I find converting to another religion abhorrent. I feel that you should adopt whatever you find good in other religions into your belief system.

I am ok if a person becomes an atheist. But to convert to another religion shows a lack of spirituality in my opinion.


In a marriage (between people of two faiths) - I dislike the insistence to convert to another person's religion. I also feel that the children should be exposed to both religions and belong to both religion. And they should choose what they like best in both these religions and adhere to that.

Anonymous wrote:I'm never surprised by the silence, and lack of feedback on these kinds of questions.

Unless you wish to get into the psychology and sociology of religion, which means posts that are paragraphs long, I suggest you just learn to deal with 2-3 lines on this thread or hit the journal articles.

Anonymous wrote:Hypothetical situation - say you were born into a family of a different religion. Do you think you would be that other religion, or do you think you would have found your way to your current religion (which you obviously currently believe to be the one true religion)?

The religion I was raised in does not purport to be the "one true religion".

When people change food preferences, no one threatens them with hell.

The lack of answers is proof that it's an unanswerable question, not that religious people all secretly know their religion is bunk but are in denial (although that is obviously what PP will believe regardless).

What is your favorite food? A food you could eat every day and never grow tired of? If you never tried that food until your adult years and in fact were fed a steady diet of a very different food during your formative years, would it still be your favorite? That's an unanswerable question. It 's not even really that thought-provoking because it's so out of line with reality.

Would I be the same religion? Well, this religion has had a huge impact on who my parents are and how they live. It has changed them for the better, in ways that, I believe, are intrinsic to this specific understanding of God and the universe. So if they weren't this religion, what would they be? Am I pretending they are atheist? Another religion? If so, which one? How did they come to that religion (my parents' search for this faith is an integral part of their identities)?

What about the other people who were teachers and friends who share my faith? Am I assuming that I have parallel people in my new hypothetical life and faith, or that I have none? How would that impact the person I become?

I have stuck with this religion because I know what those moments of feeling close to somehing divine feel like. I have sought them out and have found my faith to bring me the most occurences of them. Am I assuming that I have those same experiences, but with different names for them? Or none? I can believe that my faith is "true" and "right for me" without also believing that it will be right for ALL seekers of truth.

So if I were a comepletely different person, with completely different family life, relationships and personal experiences, would I still A) seek spiritual truth and B) find this specific manifestation of truth rings clear and true for me? I have no idea. But I can say with certainty that I am glad to be the person I am. My non-hypothetical life has led me to great joy and peace and happiness and I wish you the same.

I think I'd have drifted if I'd been raised Christian,

That faith, in any of it's varieties doesn't resonate for me.

Anonymous wrote:I'm never surprised by the silence, and lack of feedback on these kinds of questions.

That's because:
A. people realize the answer makes them realize that their religion is just an accident of birth and thus not so special
B. They suspect the question was raised by a crafty atheist who wants them to think about the value of their religion and they don't want to -- it's too disconcerting.

But the good news -- People are lurking and thinking and may be re-evaluating their commitment to their religion

Am I (Catholic) b/c my parents were (Catholic). Yes.

Would I be (Catholic) if my parents were a no Catholic but a differnt religion? Likley not.

I read something a long time ago and it seemed that this was true of most people - don't recall a specific percentage but >80%. If people drifted away from that religion they drifted away but did not formally 'join' a different religion.

I'm never surprised by the silence, and lack of feedback on these kinds of questions.

Most people don't have a choice in religion. Their whole concept of religion is what their parents taught them at an early age. It's hard to leave that.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hypothetical situation - say you were born into a family of a different religion. Do you think you would be that other religion, or do you think you would have found your way to your current religion (which you obviously currently believe to be the one true religion)?

I think tht irrepsective of the religion, I would have drifted away.

YOu make an assumption, though about people's beliefs that their current religion is the "one true religion" a lot of people don't think that way, especially these days.

I'm not the op, but you missed all of the points.

I think most religions teach the same thing. I would probably stay with my parents religion. I would switch in my H had a different religion and it mattered to him.

Hard question. The faith of my childhood was what has brought people into my life who have fostered and deepened that faith. I don't know that my path would have crossed theirs otherwise.

Perhaps.

Anonymous wrote:Hypothetical situation - say you were born into a family of a different religion. Do you think you would be that other religion, or do you think you would have found your way to your current religion (which you obviously currently believe to be the one true religion)?

I think tht irrepsective of the religion, I would have drifted away.

YOu make an assumption, though about people's beliefs that their current religion is the "one true religion" a lot of people don't think that way, especially these days.

Hypothetical situation - say you were born into a family of a different religion. Do you think you would be that other religion, or do you think you would have found your way to your current religion (which you obviously currently believe to be the one true religion)?