Did you choose your religion or was it assigned?

How many of you chose your religion through research and soul searching or were born into the religion you now worship ?

My parents weren't very pushy in the religion department. We weren't church goers but early on they taught me all the main tenets of Christianity. My mom went to college when I started kindergarten and after studying world history, philosophy, and logic could no longer believe the religion she was raised with. My dad also seems to have lost his faith; he still believes in some sort of benevolent creator but he doesn't think much of organized religion.

No doubt my mom's atheism was an influence on me. I did spend some time thinking about what I believe though. My older brother is a devout Catholic and my oldest brother seems pretty agnostic when I talk to him.

I did have times when I doubted Atheism. At one point I felt drawn to the Baha'I faith; primary because I liked a lot of that church's teachings said about universal brotherhood. I also felt drawn to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) because I admire many of the things their followers have done (they were early opponents to slavery, early proponets of woman's sufferage, humane treatment of the mentally ill and prisioners, etc). The thing is that as an atheist I can be completely eclectic. I can take the best of all worldviews without having to deal with any of the stuff I disagree with. When looked at this way being an atheist seems very empowering and liberating.

I was born into christianity..I remember when I was younger my dad made sure that I woke up early on Sunday mornings to go to church...I still believe in God today even though I don't go to church as often as I should..

Both I grew up in my church left and after many years of study came back.

I chose my religion. My parents didn't think it was right to teach a child of religion before they knew what it meant. I was able to develop my own views on things as I got older.

My mother and grandmother brought me up to know the Bible and go to church. Having given me that kind of education, they left my choice of religion up to me. I think that in some ways they might have been surprised when I chose to give my life to Jesus!

I was born into Christianity, but my parents let me make the choice of whether or not I wanted to stay a Christian. Even if you religion is assigned, it doesn't really mean it is your religion. If you don't believe it, its not your religion no matter how much you go to church. Or how much you may act like it on the outside.

I was raised catholic. They tried to indoctrinate me with parochial school, but I remember having doubts at a very early age. I call myself a recovering catholic now. I think most people are "assigned" their religion as you put it. I was, until I did a little "research and soul searching" and realized it was only mythology.

I'm a Christians myself and I don't believe people can choose in themselves there religion. I believe God himself choze his Children.

Matt18091 -

Well then, you MUST be Jewish. We are the Chosen People.

I was born in christianity and raised in it...I dont have any plains to change it...im happy wit it lol...I agree wit stephanie...your really not assigned to one...you choose what you want to be

My parents weren't pushy about religion either. They were both Jewish and I attended temple until I was 16. I quit going the day after my Confirmation. I raised my son in a very liberal religious environment. He attended comparative religions classes, studied the Bible, Torah, Qur'an. In the end he decided to be a Reformed Jew.

My fantastic, wonderful, amazing parents chose to let my sister and I make our own decisions and conclusions regarding religion. I feel grateful that I didn't waste hours at Church as a child, and grateful that I can make my own decisions without feeling guilty or forced to conform to any particular religion.

editor - great parents! Free choice is one of the greatest gifts a parent has to offer.

I went through that research and soul searching and concluded religions are nothing more than man made belief systems unrooted in any reality at all.

So I no longer have a religion.

Speaking from a Christian standpoint...

The bible says that we are to come to know Christ personally.

It calls this, being born again.

It means that we are not just following rules and regulations...

But, that we have come to personally know...

the God of the universe.

Amazing.. but, true.

And even more amazing...

it is available to whosoever will...

Seek and ye shall find, knock and the door, shall be opened...

Once you meet the savior, and get to really know him...

you will not need to seek any further.

Do not stop... at what others have told you...

Find out for yourself.

God will answer, if you seek with your whole heart.

As a child the religion that I was, baptized in was the Lutheran church and that was assigned to me.
But, as I grew older, I decided to do some searching on my own and, that's how I found the truth by attending a church that I love so much which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I chose this particular religion because its true and, I felt the spirit right away once I spoke with the missionaries.
So, I'm currently a Latter-Day Saint which is my chosen religion and will never leave!!

I never had a religion when I was growing up. My parents just made sure I was informed on all different religions for as long as I can remember. They never told me to be a certain one. I chose not to have any religion because I think that all they do is cause conflict and disrupt peace (maybe short-term happiness but never long-term peace). That is why I am atheist.

I grew up in the church of god and now after learning a lot of god and building my realationship wiht him I have chosen to not have a religion- I am non-denominational. I believe that if you hve a reliegion to follow it just pus your relationship with god in a box and all that matters is you and god. Don't get me wrong having a religion isn't bad- I just choose to explore god just me and him.

god bless

I personally didn't grow up with religion and I sitll do not have an organized religion in my life. I like living freely and being able to believe what I believe.

I was born into catholosisym my entire family is catholic...I do like some of the catholic religion's traditions...but im thinking of switching...soon...to another form of christian.

My extended family is catholic, and when I was young I didn't even believe any of it. I thought how can it be true if it is only in a book, how can they know for sure? And I thought the Bible was just a traditional fairytale, I simply didn't believe it. I thought it was just stories to tell kids on issues such as death, and to make people feel special. But I thought it would be rude to say so.
When I had learned about other religions I thought, well they just follow that cause it's nice and family traditional and helps them be good people. But I didn't think people really believed it.