a question about religion Options

[Mulder]

i was thinking about why im agnostic. and i realized, its because i was raised in a christian community, not a jewish one. i never developed jewish ties.


so i was wondering, how do you feel about a child growing up in a community whose major religion is not their own? do you think its bad? do you think that children should grow up in their religious community only? what about public schools?

and i searched. i really did.

[*disco infiltrator*]

In the end, people will ultimately make their own decisions and think through things themselves, no matter where they grow up or in what environment. I know lots of people who were raised strongly Christian and turned out pretty strongly Atheist. It depends on the will of the person to stick to what they believe.

And, Judaism is pretty similar to Christianity in a lot of the teachings, besides the whole Jesus being the Savior thing, so it probably wouldn't have been that different for you.

[*mona lisa*]

I agree with Sammi. Your surroundings may have some part in it, but it's pretty much what you truly believe in. I'm Hindu and used to live in a mixed, but mostly Christian neighborhood and am now living in a Jewish community. You will hardly find any Hindus here, but I'm still Hindu. I don't have any thoughts about converting to any other religion. Yup, it's all in the head.

Children shouldn't have to grow up in a religious community because in my opinion, it limits your knowledge. They can get used to seeing people from that main religion and there's not much interaction with other people. They won't be open to other people and other religions/cultures etc. Of course, this all depends on other factors. One being the individual or how long they spend in a religious community...

[*not_your_average*]

Well, I was raised Hindu as well, and even though they have good values, I just can't bring myself to be a religious person. Which is why I am an atheist.

[_suzie_]

Children shouldn't have to grow up in a religious community because in my opinion, it limits your knowledge.

as much as i agree with that, there is another side. i mean, i consider my ethics teacher one of the only true christians ive EVER met in my life, and if i hadn't gone to a catholic school i never would have had the chance to be taught by her. she's a great person and i duno what i would have done without her guidance. she never foreced her views on anyone, and even encouraged people to find themselves even if it meant believing differently than how they were brought up.

Being able to have that experience has really allowed me to grow as an individual, and develop my own mind rather than be a blind sheep as you'd expect from a non-religiously-mixed school. Come to think of it, not alot of people in my year are christian at all in their hearts.

so i guess, ur right, but it really depends on the forces influencing you and what theyre intent is. and a great deal of thought and searching is needed by the individual too, i think

im not too sure what i am right now. i believe theres one god and the world religions interpret him in their own way, often in a bigotted way, and this causes conflict and war. which sucks. so im in the process of coming to terms with what i believe , and asking myself questions i havent really asked before, abbout possibilities etc. argh im ranting! ahah sorry!

[acid_high]

I think that where you live won't decided your religion that's for you to find out on your own and I'm not just talking about your parents forcing it down your throat but you going out into the world by your self and figuring it out

[*mona lisa*]

as much as i agree with that, there is another side. i mean, i consider my ethics teacher one of the only true christians ive EVER met in my life, and if i hadn't  gone to a catholic school i never would have had the chance to be taught by her. she's a great person and i duno what i would have done without her guidance. she never foreced her views on anyone, and even encouraged people to find themselves even if it meant believing differently than how they were brought up.
 
  Being able to have that experience has really allowed me to grow as an individual, and develop my own mind rather than be a blind sheep as you'd expect from a non-religiously-mixed school. Come to think of it, not alot of people in my year are christian at all in their hearts.

so i guess, ur right, but it really depends on the forces  influencing you and what theyre intent is. and a great deal of thought and searching is needed by the individual too, i think

im not too sure what i am right now. i believe theres one god and the world religions interpret him in their own way, often in a bigotted way, and this causes conflict and war. which sucks. so im in the process of coming to terms with what i believe , and asking myself questions i havent really asked before, abbout possibilities etc. argh im ranting! ahah sorry!

No no, I see where you're coming from. As well, I added this onto my earlier post:

Of course, this all depends on other factors.

:)

[sharpandcuddly]

I don't think that your surrounding area has much to do with what you believe. I grow up in the south, every half a mile there is a church, mostly baptist. I've been to hundreds of churches and I just can't find myself totally believing what they say. I've come to my own decisions, that sure there may be something out there, but what I don't know.

[*mona lisa*]

I don't think that your surrounding area has much to do with what you believe.  I grow up in the south, every half a mile there is a church, mostly baptist.  I've been to hundreds of churches and I just can't find myself totally believing what they say.  I've come to my own decisions, that sure there may be something out there, but what I don't know.

But see, that doesn't happen to everyone. Some aren't as strong-willed as you seem to be.

[Mikael]

im jewish. i grew up in a normal, diverse enviornment i guess. but im still down with my J side.

[unicocira]

i was thinking about why im agnostic. and i realized, its because i was raised in a christian community, not a jewish one. i never developed jewish ties.
so i was wondering, how do you feel about a child growing up in a community whose major religion is not their own? do you think its bad? do you think that children should grow up in their religious community only? what about public schools?

and i searched. i really did.

hmm...don't get me wrong if I may sound offensive..I don't mean to. But understand that just because you were raise in a christian commnunity doesn't mean that you know what it's really about. Also you can't expect people to show you or give you the answers to the truth. Because people will fail you, people will have different views of what truth is. If you really want the answer, You need to do the seeking on your own, not for communities, surrounding to give you an answer. Also you should seek God or gods.

