Religion
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What role did religion play in his/her life? Did he/she attend services regularly or take part in a ministry? Did he/she go to a religious school? Selecting this Topic allows you to sketch out his/her religious beliefs.
Did religion ever play an important part in his/her life?
- Did he/she believe in God or a higher power? At what age did he/she develop his/her religious beliefs?
- Who introduced him to religion? his/her parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, or a friend? How was the concept first brought to him?
- Was he/she raised to follow or have faith in any particular religion? How did it affect his/her childhood? Were there any particular traditions or customs that his/her family followed?
- Was he/she involved in any religious movements or revivals that helped him to develop his/her faith? What were they like? Describe them.
- How has his/her spirituality affected his/her beliefs and values? Did he/she think they were different from society's values because of his/her religion? In what ways?
- Was he/she ever involved in any circumstances in which he/she was made to feel uncomfortable because his/her beliefs or values were not those of society? What was it like?
- Did religion change at all after he/she was introduced to it? Has the church or his/her place of worship changed at all? In what ways? What about people's beliefs and values?
- Did his/her religion follow the teaching of the Bible, Koran, Talmud, Book of Mormon, or another book or doctrine? Which one? Who was it written by and what does it teach? Who was the book or doctrine inspired by?
- Did he/she have a personal faith that does not involve fellowship or a church? Was his/her God a personal God that he/she prayed to?
- On what day of the week did he/she worship? Describe what happened on these days. Did he/she attend a religious service and then do something special with his/her family or friends?
- What was his/her place of worship like? Was it more of a social center or a place to worship and learn? Why? Describe the building. Was it a temple, a church with stained glass, or did he/she meet with others in someone's home?
- What was involved in the typical service? A lot of prayer, singing, and preaching?
- Were there special ceremonies like confirmations, baptisms, bar or bat mitzvahs, or child or family dedications? What were they like?
- Was he/she ever involved in a ministry? What was it like? What was his/her role in the ministry? What did he/she find most challenging about being in the ministry? What did he/she find most rewarding?
- If he/she was involved in a ministry, did he/she have to travel to foreign countries? What were his/her living arrangements like? Did he/she live with other missionaries, or did he/she have his/her own home?
- Were there various stages in his/her personal faith and growth? Were there times in his/her life when he/she felt more spiritual than others? What were those times like?
- Did he/she believe in prayer? Did he/she ever have any prayers answered? What was the situation? Did he/she think it was just coincidence or did he/she believe it was truly an answered prayer?
- Did he/she and his/her family differ in religious beliefs? How did the differences come about? In what ways did it affect his/her relationship with his/her family members? Did they respect his/her beliefs?
- Did he/she ever have any arguments or discussions over the issue of religion with his/her family? Describe one. Was the issue ever resolved? Did any family members convert to his/her religion or him to theirs?
- Did he/she or will he/she bring up his/her children with the same religion or beliefs that he/she has, or will he/she let them choose their own religion and beliefs when they are old enough?
- What about astrology? Did he/she believe in it? Did he/she know his/her sign? Did his/her horoscope ever predict anything that came true? What was it?
- Did he/she believe in life after death? What did he/she think happens to someone after they pass away? Has this affected his/her faith in the hereafter? Did his/her views change as he/she matured?