by Rachel Simpson

Created on: November 03, 2008

Parents do not and will not have the power to end hereditary religion. First off, there is no such thing as hereditary religion. Something that is hereditary is passed down from generation to generation through the blood without your expressed permission. Having blue eyes is a hereditary trait. Your height, facial features, foot size, and hair color are hereditary traits that are passed down via the bloodline. Whether you want to accept them or not, it won't change the fact that you were born with it. Religion or a system of beliefs is not passed down though anyone's bloodline. It is something that is taught, and one can choose whether or not to accept it once they reach an age where they can make an informed decision about what they will or will not believe.

There are a couple of verses in the Bible I will point out that will hopefully show you that religion must be accepted in your heart. If there is a chapter and verse that says that being Christian is in the blood, I would like to see that verse and I will stand corrected. In the New Testament in Romans, it says, "for it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved". I'm not trying to preach salvation in this particular article, but the part I really wanted to highlight is that it says that you have to take this thing to your heart. Believing that God exists is a decision that must be made in your heart; therefore, being a Christian by blood is negated because of the fact that you can CHOOSE to be so.

There is one other verse that I want to use to reveal the absurdity of this concept. Also in the book of Romans, it says "not to copy the conditions of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect". The reason I wanted to use this particular verse is because it stresses that you must change the way you think. The assumption here is that you were thinking one way before you accepted God into your heart. Whatever is in your heart will affect the way you think. Therefore, the reason you mind must be changed is because what you believe will dictate how you act and behave. The very fact that it says that you have to learn something means that you need training or teaching. Something that is taught is nurtured, and therefore, not a natural thing.

This is why I firmly believe that you cannot have power over hereditary religion. Since you can choose your religion or set of beliefs and you must be trained in it, this makes it a non-hereditary trait. There is no need in asking if one can have power over something that doesn't exist.

Learn more about this author, Rachel Simpson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.