Religion part II
Something in one of the replies to my previous posts question about religion sparked off another question I had:
Is someone born of a certain religion or are they born into a certain religion?
If a Jewish family adopts a newborn child of a Christian couple or mother, is that child Christian or Jewish?
I have heard the term used often that one was born a Catholic, or one was born a Protestant or of Judaism.... Does the religion of the parents at time of birth actually time stamp the child that they are born of that religion? What about parents of differnt faiths? does this now mean that it soley depends on your birth mothers religion to dictate what religion you are born?
I use to frequent the Pagan web boards and often wondered how some folks who were of the Pagan faith considered themslves hereditary Pagans or Witches. They claimed that because they had a blood relative who was a Witch or Pagan, that then, they must be also as it was passed down through the blood line. So what then happens to someone of a pagan or witches blood line who becomes another faith because he/she does not know? Just because your parents are of one religion, does that mean you are born having that faith as well?
I guess my question is this:
At the time of birth, are we time stamped (so to speak) a particular religion based on the faith or blood lineage of our birth parents or birth mother? Or are we at time of birth, free agents with no religious affiliations until we are either taught one or seek out one ourselves?
Is religion a free choice, or is there a herediatry or DNA link to religion. Does a child born of the parents of Judaism but raised without knowing by parents of Christianity have a DNA or Hereditary link to want/need to learn their true religion.
Is someone born of a certain religion or are they born into a certain religion?
If a Jewish family adopts a newborn child of a Christian couple or mother, is that child Christian or Jewish?
I have heard the term used often that one was born a Catholic, or one was born a Protestant or of Judaism.... Does the religion of the parents at time of birth actually time stamp the child that they are born of that religion? What about parents of differnt faiths? does this now mean that it soley depends on your birth mothers religion to dictate what religion you are born?
I use to frequent the Pagan web boards and often wondered how some folks who were of the Pagan faith considered themslves hereditary Pagans or Witches. They claimed that because they had a blood relative who was a Witch or Pagan, that then, they must be also as it was passed down through the blood line. So what then happens to someone of a pagan or witches blood line who becomes another faith because he/she does not know? Just because your parents are of one religion, does that mean you are born having that faith as well?
I guess my question is this:
At the time of birth, are we time stamped (so to speak) a particular religion based on the faith or blood lineage of our birth parents or birth mother? Or are we at time of birth, free agents with no religious affiliations until we are either taught one or seek out one ourselves?
Is religion a free choice, or is there a herediatry or DNA link to religion. Does a child born of the parents of Judaism but raised without knowing by parents of Christianity have a DNA or Hereditary link to want/need to learn their true religion.