As a kid. Then not.

Getting sober, trusting in a higher power.

Iwas raised Catholic then rebelled as a teenager. I was always spiritual. I have returned to the church in my mid life. I attend a Catholic church not because I think it is the best representation of Christianity but because it is comfortable to me. I know the rituals.

I don't need or want to argue about indoctrination. One can make the same claims about the secular world. I think it is just really sad that some people have such venom and intolerance in their hearts that they always attack on this forum.

I just know what is right for me and what I believe.

Me again. To Turek's credit, he kept up correspondence with Hitchens during his illness, and wrote the following warm column after Hitchens's death. https://crossexamined.org/christopher-hitchens-evidence-of-a-divine-being/

He was debating Frank Turek, who I find a bit middlebrow, overconfident, etc. (I frankly do not enjoy watching him.) I seem to remember that they were sitting on stage at the time (not standing at their lecterns).

Anonymous wrote:Not *the* reason, but a final nail in the coffin of my atheism was seeing Christopher Hitchens win a debate with a Christian hayseed on every point but one. Christopher Hitchens was intellectually dishonest in the face of the very simple (even childlike) assertion about a first cause of the universe.

With St. Paul, I then had to ask "Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?". 1 Cor. 1:20

What was the point he lost exactly? Is there a link to it?

Not *the* reason, but a final nail in the coffin of my atheism was seeing Christopher Hitchens win a debate with a Christian hayseed on every point but one. Christopher Hitchens was intellectually dishonest in the face of the very simple (even childlike) assertion about a first cause of the universe.

With St. Paul, I then had to ask "Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?". 1 Cor. 1:20

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most indoctrination happens in childhood. Only a small number of people pursue or change religion on their own.

+2
Indoctrination into a belief system with no basis in anything other than someone else telling you something is true is shockingly easy to do to children , but it’s also easy to do to someone in any kind of vulnerable state.
Indoctrination is the tactic of cults and there are thousands of cults ..religion is just one type of cult so uses the same procedures

There's more to religion than just somebody telling you something is true. There are seminaries where people learn to lead people in religion and cathedrals and churches all over the place - some quite beautiful. There are great choral works and organs. It's a whole industry.

My church had an Awana Club (clubs.awana.org/about/) were I was proud to wear my vest as a Spark and trying to earn more "badges". Think of something like boy scouts but for studying the Bible.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think most indoctrination happens in childhood. Only a small number of people pursue or change religion on their own.

+2
Indoctrination into a belief system with no basis in anything other than someone else telling you something is true is shockingly easy to do to children , but it’s also easy to do to someone in any kind of vulnerable state.
Indoctrination is the tactic of cults and there are thousands of cults ..religion is just one type of cult so uses the same procedures

There's more to religion than just somebody telling you something is true. There are seminaries where people learn to lead people in religion and cathedrals and churches all over the place - some quite beautiful. There are great choral works and organs. It's a whole industry.

Anonymous wrote:I think most indoctrination happens in childhood. Only a small number of people pursue or change religion on their own.

+2
Indoctrination into a belief system with no basis in anything other than someone else telling you something is true is shockingly easy to do to children , but it’s also easy to do to someone in any kind of vulnerable state.
Indoctrination is the tactic of cults and there are thousands of cults ..religion is just one type of cult so uses the same procedures

Anonymous wrote:I think most indoctrination happens in childhood. Only a small number of people pursue or change religion on their own.

+1

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was taught Catholicism as a child. How about you?

Same

Are you still Catholic?

Anonymous wrote:I was taught Catholicism as a child. How about you?

Same

Anonymous wrote:I think most indoctrination happens in childhood. Only a small number of people pursue or change religion on their own.

What about you?

I think most indoctrination happens in childhood. Only a small number of people pursue or change religion on their own.

I was taught Catholicism as a child. How about you?