I need major help with my Christian Family

[coolfunkDJ]

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!

[Aoi Magi]

Go with the flow young padawan, till you are able to venture into the universe on your own. May the logic guide your path.

[coolfunkDJ]

Go with the flow young padawan, till you are able to venture into the universe on your own. May the logic guide your path.

Ahahah! I like how you worded that, but yes, thats what I was planning on, but when should I tell them? When I move out?

And how should I get them out my back about going to Church, because I really do not want to go anymore!

[Aoi Magi]

Go with the flow young padawan, till you are able to venture into the universe on your own. May the logic guide your path.

Ahahah! I like how you worded that, but yes, thats what I was planning on, but when should I tell them? When I move out?

And how should I get them out my back about going to Church, because I really do not want to go anymore!

Going to church maybe a major health hazard especially for a minor, if you know what I mean.

One quick way to get out of such situation is to ask lots of questions especially those that contain logic. Any sign of logic is a major blasphemy in most religious circles, and religious folk normally tend to not hang around blasphemous heathens. So, that will either a) get your parents off your back till they are able to properly answer your questions OR b) get you booked for an exorcism depending on your parents.

[coolfunkDJ]

Ahahah! I like how you worded that, but yes, thats what I was planning on, but when should I tell them? When I move out?

And how should I get them out my back about going to Church, because I really do not want to go anymore!

Going to church maybe a major health hazard especially for a minor, if you know what I mean.

One quick way to get out of such situation is to ask lots of questions especially those that contain logic. Any sign of logic is a major blasphemy in most religious circles, and religious folk normally tend to not hang around blasphemous heathens. So, that will either a) get your parents off your back till they are able to properly answer your questions OR b) get you booked for an exorcism depending on your parents.

Nice! Ill try that, thank you, been a massive help!

[Homeless Nutter]

Asking intelligent questions will eventually make priests and other religious "authority" figures give up on you. It won't be easy though - first they will most likely try to set the rest of the congregation against you and force you to submit to peer pressure. They've had thousands of years to develop methods of dealing with non-conformists and rationalists. Even physical violence is not out of the question, when it comes to "saving a stray soul, for Jesus", but on the bright side, at least they can't stone you the spot , or burn you alive anymore.

Your family may never completely accept your choice - depending on how devout they are and how "modern" their particular denomination of christianity is - but they will learn to live with it, because they love you more than they love god, even if they may not be allowed to admit it.

If being an atheist among religious people was easy, there would be no religion anymore. Good luck and be glad you weren't born a few hundred years ago. Or in the Middle East, regardless of time-frame.

[watchamadoodle]

@coolfunkDJ,
- What kind of church do you attend?
- What was expected of you before you hinted at disbelief?
- What is expected of you now?

[Cato]

Aoi Magi gives sound advice. Keep your head low until you can support yourself.

To pass the time, consider publishing a book when you're 21 detailing what it was like to grow up in your environment. This will make every trip to church, family prayer and Christian conference a research opportunity.

[robvalue]

Hello, welcome to the forum

As has been said, it's about balancing how annoying it is for you to keep quiet against what kind of fallout there will be if you come clean. If there is particular stigma in your family about the word atheist (there often is as people misunderstand it completely) maybe you could just say you're not into religion anymore, or it's not for you. I mean, you don't have to even deny that god or whatever exists (from their point of view) to say you don't want to worship it. I wouldn't worship the evil god of the bible, even if I thought it was real. Maybe even just saying it's not something you want to talk about anymore at all.

If it's going to cause major trouble though, then keeping your head down about it until you can move out may be smart. It does absolutely suck that anyone should have to put up with this, I don't believe that children have a responsibility to suck up to their parents and put up with delusion bullshit as a "thank you" for having created and caring for them. It's their responsibility to do that anyhow, and if they require thanks and compliance to their cult then they suck. But you know your parents better than us.

Whatever happens, come vent on this forum. We all love slagging off religion, and we'll happily listen to your thoughts about it all

[I_am_not_mafia]

By saying you were agnostic you effectively told them that you need more attention to keep you faithful.

If you can't get out of going to church then treat it like an intellectual exercise.

Try to find the fundamental flaw in what you are being taught and phrase it as concisely as possible in the most difficult question to answer.

The more calm and measured you are, the more you stick to facts or point out the logical inconsistency of what you are being taught, the more they will leave you alove. The better you get at this the more calm and relaxed you will be. If you rant then they will write off anything you say as as a rebellion or a phase. If they can't answer you then the fault is with them and that will make it uncomfortable for them. This means that they will try to avoid such situations again in the future.

It's a valuable skill to learn, especially when you get into the work place.