Where does your faith come from?

[LucyDuke]

So, how did you come to your faith?

Did you have a sudden revelation? Were you "saved"? Did you study and come gradually to something that worked for you? Have you stuck with a religion you were assigned at birth?

This is perfectly applicable to atheists as well. Did you reject a religion you used to buy into? Were you simply raised without it and never found a need?

Also, no fair saying "I was born with it". It's very nice if you think that, but it's not a meaningful contribution.

What I'm most interested in is the "born again" moments, that serendipitous realization that you know "the truth". Have you experienced that? What were its implications?

 

[De Lorimier]

Born and raised Catholic, my faith came from my parents. During my formative teenage years, the concept of a higher being seemed more and more ridiculous and childish. I realized I didn't believed anymore during a classic conversation with a friend about the universe and everything in it at fifteen or sixteen. It just hit me. "This is ********" I thought. Voila!

 

[nc-1701]

Well
I was raised Atheist, and well untill recently I didn't even think about religon. I now see it as illogical, and unecessary.

 

[Erik Mesoy]

Born and raised, became sure of it when I a) prayed and felt God's presence [El_Machinae will probably have something to say on this], b) did works in Jesus' name.

 

[Masquerouge]

I was raised in a Catholic background. My mom is a practicing Catholic and I used to go to church with her. I also went to the equivalent of Sunday School, except that it was on Wednesdays.
However it was mostly to either please my mom, or be with my friends. It was never because I felt the need - as far as I can remember I never thought God really existed. I was much more into reading scientifical stuff, and thus I saw most of the Bible as a nice fairy tale.
My dad was not going to Church with us every Sunday, but for the big events, baptism, Christmas, etc. he was always there. My grandparents are also devout Catholics.

As I grew up I got really tired of pretending. I kept doing so, however, mostly because I did not want to fight with my mom, and because my little brothers and sisters were going through the same process as I did, and even more since they were not baptized at birth. I thought it was important that I showed my support even though I did not believe in it at all. I did not want to spoil what might have been a budding faith. So I just kept on pretending.

Once I left home to pursue my studies I was finally able not to pretend anymore and it was a huge relief. Sure, when my little brother got baptized I went to Church, but again more because it was a family thing for him, but I did not have to do it on a daily basis.

Since then I've discussed religion with my parents a lot. I admire my mom. I think she's got a great thing in her faith, even though her stance is much more Protestant than Catholic. She can't stand the Pope and the Catholic church hierarchy, but the Catholic network is a lot stronger and more developped than the Protestant one in France and so she stays Catholic. I discussed with her how we were raised into religion. Her basic argument, which I agree with, was that Catholing teachings are also culturally important, and getting a Catholic education and having to go to mass every Sunday didn't prevent me from going Atheist anyway.
From my dad, I learned a couple of years ago that he had a really bad experience with his Catholic school. Really bad, as in he got abused. So that sure did not help him have faith.

 

[GenMarshall]

So, how did you come to your faith?

I was baptized as an infant in the Roman Catholic Church. that's where it ultamately started. However I was not interested in religion until in my early 20s.

Also, no fair saying "I was born with it". It's very nice if you think that, but it's not a meaningful contribution.

Sorry, but I am going to put that in, mainly because my journey is a complex one .

Did you have a sudden revelation?

You might say that after my Grandfather (Whom I was close to) passed away. Plus my biological father's side of the family are mainly Roman Catholic.

Were you "saved"?

Didint I say that I had an infant baptism? And no, I did not had to get rebaptized because I was already baptized in the trinitarian formula.

Did you study and come gradually to something that worked for you?

I went through RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) because I did not go through catechism classes when I was younger. I found that the religion itself worked for me, The idea of a hyped "HALEULA!" Protestant Churches just kind of turns me off mainly because I prefer a more silent and calm devotion to God. I also incorporated a few philosophical concept from Buddhism which brings in added help to my spirituality and mind.

Have you stuck with a religion you were assigned at birth?

If you mean that I was a cradle Catholic and stayed in it. Then no (and this will be explained in the Atheist/Agnostic section of your questions), I only reverted (Returned to) the Catholic Church in my early 20s.

Did you reject a religion you used to buy into?

I did not conciously rejected Catholicism because I was young at the time when I fell out of the Church, plus I was a very hyperactive child and did not became interested in Religion untill I matured later on. (I would think that I would have some sort of ADD or something, but I was never diagnosed since at the time, they just called it "Ants in the pants")

Were you simply raised without it and never found a need?

I was only raised in it for a few years when I was younger, but then my mother had a divorce with my father. Being that my mother is a Baptist, there was nothing she can do.

What I'm most interested in is the "born again" moments, that serendipitous realization that you know "the truth". Have you experienced that? What were its implications?

I don't buy into the Protestant ideals of the born again. Then again I'm Catholic.

 

[Red Door]

Born and raised, became sure of it when I a) prayed and felt God's presence [El_Machinae will probably have something to say on this], b) did works in Jesus' name.

Bingo, hit this one right on the head for my experiences. But in-between born and raised add, converted to and from Judaism.

 

[Catharsis]

Pascal's Wager, I'm afraid.

 

[RubricousMidget]

From Norway!

As a matter of fact, I was born and raised by an atheist father and an agnostic mother who didn't ever meddle in my spiritual life. After going t school in a country that still confesses Christianity, I was inculcated with the Holy Trinity through the subject KRL - Christianity, Religion and Worldview - (which is, btw., up for judgment in the UN Court of Human Rights), and professed to that faith for a while. Then, as I grew intomy teens, I slowly realized it was BS (subjectivity alert) and became an atheist.

