If you weren't raised in your faith, do you think you would have found your way to it?

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I did find my way to the Catholic Church, but, dang, it was a rocky road. If my parents had exposed me to religion at all, it would have been much easier.

Parents, please raise your children in your faith. Even if means swallowing your pride and going to a church on Sunday that you haven’t darkened the door of for many years. Children need to know this personal side of you and they need to learn about God. If you don’t believe, but your spouse does, let your spouse share his or her faith. To ignore the nurturing of your child’s soul is wrong.

I pray for my brothers, who are too full of pride to give God a chance.
 
Catholic_farmer said:
I did find my way to the Catholic Church, but, dang, it was a rocky road. If my parents had exposed me to religion at all, it would have been much easier.

Parents, please raise your children in your faith. Even if means swallowing your pride and going to a church on Sunday that you haven’t darkened the door of for many years. Children need to know this personal side of you and they need to learn about God. If you don’t believe, but your spouse does, let your spouse share his or her faith. To ignore the nurturing of your child’s soul is wrong.

I pray for my brothers, who are too full of pride to give God a chance.
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I very much agree with this. Just as we pass on the foundation of other critical things in life.

You don’t have to be an avid reader, but you still see that your children learn to read.

Don’t have to be a mathematician, but still make sure your children learn math.

Don’t have to be a holy roller, but teach them the importance of faith.
 
I wasn’t raised in the Catholic faith but managed to find my way to it.

I now realise that it was the work of the Holy Spirit who invited me. Certain experiences in my life and encounters with certain people brought me Home, without that I would remain lost and ignorant to the Truth.

I responded to and eventually accepted that invitation. I truly believe that if I hardened my heart, I would not be where I am spiritually.
 
I am going to come toward this question as a Christian vs. a denomination.

I think If I had been born clueless about Christ, and if my family never had taught me about god…

I would have heard the call, listened to my heart and heard “something” calling me towards something greater… and I truly believe I would have found it.
 
Hockeygurl said:
I am going to come toward this question as a Christian vs. a denomination.

I think If I had been born clueless about Christ, and if my family never had taught me about god…

I would have heard the call, listened to my heart and heard “something” calling me towards something greater… and I truly believe I would have found it.
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Hi Hockeygurl . A sometimes judgemental and legalistic christian here. Be careful… Years ago there was an “I found it campaign”, 1977 I think. The goal was to reach entire city populations asking if folks had found Christ. It is true like the parable of the guy finding treasure on land and buying the land. He "found’ it. But now for the “rest of the story”. The real miracle is that the guy was mysteriously, non-coincidentally , led by the Father to the treasure. It may seem like we found it , but really He found us. He lured, captured and broke us to a willing submission like a wild stallion. So did the stallion find a new loving owner ? Could he have found the owner on his own ? But for sure , from a certain perspective, hopefully all here have “found” the loving Savior. “*Seek and ye shall find”, *and “*no one goes to the Son unless drawn by the Father”.
*
 
benhur said:
I think your question is, is our faith genuine, and not prejudiced by our upbringing and the following of tradition? It is true that religiosity can hamper a true encounter with the living Christ. Jesus main obstacle was not just worldly pagan disbelief but religiosity from the one true faith of the time (Judaism). He said it was easier for the drunkards and prostitutes to enter the gates of heaven than the faithful “church goers”, who were made twice the sinners by traditions. Wherever one finds himself, in or out of “church”, any church, Christ seeks a personal encounter with us. This to regenerate, to make born of the spirit that which was dead (in sin or born only of tradition- both given to you by "others’’). Having said that , no one goes to the Father except thru the Son and no one that unless drawn by the Father, for no man seeks God on his own.
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Would you agree though that a personal encounter with Christ can only come in connection with the Church? Because the Church is “the pillar and foundation of all truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
 
CrossofChrist said:
Would you agree though that a personal encounter with Christ can only come in connection with the Church? Because the Church is “the pillar and foundation of all truth” (1 Timothy 3:15).
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Yes, as salvation was/is of the Jews for the OT, the “church” is the dispensational vehicle for NT. I use church loosely as in “the called out ones”. For God so chose that by the foolishness of preaching men should be saved. Preachers are usually “called out ones”
 
benhur said:
I use church loosely as in “the called out ones”.
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Obviously as a Catholic I have a different understanding than you do.

But I addressed your post because it can imply an encounter with Christ is separate from the Church, or that it comes in isolation from what has been passed down to us.
 
I wasn’t raised with any faith. I wasn’t raised to understand or know that there was such a thing as faith.

It took time, and a great deal of God’s patience, persistence, and grace, but He found me and brought me to His church.
 
schaeffer said:
I understand there are many converts here, who clearly found their way to their present faith. But for those who remain in the faith they were raised in, do you feel you would have found your way to it one way or another?

When you think of other life opportunities, encounters with people of your faith, do you feel like you would have been drawn to it? Or had the impetus or information to come to it had you already been in another faith.

This is obviously a speculative question, but I thought it might be fun to discuss.
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Very good question, schaeffer. I was raised Presbyterian until my late teenage years, and then became an evangelical after watching a Billy Graham crusade and accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior, which began my current faith journey. Now I am seriously considering Catholicism as an enhancement to my spiritual life after decades in the AOG faith tradition.

If you are asking if I would I have found AOG as my current faith had I not been raised in it, that question has already been answered with a resounding “Yes”. If the question is whether I would’ve found Catholicism had I been born and raised in my current AOG faith tradition, I truly don’t know. I’m still in the process of weighing that decision.

I think growing up Presbyterian made it easier for me to accept some of the ritualistic aspects of Catholicism. Had I been born and raised in the AOG church and not being exposed to any of it, becoming Catholic would be an even bigger challenge because AOG and Catholicism are worlds apart in terms of style and substance although both faiths are Christian.

However, I know others have made the transition so I wouldn’t be the first person to do it.
 
Since I wasn’t, in fact, raised in my faith, then I guess I would have to answer Yes. I would have, and DID get to my faith anyway.
 
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