A very rocky relationship. I live a couple of hours away from them, so I don't see them very often. Two of my brothers live in Utah, and I went to visit them last year at their request, but it was just a week-long debate about religion, with their training as missionaries it was pretty frustrating trying to get through to them. They have a canned response for nearly anything you can say. There was a point of silence after I had said my piece when one brother had nothing more to say in defense of religion. I think it was because he was used to defending the Mormon religion, not the existence of God. That was the last time I spoke to him. He was with his temple bride-to-be at the moment. I had many MANY arguments about religion with my father, who held that crap over my head my entire life until I told him not only did I not believe in "The Church" as they call it, but I had no belief in any superstition. He looked like he has just had the wind knocked out of him. Since I laid that out on the table for my family, my father hasn't been able to guilt trip me with all that stuff or criticize me the way he used to, and my mother has come out of her trance and stopped going to church as often and told me in confidence that she actually has some sort of vague belief in a higher power that isn't necessarily the God of the bible, but that's hardly the nonsense of the Mormons, so I consider that a great thing although I told her I couldn't help but still feel a bit angry over the years of religious abuse she helped to put me through. She said she really just wanted a structure for the family. NOT A GOOD ENOUGH EXCUSE! And sadly she still pretends to believe for my father. I know because I find the magic mormon underwear in their house and trust me, you don't wear those just cause you like them. It is sad, and I have been involved in trying to create a support group for people with extremely religious families who are alienated as a result of their non-belief. It is really a shame. I used to be gentle about it, but that only kept the situation going. I think for your own peace of mind you cannot be silent and you absolutely cannot humor them (if they bother you). It makes it seem like you are ashamed, you know? You must be up-front and unashamed. We are the good guys!
to make a long story short, I am still on speaking terms with most of them, but there is a disconnect there and I just can't feel good being around them.
to make a long story short, I am still on speaking terms with most of them, but there is a disconnect there and I just can't feel good being around them.
