As a child, I accepted other people’s beliefs took on those beliefs as if they were my own. I suppose you do as a child.
My Parents' Beliefs
You may also have been expected to take on other people's beliefs unconditionally, without question. My parents' beliefs became my own. They were beliefs given to them by their parents, never questioned by them, until I started to question them.
My Spiritual Beliefs
I was never in a position to change anything until I left home, I was aware of just how much of my life wasn’t my own. Although it would go on to take me time to start working on my life, my 'spiritual beliefs' remained steadfast. Growing up, it is important we keep an open mind on our beliefs, or we will inevitably begin to shut out the truth.
Conclusion
I knew that as I changed, that change would begin to impact, but speaking and living your truth is important. Living our own truth is all we've got.
Living my own truth has been quite a battle, since I was forced to believe in certain ways and punished if I didn't. Both my parents, who were total opposites of each other, tried to convince us their ways were better, when in fact neither were.
It was beyond torturous and ridiculous in the ways they tried to brainwash their own children. I'm still not 100% sure of what I believe in, but I know that it isn't anything even close to what they did.
My parents seem to have little beliefs and if they had any, I wasn't subjected to them as that would have involved some form of communication.
Thankfully they weren't religious so we weren't brought up with any brain washing ideas about religion and beliefs and I always went to mainstream schools, which were a bit of a religious melting pot.
I consider that I am now much more spiritual and have little time for narrow minded religious fervor.
Personally, I think mainstream schools need to tailor their curriculum more to incorporate less teaching about religion. As you said in your day, school was a 'religious melting pot.'
I think you were lucky you didn't have your parents preaching. That will have set you up to think about your own beliefs growing up.
Main stream schools also need to change so that children come to know and understand more about themselves, what makes them who they are.
Teaching is too regimented. It's also less about free thinking. Spiritual values don't exist, and religion is still very much part of the curriculum also.