Why are you the religion you are?

[benetint]

If you are at all religious that is! My family are catholic and I have recently started attending church. I feel the services very comforting and I find I always want to try and be a better person after going. But there's so much in the Catholic Church I worry about, particularly if I'm going to start taking my children. So I didn't know whether I should explore other options too? I just wanted to know then really, are you a particular religion because you we're born into it? Or did you spend time finding a denomination that is in line with your beliefs/morals? Thanks so much

[niminypiminy]

I'm CofE now, but was brought up in an atheist, non-churchgoing family. I'm the only one of my family that has ever voluntarily been inside a church apart from going to a funeral or wedding.

I started going to church with Guides, and carried on going as a teenage rebellion. Then stopped, and gradually resumed my family's reflex atheism. Many years later God tapped on my shoulder, and wouldn't stop tapping. I walked into my local CofE church and that was, more or less, that. My reasons for staying are somewhat similar to Tuo's - I like liturgy, and I like the middle way the CofE walks between Catholicism and Calvinism.

[PedroYoniLikesCrisps]

It's interesting (and quite telling) that the vast majority of people either follow the religion they were born into (perhaps a slightly different denomination) or have become atheist.

Says a lot.

[benetint]

This has been so interesting, thanks so much!

[HardlyEverHoovers]

Looks like most people who replied are of a Christian background, I am Muslim, and chose this religion at the expense of pretty much everything else in my life at the time about 10 years ago. I did that because I believed, and believe it to be the truth. That seems to be the bottom line for me, but beyond being Muslim I made other choices according to what felt most comfortable to me, such as which mosque to attend, which Islamic scholars to listen to etc etc.
Although I wasn't raised as a Christian, Christianity would be have the most obvious choice for me, based on my school, friends etc. But I never really got the theological aspects of it so never really got into it.
I wish you all the best in your journey to finding what is right for you and family OP.