Originally posted by knightmeister
Doesn't this actually say more about how YOU form your beliefs than anything else. I was brought up an Atheist but the truth still found a way. If you feel that you would have succumbed to whatever cultural brainwashing you were exposed to then it's a comment on you not others.
Well in the end all we can talk about is how our own beliefs form, that's true.
But obviously the people in this forum are not going to be truly representative of belief systems across the world, since we're the ones who are thrashing it all - we're self selected to be passionate about our positions.
What I'm saying is that people tend to have the faith of the culture they're born into - but clearly you and I and many others are exceptions to that. Perhaps exceptions that prove the rule?
Is it likely, for example, that the next pope will come from India or China or Afghanistan? No, of course not. It's not impossible, but the large majority of people in those places aren't catholic. But why should that be if any religious faith has as much strength as any other?
In an ideal world, people would choose the faith that suits them from the complete range of possible faiths. But we don't live in that world do we. You get what you're given.
Why are you a christian? You were brought up an atheist you say, but why choose christianity as opposed to say Bahai? I would guess because you live in a society that is largely christian. You are exposed to christian beliefs, but not to many others.