Religious belief isn't a choice. Religious practice is.
You can't choose whether you believe the Old Testaments was divinely inspired by God as a guide for the Jewish people to live their lives. You either do or don't, based on how the information you've received is processed in your mind.
You can choose whether to eat a bacon sandwich.
Is religion a choice?
The question is not as simplistic as it seems on the surface. The question is also aimed at people who are, have been, or claim to be, religious.
Aspects to consider...
So, what say you?
- People are "born into" specific religions/faiths in the sense that their family is of a particular faith
- This aspect usually means more for some religions/faiths (i.e.: Judiasm, etc.) than others
- Yes, people do often 'drop out of' their faith and either change faiths or drop religious faith completely, so in that sense it is a choice
- Yet, some people who do change or drop their faith often still identify in some manner with their previous faith
- The modern era is lessening this aspect somewhat, especially in western societies, but it still applies definitively in some regions and cultures of the world
You can't choose whether you believe the Old Testaments was divinely inspired by God as a guide for the Jewish people to live their lives.
You either do or don't, based on how the information you've received is processed in your mind.
So there ya go. You're "religious".
Would deism be a faith, and not a religion?I see you have bracketed the word "religious." Care to explain how do you mean that deists are religious when they do not follow any religion?
I see you have bracketed the word "religious." Care to explain how do you mean that deists are religious when they do not follow any religion?
That depends what you mean by "gave up religion". Stopping going the church or praying is a choice, though such a person may well still believe in a god. You can't simply decide "Today I'm going to believe in God!" or vice-versa though, that's just an uncontrolled development within your mind. In some cases, people drift away from a certainty in the existence of God yet continue with their religious practices. The key point is that there is a significant distinction, and potential separation, between belief and practice.So when I gave up religion and went atheist, that was not a choice? Later in life I was influenced by someone (or some few I should say) and went back to religion, this was not a choice?
I think you just misunderstood my point. You can't control how your mind processes information and you can't even completely control what information it receives.Either one can or cannot choose to believe?
Is religion a choice?
The question is not as simplistic as it seems on the surface. The question is also aimed at people who are, have been, or claim to be, religious.
but it is a choice that more often than not you're denied.
Please explain what you mean by this. Who is denied what and how?
More the question regarding the bigger topic of religious belief. Not as much a particular religion, or even being able to choose and/or deny as an adult, though I think that does factor in as well.Are there two different questions here?
Perhaps I'm confused about what you're asking?
Are you asking about belonging to, or believing in a specific religion?
Or are you asking about the much bigger topic of having religious belief?
Those are two very different questions aren't they?
More the question regarding the bigger topic of religious belief.
See... I would tend to agree. Yes, some people do change religions/faiths when they get older, but really relatively few people do. Those people are more the exception to the rule, I think. More may not actively practice, but they still consider themselves what they always were somewhere in their mind.Which then comes back to my comment about it not being a choice for most.
See... I would tend to agree. Yes, some people do change religions/faiths when they get older, but really relatively few people do. Those people are more the exception to the rule, I think. More may not actively practice, but they still consider themselves what they always were somewhere in their mind.
That depends what you mean by "gave up religion". Stopping going the church or praying is a choice, though such a person may well still believe in a god. You can't simply decide "Today I'm going to believe in God!" or vice-versa though, that's just an uncontrolled development within your mind.
In some cases, people drift away from a certainty in the existence of God yet continue with their religious practices. The key point is that there is a significant distinction, and potential separation, between belief and practice.
I'm just applying the definition of the word "belief". You can't simple decide that you're going to believe something different in any context - it wouldn't be a belief if you did. You can be uncertain about something (I suspect we're all uncertain about pretty much everything) and seek out further information to clarify but you can't create a belief that doesn't align with that information in your mind.That's true in some cases. You are however making a generalization that is by no means true in all cases, maybe even most. Unless you have some evidence?
Would deism be a faith, and not a religion?
read her quote...it's quite easy to understand
Are many of you people under the assumption that the only way a person can be "religious" is if they go to a "regular church" on regular intervals and only subscribe to one of the top dozen organized religions of the world?
To be religious does one have to follow some pre-determined dogma that's easily definable ????
I think you just misunderstood my point. You can't control how your mind processes information and you can't even completely control what information it receives.
You can't choose what you believe but what you believe can change due to outside or internal influence.
I disagree. A faith is believing in 'X', with nothing more really required. Deism falls into that. A religion is the belief in 'X' as a faith, then a set way to pursue it.Not really cause it is not known. There may be life's origin but science takes you up to a place, from then on you are on your own.
I disagree. A faith is believing in 'X', with nothing more really required. Deism falls into that. A religion is the belief in 'X' as a faith, then a set way to pursue it.