Growing Up With Religion

[User#6541]

Reading and understanding are two different things.

I'm sure Damian will be happy to supply the drinks to you. He has the rocks and the tap.

Yes!
Getting people drunk and asking them to tell me their story is one of my favorite pastimes, drinks for everyone!

 

[Mwktm]

As this discussion gets intense, I realise @MissInsomnia only asked the questions but never told us about herself leaving us to argue over religion...

 

[TheWhiteBear]

Join Cthulhu today

 

[User#6517]

As this discussion gets intense, I realise @MissInsomnia only asked the questions but never told us about herself leaving us to argue over religion...

Well, I was going to, but I was way too sleepy at that time to add more. I'll answer my own Q's now.

1) What religion/spirituality did you grow up with? Christianity - Evangelical denomination.

2) Have you kept those beliefs, even until now? Although I believe I've kept them in my mind, I still choose to "live in sin". I don't know if that makes sense to people.. but I think that's the best way for me to describe my feelings about it.

3) How do you feel about other religions/spiritualities? I'm pretty sure that God has given everyone the right to believe in whatever they want to believe in.. so that's what I follow. If I'm allowed to believe in Christianity's God, then others should be allowed to have their own beliefs as well.

I've befriended and dated Christians in different denominations, Muslims, atheists, agnostics, etc. in the past and have no problem doing it again.

 

[owlet]

Misleading children isn't quite mental abuse.
People are not quite as vulnerable and gullible as you are assuming. Given the number of us in this thread alone that have left the Christian faith and turned out fine, can you really say that such misleading statements created any lasting impact, let alone mental abuse?

I know the Bible says that God created the world. When I was young I believed it, now I don't. I never suffered because of having to reconcile a personal faith with real life's contradictions. As you eloquently put it, "its faith as you dont know, you just choose to believe." Faith is illogical. When someone leaves a faith, they renounce the absurdity that comes along with it in favour of something else (including other absurdities).

None of this constitutes mental abuse.


The creating of the groups begins with well-intentioned, if flawed thinking - the religion made us happier/we grew up with it and turned out fine, so surely it works for our child too. We want them to have the same upbringing.
The fear of someone leaving the group is well-intentioned - we don't want our child to go to hell, don't let him be an outcast!

Leaving the group does create a separation. I had people come up and ask me, very pointedly, why I wasn't coming to church. I never had a problem telling them I had abandoned the faith. The whole point is, separations are not necessarily bad things. If they occur in your family, sure, but just like coming out as gay, there are differences that people either overcome or make larger.

As for living in the real world, people have different conceptions of what the real world is. Our world would be to a devout Christian one filled with sin. From their point of view, you've taken the easy way out. Instead of living a life of purity and virtue, you have opted out of the real world and are indulging in debauchery and sin.



A swing and a miss. The comparison is not between subject matter but the thought process behind passing them on.

I'm a little disappointed. I thought you'd studied philosophy

Some salient points, but rather lacklustre. See me after class, Mr. Owlet.

(I just want to say that although I like you personally, in the spirit of philosophy and reasoned debate, I haven't pulled too many punches, but it isn't a personal attack on you or your beliefs. Let's neither of us take this too seriously.)

don't worry I never take things too seriously (..well.. Almost never )..we are all just ants flying through space on a huge chunk of - I discuss to learn, not to prove something

I think I standby most of what I said

im no philosophy expert (..the shock!) but what I read was trying to explain the world, without resorting to make believe

my yoga teacher never spoke about any of that haha.. So yeah im talking about the actual physical practice itself

I standby my comment that all the good parts of religion can be realised without asking people to believe absurdities

im glad you "got out", my point is, kids shouldn't have to get out of anything. Shouldn't be pressured to stay in / not separate from parents and friends

lots of folks got out and therefore its ok? Nonono what about all the others who sent strong enough?

religion is a power structure which exploits the vulnerable

 

[TAG Manager]

1. Grew up in a Christian environment, Baptist, but not the extreme version that people know of.
2. Yes and No -- It's kind of ingrained in me since we went to church nearly every Sunday of the month until I finally was able to breakaway. (aka: got a car)
3. I don't care so much for any religion, especially organized ones or radical ones. I despise those religions that make you believe that giving money them will give you approval in god's eyes.

