Trouble dealing with family about my unbelief

[Doubting Thomas]

I think I share a somewhat similar situation. My mother-in-law wants me to go speak to the local priest because, as she said, she's afraid of me not getting to heaven and burning in hell. I'm sure your parents are going through a similar situation. They're afraid because they think you're going to burn in hell and won't get to see them in heaven.

The valid question here is, why should we try to change our entire belief system just because some people are uncomfortable with their own? Why should I try to become Christian again because some Christians are uncomfortable with the idea of me being tortured for eternity by the god they believe in?

It's definitely not fair and is tantamount to emotional blackmail. I don't believe in a place called Hell, so why should I worry about going there? If you believe in that place, then it's your problem if you think I'm going to end up there. And apparently this god you love & worship so much is going to send me there if I don't love & worship him too. So why should I worship him? I really see it as no different from Muslim terrorists threatening to kill us if we don't all start practicing fundamentalist Islam.

I did say that I'd talk to the priest some time. Of course it's on the back burner for me, and if/when I ever do, I'm going to take a nice long list of hard but valid questions about belief in God and Christianity in particular. I told my mother-in-law not to get her hopes up that it will change me.