Originally posted by pawnhandler
spiritually or anti-spiritually? I hear people who have a religion often say it's because it was passed down by their parents, and often atheists say the same. Yet my siblings and I only had a brief childhood introduction to religion and then in later years religion was put down but the alleged parent we lived with. Nevertheless, each of us ended up w ...[text shortened]... ining churches, etc.). Our journeys certainly have not been straight lines.
What about you?
I grew up in a normal Australian household - religion wise that is. Which is to say that I was raised as an Anglican, but not in any particularly overt way. I went to church, was baptised and confirmed. I guess I did it because my Mum made me. Later in my teens, I did it because of the girls that went.
But I just lost interest over time.
Later as I grew into my twenties I developed an interest in the variety of religions and began to read a bit about many - variations on christianity, judaism, islam, buddhism, for example.
I came to realise after a while that I just didn't believe in the notion of a supernatural god.
More recently, becoming a father and some of my work situations have led me to think more deeply about spirituality and such, but I'm pretty convinced in my atheism now.
My Mum still goes to church, sometimes taking my kids with her. My kids do Religious Instruction as part of their schooling - it's commonly found in Australian schools (we don't have the big issue about separating church and state that some of you do.) I don't really mind about all this - I think there's much value to be found in thinking about religion and the moral and ethical viewpoints that spring from it.
I don't particularly mind about my kids becoming religious either - if that's a decision that makes sense to them as they grow up.
But I remain an atheist.