Mother wants to start going to church...

[NemesisPrime]

First off I want to just stop for a sec and say hi! Just been been for a bit and I can tell I'm gonna like it here.

Onto the topic, my father passed away this Sunday and the pastor as the funeral all but demanded my family start going to his church cause we didn't have a "church family". Now this pisses me off for a number of reasons first of which being he's taking advantage of my mother while still in a delicate state of mind. Second he was my high school principal but that's not important.

See, me and my youngest brother are atheists and we've since disillusioned ourselves of the dogma that is Christianity and frankly we have no desire to go back to such a way of things and feel we can heal WITHOUT it.

So my question is what do we do about it? I want to respect her wishes if it helps get over her grief but that's not how we do things.

PS. For the record I'm 23 and my brother is 14.

[psychoslice]

Easy, respect whatever your mother wants to be, religion may be wrong in your eye's but it has helped many people through trying times. You have no right to force your beliefs on anyone, this is nothing shorty of being arrogant, yes keep you own beliefs to yourself.

[Anomalocaris]

1. Why do you give a flying fuck about what the pastor, in his capacity as pastor, wants?

2. If your mother wants to go, it's none of your business.

3. If your mother wants you to all go, if it is a once or twice event to get her over the hump of grief, you would be a sorry human being if you don't go.

4. If your mother wants to turn this into a normal routine, then sit her down and Let her know just as you would not insist she go through a charade to pretend to follow a practice she does not believe in, so she should be equally respectful and considerate of you as well.

[Minimalist]

If she wants to go there isn't much you can do about it.

You should say "no." Your brother's position is a tad more delicate.

[psychoslice]

Nicely said Chuck.

[NemesisPrime]

Easy, respect whatever your mother wants to be, religion may be wrong in your eye's but it has helped many people through trying times. You have no right to force your beliefs on anyone, this is nothing shorty of being arrogant, yes keep you own beliefs to yourself.

I am not forcing my beliefs on my mother. Why would I? It's not my choice what she wants to do. All I ask to keep me and brothers out of it. I cannot participate in a charade. If that's what she wants to do, that's her thing but the saying "one-size-does-not-fit-all" comes to mind.

Also Chuck, it's most likely #4.

I also apologize, I should have been more clear. I'm sorry. I ascribe to the "What one does is one's own business". Again, I'm sorry.

[psychoslice]

My god your father just passed away, for heaven sake leave you mother alone in this crises, let her be happy, even if you got to pretend.

[vodkafan]

My god your father just passed away, for heaven sake leave you mother alone in this crises, let her be happy, even if you got to pretend.

He don't believe in skydaddy. You might as well have said "My dog".
Yes his father has just passed away. I am sure that he is hurting. I have lost both my parents. Some people find church a comfort in these times, others find them worse than useless.

[Napoléon]

My god your father just passed away, for heaven sake leave you mother alone in this crises, let her be happy, even if you got to pretend.

That doesn't mean he should let a priest take advantage of his mother's grief.

[The Grand Nudger]

Or that he should belittle the memory of his father (or disrespect his mothers grief) by participating in an empty charade. Or is that every mothers dream, a shallow and duplicitous child?