That's my punishment?

[helmespc]

It probably isn't worth the fight. The best you can hope for is that she tolerates you. Simply tell her that she will not change your views, and that she must choose between being in your life or not. If it is honestly worth it to her to get cut out of your life entirely, then so be it, really. Its a pretty silly reason to destroy a relationship with your own child, though.

[ConureDelSol]

Why would you WANT presents? That would mean celebrating something you don't believe in.

The ranting about the true origins of X-mas is good, but I don't know that ranting like that is going to make anything better.

Unless you're trying to get a rise out of her. Then, go for it.

[Cyberman]

Why would you WANT presents? That would mean celebrating something you don't believe in.

Sorry, but that's a complete non-sequitur.

[Cinjin]

Nice job Miles.

The kids only a teenager and he's already figured it out. I gotta tell you, I'm a little jealous.


At any rate, I know where you're coming from. My parents barely says two words to me anymore, not because they don't love me ... but because they love their god just a little bit more.

[frankiej]

Come spend Christmas at my house. No religious thunder cunts round here. There is my aunt, who is very religious, but she can't defend it by herself... It brings me great amusement to wind her up.

[Welsh cake]

At any rate, I know where you're coming from. My parents barely says two words to me anymore, not because they don't love me ... but because they love their god just a little bit more.

That's one of the saddest things I hear from other people, they're essentially saying, push come to shove, we prefer our imaginary friends over you, our own real child, our flesh and blood. And we don't even think of sky daddy constantly or go to church all that much. I don't blame you if you have nothing but contempt for them.

My mother once considered if there was no god, and then she said one of the most selfish things I've ever heard. She said "I was I never born or had children if I knew there was no God. I'd kill myself right now."

Hopelessly, hopelessly convinced. Religious beliefs are truly a form of brain damage and a tragic waste of human effort.

[AthiestAtheist]

That's one of the saddest things I hear from other people, they're essentially saying, push come to shove, we prefer our imaginary friends over you, our own real child, our flesh and blood.

That's exactly what I was thinking; probably the most depressing thing I've ever heard.

[Ziploc Surprise]

What are the things that might have caused her to flip out? Is she prone to flip out and this is just one flip out amongst many?

Does your church preach the "doctrine" that atheists are the enemy? That they destroy all things good in the world. That they are somehow a threat to god?

Does your apostasy mean the death of things important to your mom which may not actually be related to god. Does she morn the absence of you in church and church related activities. Some parents believe that a family must do everything together. Apostasy in this instance is like betraying the family. Does she personally feel betrayed.

Does she feel like a total failure because she couldn't keep you from atheism. Is your Apostasy a sign of her failure?

Is she reacting to your rejection of god as if it were a rejection of her?

Though very wrong, these are the things that can go through a parents mind.

If you seek some understanding perhaps in time (a lot of time, say at least a decade) you might be able to gain some peace.

For example, I remember watching a video of a parent who learned that her son was gay. The first thing that went through her mind was "oh no, this means no grandchildren." She didn't know that gays could adopt children (this was a dated video). It wasn't the homosexuality that was the issue in this case, it was the loss of potential grandchildren. In this case the situation was resolved in the knowledge that her son can still have a life partner (in this case a son in law instead of a daughter in law) and adopt a child.