[HuGzNKissEs]

I dont really feel that being brought up in a religious community can affect a person's decision as to what they will believe. My small town is mostly catholic, with the catholic church being the reason for the town's name and all. My father is a strong catholic (my mother non-denom.) and I've been surrounded my strong catholic views my whole life. Yet I choose to differ a bit from catholisism(sp?). I am still catholic, however. Priests, adult leaders, and seminarians from my church have all sat me down & told me many reasons why I should believe in confession and things as such...but i still dont. So its all basically what you've found to be truthful in your own experiences.

[vash1530]

it depends on the person because some are more impression able tha others. also some people arn't raised ina close community.

[aera]

i went to a christian elementary school and ended up athiest. people will choose what to believe in despite what they were taught, even though i personally think most of them don't really belive in their religion all that much.

[The_AZN_Godfathe...]

I don't think we should divide up communities and limit them to a certain "group" or religion. Then we get back to the world of "segregation." Remember?

[ParanoidAndroid]

I think it depends on the religious community itself. If the community is welcoming and open to other cultures and religios and is willing to share their own culture, then I think thats a descent place to race a child, but if the community is out to convert the kid, then they have to move

[FoxBandCutie08]

I believe that if a religion is strongly forced upon you, you will learn to retaliate against it. Forcing things on people eventually teaches them to either develop a strong hate for it or accept it in fear of being punished. I believe parents shouldn't force religion on their kids, if you believe in God, you must find that belief on your own, driving it into someone is not going to make them believe the way they should. I'm agnostic, but I respect other people's religious beliefs. I think that your religious belief is something you should aquire on your own, free of your family's or friend's opinions.

[MFDOOM]

Honest to Doom truth is that a child's mind will be manipulated and tampered with just so he/she will believe what their parents (or guardian) believed.

Conditioning.

[MFDOOM]

Honest to Doom truth is that a child's mind will be manipulated and tampered with just so he/she will believe what their parents (or guardian) believed.

Conditioning.

[NoSex]

It's pretty simply to realize the truth here. Notice how geographical religious belief is. You may be hard pressed to find an Shintoist walking about at your local mall. However, no problem finding them in Japan. You know what you probably won't find in Japan though? A Christian.

Religious belief is highly geographical because of the power adults have an impressionable youth. What do you think getting them into church functions at an early age does to them? It's like intellectual rape. Isn't it awesome?!

[*mipadi*]

Religious belief is highly geographical because of the power adults have an impressionable youth. What do you think getting them into church functions at an early age does to them? It's like intellectual rape. Isn't it awesome?!

That's something that's practically unavoidable. Not exposing a child to religion could be considered "intellectual rape" as well; thus, the only acceptable way to expose a child to religion is to expose them to all religions, which is impractical at best.

Along the same lines, one could say that exposing children to any set of ideas is "intellectual rape".

But I don't think the human mind is so cementable. I went to church as a child, yet I am now an atheist; I was hardly "intellectually raped". Children can learn to reason and develop their own ideas, even if they are pre-exposed to a specific set of ideas.

[NoSex]

That's something that's practically unavoidable. Not exposing a child to religion could be considered "intellectual rape" as well; thus, the only acceptable way to expose a child to religion is to expose them to all religions, which is impractical at best.

Along the same lines, one could say that exposing children to any set of ideas is "intellectual rape".

But I don't think the human mind is so cementable. I went to church as a child, yet I am now an atheist; I was hardly "intellectually raped". Children can learn to reason and develop their own ideas, even if they are pre-exposed to a specific set of ideas.

Sure this may be entirely true. Somehow though, I think telling a child that "this is the only way" and otherwise you will "burn for eternity" is bit more abrasive and hostile towards the freedom of intellectual choice of that child.

You can expose a child to any set of ideas, or religions, or not, and that does not, in my opinion, automatically classify it as 'intellectual rape.'

I believe it becomes intellectual rape when you make the child feel as if they are doing something wrong, will be wronged, or have something great to lose if they do not adhere to said belief or set of ideas. Not all human minds are the same, you might not have cemented into your early religious upbringing, I didn't either. However, that is not to say that many have.

It can be a very difficult ordeal, as you grow older, to seperate from those ideas that were pounded into your mind as a child. Being told that this is right, and this is wrong constantly. Being pressured into belief, looked down upon if different. These become serious issues when thinking over a belief or idea rationally.

When these issues become so serious that they can detour a person from freethought, I think there is definately a problem.

I think there is a significant difference in saying, "Check this out... it's interesting. See what you think," and saying, "Believe it die."

Actually. I think we agree? Maybe not?

[Ington]

In the end, people will ultimately make their own decisions and think through things themselves, no matter where they grow up or in what environment. I know lots of people who were raised strongly Christian and turned out pretty strongly Atheist. It depends on the will of the person to stick to what they believe.

And, Judaism is pretty similar to Christianity in a lot of the teachings, besides the whole Jesus being the Savior thing, so it probably wouldn't have been that different for you.

Actually, though the teachings are similar, the two cultures are completely different. It is much different growing up in a Jewish society than a Christian one.

However, I do agree with Sammi about the will of a person deciding what they want to be. I grew up in a Christian community, and still live in it. However, I am completely Jewish. It matters what you believe is right.

And MF Doom, you're right as well. Many kids are brainwashed into it. However, if they aren't able to question what they think they know at any point of their lives, they're just stupid. They're the ones who drink cyanide laced Kool Aid.

[NoSex]

They're the ones who drink cyanide laced Kool Aid.

What's wrong with that? It's my favorite flavor!

They're also the Pat Robertsons.

[*kryogenix*]

Actually it was Flavor Aid, not Kool Aid.

And I see no problem with growing up in a religious community as long as they actually do their best to understand what they're learning instead of regurgitating "Amen!" everytime someone says something.