My Dad and his family are all Catholic and my Mum and her family are all Greek Orthodox, unfortunately I had no say in the matter of me getting baptised and I was unfortunately baptised Catholic. Throughout my childhood I didn't know any better that the Catholic church was hypnotising me into their ways. My parents made me complete all my sacraments with me non the wiser. I always get into heated arguments with my family about religion. Once on good friday my parents weren't eating any meat but I decided it was my choice and I cooked some up, my dad ripped it from my mouth. I don't know why they just can't accept that I have a right to believe in what I want, I am not breaking the law... I don't have to believe in anything just because they do, it doesn't give them a right to laugh at me for my opinion. Not to mention I am at a Catholic high school were they tell you to shut up and sit down if you saying anything against god.. I told my grandma that when I was to get married I wanted to have a celebrant and not to have it in a church, she called up my mum and they were laughing about me being an Atheist. She said that it was just a phase, she told her just because I prayed and 'god didn't answer me' I have started to lose faith. The thing is non of that is true. I have stepped back and seen that the catholic church is like a cult. They brainwash you from a young age, all they say is pray and everything is going to be alright. But the truth is it isn't because it is all make believe and I don't want to be apart of anything like that. Why does no on around me respect my decision? What can I tell them to see that I am serious?
Subscription Note:
Choosing to subscribe to this topic will automatically register you for email notifications for comments and updates on this thread.
Email notifications will be sent out daily by default unless specified otherwise on your account which you can edit by going to your userpage here and clicking on the subscriptions tab.
1. I take you seriously, and there are most likely others here that do as well.
2. If you are still a minor, living in your parents' home, and they are not engaging in (the legal definition of) abuse then you pretty much have to suck it up until you reach majority age.
Hang in there. They cannot take your thoughts from you.
Cyber is right. If you are still a minor, there is probably nothing you can do about it right now. I grew up in a similar home as yours; my father was an evangelical preacher. The fact probably is that, as long as they are not abusing you, you'll probably have to endure it until you're old enough to get away from it. Once that happens, you can believe anything you want. I'm sorry to have to say that. I'm sure the path looks very bleak to you. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And you can always come visit us here. Be assured that we will always take you seriously.
I'm 40 yrs old and my daughter doesn't take me seriously. Just a thought.
Yeah man, I take it seriously, unfortunately what Cyber says is true about getting to adulthood, in the meantime they can't take your thoughts. You'll really have to put up with them until you can go out on your own. At that point when you have your own place you can have your own rules and decide who is or is not welcome there or if a person comes over how much you want to respect their belifes, until then if your living with your rents its their rules. I do want to ask though, how old are you?
There is a certain amount of respect you should have for the rules of the house you reside in even if you don't like them so long as there is no actual abuse going on. Being an atheist with a strictly religious family can be tense and difficult even demeaning and know unfortunately though they believe in imaginary things with no proof they think your the crazy one for not believing as they do, they are probably closed-minded and think all or any of your logic is ridiculous. One day when you have your own house there is also a certain amount of respect you should demand of your guest, try to be better than they were to you and keep an open-mind.
All said though, I don't think your parents were all that bad they did raise an atheist after all.
Can't really escape that situation. You should understand that your family is still brainwashed and thinks that you are only going through a crisis of doubt right now that will go away after something happens to make you regain your belief. At least you are able to be open about your beliefs and since you are in highschool you only have a little while left until you can live the way you want. Keep in mind that them taking you seriously may not be all that great either. It will turn into them trying to actively reconvert you or shutting you out if they are extreme, though the way they are acting now suggests that they likely care about you, and respect you enough to let you rebel against what they believe, even if they see it as temporary. No matter what, though, there are thousands of us that respect AND agree with your beliefs, so welcome, you can feel at home here :)
I think i know something you can do if you can get them to give you a chance to get your view across.
Patiently explain how bad doing religious things against your will feels to you because it makes you into a liar.
If thats no help stage two.
Explain that if they force you to do religious stuff that its probably as soon as your an adult your going away. You dont even need to mean it, its just a shock tactic.
While they are shocked explain what made you decide you were an atheist.
I was in your same exact position, and believe me, what ever you say, it will not make a difference.
They are brainwashed, in their eyes, everything that attacks their religion in any way is an action by Satan to shake their fate.
The best thing you can do is taking this as a blessing.
Now is your perfect chance to study their theology, the more you know the more you will be prepared to face their arguments when they do take you seriously.
I was born in the most christian country, my mom is a catechist,(brainwashes children), studied in a church school, and went to mass twice a week by force.
I know about religion more then all Christians.
That is why i know for sure there there isn't a single true christian in existence today, They are all hypocrites with themselves and others. The main problem is that they don't even know it.
This a problem that hinders any kind of argument to reach them, religion makes them see things which are pure evil as good things.
Thus they cannot value reason as normal sane people would.
It's like having a virus that uses itself to look for himself, no wonder you never find anything. The virus is tricking you to think that he is not there.
So for example:
Having a symbol of a crucified human being on the bed of your child is something good in their eyes.
Whilst having a symbol of a crucified dog on the bed of their child is horrible and disgusting.
A sane person will be horrified of both, but not a christian because their theology made them think that a crucified human being is a symbol of hope.
Disregarding the fact that the child is not mature enough to understand this horrible theology.
That god needs a human sacrifice to be able to forgive and if it is his own son the better.
In a sense i was lucky i was brainwashed by family then foster family till the age of 12 when i was adopted by a non religious family, i wouldnt call them atheist more like they wernt interested in religion. They let me do what i wanted but still took me 4 years to become an atheist. The road will be even harder for an adult thats been brainwashed all their lives.