Hello. Do you really believe in your religion and God? I know many people that are forced or just expected by their friends and family to believe and practice a religion. If someone put a gun to your head and said do you still believe, would you stay firm to your religion or say no you don't believe?
So do you really believe in what you say you believe?
If someone put a gun to your head and said do you still believe, would you stay firm to your religion or say no you don't believe?
Well since I'm an atheist, I'll gladly say something to get this creep with a gun off my back.
By the time you reach maturity which for most of us is about 14 or 15, you start questioning the things that have been told to you all your life. No one is forced to believe in anything; you in the end have the choice to believe or not.
agreed. This is how most people change from theist to agnostic.
Things like :You will go to Hell if you don't believe in God" are taught early in Sunday School because the church hopes to keep another member of its congregation. That is why kids are almost scared into believing in God because they think that might be what happens to them.
That and the promise of heaven are the only two things that keep 90% of people to religion. Most people are devout to their religions and believe in God just because they are afraid that they will burn in Hell.
I remember for that when I was around 6 years old, I went to church, sat on the pew, and went to sleep. It was the same sermon OVER AND OVER AND OVER. Love jesus, he forgives you, you will go to hell if you don't worship god, everyone else is wrong, and you are a horrible person because you aren't god. That's about all the chruch tells you. At around age 10 or so, I started adamently fighting my family on going to church, but they still could pull the your to young to stay by yourself crap, so until I was 14 they kept dragging me to chruch with them.
I have never believed in God, I was raised by Atheists parents but the rest of my family was/is very religious. I do however lean towards Buddhism, but that isn't truly a religion.
If someone put a gun to your head and said do you still believe, would you stay firm to your religion or say no you don't believe?
That's how many cultures ended up taking on certain religions. Not precisely at gun point but the threat of "believe in what we believe in or die".
As for what I would do in such a situation I'm not really sure. I might tell the truth and say to the nut job that there belief is just as valid as the next or I might lie and tell them and say "Yes I believe, I see the light... AND IT BURNS!"
And yes, religious families and children are somewhat forced to go to church, but forced is a bit of a strong word, more like obligated.
I would call it indoctrination.
Things like :You will go to Hell if you don't believe in God" are taught early in Sunday School because the church hopes to keep another member of its congregation. That is why kids are almost scared into believing in God because they think that might be what happens to them.
I always saw this as a red flag about religion and in a way it's a psychological version of "a gun to your head".
By the time you reach maturity which for most of us is about 14 or 15, you start questioning the things that have been told to you all your life. No one is forced to believe in anything; you in the end have the choice to believe or not.
Sorry but in some places you face humiliation, exile or even death if you dont "believe" what your told. Indoctrination is right, and its not fair to fill childrens heads with religion as it is likely to form long lasting belief habits, I know people who believe in their religion a bit but its been diluted.
That and the promise of heaven are the only two things that keep 90% of people to religion. Most people are devout to their religions and believe in God just because they are afraid that they will burn in Hell.[quote] I'm that other 10%. I follow the Testaments, but try to interpret Christianity into new meanings and ideas. I have already considered my faith and have become an even stronger Catholic. Of course all atheists don't go to hell, but when they sin they can't ask for God's forgiveness. So basically there's a really good chance they will.
Only if you teach them to hate religion. Atheism is a not a religion itself, it is a lack of religion. It would be the same as if you were Christian just didn't force your children to go to church (not that every Christian does).
the middle east has fairly poor literacy rates. I doubt that most Muslims in Iran or Iraq read the Koran and come to their own conclusions about it. If they think that a certain passage means something else, then they are in some hot water with the rest of the community. That's half of the Middle East's problem; they are intolerant to new ideas and thoughts. At a very young age Iranians and other easterners, are taught that Islam is the one true religion; and that Jews, Christians, and other non-Islamics, are the bane of existence. They are mostly certainly taught that they will go to Paradise if they are Muslims.
