Who we are is formed early on in our lives; some say even by the age of 3 or 4 and certainly a substantial part of our being is established by age 12.  Many of the psychological susceptibilities previously described are formed from events that take place when we are young.  There is another reason most people’s childhood plays an important life in their religion—their religion is handed to them at birth.  Most every person who is a believer in some faith has been so since birth, or at least as long back as they can remember.  People adopt the religion of their parents because children are raised to adhere to that religion.  And, because historically, religions have been less tolerant of outsiders, people with similar religions tend to live in the same geographical areas.  People are born into a faith, raised by their parents in it, and shielded from critical thinking by a community of supporters.  Religion is as much a communal experience as it is personal one. 

We don’t see Baptists inGeorgiaraising Hindu children.  Proud parents begin instilling their beliefs early on in their children.  The indoctrination into the faith usually starts within days after they return from the hospital.  Beginning with baptism and circumcision rituals, the childhood of the faithful is filled with spiritual rituals and religious programming.  By six years old, mom and dad probably broke the news about Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny.  Children get over this because their parents assure them it was done in good fun, but these same parent also assure them that they must still pray before meals, go to church, mass, or synagogue, perform numerous embarrassing and boring rituals, and quiver at the thought of the Almighty who everyone must some day answer to.  Telling a child that God is watching them, punished bad people, rewards good, and knows every thought they have is a very handy parental tool as well.  Children believe because mom and dad tell them to, because mom and dad’s friends do, because the people in their church do, and because their community supports such belief.  It all seems so natural to the child raised in this environment.  The rest of the world seems so lost and out-of-touch.