Would You Still Be Religious?

i think this is a borderline philosophical/religious question. i am generalizing to christianity just for arguments sake because im not familiar with any other religious texts.

hypothetically.. if after you were born, you were never taught anything about any religion.. no church, no praying, no bible, no anything.. and then once you turned 18 you were presented with, lets say, the bible. do you think after reading it you would take it seriously and want to become a christian?

do you think you would take it as seriously or defend it so adamantly?

im in no way trying to single out christians or trying to provoke anything, its just an idea ive been thinking about alot lately.

i do not plan on raising my children with any knowledge of religion. when they are old enough to understand the world a little better i will let them choose whatever they want. i just think indoctrinating children isnt fair because when you are raised from as long as you can remember with an idea it can be hard to shake off.

there is alot of fear involved with going to hell and sinning and so forth that i feel makes people never want to question their own religion and why it is the absolute right one.

so try to imagine the scenario, you're 18, no religious experience whatsoever and you are handed a bible by someone. do you take it seriously or is it fact? and why?

its hard to see passed bias but i think its a good way to help see things how an atheist does. religion can just sound so incredulous to some and others just tell them theyre going to hell. but to understand you have to see it from a completely unbiased, blank slate.

reply to post by xxblackoctoberxx


I would take the good things from the book and apply them to my life. I would not feel the need to identify with others that have read the book.

reply to post by xxblackoctoberxx


I think I understand where your coming from and possibly why. It's a fair question and deserves a fair answer based on my experiences. You ask the question,

hypothetically.. if after you were born, you were never taught anything about any religion.. no church, no praying, no bible, no anything.. and then once you turned 18 you were presented with, lets say, the bible. do you think after reading it you would take it seriously and want to become a christian?

My answer to that is not everyone that reads The Bible wants to become a Christian. Some get a spiritual experience and some don't. I will say that being a Christian is not a Religion. Regardless of what some may say or think. It is a Relationship with Christ through faith in what He promises and His sacrifice. You then say

so try to imagine the scenario, you're 18, no religious experience whatsoever and you are handed a bible by someone. do you take it seriously or is it fact? and why?

This again is different for each person. I can only tell you this, you have to read and find out the answer for yourself. You close by saying,

Textits hard to see passed bias but i think its a good way to help see things how an atheist does. religion can just sound so incredulous to some and others just tell them theyre going to hell. but to understand you have to see it from a completely unbiased, blank slate.

No one has the right to tell anyone they are going to hell. Only God knows. Plus Hell isn't a place for those who seek God in honest pursuit. Peace my friend and remember this, If a person agrees with the word fine and if he dont then he or she aint telling the whole story if they claim to know Christ.

Literally all of humanity has had it's God or Gods throughout history. Heck even the people recently discovered in the Amazon worshiped Gods.

Ya can't escape me and my kind. Pleased to meet you...

There are people that were raised one religion, and convert to another later in life. Or people raised without religion that later adopt a religion.

Mind you I am not really of the mind that indoctrinating children is right, but what can be done about it? We would be infringing on someone's rights by telling them they cannot teach their beliefs to children, no matter how rediculous their belief may seem to us.

reply to post by xxblackoctoberxx


Great thread OP!

I can honestly tell you, without any uncertainty, that I absolutely would not be a believer under the circumstances you present. I can tell you this because I was made to go to church from birth to the age of 12, my Mum was the church organist (my Dad stayed at home) and wanted me to have the faith she did. I liked the stories, think it's a good moral code to live by but I never, ever believed in god and never will and am a very happy, well balanced person.

I think without indoctrining the young the church would have become obsolete years ago.

If you were raised not knowing any concept of religion or spirituality or not been baptized would one be accepted into heaven ?

reply to post by xxblackoctoberxx

hypothetically.. if after you were born, you were never taught anything about any religion.. no church, no praying, no bible, no anything.. and then once you turned 18 you were presented with, lets say, the bible. do you think after reading it you would take it seriously and want to become a christian?

do you think you would take it as seriously or defend it so adamantly?

