Accident of Birth

[DrunkenWrestler]

If you weren't raised in a Christian family, would you eventually end up in the Christian religion later in life?

Do you think if you were born in ancient Greece, that you would instead be believing in Zeus? The gods of the ancient Greeks were as real to them as our gods are to us today.

 

[Van]

<staff edit>
Yes, how a person is raised, or subsequently nurtured, affects how a person views the gospel. But since Greeks accepted the gospel, the barrier of growing up in a counter-culture to Christianity is not insurmountable. Preparing the soil, to use a farming metaphor, requires more work if the person holds another world view. On the other hand, if folks, even from a Christian culture, have determined for themselves, that there is no god, it seems likely they will end up as a non-Christian. But even some atheists have come to their senses.

 

[drich0150]

My mother was born Buddhist, Her entire family converted to Christianity well after she was in her twenties.

From Her: "Those who truly seek God will find Him no matter what they were originally taught."

I have observed that those born into Christianity are far more likely to simply go through the motions of their fathers religion, and not ever start their own genuine relationship with God. Most legacy or pop christians are simply going through the motions or in fact worshiping religion itself. Either way this is not what True Christianity is about.
It doesn't matter where or what belief system your born under, because the systems in of themselves are not the key to a relationship with God, resulting in one's salvation. It's one's personal desire to know and Love God that is paramount. "Religion/christianity" is just a tool, and tools on their own don't build (in this case) a relationship with God. Tools are only as useful as the people who wield them.

One thing is for sure, scripture tells us that God it far more merciful to those who have never heard the gospel, and want to know Him, than He will be for the life long church goer who is simply going through the motions. Because it's not religion or ceremony that saves, but the sacrifice Jesus made that erases our sin, Leaving only the answers we have developed over our life times to these Questions: Do we want to know and love God, and did we do our best with what we were given to do so?

 

[ephraimanesti]

If you weren't raised in a Christian family, would you eventually end up in the Christian religion later in life?

MY BROTHER,

i was not raised in a Christian family but God had mercy on me--as He has on millions of others--and led me to the Truth.

Christianity is not a product in childhood brainwashing by Christian parents as you are hinting--it is a product of a surrender to the Truth and a following of that Truth to its ultimate destination--our God, Who IS Truth.(John 14:6)

Do you think if you were born in ancient Greece, that you would instead be believing in Zeus? The gods of the ancient Greeks were as real to them as our gods are to us today.

Again, time, place, culture, and previous belief systems (if any) are no detriment to one seeking the ultimate Truth. Read the account of Paul's ministry to the Greeks in Acts 17:16-34.

For ALL seeking ultimate Truth, it is easily recognizable when presented and will be accepted--under any and all circumstances--for what it--or rather, He--is. Even a Drunken Wrestler would surrender to this liberating discovery(John 8:32) should he be IN REALITY a seeker of Truth.

A BOND-SLAVE/FRIEND/BROTHER OF OUR LORD/GOD/SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST,
ephraim

 

[ebia]

If you weren't raised in a Christian family, would you eventually end up in the Christian religion later in life?

I wasn't, so I guess so.

Do you think if you were born in ancient Greece, that you would instead be believing in Zeus?

I would imagine that would depend on what range of philosophies I was exposed to.

The gods of the ancient Greeks were as real to them as our gods are to us today.

You presuppose that no religion is true. If one is, then the god or gods of that religion are more real.

 

[zaksmummy]

Regardless of whose family you grow up in you have to choose to accept Jesus as Saviour for yourself, no other people can choose for you.

 

[socialchameleon]

Funnily enough I went "the other way". Raised as a Protestant Christian, my family were not overly religious and left me to choose my own religous path.

Being brought up through C of E (Church of England), even being christened as a child.

Religion or the idea's being portrade to me by those who followed it, just never seemed to make sense to me. Going to college and doing A Level Biology soon opened up my mind to Evolution which seemed to make far more sense (to me) than creationism ever did or could.

 

[freeport]

If you weren't raised in a Christian family, would you eventually end up in the Christian religion later in life?

Do you think if you were born in ancient Greece, that you would instead be believing in Zeus? The gods of the ancient Greeks were as real to them as our gods are to us today.

No, the Greeks did not know anything in their religion, and we actually have God live in our hearts permanently, through the Spirit of God so it is entirely different.

 

[Digit]

Funnily enough I went "the other way". Raised as a Protestant Christian, my family were not overly religious and left me to choose my own religous path.

Being brought up through C of E (Church of England), even being christened as a child.

Religion or the idea's being portrade to me by those who followed it, just never seemed to make sense to me. Going to college and doing A Level Biology soon opened up my mind to Evolution which seemed to make far more sense (to me) than creationism ever did or could.

Everyone makes their own choices though I don't feel creationism is the only theistic origins theory out there.