Is religion a consequence of location?

[Alabama Larry]

Here's the reason I don't buy the "until I had a chance to hear the Gospel" answer. I'm assuming you currently, being a devout Christian, would never consider converting to Islam or any other religion, even if someone convincingly tried to persuade you to do so, am I correct?

 

If I am correct (and I'm positive I am), what makes you think that if you had lived the first 40 years of your life as a Buddist, and were just as devout a Buddist as you currently are a Christian, you'd be willing to just throw those beliefs aside and follow this religion you were just exposed to? I don't think you would (and I'm not just talking about you AL, I'm talking about pretty much anyone).

The Holy Spirit, and a very good question...Just like we know of other Religions world wide, I wonder if people in other nations could hear about this Jesus Christ is some form.

[UKMustangFan]

1) Yes.

2) I believe they can, but not based purely on their Muslim faith or their lack thereof. I just don't believe that religion is a precursor to any afterlife. It is my personal belief that some of the most judgmental and hateful people that I know claim to also be devoutly religious. The two don't always necessarily go hand-in-hand, but I just believe that if there is an afterlife (which not one, single, human being on this earth can possibly be positively certain about), you get their by how you live your life -- not what temple or mosque or church you walk into once a week.

3) The notion that people are excluded from an afterlife or doomed to an eternally painful one based on religion [which I argue is based on parental influences (which is based on location)] is ludicrous to me. Honestly, is it just luck of the draw then? That is just illogical, in my own very humble opinion.

 

Some background on the religious influences that had an impact on my life:

I attended a Catholic grade school for the first 9 years of my true education. I attended an all-male Catholic high school called Covington Catholic for the next 4 years of my education. I have a family that is almost entirely Roman Catholic, and I come from an area of Kentucky I would assume is very Catholic relative to the rest of the state (Kenton County). I attend Mass when I can, and I consider myself a member of the Catholic Church.

 

Very good post Zlatan, and we share the same background outside of the specific schools attended.

 

As to the bolded, I could not agree more. Bar none, the most judgmental hateful (not to mention hypocritical) group of people I've ever come in contact with are Christians.

[Randy Parker]

Here's the reason I don't buy the "until I had a chance to hear the Gospel" answer. I'm assuming you currently, being a devout Christian, would never consider converting to Islam or any other religion, even if someone convincingly tried to persuade you to do so, am I correct?

 

If I am correct (and I'm positive I am), what makes you think that if you had lived the first 40 years of your life as a Buddist, and were just as devout a Buddist as you currently are a Christian, you'd be willing to just throw those beliefs aside and follow this religion you were just exposed to? I don't think you would (and I'm not just talking about you AL, I'm talking about pretty much anyone).

 

Probably most people tend to hold on to the beliefs they first committed themselves to, or were exposed to. But there are numerous examples of people who have converted from Islam to Christianity (the Iranian pastor from a few months ago is the first to come to mind...the one who was in the news b/c he was sentenced to death for converting). There are many atheists who have done the very same thing (C.S. Lewis would have to be the main one & more recently, former Chicago Tribune columnist Lee Strobel).

 

As Forrest Gump says, "It happens." (Although he was talking about a different subject )