How did you choose your religion? Or was it chosen for you?

[Kakerlake]

I was born into a catholic famaly, in a catholic country in middle europe. So as everyone else, I was baptised and in the beginning I didn't think much of religion and just went with the flow, though I skipped the boring part of going to the church every sunday. When the time for the communion and confirmation came, I refused to do them since I didn't see any sense in doing it. - was pretty stupid I realize now, as you get a lot of presents and a great feast for just sitting those few boring hours around the church. But no one told me that until a few years later -.-*

Since I prefere logic, I guess you could call me an agnostic.

I have 2 questions to all religious people:

Define "religious people".
Is someone religious when he officially joins an official religion and does whatever is asked of such a pawn? - In that case, no I'm not.
Or is it enough to strongly believe in something which can't be proven to be called religious? - That I am indeed.
I believe that there is no God as in something that can think by itself and does stuff that sounds way OP. Also, I do believe that if one would know the position, mass and velocity of every object and energy fields in the universe, one could calculate the future. One sad conclusion from that is, that the free will is just an illusion.

• Do you think that if you were born somewhere else, your religion (like your language) could be something totally different?

Yes, without a doubt. As you said, if I were born somewhere in that small jungle village, I would believe in the great monkey god. And since there would be nothing that could change my belief or give me a nudge off of the great monkey god, I'd be happy with it.
If my origin was somewhere else, I can't possibly tell. I might have even turned out as a very faithful catholic priest depending on my upbringing... or a suicide bomber 

• If you answered "Yes" to the first question, do you think that you would see that other religion as the one true religion?

Depends on where and how I would be raised. If all the "think by yourself" part was overwritten by some fancy fantasy story, I wouldn't possibly question my religion and call it the only true religion.
But in most cases, I think I'd be rational enough to see that it'd be pretty stupid to call one religion the only true religion.

[Skotadi Phobos]

SG you are 100% right. With most people there religion depends on where they were born.

[The_Mormegil]

I believe that there is no God as in something that can think by itself and does stuff that sounds way OP.

Sig'd, since I laughed for about a minute after reading that.

[furballdn]

Born and raised an atheist. I suppose if I was born and raised in a religious household, I might've been that religion.

[teffy]

The point of this topic is that creation of the universe, meaning of life, existence of God.. these are big things that most religious people do not form an opinion on based on evidence collected over the years, but based on where they happened to be born. It's basically creating a God and explaining the universe based on geographic location.

It´s the same for atheists. You have no evidence that God doesn´t exist, and your opinion that God doesn´t exist isn´t based on evidence collected over years, but based on where you happened to be born. See here (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ec/Atheists_Agnostics_Zuckerman_en.svg). If you´d be born in Africa, you´d probably not be an atheist / agnostic .

If you were born in the US, you are most likely a Christian. If you were born in India, you are most likely a Hindu. If you were born in Iraq, you are most likely a Muslim. If you were born in some small jungle village in Africa you might worship "The Great Monkey".

If you were born in South Korea, you probably had  no confession. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_South_Korea)

Born and raised an atheist. I suppose if I was born and raised in a religious household, I might've been that religion.

Theism AND atheism are a result of location, education (and also personal decisions, of course).

To the questions:
I reject the claim to absoluteness religions have, but I can´t exclude that - if I were born elsewhere - I could think that the claim to absolutness of my religion were justified.

[darkrobe]

posting to watch

[Kamietsu]

Yes/no to both questions.

It's a probability thing. Being in a certain area, surrounded by a certain culture, increases your chances of being and believing  the things that make them who they are. But simply being born and raised in a certain area only makes it more likely, or more probable, that one would become it and believe in it.

There are simply to many variables that could determine what you are and what you might believe. A person doesn't need to see all religions to know the one they were raised as isn't right for them. Same thing applies to when they have found a religion they enjoy. They don't need to see every religion to know that this new on they found is right for them. Could they find a better one? It is possible.

[Ekki]

It's a probability thing.
*stuff*
A person doesn't need to see all religions to know the one they were raised as isn't right for them. Same thing applies to when they have found a religion they enjoy. They don't need to see every religion to know that this new on they found is right for them. Could they find a better one? It is possible.

I totally agree.

I can say both yes and no to question n°1. I was raised in a "meh" catholic family, so I was baptised but just so as I could have godfathers. I guess if I was born in Africa things will be different, but I'm so sure I'm genetically a "and why is that?" guy, I think I would end up the same, or at least not believing something "totally" different. I could be wrong, but that, without proof, is a matter of faith.

I would like to add something about religion. Religion IS something that appeared along with mankind, but that doesn't mean God (relating to any god/s) doesn't exist or whatever...

I believe in my own God, very similar to many of the main religions' Gods, since I see they are somehow similar in many ways. I believe this is not just chance (nor an "ultimate God"'s work), and the more I think of it, the more logic I add to it, and the more quantum physics I learn, I just believe more and more in what I do now. It's a bit of faith, a bit of logic, and a lot of quantum physics... And logic and atheism are far from being the same.

[OldTrees]

@ScaredGirl

Do you think that if you were born somewhere else, your religion (like your language) could be something totally different? Yes.
If you answered "Yes" to the first question, do you think that you would see that other religion as the one true religion? No. I would disrespect my irrational belief regardless of what it was.
Are our preconceptions about reality influenced and initially created by our surroundings? Yes.
Is this true about beliefs on the presence/absence of a god? Yes.
Are these preconceptions resilient and require evidence to discard? Yes.
If evidence against a preconception is not available can the preconception be readily discarded? No.
Does this have moral implications? Yes. Holding a specific belief cannot be morally required/immoral unless evidence for/against the belief is universally available.
Do beliefs about god have any causal link with god's nature or nonexistance? No. I can draw a 2x2 chart if you are unconvinced.
Could a god exist if Religion was man made? Yes, in fact if a god exists it is likely that religion was still man made.
Is indoctrination (Theist or Strong Atheist) wrong? Yes.

[BluePriest]

How can you confidently say "No" to the second question?

Because I believe something you dont.

If you had been living in India all your life and had been taught Hinduism all your life, are you seriously suggesting that you would ignore your culture, your parents and your friends, and would convert to Christianity?

Yes.

Isn't it possible that you feel strongly about Christianity because that's what you have been taught? Isn't it also possible that you would feel the same way about Hinduism if you have been taught that?

It is possible to be raised one way, and still choose the path on your own. The reason I am so firm in what I believe is because of God, not because of my parents/society/anything else.

[Helston]

 I was raised in a Catholic family, and as such was Catholic until several years ago it all seemed ridiculous to me. I'm now a weak atheist, however this thread has raised a concern for me:

If I become a parent, will my children blindly follow me into atheism and merely accept my lack of beliefs as true due to their 'logical' nature? I certainly hope not.

EDIT: Spelling - stupid iphone.

[Van Helsing]

I was born in Spain. As you can assume, Catholic religion is choosen to almost every kid. Anyways, last 30 years have changed a lot the panorama. Now there is no more religion in public education, and there is almost a 20% of muslim that came across last 20 years.