That would be me. Except I was in my 30s by the time I looked at a bible. My father was an atheist, and my mom was non-religious, but Rosicrucian. Both passed now.

Every time I've picked up the bible and opened it somewhere random to read a passage, I found something disturbing.
I don't resonate with any religion, but I also know that there's way more to the world that we don't see.
If there's an all knowing, all seeing, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient God, I'm sure they're ok with me not having it all figured out yet. It's not like they've popped in and visited lately to prove their existence.

I don't think they're anything like the bible portrays. The whole book just feels "wrong"

My husband is an ex Catholic, so if I have questions, he can answer well enough. He's now atheist, that seems to happen to lots of Catholics..

I feel I would believe what the Bible says and the Christian faith. Reason being that most Christians at some point have questions and doubts...it is at that point a person walks away from Christianity or delves deeper and finds so much validation, even in secular thought, science, archeology, history...

Also, in most people's lives there comes a time... a dark and terrible tragedy in which the burden is too heavy to bear alone, and that individual reaches out... like a drowning person, and grabs a hold of whatever is there. Most things will not bear the weight... but time and again, Christianity does. Not just for me, but for many others, including nonbelievers... and through that tragedy they became Christians. Some people turn to so-called friends, family, alcohol, drugs, sex, material goods... even other faiths. But they never find the peace so desired until they find God.

I have talked to so many Chritians that did not believe in God before their conversion. In fact, some even attempted to reveal Christianity as a hoax, or fairy tale... but in their effort and research, they found the Word to be true.

So, long story short... if I never was raised a Christian... I would still be exposed to Chritianity via TV, internet, satellite, cable, ooks, movies, even research into paranormal interests. And when that tragedy strikes... and if you live long enough, there will be tragedy... I would look for something to lean on...

Now consider the message... peace, love, hope, joy, guidance, love others as you love yourself, be non judgmental, generous, giving and forgiving, humble, patient. Many will get caught up in the snares of Levitical Law and ancient and cultural tradition... the Bible is not a history book, it is not a how to book, it is a guide book with a history of the Israelites, the Hebrews, and of Jesus and the beginnings of the early Church.

As a non-believer we are offered eternal life by believing in God, having a personal relationship with God and Jesus... God in the flesh here on Earth. When we accept that offer and begin to build a relationship with God and strive to know Jesus... we are given peace, joy, and hope... in knowing that one day we will be in Heaven.

We don't know what it will be like...most people's image of heaven and hell come from Greek and Roman mythology... ala Dante's Inferno. Truth is...Heaven is being with God in some form..light, spirit, angelic flesh? Hell is being away from and seperated from God... in darkness, in fire, ...? Imagine loving someone so much and suddenly realizing that you will never be with them ever again... that would be Hell. Now realize that Heaven is being with someone you love so much and they love you... and being with them forever... absolute peace, no pain, no sorrow, no hurt, no guilt, no stress...just bask in the glow of pure love forever and ever...how beautiful.

Even here, athiests, agnostics, scientists, skeptics all allude to some form of after life in some form... Why not heaven?

So, yes, I would lean toward and grow in the Christian faith.

You would think after 2000 plus years and the all gods we have to choose from , at least one would have made an appearance by now ?????

reply to post by rick004


Exactly!!
Supposedly they were around all the time before, all the stories, and yet people are supposed to have blind faith in a book that's been translated by mankind. Unless you have access to real ancient scrolls, that you know how to read them, how can one trust fellow humans translations and interpretations?
We are a very flawed being.

reply to post by snowspirit


my thoughts as well.

the bible is only from around 2000 years ago. that compared to the age of the universe, earth, or even just the amount of time humans have been around is basically nothing.

and it brings up the whole question of WHY is your god the right one? why not any other religion? i think that is purely because of how you were raised.

