What made you first 'think' about Religion ?

[michel]

This is actually an adjunct to the thread about young guys going wrong. When I helped out with the 'Sams', I noticed that a high percentage of the volunteers had suffered, at some time, from bad depression, and had (most of them) 'wanted to die'.

It seems to me, from some of the 'sharing of bad experiences' that there may be a parallel here. How many of you actually started your interest in morals, philosophy and religion because of a 'not too good' upbringing ?

 

[Unedited]

When I first went to church, I simply did not believe in what I was being told. I thought God was like the tooth fairy or Santa Claus, because I was told that those stories I’d heard when I was younger were just that. I became an atheist the day I learned the word, but at the time I thought there were only those who believed, and those who didn’t.

It wasn’t until I was 14 that I started exploring other religions. And because I feel I can be neither blunt nor subtle on the subject, I’ll just say that I can probably be counted as one of those people.

 

[Lightkeeper]

Religion has always been part of my life. My family was not devout, but we occasionaly went to church. We said prayers and there was not a lot of talk about religion. Because it wasn't pushed on my I was able to do my own seeking and studying and form my own philosophies.

 

[Jaymes]

Ever since I was young I was immersed in Christian churches. Everyone in my family would go to church. My grandparents would go every Sunday, and my mom and I used to go, but abruptly stopped when I was about 6 or 7. I think that may have had to do with the affair my dad had.

At any rate, I first started really thinking about it when I was young and in church and just didn't feel what other people seemed to feel. Church was a chore for me. It wasn't fun, it didn't make me feel any closer to God. Besides, I hated wearing dresses.

It wasn't until a few years ago that I got to the concept that it was possible for me to not be a Christian. This was about the time I entered high school and met a few Wiccans and atheists. It was also a time that I became very, very depressed and had started self-injury. It was then that I really started thinking about religion, and it wasn't until another year that I stopped being a Christian.

 

[jewscout]

I spent much of my freshman year of college looking over different faiths...i just felt a need to find a way for me to best associate w/ the Divine...it took me a long time to find that path...

 

[Lycan]

dinosaurs...

 

[No*s]

I'd really have to say it was a discussion on the resurrection. I was pretty much "I could care less" before that.

 

[michel]

I'd really have to say it was a discussion on the resurrection. I was pretty much "I could care less" before that.

So Bang goes my theory !!!!!!!!!

 

[Druidus]

I used to be a Christian (Roman Catholic), and I blindly followed up to and including my confirmation. Then, I started noticing things. I got involved in some meditation, and psionics. This lead to a branching of interests, and I started searching for meaning from hotbot. I couldn't understand "why" (still can't, I like to think on such questions but sometimes get depressed about them). I started changing my beliefs, if subconciously. Eventually, I was only a Roman Catholic outwardly, in secret, I was something else. I kept searching for answers and meaning, kind of a spiritual quest. I ended up on a number of Druidic sites, and the idea fit with me perfectly. Took me a while to profess my conversion to my parents, and I never did tell the local parish (didn't go back to church). I suppose officially, the Roman Catholic Church still recognizes me as one of them. Oh well. Soon enough, I found RF, and it was an exploration into new and fertile grounds of intelligent conversation and debate. I've loved it ever since.

What sparked me religiously? My quest for answers.

 

[Master Vigil]

Before my introduction to the spirit world, I just did what other catholics did. Went to church, and believed what they taught. But it wasn't until my spirit guides started to teach me, that I really started to "think" about religion.

 

[robtex]

I was an advit reader of philosphy in high school (as opposed to avid reader of my homework assignments), and Immanual Kant was my largest intro into religion as a kid. I looked at Christianity at college toyed with it and dimissed it becoming agnostic but really ignorant to religons in gerneral outside of Christianity. Living in the south even if you don't go to church it is almost impossible not to know a fair amount of that religion because of the high percentage of people who promote and propogate it down here.

When I turned 32 I was dating a woman who I feel for really hard and when we broke up I was 34 and really depressed. My first major depression of my life. I felt an emotional void and went looking at religions and about a year later I found UU at the age of 35. I may have still been 34..it would have been really close. I became an atheist this year after UU research, personal readings and online debates here and other places that I don't visit any more.

 

[Green Gaia]

Despite going to church 3 times a week, every week when I was growing up, I never really thought about religion until I begin to question it.