Age and Religion

[Nercer -]

I'm 16 and am greatly confussed (and fascinated at the same time) on religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. I wasn't raised in any religion. I have mostly based most of my believes off of my experiances with life (of which obviously there aren't very many of due to my age) and the experiances of others (but mostly the first). Most people look to religion for morality or reason (I don't, I make my own morals, which I think makes me stronger), I seek only to understand. So I'm wondering, how old were you when you first started to understand your own religious beliefs?

[Dyakovo]

I'm 16 and am greatly confussed (and fascinated at the same time) on religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. I wasn't raised in any religion. I have mostly based most of my believes off of my experiances with life (of which obviously there aren't very many of due to my age) and the experiances of others (but mostly the first). Most people look to religion for morality or reason (I don't, I make my own morals, which I think makes me stronger), I seek only to understand. So I'm wondering, how old were you when you first started to understand your own religious beliefs?

I was about your age, although I wouldn't say that I truly understood them until a couple of years ago (I'm 39).

[Conserative Morality]

Around thirteen. I was promptly repulsed, and drifted away from 'my' original religion.

[Bergnovinaia]

Well I am 15 and fully recognized what it meant to be Christain when I was 6 or so... It is to be truly loving and gentle with all people, no matter of ethnicity, sexual orientation, etc. However, you will meet a bunch of "legalistic" chirstians who think they are doing the world good by telling homosexuals they are going to hell, bombing abortion clinics, etc.

[Reblle]

I am 14 and 5 years back I started to think of that and why my life is a piece of crap. People say when you believe, good things happen but apparently not. So I am a evolutionist now.

[Nercer -]

I'm 16 and am greatly confussed (and fascinated at the same time) on religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. I wasn't raised in any religion. I have mostly based most of my believes off of my experiances with life (of which obviously there aren't very many of due to my age) and the experiances of others (but mostly the first). Most people look to religion for morality or reason (I don't, I make my own morals, which I think makes me stronger), I seek only to understand. So I'm wondering, how old were you when you first started to understand your own religious beliefs?

I was about your age, although I wouldn't say that I truly understood them until a couple of years ago (I'm 39).

Great, that makes me feel good, man, thanks.

[UnhealthyTruthseeker]

I never really believed in Christianity, however, I only really realized that I didn't believe in it until I got to high school. There, I went through an "agnostic" phase. In college, I read Richard Dawkins's Book "The God Delusion." That book is by no means the most philosophically sophisticated atheistic argument ever, but it does strike one's common sense very effectively. From that point on, I realized that I'm really not agnostic. I do everything as if there weren't a god. I also realized that agnostic is not the answer to the question of existence, but rather to the question of epistemology.

[Dyakovo]

I'm 16 and am greatly confussed (and fascinated at the same time) on religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. I wasn't raised in any religion. I have mostly based most of my believes off of my experiances with life (of which obviously there aren't very many of due to my age) and the experiances of others (but mostly the first). Most people look to religion for morality or reason (I don't, I make my own morals, which I think makes me stronger), I seek only to understand. So I'm wondering, how old were you when you first started to understand your own religious beliefs?

I was about your age, although I wouldn't say that I truly understood them until a couple of years ago (I'm 39).

Great, that makes me feel good, man, thanks.

I wasn't trying to make you feel good...

[Aririn]

Buddhist, not Christian. There has never been a time when I have felt like I need to drift from my set of beliefs.

[Nercer -]

I never really believed in Christianity, however, I only really realized that I didn't believe in it until I got to high school. There, I went through an "agnostic" phase. In college, I read Richard Dawkins's Book "The God Delusion." That book is by no means the most philosophically sophisticated atheistic argument ever, but it does strike one's common sense very effectively. From that point on, I realized that I'm really not agnostic. I do everything as if there weren't a god. I also realized that agnostic is not the answer to the question of existence, but rather to the question of epistemology.

All you did was use alot of big words that made my head hurt. lol

[Nercer -]

I'm 16 and am greatly confussed (and fascinated at the same time) on religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. I wasn't raised in any religion. I have mostly based most of my believes off of my experiances with life (of which obviously there aren't very many of due to my age) and the experiances of others (but mostly the first). Most people look to religion for morality or reason (I don't, I make my own morals, which I think makes me stronger), I seek only to understand. So I'm wondering, how old were you when you first started to understand your own religious beliefs?

