Which is why this all comes back to the WHY in why should I believe in A or B or C, when the most honest answer many of us have is that we would probably never believe in B or C because we really don't know much of anything about them or anyone else who believes in them since it's just people on the other side of the planet who tend to believe in those, and so we will believe in A because our parents told us to and because lots of people we hang out with believe in it, so it just sort of makes sense. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.
Hi Otis,
I'd agree thinking about the "why" is important.
But I really don't think it's all the parents thing. You'll see one day GB, those kids don't just jump in line to do what you say...
Especially when they're 20.
But I do hear you. My kids are more likely to be Christian than Muslim because of how they're raised. No argument there. I just think the parents aren't as big a factor as you might be thinking. And there are also adults who have a resistance to religion because they were raised that way. So it works from all angles. Which is why I say the real way is to figure it out for yourself.
You might like Anne Lamott. She grew up in San Francisco and both her parents were super smart and involved in the intellectual scene of the 60s. Following Jesus was the last thing she wanted to do as she saw it as weak minded or stupid. She's a really talented writer and is pretty much the opposite of what many folks see on TV representing Christians.
Here's a 5 minute video from a series she did. This one starts off talking about her alcoholism which probably isn't relevant but in a couple of minutes in she talks about how she started going to her church.
She's got a really good
book called Traveling Mercies that talks about her life and how resistant she was to Christianity. And as she says in the video, she's now a "really bad Christian". But believes in doing things badly vs not trying at all. Do what you can. Take your best shot.
J
Interesting, thanks Joe. I think the one basic problem I have with your post is the following:
But I do hear you. My kids are more likely to be Christian than Muslim because of how they're raised. No argument there.
I just think the parents aren't as big a factor as you might be thinking. And there are also adults who have a resistance to religion because they were raised that way. So it works from all angles. Which is why I say the real way is to figure it out for yourself.
I think this goes to the heart of my issue or question. My fundamental point is that we PRIMARILY adopt religion as it's given to us. I understand there are exceptions and outliers, lots of them. But on the whole, I have to imagine that the vast, vast majority of people who identify themselves as religious have largely taken on the religions of their parents. I suppose if I could find a study or some data on that, it would either support or refute what is one of the most fundamental assumptions I'm making here.
Because if that is established, I think that's where the big, interesting question comes in. Not only are people having blind faith, but they're having blind faith in the religion that is essentially handed to them, even in the face of all the myriad other religions in the world, and knowing full well that, in all likelihood, had they grown up on the other side of the world, they'd have a completely different belief. I just find that a really interesting choke point in this whole analysis/discussion of religious faith. Again, if my assumption is way off, it's less meaningful. But if my assumption is a good one, it raises what I think are big questions.
