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Article #261:

Did You Inherit Your Religion?

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The vast majority of people in the world which is much more important, you
automatically and unquestioningly inherit inherited from your parents without
their religion from their parents. For knowing anything about the alternatives?"
something as important as religion, why "Yeah," she replied rather sheepishly,
are we so reluctant to shop around? catching my drift.
One Saturday morning I was sipping my "I'll tell you what," I said. "Spend the
coffee and reading the newspaper when the next five years investigating and the
doorbell rang. This was an unusual other great religions of the world and
occurrence as we lived in a somewhat then if you still want to talk to me
isolated log cabin in the mountains about becoming a Jehovah's Witness, we'll
outside Denver. At the door stood two talk."
attractive college-age girls who wanted The girls, realizing they had a hopeless
to talk to me about becoming a Jehovah's case on their hands, thanked me for my
Witness. time and left.
Normally I would politely say, "No The vast majority of people worldwide
thanks" and return to my paper, but that inherit their religion-one of the most
morning I decided to engage with them. important things in their
After hearing their initial pitch, I lives-unquestioningly from their parents,
asked one of them, "Are your parents without ever investigating the
Jehovah's Witnesses?" alternatives. Many arrogantly believe
"Our whole family is," she replied. that their religion is the only way to
"Do you think religion is an important salvation and that the vast majority who
thing for people to have in their lives?" don't share their beliefs will go to
"Very," she replied, and I agreed. hell. Some believe that other religions
"How many other religions have you are heresy, and a few will even fight and
studied and investigated?" die in the name of their religion.
"None." However, most people are incurious about
"Is a car an important thing in your religion and simply want to be told what
life?" I asked. to believe without personal
"Well, yes, but not as important as investigation. Such investigation is,
religion." after all, a huge task which most people
Again I agreed. "What kind of car do you are not cut out for. This is OK; there is
drive?" nothing wrong with inheriting the
"A Toyota." religion of our parents. This is why the
"Is that what your parents drive?" Dalai Lama encourages people to follow
"No." the religion of the culture in which they
"Why not?" I inquired. were raised, as opposed to proselytizing
"Because I like Toyotas better." She was Buddhism.
starting to get impatient but politely It seems that those who do inherit their
continued to humor me. religion would acknowledge their limited
"How do you know?" understanding of other religions and
"Because I like the way my Toyota looks adopt a posture of tolerance, not
and drives, plus it was inexpensive and dogmatism, toward them. Sadly, it seems
gets good gas mileage." that the less one knows about other
I nodded toward my Toyota sitting in the religions, the more likely s/he is to be
driveway and agreed. "How did you know intolerant of it, fueling the fires of
that about your car when you bought it?" fundamentalism. Yet Islam has just as
"I test drove different cars and talked much meaning and validity for those in
to my friends about their cars." she the Middle East, and Hinduism has just as
said, increasingly exasperated. much meaning and validity for those in
"So you checked out lots of different India, as Christianity does for those in
cars before deciding on your Toyota," I the West.
gently summarized, "but your religion, Did you inherit your religion?






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