Growing up, sophomore David Renard’s parents were “the biggest Christians ever,” and it wasn't until he was older that he realized Christianity wasn't for him.

The cinema major takes his morals partly from his Christian upbringing but mostly on his own terms, drawing from belief in karma (the principle of cause and effect, in that good acts will be rewarded and vice versa; from the Indian religions Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Jainism), and simply focusing on being good to others.

“I left [Christianity] partly because I saw how my parents were blinded to the things that were really going on around them by their faith,” said Renard, 19. “I began to see that in myself so I wanted to break out of their bubble and learn on my own, not from some higher authority's teachings.”

A recent study by the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA found that many college students are leaving the religions they grew up with, and combining the beliefs of a multitude of religions, in search of their own answers to the meaning of life.

“Religion offers people meaning, and young people may want to explore and experiment,” said Fred Astren, SF State Director of Jewish Studies. “The ways different religions approach meanings are often attractive to people.”

For junior Jude Vais, Buddhism made the most sense to him.

Although both of Vais’ parents were raised Christian, he never fully followed in their upbringing.

“By the time my mother got around to deciding that religion would be good for me, I'd already considered and discarded Christianity as largely a waste of my time, and moved on to other things,” said the Philosophy and Religion major.

According to Astren, young people might stray from the beliefs of their parents because religions include communities and communities include authority, and children will act out against that authority. Other times, the drifting from a religion may take place not because the child is rebellious, but instead because they are unsatisfied with the one view they have been given, and want more.

Based on a survey of 112,000 students at 236 universities, the UCLA study reported that today’s young people are on a spiritual quest that includes drawing beliefs from a variety of religions and often being “spiritual” but not “religious.”

Senior Adina Haldane, who is Jewish, doesn’t think that someone should practice random religions without commitment, and that the observance of religious holidays, such as Christmas, without the underlying affiliation and knowledge is offensive.

Philosophy and Religion Junior Elizabeth Melton, 20, grew up Christian and turns to that background as a moral foundation, but doesn’t agree with all of its approaches and practices. Instead of focusing on one religion, she chooses to pray regularly, but also attends different services from a variety of denominations.

“(Attending different services) really reinforces the fact that faith and the search for truth isn't specific to one group of people,” Melton said.

While less people are considering themselves to be a part of a single religion, more are seeing themselves as being “spiritual” and not “religious.” According to a USA Today/Gallup poll, 33 percent of Americans identify as such.

Junior Logan Rutan, 23, believes that it is possible for one to be spiritual and not religious because the two are not necessarily similar entities.

According to the American Religious Identification Survey, California currently has the highest percentage of those with “no religion.”

While there are students who continue to identify with the religions of their parents, many find it healthy to question their faith and normal to not agree with every aspect of it.

Cell and Molecular Biology sophomore Grace Layugan, 19, continues to practice her Catholic faith, but cannot help but have qualms with it, like the church’s stand on who’s allowed in the priesthood, birth control, abortion, and stem cell research.

“I’m a firm believer of my faith, however when it comes to issues beyond the church, I believe that we, as individuals should be free to form our own opinions, and not let the church dictate to us what should be considered ‘right,’” Layugan said.

Sophomore Renard understands that he lives his life in a way that goes against much of his parent’s Christian values, but he has it where it counts.

“I drink to excess, smoke to excess, use profanity, and am addicted to the opposite sex, but I take part in what a lot of churches forget about – I care about people, I’m compassionate and always open-minded toward other people’s opinions and cultures,” Renard said.