RE: I need major help with my Christian Family
February 10, 2015 at 5:21 pm
(This post was last modified: February 10, 2015 at 5:26 pm by emilynghiem.)
(February 8, 2015 at 8:32 am)coolfunkDJ Wrote:
I need help
I have been brought up in religion since I was born, and im now 14 years of age, I have left religion because I started thinking about God, and if, he did really love us then why did he flood us, and if he didnt care about flooding us, why didnt he kill Adam And Eve?
Anyway so one thing led to another but here is where I need help, I tell my family im agnostic in ways (Because I dont wanna tell them im athies) and now, more than ever, they're trying to force me to attend christian conventions and go to church and I just want to scream no, but I really don't want to upset my parents, it would make me feel guilty
What should I do? Should I tell them im athiest, because I feel like they will force it upon me more if I do, or should I keep quiet! Please! Respond!
Dear CoolfunkDJ
There are two different issues going on here
1. One is accepting the fact that even if you are "secular gentile" or nontheist under natural laws, those are still included in the Bible and Jesus/Spirit of Justice still fulfills that path, too. the spiritual believers under scripture focus on Jesus as Salvation by Grace. the secular humanists under natural laws focus on Justice which is another name for Jesus but in secular nontheistic terms. All things can be translated into secular terms, but it takes patience and forgiveness which is the second issue going on here.
2. The other factor is forgiving differences, regardless if you are theistic or nontheistic, Christian or nonChristian. The forgiveness factor is necessary regardless what faith we share or don't share. there is nothing wrong with questioning or not relating at all to the symbols in the Bible, and that doesn't determine if you are this or that by whether you accept it all. What matters is the LANGUAGE you feel most comfortable speaking in. If you are nontheistic there is no problem with that, but it may take translating back and forth from religious symbolism that is like foreign language. if you can FORGIVE the fact that you and your family "speak different languages" it will be less stressful when trying to explain back and forth, and not feel judged guilt or fear about this. It is perfectly natural, like if you married into a mixed family that had English/Spanish bilingual differences, and some people have accents or don't get the other language at all. This happens.
3. To summarize the Bible where you can see the overall meaning, the point is that humanity is maturing and moving from the past stages of living by the letter of the law which gets corrupted by greed ("Retributive Justice" and OT ways that is full of death destruction genocide and all the effects of judgment and punishment) and moving toward mature stages of social and spiritual/political development by "Restorative Justice" and NT that is about RESTORING healthy relations by peace justice and truth, especially by mutual forgiveness and corrections instead of rejection and punishment as before.
Most people are not ready for this because we can't forgive the authoritarian old ways where people are still fighting politically for control of church and state, and control of personal relations between men and women, or bosses and workers, or rich and poor.
We'd have to be as gracious as God to forgive all the wrongs in the world in order to work together to correct them.
So that is what the NT is about, letting go of man's ways that are selfish, and seeking Higher Justice and Greater Good for all people which is noble.
So that takes such "divine forgiveness" that this is what people turn to Jesus for, to receive that higher forgiveness and grace we cannot find in ourselves when we are burdened by all these problems we are under.
If you can understand that your family believes in this wonderful Justice coming to save everyone, then that is like how even secular humanists seek Justice and Peace universally for all people. The biggest step is forgiveness, and where people struggle to forgive differences, that's where your family 'fears' you aren't on the same page with them.
The more you can forgive, and let your natural love and compassion for each other overcome that 'fear' then you will see you are able to work toward the same goals with the same faith in truth justice and peace,
even though you prefer SECULAR terms for the same concepts. the same spirit of Justice with Mercy and 'divine grace' fulfills the laws of justice, whether it is the natural laws of the secular society under the state and under science or it is the spiritual laws of the believers in the church.
the same people make up the body of the church
as the people make up the body of government, so the same spirit of truth and justice fulfills the goals and laws under both authorities.