I was about your age, although I wouldn't say that I truly understood them until a couple of years ago (I'm 39).

Great, that makes me feel good, man, thanks.

I wasn't trying to make you feel good...

Jackass lol

[Dyakovo]

I'm 16 and am greatly confussed (and fascinated at the same time) on religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. I wasn't raised in any religion. I have mostly based most of my believes off of my experiances with life (of which obviously there aren't very many of due to my age) and the experiances of others (but mostly the first). Most people look to religion for morality or reason (I don't, I make my own morals, which I think makes me stronger), I seek only to understand. So I'm wondering, how old were you when you first started to understand your own religious beliefs?

I was about your age, although I wouldn't say that I truly understood them until a couple of years ago (I'm 39).

Great, that makes me feel good, man, thanks.

I wasn't trying to make you feel good...

Jackass lol

Yup

[Soyut]

I was born an atheist (everyone is born atheist). It wasn't until my parent's started telling me about god that made things really confusing for me.

[Borinata]

I was about 19 when my parents' religion became my religion. I think a lot of us are raised a certain way and don't question it. While I haven't departed very far from how I was raised, I think many people give up religion because their parents' religions were never well-explained or thought out. I did the work of trying to make sense of what I was taught, sifting the good and bad.

What I would recommend you do is read some literature of each major religion that you can understand, let each religion make its case and choose one or none at all. I would definitely recommend you look at Christianity, I would recommend reading Reinhold Niebuhr and C. S. Lewis for good commonsense explanations of the Bible's text.

[UnhealthyTruthseeker]

All you did was use alot of big words that made my head hurt. lol

Basically, I never believed in god, but it took me a long time to realize that I didn't. The human mind is so strange, that it is possible to not believe something and, at the same time, be convinced that you do believe it. I don't think I was the only religious person to be in that situation. I won't generalize, but, suffice to say, I wouldn't be surprised if it turned out that a huge chunk of religious people don't really believe in their religion, but instead believe that they believe. (Which isn't the same as Dennet's idea of "belief in belief," although all religious people automatically believe in belief.)

[Duckside]

I was about 19 when my parents' religion became my religion. I think a lot of us are raised a certain way and don't question it. While I haven't departed very far from how I was raised, I think many people give up religion because their parents' religions were never well-explained or thought out. I did the work of trying to make sense of what I was taught, sifting the good and bad.

What I would recommend you do is read some literature of each major religion that you can understand, let each religion make its case and choose one or none at all. I would definitely recommend you look at Christianity, I would recommend reading Reinhold Niebuhr and C. S. Lewis for good commonsense explanations of the Bible's text.

and then read "the god delusion" by richard dawkins, and the gospel of the flying spaghetti monster to realise how religion is just a pile of crap.

[Pope Joan]

I am 62.

I was confirmed into Methodism at 13.

At 21 I joined the Ecumenical Institute in Chicago, a rather radical group intent on changing the world by teaching modern theology to local church folk.

And organizing them for local action, and establishing demonstration projects for social reform.

At 36 I went to a Presbyterian seminary from which I was eventually graduated after a surprisingly rewarding experience.

I was ordained a deacon in Methodism at 38 and an elder at 40.

At 52 I joined the Mennonite church- like Amish, with cars and computers.

Since going to seminary I have been in varying degrees a local church pastor and community organizer. Now I mostly teach college.

I like John Wesley for respecting the mind, and for giving a place for personal religious experience.

I am drawn to the Mennonites because of their deliberate simplicity, good humor, helpfulness, generosity, and the living out of their principles (which are mostly based on the Sermon on the Mount).

[Barringtonia]

I dabbled with various ideas in my early twenties, none particularly religious as such and more just a settling on 'the way the world is'.

All of it left me open-minded to the nature of our world but quite convinced that no one can authoritatively say anything of real consequence outside the description by physics. That's not to say physics is the be all and end all of the description but that it's the only authoritative description.

The rest is merely conjecture and entertainment.