My personal belief:
Treat everyone with an equal amount of respect and dignity. Be kind to your fellow man....
Practice whatever religion you like but don't try to force it down other peoples' throats.

I don't know if there's a heaven or a hell, but I believe there's something out there and it will be revealed to us when the time comes. In the meantime, I'm trying to treat others correctly and help where I can.

In regards to answer #2 and in connection with TAG: My hometown is small enough and religious enough that it would reflect very negatively on my family that still resides there. Not in the way of physical violence, but simply a veil of shame.... no matter if TAG is causing harm to anyone or not (which I hope it isn't) but our content would be viewed as immoral and against a lot of beliefs.

Lastly, I don't think there's really any ideal religion. Each have their own positives and negatives... but buddhism is probably the most inert of them all. (opinion, not fact)

 

[TAG Manager]

Just got a message from a friend on a train in Japan --- there are some mormon guys on a train harassing a girl about coming to their temple.

This is one of those unacceptable moments. Fuck off guys -- go back to Utah, we don't want you here.

(In particular, I don't like Mormons because of some of their exclusion policies -- A good example is that some mormon families won't care for their elderly mother/father or grandparents if they aren't a member of the Mormon church. More care is given to the side of the family that actually belongs to the church. I saw this first hand, this isn't just a story I heard....)

 

[meiji]

personally I think that raising (grooming) a child into a faith is basically mental abuse

Someone make a comment once that how you are raised (religious, etc) at least has value in that it's something to rebel against.

 

[Wwanderer]

buddhism is probably the most inert of them all. (opinion, not fact)

Inert? Typo or autocorrect? If not, I don't understand the sense in which you mean "inert".

-Ww

 

[TAG Manager]

Inert? Typo or autocorrect? If not, I don't understand the sense in which you mean "inert".

-Ww

Brain fart... I was thinking least volatile. (I don't know why I wrote inert, probably thinking of inert gas at the time.)

 

[Mwktm]

I am not a Buddhist but the sacrifice Buddha made is exceptional in my opinion.

Interesting that the chief architect (as I understand) of the spread of Buddhism was a very famous and powerful king Ashoka who ruled most of the country. He had a very brutal war with a kingdom (kalinga, modern day Orissa/odhisha) in the east of India. After the war he stood admiring his feat of destroying everything in sight when a kid came to him asked why he killed his parents... (Some literature doesn't support the veracity of the incident but sounded emotionally appealing to me) rest as they say is history, every one in his family went on a Mission to various parts of the world to spread the teachings of Buddha...

The circle that you see at the centre of the Indian flag is called Ashoka Chakra which is based on Dharma Chakra from buddhism. So is the state symbol of India which based on Lion Capital of Ashoka.

It's surprising how tolerant the world was in the past to different religions...two of the oldest mosques are actually in India where the kings gave land to Arabian traders to pray..

 

[patty diaz]

I am not a Buddhist but the sacrifice Buddha made is exceptional in my opinion.

Interesting that the chief architect (as I understand) of the spread of Buddhism was a very famous and powerful king Ashoka who ruled most of the country. He had a very brutal war with a kingdom (kalinga, modern day Orissa/odhisha) in the east of India. After the war he stood admiring his feat of destroying everything in sight when a kid came to him asked why he killed his parents... (Some literature doesn't support the veracity of the incident but sounded emotionally appealing to me) rest as they say is history, every one in his family went on a Mission to various parts of the world to spread the teachings of Buddha...

The circle that you see at the centre of the Indian flag is called Ashoka Chakra which is based on Dharma Chakra from buddhism. So is the state symbol of India which based on Lion Capital of Ashoka.

It's surprising how tolerant the world was in the past to different religions...two of the oldest mosques are actually in India where the kings gave land to Arabian traders to pray..

The first and original Buddha was Siddhārtha Gautama.

 

[Manami TMK]

Making this one out of curiosity..

A lot of you guys seem to have grown up in a religious/spiritual environment when you were younger. I think Chrisitianity and Islam would be the top religions in this thread, but I could be wrong

1) What religion or spirituality did you grow up with?

