Do you believe in god simply because you were raised to believe in god?

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   Vapid Mavenposted 12 years ago

   Do you believe in god simply because you were raised to believe in god?
   
   I am one who considers himself secualar but I ask this question because when I have had conversations about the existance of god with others it usually all comes down to that answer.

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2. 59

   hawkdad73posted 12 years ago

   I don't believe in God because I was raised to believe in God.

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3. 61

   Word Caddyposted 12 years ago

   I was raised to believe in god -- not forcibly so, but I went to a C of E school and the curriculum featured a fair amount of religion. We also visited church very regularly. However, I shed any and all beliefs as I grew up.

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   Emily Sparksposted 12 years ago

   No, I don't believe in God just because I was raised to.  I believe in God because I KNOW He exists.  He has proved Himself over and over to me.  Yes, I did grow up being taught about God, which I'm glad I was, but I am not blindly following.  I willingly put my faith in Jesus Christ when I was seven years old and accepted Him as my Lord and Saviour, and He saved me that day.  I live for God because He is my King and He has done so much for me and proved Himself again and again!

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   AntonOfTheNorthposted 12 years ago

   I was raised to believe in god (far from strict however), and still do, but my current beliefs are not seated specifically in any relgion. 
   
   What we believe now is never just a feature of our upbringing.  It is also a feature of our experiences since then.
   
   Someone brought up in one faith or another will continue that faith if they perceived it as a positive feature in their lives.  They will reject it if they perceive it as a negative one.
   
   And if they trust their parents, 'because my parents do' is a valid response for them, the same way we believe the statement preceeded by 'studies have shown', because that indicates that some study has been correctly performed, (assuming that we value study data over or equal to our own experience.)
   
   No one keeps a survival mechanism that doesn't work for them.
   
   Those who feel people follow a belief only because their parents did are missing a critical point, and devaluing the individual experience that results in the decision to continue the belief they were brought up in.
   
   Now, do their experiences reveal the truth?  Or are they wrong? 
   
   That's subject to opinion.
   
   cheers

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6. 61

   prettylittlewhimsposted 12 years ago

   Interesting question...I guess yes. I know there's God because I am taught that there is God. But to believe in God, you are on your own to actually experience God.
   
   I think there's a difference between knowing there is God and believing in God...
   
   Thanks for this thought-provoking question! This is actually the only time I seriously think about this:D

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   Grime Remixposted 12 years ago

   Thank you for this question.  I was introduced to the Christian religion through upbringing but was not forced to believe.  I was actually allowed to be curious, explore and challenge religion.  I'm grateful for that because this allows me to show respect for all beliefs while firm with what I believe.

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8. 92

   rajan jollyposted 12 years ago

   I think one is raised to believe in God as a child. Later, as one develops the power of intellect and reasoning, he finds the hand of God in all that he sees happening around him.
   For someone who isn't raised to believe in God, he might or might not believe in Him as an adult.

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9. 61

   MilesArmbrusterposted 11 years ago

   Actually, I was raised to be an atheist. I was raised to put my faith in medicine and technology and the principles of social humanism. I spent years developing arguments against God. Those were the saddest days of my life. Now that I believe in God, those years of science and argumentation help me to understand better than I might have, and I am certainly open minded, but my atheistic upbringing did not help me in any way.

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