[Greater Americania]

I'm 16 and am greatly confussed (and fascinated at the same time) on religion, spirituality, the meaning of life, etc. I wasn't raised in any religion. I have mostly based most of my believes off of my experiances with life (of which obviously there aren't very many of due to my age) and the experiances of others (but mostly the first). Most people look to religion for morality or reason (I don't, I make my own morals, which I think makes me stronger), I seek only to understand. So I'm wondering, how old were you when you first started to understand your own religious beliefs?

I was raised Christian and first questioned religion at age 14. A few months later I became an Atheist. When I turned 16 I, not harboring the same anti-religious sentiments and leftist political views that many other Atheists seem to have became frustrated once again and converted to Agnosticism. I have remained as such ever since then.

[Nercer -]

I was about 19 when my parents' religion became my religion. I think a lot of us are raised a certain way and don't question it. While I haven't departed very far from how I was raised, I think many people give up religion because their parents' religions were never well-explained or thought out. I did the work of trying to make sense of what I was taught, sifting the good and bad.

What I would recommend you do is read some literature of each major religion that you can understand, let each religion make its case and choose one or none at all. I would definitely recommend you look at Christianity, I would recommend reading Reinhold Niebuhr and C. S. Lewis for good commonsense explanations of the Bible's text.

Christianity is the religion I have put the most thought into. I have spent 3 years trying to understand how it could make sence. I can't think of anyway. But I hope it is the right religion, that way many good people could get to heaven and what they truely deserve.

[Aririn]

I was about 19 when my parents' religion became my religion. I think a lot of us are raised a certain way and don't question it. While I haven't departed very far from how I was raised, I think many people give up religion because their parents' religions were never well-explained or thought out. I did the work of trying to make sense of what I was taught, sifting the good and bad.

What I would recommend you do is read some literature of each major religion that you can understand, let each religion make its case and choose one or none at all. I would definitely recommend you look at Christianity, I would recommend reading Reinhold Niebuhr and C. S. Lewis for good commonsense explanations of the Bible's text.

Christianity is the religion I have put the most thought into. I have spent 3 years trying to understand how it could make sence. I can't think of anyway. But I hope it is the right religion, that way many good people could get to heaven and what they truely deserve.

You have one of the best tools at your disposition, Nercer. Google all the religions you can think of, read about them and, if any of them satisfies your needs at the moment, join it.

[North Calaveras]

17, I was christian but became Athiest, i forgot how long ago, i think three years ago. My life has been really great ever since, Ive made my own road in life and im very flexiable. I'm also able to look at other peoples beliefs and ideas and embrace them for who they are without the fear of being called a sinner and banished to a pit of eternal damnation.

[Dyakovo]

I was about 19 when my parents' religion became my religion. I think a lot of us are raised a certain way and don't question it. While I haven't departed very far from how I was raised, I think many people give up religion because their parents' religions were never well-explained or thought out. I did the work of trying to make sense of what I was taught, sifting the good and bad.

What I would recommend you do is read some literature of each major religion that you can understand, let each religion make its case and choose one or none at all. I would definitely recommend you look at Christianity, I would recommend reading Reinhold Niebuhr and C. S. Lewis for good commonsense explanations of the Bible's text.

Christianity is the religion I have put the most thought into. I have spent 3 years trying to understand how it could make sence. I can't think of anyway. But I hope it is the right religion, that way many good people could get to heaven and what they truely deserve.

You have one of the best tools at your disposition, Nercer. Google all the religions you can think of, read about them and, if any of them satisfies your needs at the moment, join it.

This /\
And here is a good source for options in case you are limited in what you can think of...

[Pokemonman]

When you aren't Christian life is..... life is..... WAY BETTER!

[Goath]

I was raised mostly religion-less. My father was a raised Catholic, my mother a Methodist, and she gave me the very, very basics of Christianity as a kid, but I never went to church.

As I grew up, I grew more and more skeptical of all organized religion because I saw people using faith as both a crutch and as a way to justify disliking people who weren't like them. I had very serious problems- still do- with much of the Old Testament and simply do not believe a single one of the stories in it are true.

Now at 26 I'm a secular humanist who, if push comes to shove, would say that there isn't a god the way Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe.