Christianity.

uhm, well. i'm not a christian, and i'm very much convinced it's because my parents never really were religious at all in my past. it wasn't until like, six months ago when i actually asked like "hey, are you guys even religious at all?"
my mum was like no, but my dad said yeah. he just doesn't believe in the god they teach about in our protestant churches.

my parents never discussed politics or religion or that stuff with us or around me and my sister, because they believe a lot in us making up our own minds about stuff and not just follow their footsteps because it's what they think. so for that, i do believe i have an open mind, where some other people may have been exposed a lot to their parents opinions so they pretty much 'inherit' their opinions.. anyway, i digress.

i'm not a christian, and i don't know if i would be a christian if my parents were and had expressed it. i thought i believed in god when i had my confirmation when i was 13 years old, but i've given it quite some thought, and although i'd love to believe in reincarnation or living on in paradise/heaven after i die, or that karma works and stuff, i can't wrap my head around it, so... no.

ocean avenue:

my parents never discussed politics or religion or that stuff with us or around me and my sister, because they believe a lot in us making up our own minds about stuff and not just follow their footsteps because it's what they think. so for that, i do believe i have an open mind, where some other people may have been exposed a lot to their parents opinions so they pretty much 'inherit' their opinions.. anyway, i digress.

I agree with this. I go along with my parents on religion and politics because I grew up learning it. But my parents did tell me when I was old enough to vote that I could make up my own mind on politics. I looked up stuff and I still believe what they taught me. But they did the same with my sister, on religion, and she doesn't consider herself a Christian anymore. But she can't tell my parents or they would be pissed. Which is dumb.

I wasn't raised to believe in a certain religion, but I have had many different friends over the past 8 years that have tried to get me to start going to church. It's actually really annoying someone trying to force you into a religion when you don't even believe in god. I did give it a try when I was in the 7th grade, but it just really wasn't for me. Personally I don't think that any christians should try and force anyone to go to church if they don't want to. (not saying that all christians do. i have just came across quite a few)

My mother calls me a cretin for not going to church every weekend. One of these days I'm going to go off on her. I have to bite my lip every time.

My parents are both atheists/agnostics and so am i, but i've never let myself influenced by them. When I was younger i tried to believe in god, read the bible etc. But i just gave up once i grew older because to me it seemed a bit absurd, and i am sure that this story made a lot of sense at the time it was written and to the people then, but i don't think it still applies to today's world.
That's my opinion.

John Entwistle:

My mother calls me a cretin for not going to church every weekend. One of these days I'm going to go off on her. I have to bite my lip every time.

Same, my father is a Canon in the church and my brothers and I had a very religious upbringing but I think my father finally realised that with the younger generation Christianity isn't just about church, prayer and Bible classes. I would say I'm more of a practical christian in the sense that I'd help someone in need etc.

Some people (mostly the older gens I find) think that you're only a Christian because you attend or are in church but thats just like saying because I'm standing in a garage I'm a car. It's ludicrous. Each to their own I say

Doctor Watson:

John Entwistle:

My mother calls me a cretin for not going to church every weekend. One of these days I'm going to go off on her. I have to bite my lip every time.

Same, my father is a Canon in the church and my brothers and I had a very religious upbringing but I think my father finally realised that with the younger generation Christianity isn't just about church, prayer and Bible classes. I would say I'm more of a practical christian in the sense that I'd help someone in need etc.

Some people (mostly the older gens I find) think that you're only a Christian because you attend or are in church but thats just like saying because I'm standing in a garage I'm a car. It's ludicrous. Each to their own I say

lol I just recently heard that saying about the garage. But yeah, it doesn't make you more of a Christian if you go to church. I wish my mother would realize that. I mean I still believe in God, Jesus, the Resurrection of Christ, etc. I just don't go to church that much.

^Same. And like, when I DO go to church, I don't feel like I'm gaining anything, I feel like I'm hearing the same things over and over.

Imo, if you have Christianity forced upon you from a young age (baptisimal, first communion, confirmation, etc), you're more likely to reject it at an older age because you're sick and tired of hearing about Jesus and the book of Mark. This is only aggrivated if you happen to go to a Catholic school like myself where Religion is a mandatory subject throughout your schooling.

I guess that would be true for any religion though (although I'm yet to see it happen in Islamic communities).

I was forced in to Christianity as a kid. I also want to Catholic school for 12 years. I don't reject it at all. I'm proud of my faith. I don't go to church that often but I believe in God and Jesus and most of what I learned in school.

My sister and my friend rejected it though. And they were raised the same as me in those respects.

When I have kids I plan on getting them baptized, etc.

I recently thought of this: I'd describe myself as agnostic. But, living in a country where the 'official' religion is Lutheran-Evangelic, I relate to it. It's what we're taught about in school, because we only cover the basic religions, so instead of teaching about all the ways to be Christian, they talk about what it's like to be a Christian in Denmark, where the main religion is Protestant.

anyway, as i said before, I'd describe myself as agnostic, but i do think if i had a child, i'd christen/baptize it (what's the right word? There's only one word for it in Danish xD). Not because I want to force a belief on the child, but.. it's what i've been brought up with. I mean, in modern Denmark, being baptized doesn't mean you're an automatic Christian, just like being circumcised in America doesn't mean you're a Jew. It's something you decide once you know all the facts, once you've developed into this person who knows just about who they are and what they believe in, and then they can define themselves accordingly.
ugh, that's not what i meant to say -_- I mean.. it's kind of a "better safe than sorry"-mentality. I relate mostly to Christianity, because the society i've grown up in believes it, but i don't necessarily believe i myself. ah, forget it xD