Did You Choose Your Religion...?

[FindersKeepers]

Or, did your religion choose you?

Did you select your religion/denomination after carefully assessing the pros and cons of various belief systems?

Or, were you born into it, and you've never really questioned its authenticity?

And, if you did choose--did you do so at someone's prompting, i.e., did someone make a successful attempt to convert you?

If you were born into it, did you ever question whether some of the tenets were fictitious? If so, did you dismiss them but still embrace the rest of the teachings? Or, are you like a "Jack Mormon?" You loosely associate with your faith but you don't really attend church or give it much thought?

[Cotton1]

Not certain who "Jack Normal" is but religion is a very individual pursuit lost within a web of the opposite. Groups ..these days

[FindersKeepers]

Not certain who "Jack Normal" is but religion is a very individual pursuit lost within a web of the opposite. Groups ..these days

"Jack Mormon" is a term I became familiar with growing up in Colorado in a little town with many Mormons. It just meant a Mormon who doesn't really follow the church's teachings to a great extent but still associates with the faith.

I like your phrasing, "...religion is a very individual pursuit lost within a web of the opposite." That's good!

[Cotton1]

"Jack Mormon" is a term I became familiar with growing up in Colorado in a little town with many Mormons. It just meant a Mormon who doesn't really follow the church's teachings to a great extent but still associates with the faith.

I like your phrasing, "...religion is a very individual pursuit lost within a web of the opposite." That's good!

Thank you

[DGUtley]

Or, did your religion choose you? Did you select your religion/denomination after carefully assessing the pros and cons of various belief systems? Or, were you born into it, and you've never really questioned its authenticity? And, if you did choose--did you do so at someone's prompting, i.e., did someone make a successful attempt to convert you? If you were born into it, did you ever question whether some of the tenets were fictitious? If so, did you dismiss them but still embrace the rest of the teachings? Or, are you like a "Jack Mormon?" You loosely associate with your faith but you don't really attend church or give it much thought?

Cradle to grave Roman Catholic. Baptized at a few weeks. Catholic grade school. Fell away in college and questioned everything about the Church. Came back in the 90's. PJP2 called us American Catholics 'cafeteria Catholics' IIRC.

[Chris]

I chose mine, atheism. Grew up Catholic, questioned it, turned atheist. Agnostic atheist to be precise. Now I question atheism.

religion is a very individual pursuit lost within a web of the opposite

That's a product of the Enlightenment as is this whole notion of autonomy you hear so much of lately.

[Collateral Damage]

Or, did your religion choose you?

Did you select your religion/denomination after carefully assessing the pros and cons of various belief systems?

Or, were you born into it, and you've never really questioned its authenticity?

And, if you did choose--did you do so at someone's prompting, i.e., did someone make a successful attempt to convert you?

If you were born into it, did you ever question whether some of the tenets were fictitious? If so, did you dismiss them but still embrace the rest of the teachings? Or, are you like a "Jack Mormon?" You loosely associate with your faith but you don't really attend church or give it much thought?

Attended a Methodist church as a knee-high, then changed over the an Episcopalian church, until I was about 13ish. Neither parent attended with me, I went with a friend's family. Around 14 I was told about our Jewish heritage (it had been kept as a big dark secret), which had virtually no impact on me, but around that same time, I started questioning any form of organized religion.

I don't attend church or temple of any sort. I refer to myself as an Episcopalian Methodist Jew with Pagan leanings, usually with humor. In reality, I'm agnostic but find my greatest peace in nature. I have no issues with a person's choice of religion, if it harms none.

[RichardMZhlubb]

Yes. I was raised Catholic and went to Catholic school, but, as I grew up and reviewed things objectively, it became clear to me that the concept of god is a purely human invention, and I’ve been an atheist for the last 40 years.

[FindersKeepers]

Attended a Methodist church as a knee-high, then changed over the an Episcopalian church, until I was about 13ish. Neither parent attended with me, I went with a friend's family. Around 14 I was told about our Jewish heritage (it had been kept as a big dark secret), which had virtually no impact on me, but around that same time, I started questioning any form of organized religion.

I don't attend church or temple of any sort. I refer to myself as an Episcopalian Methodist Jew with Pagan leanings, usually with humor. In reality, I'm agnostic but find my greatest peace in nature. I have no issues with a person's choice of religion, if it harms none.

That's great. I love that!

[FindersKeepers]

I chose mine, atheism. Grew up Catholic, questioned it, turned atheist. Agnostic atheist to be precise. Now I question atheism.

That's a product of the Enlightenment as is this whole notion of autonomy you hear so much of lately.

I think it's normal to question our entire lives.