Do you perpetuate your parent's beliefs?

[Mr Cat Dog]

I wouldn't say that my beliefs were mere perpetuations of those of my parents', but there are striking similarities. The three of us fall on broadly similar ends of the political spectrum, with my dad a slightly more authoritarian figure than I and my mum slightly more libertarian.

I guess parents are one of the first sets of people to help 'guide' your influences into politics, morality, and even things like what constitutes good entertainment (one area where we categorically do NO agree), but as we get older, the influence of friends, relationship partners and even people on the internet chip away at our previously held beliefs. In some cases, they override some of the inconsistencies our parents didn't tell us about their beliefs when we were younger. Rebellion can often stem from this tension.

Although, in saying all of that spiel, I was a very un-rebellious child, and continue to be so today. Maybe I'm just whipped...

 

[Everyone Esplode Noaw]

Well, no, but don't tell them! I'm only fourteen after all, and I cannot stand the fact that my father is a flaming homophobic. He rambles on and on about the fact that you will going to Hell for being a homosexual, and I just don't see it that way.

My parents used to practice organized religion, Baptist to be exact, but I don't and don't want to because once again, the gay thing and not to mention the whole end of the world, Jesus is coming back thing. I prefer not to think about that. I love my God and pray to Him often, but it's just not worth it to me to have a man preach to me for hours about something I already know about. Just because I don't visit church ever Sunday, it doesn't mean I'm the next BTK killer.

My favorite of their thoughts is how the things we watch can affect our minds. Slasher flicks never hurt me, ever. And anime isn't bad unless you're watching the porn kind.

 

[Daikenki]

As a child I used to be all about what my mom and grandma believed. (I had no father figure). My mom kinda.. evened me out though. My Grandma is a conservative christian. Though she's not too bad! She is okay with homosexuality and doesn't hate non-christian people.

My mom is more of a denominational christian with semi-conservative, yet almost liberal views when it comes to politics.

As a kid, I used to be all god-fearing because my grandma instilled that into me, but I loved everyone the same and never had conflicts with anyone, but as I got older I started questioning my existence and what god really was. My mom was okay with me being agnostic, but she flipped when I told her I finally became an atheist. I refuse to tell my grandma though, it would break her heart.

My nuclear family is really the only accepting people. Once you get to my aunts, uncles, and cousins you start to see how different I am from my peers and adults.

So in an extent, as a child you hang onto every word that your parents tell you because you feel like you have to. But once you get older it's time to step up to the plate and form your own opinions. You don't have to rebel against them, but you need to take a moment and question yourself. Why do I believe in what I believe?
What are my morals?

And when it comes to politics for me, I'm nothing. I can see the good with conservatives and liberals, but they both have their problems. I learned this from seeing how my grandma and my mom would react to each other in debates.

And just wait, when you have kids, they might stray away from your beliefs once they hit that certain golden age. Like now you could be liberal and an atheist, when your child decides she wants to become a hardcore conservative christian. We strive to be different than our parents.

 

[Dawn]

Eeeh... no. Honestly? I'm pretty sure I change their views more than they change mine.

I do however gravitate towards their fields of work. Which really has nothing to do with beliefs, but hey .

 

[Livewire]

I don't really think everyone 'perpetuates' their parents beliefs, but they influence your beliefs in some way. For those of you who said that your parents were Conservative Christians, and you are a Liberal Atheist, your views are a reaction to theirs, because you obviously see things different. But If your parents were the Liberal Atheists, I'm curious to see if you would still have the same beliefs as you normally would. In example of course.

 

[jasonresno]

No, and much to their chagrin.

 

[Happy_Hereford]

Yes, somewhat. I mean, my family's not very religious (my father was raised Catholic, but he never goes to church or anything) but other things, like my morals and what-not, I learned from my family. Like never to willingly hurt an animal, not to lie or cheat (which my girlfriend loves), and not to speak unless spoken too. I still follow that last one, even after eighteen years.