Belief is individual

Deciding to believe something is an organic, individual process. Deciding NOT to believe in something is just as individual. One cannot be forced to believe something is the absolute truth. If, at an early age, you toe the line into a religious belief, how can this be construed as an individual decision? Parents know best? Yes, but is it the right way? I remember voting one way for a few elections as a young adult, until I realised that ... all politics is fairly precarious.

Taking on something as major as a religious belief should only be decided as a young adult, not a child. Its like deciding what politics you espouse to, what vices you prefer, what sexuality you may find yourself prefering. Each area of thought and 'being' needs, for those reasons, to be guided and discussed with perhaps parents, but the decision of which line to take must be individual, as outside influences become political very quickly.

I know. I've been through the social filtering system which disallows young people in a catholic school to ask questions about any doubts they may have. 'It' was just never discussed, unless in the spirit of solidarity and truth of the 'lord's word'. That just didn't cut it with me.

There also wasn't a mechanism to allow us 'non-believers' at this catholic school to find out about any other student having the same doubts. Of course not. Nothing was openly discussed. It was the 70s. Don't mention it, and it'll go away. True liberal politics in action. Well look at the catholic church today.