion.

I have largely moved beyond "god" concepts and usually only refer to "god" when talking to others. In my day to day world, "God" is irrelevant. I do sense "something" "out there" but am not so arrogant that I claim to know exactly what it is. I think those who claim to know of a "god" are simply demonstrating a form of arrogance. The simple fact is that they cannot prove their assertions and subjective perceptions are valid so there is little point in making the bold assertion. Well, you asked.

After all, we only beleive ideas that were drilled into our heads when we were young.

That is simply NOT true for all people, I can assure you. You are ignoring experience and the learning process itself, though I will concede that many do simply validate their suspicions given the most tenuous "evidence". What can I say? Some have their bar of proof rigged with training wheels.

Some of us have learned to form our own...others haven't.

To an extent, I do agree, but I can't help but think of sweet little kids that believe in Santa Claus. Would you deliberately dash their childish hopes and dreams with a cold splash of reality or would you rather them just stumble through, as best as they can, and figure it all out for themselves at their own leisure.

 

[Mister Emu]

I said afterwards, some of us choose to beleive them and some form their own ideas.

I did not take issue with that statement, thus no response. Some people, indeed, do not learn to form their own ideas.

Second...False why?

The young, which can encompass quite a few years depending on how you define it, do not only believe things taught to them. Young persons can formulate beliefs, I won't speak to their accuracy though ...

No idea was ever shared with you?

I have no idea how you drew anything resembling this from my statement...

How did you come to be Christian if no one shared the ideas of christianity with you?

I do not recall implying that no one taught me the Christian beliefs.

This is why you are Christian.

I am Christian because I have had experiences which can be explained in few other ways, such as personal insanity which I reject , than Christianity being true.

Might I be Christian without these experiences? Perhaps, but I cannot say for sure...

 

[MissAlice]

I was never brought up into a fervently religious household. My parents left it up to us kids. Both my grandparents were the ones that gave us some experience into their own faiths which in some ways was enriching, I felt it more educational than religious.

As a child, I had trouble in believing the abrahamic concept of god, but and I don't know who or what ingrained me with this, I use to believe in "god" that love "his" children unconditionally. Perhaps there were some christianic influences such as "jesus" that may have influenced this belief.

 

[logician]

I recently signed up and have been reading what people have had to say about a lot of different topics. I didn't see any particular topics about the one I'm presenting. I am curious to know though, to some of the people who are zealous or even moderate with their religious views, what would you do if you were born into another religion? Would you still have the same beleifs? Would this nullify the God you have now since you would be brought up to know of another God? By God, I'm referring to the highest being specific to that religion. After all, we only beleive ideas that were drilled into our heads when we were young. Some of us have learned to form our own...others haven't.

I would say the great majority of people end up practicing or at least claiming the religion they were born into, tradition plays an important role.:sleep:

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I would say the great majority of people end up practicing or at least claiming the religion they were born into, tradition plays an important role.:sleep:

Or, geography, at least.

 

[MissAlice]

I would say the great majority of people end up practicing or at least claiming the religion they were born into, tradition plays an important role.:sleep:

Yes...yes I think this is so true. :yes:

Human behaviors seem close to that of sheep when it comes to following a popular mass or trend, which is how I would define blind faith but who's watching.


*Yawns*

 

[Alien]

Ah, so that is my point Mr Emu. You did NOT create christianity. In fact, it's something you chose to accept into your life. Or did it choose you? Either way you conformed to its ways, you grew up beleiving what other people said you should beleive...not what you wanted to. If you can say you only beleive what you wanted and disregarded the things that were not applicable to you, then how good if a christian are you? I guess it all depends on where you're born. ::shrugs:: disagree?

 

[Runlikethewind]

Fact is, religion (or lack thereof) can be a huge influence on who a person is at their very core. If one were born into another religion (or no religion for those born into religion) they would be a fundamentally different person and would react to things in different ways. So the only real way that one could answer this question is to assume that religion is the only element which is changed and that fundamentally a person would be the same person and think the same way. And so this is how I will choose to answer the question.

I do not believe in the same way that I did when I was a child. I was raised a Catholic and remain a Catholic but my faith has matured and grown from a sort of childish blind faith into a more well reasoned faith. So if this same process were to hold true in another religion then, it would all depend on what religion I was born into. If I were born into a fundamentalist Christian sect, for example, I doubt that I would have remained. It seems likely that I would have given up religion entirely or converted to a more liberal protestantism. Given my history with drugs and alcohol I would suppose that I would have used the intellectual holes in fundamentalist Christianity as an excuse to abandon God and live a life of hedonism.

 

[Gentoo]

I was born into a Catholic family... that didn't stop me from exploring other options.

 

[Commoner]

To an extent, I do agree, but I can't help but think of sweet little kids that believe in Santa Claus. Would you deliberately dash their childish hopes and dreams with a cold splash of reality or would you rather them just stumble through, as best as they can, and figure it all out for themselves at their own leisure.

I think you're overestimating the percentage of "kids" that figure it out for themselves. Ridicule, on the other hand, is very effective...We get rid of such notions, because we are expected to. No such thing is expected of us when it comes to gods - at least not the popular ones.

 

[Raithie]

If you look at India - the vast majority are Hindus.
If you look at Turkey or Suadia Arabia etc., the vast majority are Muslims.

This is because of their upbringing and society - it doesn't stop them from exploring other options, but children are incredibly impressionable and generally tend to adopt the views of their parents and culture on things such as religion etc.

Hence, it is pretty safe to say that the majority of people born in _____ will end up being _____.

It's human nature to follow tradition. That's a pretty good argument against theism in itself.

 

[Smoke]

I'm tempted to say the mainstream Protestantism I was brought up in has influenced me mainly by producing an aversion to mainstream Protestantism, but if I hadn't had a Christian background I might have gone straight into Buddhism without wasting much time on Christianity at all. As it is, I embraced Eastern Orthodoxy in my twenties and left it in my forties, and that's left an indelible mark on me. Although I no longer accept the tenets of Orthodoxy, it influenced my way of thinking so much that I can't imagine what I'd be like without it. I think it makes me a better and more mindful Buddhist -- not that I'm a particularly good or mindful Buddhist; I'm just saying, it could have been worse.

 

[Alien]

Sometimes when I read these posts about the "gods" and "god" talk I feel like I'm watching an episode of Stargate. It's funny though because when I watch it on scifi it's all fiction to me and I :: it off as I usually do with TV shows. I guess the interesting part is religion always seems made up and not so believable when it's not yours. Doesn't it feel like sometimes we're looking at everybody else like, how silly are you to actually believe that? I think people need to take that same step back and be subjective, they might see the unravelling scifi show I'm experiencing as I read. Not to say your religion is made up, but if everything has a creator...