Are the majority of people religious based on upbringing? Poll

Hi guys,

Well I was on another forum before about Atheism and Christianity and I was trying to argue that the majority of people who are religious were brought up religious. Please be honest in this poll and don't jeopardise it.

Please give reasons for converting to the religion you are now, or your reasons for becomming Atheist/Agnostic.

Cheers,

Jking197

By the way, I was brought up Agnostic and I am now an Atheist as I do not believe that there is a god.

I was rasied as a Christian, went to sunday school and had church twice a week in school.

I became an atheist at 15 years old. My atheist belief has supported me in my life for the last 26 years.

I'm an atheist brought up by an atheist family. Like the majority of people I conform with the culture I was raised in.

You may be interested in some survey results from the BBC.

The study focused on 10 countries in a "What the World Thinks of God" survey.

There are survey results about upbringing and belief in it that may interest you.

The obvious trend is for religious belief to be inherited.

The obvious trend is for religious belief to be inherited.

RationalAtheist

You don't inherit a belief...you become exposed to it. You inherit your hair color.:|

It's obvious most people were raised religious, since most of the world is religious.

[QUOTE="RamboSymbiot"]Religious, brought up as ReligiousFamiBox

Brainwashing is a powerful thing.

In that event...you were brainwashed into your own beliefs/lack of beliefs...or your post is incorrect. Which is it?

I was raised agnostic and then became religious at 21. My parents never taught religion and never went to Church. They still don't. My wife, son and I go every Sunday though and then spend time at my parents after Church. Our 3 year old son loves spending time with his Grandpa :)

[QUOTE="RamboSymbiot"]Religious, brought up as ReligiousFamiBox

Brainwashing is a powerful thing.

Definition of brainwashed:

to force (a person) to confess etc by putting great (psychological) pressure on him
Example: The terrorists brainwashed him into believing in their ideals.

Being brought up religious does not equal brainwashing.

Religious, brought up religious.

My parents are catholic so when I was younger then made me go to this school once a week at the church (wouldn't call it sunday school because it was on saturday) then I would go to church every sunday. Then when I went through my confirmation when I was in 6th/7th grade (I forget which grade) and after that me and my parents hardly ever went to church again. We do go for holidays (Christmas, Easter) but not anymore like we use to. I think the reason its like this is because of how I was brought up in NYC, its the same case for a lot of my friends. While when I talk to people in the south they are really hardcore christians and i've been called a fake christian because I don't go to church. I guess the fast paced NYC life just got to me :lol:.

i am religious, brought up as religious. if i were to even think about turning atheist/agnostic however, (which i never have and never will) my family would probably put me up for adoption or something. thats how religious they are.

i am religious, brought up as religious. if i were to even think about turning atheist/agnostic however, (which i never have and never will) my family would probably put me up for adoption or something. thats how religious they are.

spyrofan_sp

Jeez, that's kind of scary. I think parents should let their children explore different religions and not force-feed them religion from birth, but that's just my oppinion.

[QUOTE="spyrofan_sp"]

i am religious, brought up as religious. if i were to even think about turning atheist/agnostic however, (which i never have and never will) my family would probably put me up for adoption or something. thats how religious they are.

jking197

Jeez, that's kind of scary. I think parents should let their children explore different religions and not force-feed them religion from birth, but that's just my oppinion.

no its not like im brainwashed. BTW sorry about my doubly post; my computer is queer :Pi was just heavily influenced. i wont bash your opinion, though i dont completely agree with it. if i ever have kids, i will make sure they are religious just like me. i really dont care about other people, in fact i have a few atheist friends myself. one slight problem i may face though, is that the last name that i carry of my dads is baptist, though i am catholic from my mothers side of the family. oh well, i still got years to think about it though.

[QUOTE="FamiBox"]

[QUOTE="RamboSymbiot"]Religious, brought up as ReligiousDracargen

Brainwashing is a powerful thing.

Definition of brainwashed:

to force (a person) to confess etc by putting great (psychological) pressure on him
Example: The terrorists brainwashed him into believing in their ideals.

Being brought up religious does not equal brainwashing.

I was brought up as a Catholic and ever since my mom left my dad first word he asked me was "You wanna go to church sunday?" i simply replied "not really " ever since then i stop going and stoped caring, then the intolerant religious fanatics you see on tv just added fuel to my disbelief. I still believe their is a god watching but the "God" i was taugh i dont believe...neither do i believe there is a hell or utopia waiting on me tiger35010

I think that many people who consider themselves "Christians" are the same as you. Most don't even know anything about the Bible or even the religion they claim to follow. If people honestly and truely followed and believed in Christianity, I doubt they'd do the things they do because then they'd "know" they were going to go to hell.

[QUOTE="tiger35010"]I was brought up as a Catholic and ever since my mom left my dad first word he asked me was "You wanna go to church sunday?" i simply replied "not really " ever since then i stop going and stoped caring, then the intolerant religious fanatics you see on tv just added fuel to my disbelief. I still believe their is a god watching but the "God" i was taugh i dont believe...neither do i believe there is a hell or utopia waiting on me trix5817

I think that many people who consider themselves "Christians" are the same as you. Most don't even know anything about the Bible or even the religion they claim to follow. If people honestly and truely followed and believed in Christianity, I doubt they'd do the things they do because then they'd "know" they were going to go to hell.

You're generalizing...and everyone makes mistakes. Christians included...it's a part of being human. Doesn't mean they are going to hell.

I'm religious and thats how I was raised so I guess the first option.

[QUOTE="RationalAtheist"]

The obvious trend is for religious belief to be inherited.

LJS9502_basic

You don't inherit a belief...you become exposed to it. You inherit your hair color.:|

Wiki defines one meaning of "inherit" as this:

As a further related definition, it can also mean — in a more general sense — to derive a characteristic from people, groups or objects which were influential at some time in the past

Please learn to use a dictionary in understanding the wider meaning of words, dude.

Agnostic leaning towards atheism. Left to my own devices when I was young; however I attended a Catholic high school. My father is Mormon, mother is agnostic (to my knowledge at least), and they both let me discover and decide for myself what I believe.

God bless them!