When I was a kid, we went to church every Sunday. My siblings and I had the attitude of every typical child; "Do I have to go?" We would have to get up so early to make it there on time, and that rarely happened. It seemed so much easier to just stay home and have fun with friends. But alas, my mom was ever persistent on making me go to church. .
As I am now nearly grown up, I realize that church may not have been the worst thing that ever befell upon me. Even now, as I am old enough to make the decision on my own, I still choose to attend my church. I don't wish to talk about any specific religion; more on the positive influence going to church has on a person. .
The American Heritage dictionary defines religion as being a set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader. I can still remember being in Sunday school listening to stories from the Bible. Those stories talked of being good and doing what is right. I think that this is a great platform for a child to build his life on. It is my firm belief that if you want a child to really understand something then you must raise him in it. That is why I am so grateful for growing up in that loving environment. It was those teachings that made me into the person that I am today. .
In my life, religion has had many different definitions. When I was young, I would have defined church as a torture device used by parents to punish their kids. As I grew up, I thought of church merely as something to fill the Sunday afternoon. Now that I have reached my adult age, I would define religion as a wonderful framework of values and ethics that is suggested to be used to raise children. .
This framework of values is not the only thing that I experienced in my younger years of religion. Many of the friends that I have today I have had since my Sunday school class so many years ago. Church is a social even where children can become friends in a comfortable atmosphere.