Freethought & Rationalism Archive

spidermantx · 01-31-2006, 03:04 PM

Just wondering if you feel you came from a religious or a non-religious background.

In other words, were you raised in a non-religious environment or were you raised in a religious environment? Did you caretakers take you to church? Did they teach you that god does exist? Or did they let you do and think whatever you wanted to do and think?

Clete · 01-31-2006, 03:13 PM

Almost completely non-religious. My mom believes in some sort of "somebody out there somewhere" kind of god, my dad is an atheist (though he'd never describe himself that way).

My grandparents on both sides, on the other hand, were all devout Catholics. They never pushed it on the grandkids which was pretty cool of them. :grin:

Evoken · 01-31-2006, 03:15 PM

I was pretty much left on my own but my family is Catholic.

Valz

Kassiana · 01-31-2006, 03:28 PM

Almost completely non-religious.

Styrofoamdeity · 01-31-2006, 05:22 PM

Kind of 'none of the above". I grew up in somewhat neglectful circumstances overall, raised rathher haphazardly by a single father. The lack of food and clothing part rather sucked, but the lack of religious indoctrination was a fantastic long-term benefit. It wasn't exactly non-religious as I was surrounded by a "faithful" community who did the usual thing with poor kids, give me a bible etc. Sadly for their efforts I actually read the thing with no preconceptions...

Astreja · 01-31-2006, 05:55 PM

Almost completely non-religious.

My mother rarely speaks about religion, and when she did so in my childhood it was only in the context of belonging to the church community. My father... I don't think I've ever discussed religion with him. Neither of them goes to church.

But I've always had a vivid imagination and an interest in Life, the Universe and Everything. By age seven I had recognized the social control elements of organized religion; and by age eleven I was doing thought experiments on infinity and eternity, and slogging through the occasional Dark Night of the Soul moment. None of which I ever discussed with my parental units, because of the intense personal nature of what I was seeing and feeling.

I think that any sort of formal religious training at that sensitive age would have delayed or outright destroyed my mysticism. So I'm very grateful to my parents for not forcing dogma down my throat.

AV-98 Ingram · 01-31-2006, 06:02 PM

In a pretty non-religious environment. If asked my parents would probably both say they were Christians, as that's the environment they were raised in, but my dad is pretty much non-religious and my mom is about the same way, too. The only thing is she has really gotten into reading the Left Behind novels as of a few years ago which is kinda scary but I believe she doesn't them serious (I hope...). Outside of buying a bible for us to read together when I was 12, which we both stopped reading about 50 pages in because it was so boring, and going with my mom to church three times just to test it out, they've really not tried to force any religion on me at all.

Genji · 01-31-2006, 06:03 PM

My Mother's side is old school liberal Catholic. (The side I am closest to.) Framed photos of popes and JFK everywhere. My Father's side is Southern Baptist. I was raised Baptist, along with the obligatory 'Sunday School' and my two sisters were raised Catholic. Odd I ended up with the Baptist upbringing. Maybe my parents sensed my gayness and decided the Baptist Path was the best one for me!

Jobar · 01-31-2006, 06:06 PM

I was made to go to Sunday School and church almost every Sunday, until age 15 when I threatened to stand up during the service and announce that I believed none of it, and I thought they were all deluded.

Still, I put 'somewhat religious' because I knew others my age who were made to go to both morning and evening services, and my parents never did that. Also I was allowed to read pretty much anything I wanted to; such science fiction writers as Asimov, Harrison, and Ellison exposed me to skepticism as a teenager, and I took to it like a duck to water.

BigJim · 01-31-2006, 07:59 PM

I'd say in between your top two choices. We went to church almost every week, but other than Sunday, religion wasn't much of a topic. We were definetly not fundies, but we we attended church more than the average american.

I voted somewhat, basically because we weren't fundies.

View Poll Results: How religious was your upbringing?
very religious	22	23.91%
somewhat religious	30	32.61%
slightly non-religious	7	7.61%
almost completely non-religious	33	35.87%
Voters: 92. You may not vote on this poll

01-31-2006, 03:04 PM	#1
spidermantx Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Salt Lake City, UT Posts: 1,060	Poll about your religious upbringing. Just wondering if you feel you came from a religious or a non-religious background. In other words, were you raised in a non-religious environment or were you raised in a religious environment? Did you caretakers take you to church? Did they teach you that god does exist? Or did they let you do and think whatever you wanted to do and think?