i like the posts about the meaning and morality picked up from the bible but those qualities still dont require the bible or religion.

morally speaking i'd say some sort of eastern religion where you are taught that everyone and everything is sacred and to not disturb anything, would be the best choice.

there are plenty of atheists or people who believe in all of the other religions that all have perfectly good morals and are happy, good people.

don't get me wrong im not against the teaching of morality and kindness.. i just wonder if the specific religions are necessary.

all of the morals and lessons taken from the bible could be compiled outside of the religious context and then taught. they are pretty common sense too, help your fellow man, dont be a dick, dont kill people. these are all things i plan on teaching my children. i just never want them to feel like they need to live their lives to a certain standard because a god said so. its much better in my opinion to just tell them we are all the same and do unto others what you would want done onto you

reply to post by xxblackoctoberxx

i think this is a borderline philosophical/religious question. i am generalizing to christianity just for arguments sake because im not familiar with any other religious texts.

hypothetically.. if after you were born, you were never taught anything about any religion.. no church, no praying, no bible, no anything.. and then once you turned 18 you were presented with, lets say, the bible. do you think after reading it you would take it seriously and want to become a christian?

do you think you would take it as seriously or defend it so adamantly?

I can answer this with three passages.

Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Matthew 11:27
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

Isaiah 55

6 Seek the LORD while he may be found;
call on him while he is near.
7 Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

reply to post by rick004


That is a good question. If you mean if a person was born on an island and never saw another person or a bible or anything that tells about God etc the answer is that Creation alone tells the heart of a person that there is a God. It's only after mans mockery of God that people begin to doubt.

reply to post by SuperiorEd


you're missing the point. you need to look at it objectively. the fact that you are using bible passages as your answer is just showing my point exactly.

step outside the box.

Still doesn't answer why they couldn't stop by once in a milenia to reinforce there wisdom upon us ???

Originally posted by CherubBaby
reply to post by rick004

 

That is a good question. If you mean if a person was born on an island and never saw another person or a bible or anything that tells about God etc the answer is that Creation alone tells the heart of a person that there is a God. It's only after mans mockery of God that people begin to doubt.

reply to post by xxblackoctoberxx

I've thought about this a lot , and I really do think that it has much to do with what resonates with a person .
I grew up with very strict parents , going to church 3 times a week , bible camp and christian school and the whole 9. However , since I was 10 I developed a complex about it , I saw the hypocrisy in my parents and others around me. In church I was taught these cute little stories about the bible , however when I read it , I read things that were so completely contradictory and opposite of the nice , cozy stuff I was fed.
If I had never gone to church and was never raised that way , I believe it still would have played out the same. Mainly because of experiences that Iv'e had since I was little ,that the bible has never fully explained, In fact it was the experiences I had that made me seek answers and most Christians and the bible imply that having such experiences were demonic , or evil or what not.

I understand and agree, one could live a good life based on no religion, but instead reinforced ethics and good morals.

However... we are here at ATS...Above Top Secret. That means that something here sparked some nterests for some in the paranormal... outside or beyond the normal.... supernatural. That being said, does that not open the door to influences from beyond our understanding of nature?

Are they ghosts, spirits, intuition, angels, demons... good and evil...really good and terribly evil... where does extra-sensory perception come from. What explanation do we have for the great mysteries...?

If we concede the existance of somethings... then why not others? Perchance there has never been a supernatural experience in your life... good for you.

But for me and many others, there have been unexplainable incidents and just too many coincidences to be just chance. As such, there must be something at work here... Some may call It or Him or Her by one name... some by another.... I call Him God. I have also dealt with evil... just good ol' temptation in a physical and spiritual sense... again there must be a source.... also known as Satan.... Devil...Scratch...

I would also read the philosophers and compare the pears to be found wisdom, Seneca, Aristotle, Plato, Epicurus, and think of the Source, not just the messenger. And in the bible, the spiritual truths, above the religion.