 

[warpus]

So, how did you come to your faith?

Did you have a sudden revelation? Were you "saved"? Did you study and come gradually to something that worked for you? Have you stuck with a religion you were assigned at birth?

This is perfectly applicable to atheists as well. Did you reject a religion you used to buy into? Were you simply raised without it and never found a need?

Also, no fair saying "I was born with it". It's very nice if you think that, but it's not a meaningful contribution.

What I'm most interested in is the "born again" moments, that serendipitous realization that you know "the truth". Have you experienced that? What were its implications?

I was born and raised Catholic in a society that was 99.9% Catholic and 80%+ observant. Catholic dogma was taught to me as fact.

I was also ironically taught that it was wise to question things that were presented to you as fact by people in authority - this was the common Pole's approach to Russian occupation of our country during the communist years.

So question I did... As I got older I learned that certain things that were presented to me as fact were simply fairytales (one of the first on this list was Santa Claus). What else was not true?

I investigated by assuming the role of a neutral and nonbiased observer. What if I was from an outside culture that had never been exposed to Catholicism? How would the religion appear to me then? Would it make sense? Well, many things didn't. Slowly, over time, I realized that Polish people believed what they did (with regards to Catholicism) because that's simply what had been passed down.. it was tradition. It was not to be questioned.

So there wasn't really one defining moment.. it was rather a long spiritual search for truth that is ongoing.

Pascal's Wager, I'm afraid.

May I ask how Pascal's Wager made you select 1 religion/God over all the others? Surely if you take Pascal's Wager to heart, you will attempt to appease all deities which people around the world worship/have worshipped!

 

[Atlas14]

My past faith came almost entirely in my own childish hopes and some Children's Bible Storybook, and probably from the fact that a bunch of other people were as brainwashed if not more than I was.

My current lack of faith comes from:
a) logic
b) observations
c) reading the Bible

 

[azzaman333]

I was raised in a way where no particular religion was pushed upon me by my parents, and the only religous things I was tought were done by score roughly once a month, in crappy activity books. I assumed Christianity was true all through primary school, although I had begun having doubts about 1/2 way through Grade 5 when my mum died. When I went to Secondary School, my beliefs whittled away more and more, despite going to a Lutheran School. As I learnt more about the religion, I found it less believable and now I am a strong athiest.

 

[Catharsis]

May I ask how Pascal's Wager made you select 1 religion/God over all the others? Surely if you take Pascal's Wager to heart, you will attempt to appease all deities which people around the world worship/have worshipped!

That's why I said 'I'm afraid'. I didn't take that flaw in the Wager into account. I've tried to make up for that by adopting a form of pluralism into my beliefs - that all virtuous people will go to Heaven, as Jesus took everyone's sins, and he was benevolent, so he will save every virtuous person's soul - but I guess I'm just indoctrinated now.

To preempt your next questions and statements, I don't know what constitutes 'virtue', and yes, I have got a Western distortion to my beliefs, and no, I don't know how to rectify that, and yes, I am a brainwashed illogical sheep. But that's just who I am, man!

 

[Xanikk999]

Im agnostic, but im leaning athiest.

If i had to choose i would be athiest, because with my knowledge of the universe, it just seems so unlikely that theres a force of good and evil which all religions says there are and i dont think it makes sense.

 

[LucyDuke]

I don't buy into the Protestant ideals of the born again. Then again I'm Catholic.

I should clarify that I don't necessarily mean any specific brand of "born again". I'm referring to a generic experience, where one suddenly understands something they didn't understand before, and it completely redefines their life. If tomorrow I were to comprehend and appreciate all that it means to be Catholic, and how that was going to save my soul, and I subsequently decided to subscribe to Catholicism, I would consider that being born again.

 

[Mirc]

I was raised an Eastern Orthodox, and not so long ago, about 1 year ago, I had to decide on what way I'm going to go. I've never questioned religion before, but then I took every single argument for and against that I could find. I decided this is the right way, I'm actually amazed by how good my original religion turned out to be, after an analisys of several months of all the main religions. Also, my impression is that it's stupid to try and convince anyone about my religion being right, but I will certainly answer when someone tries to make it look stupid by supposed logical arguments, which I can prove wrong.

 

[LucyDuke]

Im agnostic, but im leaning athiest.

If i had to choose i would be athiest, because with my knowledge of the universe, it just seems so unlikely that theres a force of good and evil which all religions says there are and i dont think it makes sense.

...it looks like you didn't read the OP. Here are my two questions for you:

Did you reject a religion you used to buy into? Were you simply raised without it and never found a need?

 

[Xanikk999]

...it looks like you didn't read the OP. Here are my two questions for you:

I was never raised into a religion. My family was supposedly christian but they really dont care. Nobody in my family went to church, we just said we were christians.

 

[AAHZ]

My family was raised catholic but i never bought into it. i was mostly a pagan my whole life... i even got into some pretty bizzare rituals. However, lets just say one day i had a total "collapse" and i was "saved." i really dont want to go into the details, but if pressed, i shall do so. I have been spiritually healed, and am now a devout christian. (im still not catholic though)
piece

 

[GenMarshall]

My family was raised catholic but i never bought into it. i was mostly a pagan my whole life... i even got into some pretty bizzare rituals. However, lets just say one day i had a total "collapse" and i was "saved." i really dont want to go into the details, but if pressed, i shall do so. I have been spiritually healed, and am now a devout christian. (im still not catholic though)
piece

Care to specify which denomination you are?

Or you're just a Non-Denominational Christian?