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01-31-2006, 03:13 PM	#2
Clete Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: San Jose, California USA Posts: 5,275	Almost completely non-religious. My mom believes in some sort of "somebody out there somewhere" kind of god, my dad is an atheist (though he'd never describe himself that way). My grandparents on both sides, on the other hand, were all devout Catholics. They never pushed it on the grandkids which was pretty cool of them. :grin:

01-31-2006, 03:15 PM	#3
Evoken Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: ............. Posts: 2,914	I was pretty much left on my own but my family is Catholic. Valz

01-31-2006, 03:28 PM	#4
Kassiana Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: USA Posts: 5,046	Almost completely non-religious.

01-31-2006, 05:22 PM	#5
Styrofoamdeity Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Tokyo, Japan Posts: 3,890	Kind of 'none of the above". I grew up in somewhat neglectful circumstances overall, raised rathher haphazardly by a single father. The lack of food and clothing part rather sucked, but the lack of religious indoctrination was a fantastic long-term benefit. It wasn't exactly non-religious as I was surrounded by a "faithful" community who did the usual thing with poor kids, give me a bible etc. Sadly for their efforts I actually read the thing with no preconceptions...

01-31-2006, 05:55 PM	#6
Astreja Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Winnipeg, Canada Posts: 2,946	Almost completely non-religious. My mother rarely speaks about religion, and when she did so in my childhood it was only in the context of belonging to the church community. My father... I don't think I've ever discussed religion with him. Neither of them goes to church. But I've always had a vivid imagination and an interest in Life, the Universe and Everything. By age seven I had recognized the social control elements of organized religion; and by age eleven I was doing thought experiments on infinity and eternity, and slogging through the occasional Dark Night of the Soul moment. None of which I ever discussed with my parental units, because of the intense personal nature of what I was seeing and feeling. I think that any sort of formal religious training at that sensitive age would have delayed or outright destroyed my mysticism. So I'm very grateful to my parents for not forcing dogma down my throat.

01-31-2006, 06:02 PM	#7
AV-98 Ingram Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Antonio Posts: 269	In a pretty non-religious environment. If asked my parents would probably both say they were Christians, as that's the environment they were raised in, but my dad is pretty much non-religious and my mom is about the same way, too. The only thing is she has really gotten into reading the Left Behind novels as of a few years ago which is kinda scary but I believe she doesn't them serious (I hope...). Outside of buying a bible for us to read together when I was 12, which we both stopped reading about 50 pages in because it was so boring, and going with my mom to church three times just to test it out, they've really not tried to force any religion on me at all.

01-31-2006, 06:03 PM	#8
Genji Banned Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Kansas City Posts: 2,305	My Mother's side is old school liberal Catholic. (The side I am closest to.) Framed photos of popes and JFK everywhere. My Father's side is Southern Baptist. I was raised Baptist, along with the obligatory 'Sunday School' and my two sisters were raised Catholic. Odd I ended up with the Baptist upbringing. Maybe my parents sensed my gayness and decided the Baptist Path was the best one for me!

01-31-2006, 06:06 PM	#9
Jobar Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: secularcafe.org Posts: 9,525	I was made to go to Sunday School and church almost every Sunday, until age 15 when I threatened to stand up during the service and announce that I believed none of it, and I thought they were all deluded. Still, I put 'somewhat religious' because I knew others my age who were made to go to both morning and evening services, and my parents never did that. Also I was allowed to read pretty much anything I wanted to; such science fiction writers as Asimov, Harrison, and Ellison exposed me to skepticism as a teenager, and I took to it like a duck to water.

01-31-2006, 07:59 PM	#10
BigJim Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Stepford, CT Posts: 4,296	I'd say in between your top two choices. We went to church almost every week, but other than Sunday, religion wasn't much of a topic. We were definetly not fundies, but we we attended church more than the average american. I voted somewhat, basically because we weren't fundies.

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