Can humans "choose" religion?

[Conkerials]

I think that Christianity is the truth, but people hop from religion to religion all the time. In most cases, it's from Christianity to secular atheism. I know the Christian church will always live on, though, even with a small remnant.

It'll be really funny if it becomes like the Hellenistic religions in that the only people who practice it are trying to be cool and edgy.

[Australian rePublic]

The OP should have made it clearer.
Do you choose what you believe?
No, you either believe or you don't

[Salandriagado]

Religion, absolutely. Belief, no.

[Conscentia]

Religion, absolutely. Belief, no.

Given that religion is dependent on belief, and belief is not a choice, religion cannot be a choice.

[Bunkeranlage]

I used to be an atheist, but I'm a Christian now.

[Opplandia]

after reading through this, I would say it sums up to this: you cant choose that you believe, but you can choose what you believe.

[Conscentia]

I used to be an atheist, but I'm a Christian now.

Wait... What? Why? Of all the religions why Christianity? Jesus isn't even the messiah - the entire religion is based on a lie.

[Parhe]

Religion, absolutely. Belief, no.

Given that religion is dependent on belief, and belief is not a choice, religion cannot be a choice.

Maybe he means how some people decide not to identify with a religious group (even though in my opinion if they belief the same core then they are, more or less).

[Conscentia]

after reading through this, I would say it sums up to this: you cant choose that you believe, but you can choose what you believe.

That doesn't make any sense.

[Infected Mushroom]

The OP should have made it clearer.
Do you choose what you believe?
No, you either believe or you don't

Exactly.

[Australian rePublic]

Religion, absolutely. Belief, no.

Given that religion is dependent on belief, and belief is not a choice, religion cannot be a choice.

Beliefe is yes you believe. Religion, to a certain extent is how you choose believe. Not to the degree that someone who believes that Christ is God can be a Christian, but can certainly choose between Catholicism and Anglicanism. Also, you may believe in God but choose not to practice the religion. You don't follow any laws, rituals, ceramonies etc. but just acknowledge God's existance

[Conscentia]

Given that religion is dependent on belief, and belief is not a choice, religion cannot be a choice.

Beliefe is yes you believe. Religion, to a certain extent is how you choose believe. Not to the degree that someone who believes that Christ is God can be a Christian, but can certainly choose between Catholicism and Anglicanism

They're part of the same religion.

[Bunkeranlage]

I used to be an atheist, but I'm a Christian now.

Wait... What? Why? Of all the religions why Christianity? Jesus isn't even the messiah - the entire religion is based on a lie.

You have your reasons, I have my own.

It's a pretty long story.

[Sun Wukong]

Apparently some people can just "decide" to believe this or that. It never made any sense to me. I never could.

But, choice or no, comparing belief to race, as the OP does, is misguided. Even if they aren't chosen, beliefs are malleable. Attempting to alter the beliefs of others, to form consensus on important subjects, is the primary mechanism by which society operates. Religious beliefs deserve no privileged status.

[Anollasia]

Of course you can choose religion. Maybe not the one you were raised with but you can definitely convert to a different religion later on (if your country allows you to).

[Conscentia]

Wait... What? Why? Of all the religions why Christianity? Jesus isn't even the messiah - the entire religion is based on a lie.

You have your reasons, I have my own.
It's a pretty long story.

The length of your story is irrelevant. Jesus is objectively not the messiah. There's a link in my signature focused on it.

[Senyosu]

Define 'choose' and 'choice' and 'free will' first.

So for now, fence sitting, it seems to a certain extent we choose what we wish to believe.

[Australian rePublic]

Beliefe is yes you believe. Religion, to a certain extent is how you choose believe. Not to the degree that someone who believes that Christ is God can be a Christian, but can certainly choose between Catholicism and Anglicanism

They're part of the same religion.

Yes, Iam aware of that. However, the practices, rituals, ceramonies etc. Are completely different.
To some extent the beliefes are different. For example, us Orthodox Christians believe in Saints etc. Whilst Anglicans don't, but I won't even get in to that.

For example, if you were to walk into an Orthodox Church in Australia and an Anglican Church in Australia, you would see significant differences in dress code, decor, etc. You would even think that they're different religions

[Sun Wukong]

Of course you can choose religion. Maybe not the one you were raised with but you can definitely convert to a different religion later on (if your country allows you to).

Explain to me how I would do that?

I do not currently believe in the supremacy of Marduk. How do I go about choosing to believe that such a being exists, and rules the universe?

[MERIZoC]

Yes, people do it all the time.

[Bunkeranlage]

You have your reasons, I have my own.
It's a pretty long story.

The length of your story is irrelevant. Jesus is objectively not the messiah. There's a link in my signature focused on it.

Yes, I've read it, but I don't find it convincing in the least. Many of the verses are taken out of context and/or wilfully misinterpreted to some extent.

(Don't think this is an appropriate place to discuss this, tho... You could take it to TGs if you like)

[Sun Wukong]

They're part of the same religion.

Yes, Iam aware of that. However, the practices, rituals, ceramonies etc. Are completely different.
To some extent the beliefes are different. For example, us Orthodox Christians believe in Saints etc. Whilst Anglicans don't, but I won't even get in to that.

For example, if you were to walk into an Orthodox Church in Australia and an Anglican Church in Australia, you would see significant differences in dress code, decor, etc. You would even think that they're different religions

Oh pish. They're essentially exactly the same. Completely different would be one group jumping up and down repeatedly with spears in their hands to bongo music, while the other congregation runs a huge paper dragon down the aisle.

[Conscentia]

They're part of the same religion.

Yes, Iam aware of that. However, the practices, rituals, ceramonies etc. Are completely different.
To some extent the beliefes are different. For example, us Orthodox Christians believe in Saints etc. Whilst Anglicans don't, but I won't even get in to that.

For example, if you were to walk into an Orthodox Church in Australia and an Anglican Church in Australia, you would see significant differences in dress code, decor, etc. You would even think that they're different religions

Anglicanism does have saints.

The Anglican church split with the Catholic for largely political reasons. Differences between it and the Orthodox result from the Great Schism between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, and aesthetic differences are probably cultural in origin.

[Senyosu]

The length of your story is irrelevant. Jesus is objectively not the messiah. There's a link in my signature focused on it.

Yes, I've read it, but I don't find it convincing in the least. Many of the verses are taken out of context and/or wilfully misinterpreted to some extent.

(Don't think this is an appropriate place to discuss this, tho... You could take it to TGs if you like)

Sola scriptura is not reliable.

[Anollasia]

Of course you can choose religion. Maybe not the one you were raised with but you can definitely convert to a different religion later on (if your country allows you to).

Explain to me how I would do that?

I do not currently believe in the supremacy of Marduk. How do I go about choosing to believe that such a being exists, and rules the universe?

What's Marduk?