2) Have you kept those beliefs, even until now?

3) How do you feel about other religions/spiritualities?

1. Roman Catholic. Yes, there are a few Japanese catholic like 0.3%
2. I have never really followed the belief since I was a kid anyway; I am a big fan of "Saint Young Men"
I used to go to church with my grand parents on every Sunday for Mass and Sunday school.
My father is Catholic, too but he never be into religion at any point. My mother is Buddhist. She complains that she had to go to the marriage course for 6 months before wedding as my paternal parents insisted them to have a wedding at Cathlic church.
3.As long as whatever you believe does not interrupt other people, go ahead.

 

[TheScientist]

If 666 is the number of the beast, what is 667?

The song that Iron Maiden wisely chose not to release

The drawback is the realisation ...

that Richard Dawkins is actually a horrible person

Growing up with religion does not negate your freedom of choice.

As an irregularly observant Jew, one of the basic principles of our system is that human free will can not be negated, ever.

there are some mormon guys on a train harassing a girl about coming to their temple.

This is one of those unacceptable moments. Fuck off guys -- go back to Utah, we don't want you here.

Pretty sure that there are in fact zero Mormon temples in Japan, maybe your friend was confused and the people were JWs?

 

[TAG Manager]

Pretty sure that there are in fact zero Mormon temples in Japan, maybe your friend was confused and the people were JWs?

http://www.ldschurchtemples.com/statistics/units/japan/

I've seen these guys too, always in the typical outfits but minus the bicycle in Japan at least. Can't miss them...
When I converted my license years ago, I ran into some dude from the U.S. who was in Japan on a mormon mission.

I've seen more mormons here, but I've had JW's stop by my place a few times. NO THANK YOU.

 

[patty diaz]

The song that Iron Maiden wisely chose not to release



that Richard Dawkins is actually a horrible person



As an irregularly observant Jew, one of the basic principles of our system is that human free will can not be negated, ever.



Pretty sure that there are in fact zero Mormon temples in Japan, maybe your friend was confused and the people were JWs?

There's actually ALOT of them here. I used to live in the inaka when I was a teen and the amount of Mormons here from the states to do that compulsory conversion thing they have to do?? Too many lol

 

[TheScientist]

There's actually ALOT of them here.

Well, some according to http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/country/japan so partly my bad.

 

[TAG Manager]

Well, some according to http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/facts-and-statistics/country/japan so partly my bad.

Yeah, there are 3 actual temples in Japan. 3 too many... but there a bunch of other missions going on around Japan.

 

[Mwktm]

I have been stopped at a busy crossing in HK by a rather handsome young Mormon man once, I smiled and didn't stop but heard what the guy said as he walked along...

I must say I am not a big fan of feet on the street marketing for something as serious as religion...

I do agree with some before who said discussions about religion and politics usually end in tears... This one though seems to be going ok...

 

[Bob]

I went to a Catholic High School. Couldn't wait to graduate!

 

[Mwktm]

Would anyone believe me if I said that I went to a Syrian Orthodox school? I used to sing well so I sang the English prayers every morning for a number of years till I finished

 

[e-smile]

Just got a message from a friend on a train in Japan --- there are some mormon guys on a train harassing a girl about coming to their temple.

This is one of those unacceptable moments. Fuck off guys -- go back to Utah, we don't want you here.

(In particular, I don't like Mormons because of some of their exclusion policies -- A good example is that some mormon families won't care for their elderly mother/father or grandparents if they aren't a member of the Mormon church. More care is given to the side of the family that actually belongs to the church. I saw this first hand, this isn't just a story I heard....)

I've also seen Jeovah witnesses in Tokyo with their "wake up" magazine written in Japanese. When I was in France I was polite and they sucked up my time so I didn't give them any chance here.

 

[Simonka]

Sorry for bumping old thread ^^’

I’m an Orthodox Christian and I still have faith.

However my best friend is Muslim, we have been persecuted by some Muslims throughout the history but I don’t judge people on an individual scale. I have amazing friends who live secular lives but come from a Muslim background. I wish all of us could continue to coexist but extremists stir it up on both sides.

This summer I’ve visited a religious site I always wanted to visit and became a pilgrim. It was a great journey.