I'm mexican...but I'm not Catholic. That in and of itself has caused more problems with the culture than I can tell you...but there it is. Why? Because my Grandmother believed and wanted a more personal relationship with God. She wanted to know Jesus personally...not have to go through a priest. She didn't feel that she needed to confess her sins to a man who wasn't involved at all. She did not revere Mary the Mother of Jesus as anything more than another woman just like she is. So my grandmother started to go to a church that was very "other side of the tracks"....it was an Assemblies of God church.

Each person has their own opinions and beliefs, even within a religion...I don't agree with all aspects of Catholicism, but as it's what I've grown up with, it's what I believe in now, it's like a seeping in indoctrination. I'm used to venerating Mary, and having a priest as the person to confess to, it's the only thing I know, because it's how my religious life has been.

Ok....but yes, I would tend to agree with you that without an active search/questioning of one's faith....taking the parent's faith is just easier to do, since it's not really your own. You can follow it or not follow it as you see fit with no guilt or whatnot if you cop out. You make your token apearances in the church on Christmas Eve or Easter Sunday, keep the parentals happy...and there ya go. But yes...the parent's faith tends to be the defalt setting.

It seems though, that years upon years of attending church every Sunday, as well as religious education, have made me believe...and now, when I think of different things, question my faith, even question God's existance (I suppose, natural things), I feel guilty, because of how religion has been instilled through my youth and still now.

I do believe though that there is a major exception to the rule and that would be with athistic or agnostic belief. Those tend to be personal choices...and with those choices there is an underlining emotional responce that goes with it. This is not necessarily passed onto the children, as humans have an inherant drive to believe in God/Higher Powers/Spirits (see every culture in earth's history).

I seem always on the verge of athiesm in a way...I seem to always be questioning God, and even God's existance, as I learn more and more, especially in the sciences.

But well...if you waited until you were "older" and "wiser" or "mature" and "sensible" then you will never get there because it was never a priority before, why should it be then? Who says that a child cannot decide if they want to persue a relationship with God? As a child, their faith will be as simple as it needs to be for them. As they grow up, their faith will also grow deeper and greater understanding will come with it. One's faith is not a static thing, but it becomes more vast as the believer explores it, lives it, studies it, and experiences it. There is absolutely no reason why that can't start at an age when they begin to realize right from wrong, good from bad, and so forth.

Very good point, and I agree with you.


I fall so hard inside the idea of you
it's why, with you, can't say what I mean
wanna stay but I think I'm gettin' outta here
I fall so hard inside the idea of you