What religion were you born into and are you glad that you are of that faith?

I was born into a Catholic family. I am proud to be a Catholic. I know some view us as strict but I feel like I was raised with great values. What about you all?

 

Mother Protestant and Father Catholic

 

I wasn't born into ANY religion and I'm very glad of that.

 

Are you happy with the religion your family has? which one do you prefer?

 

I dont follow either of them, as for what religion my family has well that is there choice as long as they are happy I am happy for them

 

4th generation (at least) atheist.

 

Really PK boomer? I am going to be interested in seeing where you stand on many issues on here.

 

Oh I'm sure you will find out! LOL

 

There is nothing bad about that. To each his own!

 

Godless secular humanist, cultural Shintoist-Buddhist I guess.

 

I was raised Lutheran, as my mom's Lutheran and my dad agnostic (he was raised Presbyterian). I grew up to be, predictably, what I would call a Christian agnostic. I lean toward being a Christian, but question a lot of stuff and admit there's a lot I can't or don't know.

 

Southern Baptist by birth, unrepentant Atheist by the grace of god.

 

Hallelujah! Praise nothin'!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziIwuhWLNtA

 

I consider myself agnostic. Someone on another board recently told me I sound like a secular humanist which basically means I believe in people having their own morals, doing the right thing, being nice to others, and things like that. I am so glad my family is not religious. I am not a fan of the whole thing and think there is way too much restriction and negativity that comes from it for the most part.

 

So kind of expanding on the question, if you were born into a certain faith and are still there, why have you stuck with it? Why are you this and not that? Do you just take it for granted that that's what you are? Have you ever seriously questioned it or investigated other paths? How important is your religion to you you on a day-to-day basis? Is it something that helps you through difficult times?

For me my religion is very much a cultural thing. I don't believe in any sort of afterlife or in any of the supernatural aspects of it and I have never pretended that I did. Nor does it normally play any part in my daily life really. But I do participate in some of the traditions related to certain times of the year and certain passages of life because it makes me feel connected to those who came before me and there is a part of me that craves continuity.

I also think it tends to focus the mind on what is important and meaningful. Family, the transience of life, the good fortune we've experienced and the hard times and suffering that we've gone through, the debt we owe to the people who came before and the responsibility we have to those who have more recently joined us here. We recently lost some members of our family and so the customs and rituals regarding death have been very much a part of our lives during the last few months. That might be what's making me think of these things.

 

I was born & raised Catholic. I strayed for a few years in my late teens, early 20's but I ended up returning to the Church. I realized I didn't hold certain beliefs because I was Catholic, rather I identified with the Catholic Church because of the beliefs I held.

 

I was born and raised Catholic, too. In my 20s I converted to another faith, but I never completely rejected the Catholic Church and remained close friends with a Jesuit priest of my acquaintance. I'm considering returning to the RCC, but whether it's due to nostalgia or what, I don't know. Needless to say, I'll learn more as time goes on--I'm glad I was raised in a church, especially the Catholic Church, and have never regretted a moment I've spent in worship.

 

I'm having trouble with the idea that you choose a church based on your existing beliefs. Is this the way the god of the Christians operates? Whatever you believe is okay as long as you find a denomination that will endorse it?

 

Speaking for myself, Takiji, I decided to leave the Catholic Church because I felt it had lost its way. In my opinion, Vatican II was perhaps the greatest crime against the church and it was committed by the church itself. I stuck with it as long as I could, because I loved my family and felt loyalty to the RCC, but when I found the EOC I felt that I was returning to the church that was. There is still much I disagree with in the RCC, but they are returning to a more traditional form of worship and I may look into attending a few services when the new Missal is put into place in our area. I don't consider it to be church shopping as much as I consider it to be returning to my roots.

http://www.thejournal.ie/new-roman-missal-an-own-goal-by-catholic-church-priest-223969-Sep2011/

 

Does God care?