Do You Have Different Beliefs from Friends and Family?

  • cannibal.

    cannibal. (145)

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    cannibal.:
    I'm left out in my family because I'm the only agnostic one. My family is split in half, 50% Christian, 49% Jewish. I'm the 1% that isn't either.
    Nope and the quoted posts below explain why.
    cannibal.:
    cannibal.:
    My mother and her side of the family are highly religious Christians.
    My father is his side of the family are highly religious Jews.

    I'm Agnostic, my family is disgusted because of this. I normally just tell them to get over it and realize that they were never going to succeed in shoving their religions down my throat.
    This was from last year/page 15.

    Le Changes
    * Mom is Agnostic.
    * Dad has switched his religion and few times and was dabbling in Buddhism last time we discussed it.
    * Dad's family have (for the most part) switched to Agnosticism.
    * Mom's family are still Christian but they aren't 'highly religious" anymore.
    * No one is disgusted with anyone.

    So yes, my religion is the same as my mothers now. Dad and I have disowned each other so I'm not sure what religion he's claiming to follow anymore.
    May 19th, 2013 at 11:20pm
  • bye gone

    bye gone (110)

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    My family is Catholic, which I am too but I'm starting to question a little. My sister's Agnostic, and most of my friends are atheists. I go to a Catholic school so that's actually pretty odd, but I think my friends are the minority in the school.

    My religion has helped me through a lot, especially the last couple of years so even though my friends make fun of me for it I go to Mass every Sunday (with or without my family). I don't shove my beliefs down anyone's throat though, in fact I don't even talk about religion except in religion class. I like hearing what people of different beliefs have to say as long as they listen to what I have to say as well.
    May 20th, 2013 at 12:04am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ aaron tveit.
    My boyfriend was raised Catholic and he questions things to. (Stance on gays, stance on abortion, stance on birth control.) He just doesn't like his religion out-reaching into politics. As a non-Catholic, I find it interesting to learn more about his faith as a lot of Protestants are very anti-Catholic (not sure why).
    May 20th, 2013 at 03:20pm
  • bye gone

    bye gone (110)

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    @ dru's troubled soul
    Your boyfriend and I would probably agree on that. Catholics for the most part agree that Protestants are Christian and have the tools and ability to be saved (get to Heaven), but for some reason the opposite isn't always true. I know that some Protestants believe that the Catholic Church is leading people away from Jesus, I'm not sure what any of the other reasons are though.
    May 20th, 2013 at 08:58pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ aaron tveit.
    The main issues I know of are Confession, for one. Protestants believe that you are saved through your personal relationship with Jesus Christ and Catholics believe that you have to talk to a priest instead of God. Protestants do not believe that Man is able to absolve you of your sins nor that any one man is more worthy to speak for God.

    A lot of Protestants I know dislike both the wealth of Vatican City and the need to have an entire city and it's reach into politics and such.
    May 20th, 2013 at 09:06pm
  • bye gone

    bye gone (110)

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    @ dru's troubled soul
    Ah, well I suppose that's where the beliefs differ. Catholics don't believe that Man is absolving you, we believe that the priest is acting for God. Whereas I suppose Protestants believe that Man cannot act as a sort of in-between. Which is understandable.

    Yeah, I'm not a huge fan of Vatican City myself. We've finally got ourselves a less extravagant Pope, though, so baby steps. But, honestly, the whole "material things don't matter" and then having a whole city filled with lavish things is misleading and controversial. And, I would imagine most people don't like the Church's reach into politics, especially if you're not Catholic.
    May 20th, 2013 at 09:20pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ aaron tveit.
    The United States has a separation of church and state, so it's pretty much illegal. There are also Catholics who don't think that their religion should intrude into politics. My boyfriend thinks the church needs to stay out of it and the Catholics for Choice and Catholics for Marriage Equality pages I follow also think the church needs to back off.
    May 20th, 2013 at 09:26pm
  • bye gone

    bye gone (110)

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    @ dru's troubled soul
    I agree. I think the Church is often too quick to make things black and white when that's not the case.
    May 20th, 2013 at 09:30pm
  • treat02

    treat02 (100)

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    My dad is a christian. My mom is a christian. My sister is agnostic. I am christian. I love God and Jesus, and I love them both. My sister is 14, and she just needs to figure things out. I think that just because I'm Christian, that doesn't mean I can't be friends with some people who are Hindu's, or Jewish, or any other religion. I believe that you should accept people for who they are. Religion is such a big thing, that a lot of people with judge you off of your religion. Sometimes people may dis-like you because of your religion.
    May 26th, 2013 at 04:45am
  • KilljoyLizzie

    KilljoyLizzie (100)

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    My whole family is Christian and I'm Atheist. They don't know but they would most likely kick me out if they did know. I just don't believe in some of the teachings. My friends don't really care. One of my best friends is Atheist, the other is Christian. We all get along and don't really talk about religion.
    May 29th, 2013 at 10:24pm
  • Airi.

    Airi. (2240)

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    My mother is a Methodist and her husband is a Roman Catholic, though unreligious. I think he really just claims the title and doesn't actually follow the religion. Most of my step-dad's family are Roman Catholics and most of my family are Methodists. My family is a typical conservative Christian family. I on the hand am an atheist. My mother and step-dad know and they have know problem with, though my mother does make snide little comments occasionally about it. My grandfather also knows, but he thinks I'm just "rebelling". The rest of my family nor my step-dad's family knows, but it's not all that important that they know right now.
    May 30th, 2013 at 02:14am
  • VandaliaLaRue

    VandaliaLaRue (100)

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    I definitely feel somewhat "out of the loop" of my family/friends. Most of my family are Catholic and/or Baptists, and my very best friend is even Southern Baptist, but I myself am a LaVeyan Satanist. It definitely keeps conversations lively, though...
    June 7th, 2013 at 09:53pm
  • the fallen.

    the fallen. (100)

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    My family is Roman Catholic but I'm really, I don't know. My mom has always been Catholic but my dad has switched religions. He was Catholic, then Pentecostal, then Protestant, now he's back to Catholic???? It's confusing. As for me, I was baptized Catholic, went to church for a few years and stopped. I don't really know what religion I am. I say I'm non-denominational, but also I am deist. I believe in a God, a high power, Jesus Christ, etc, but I don't believe in an organized religion? So I guess a non-denominational deist? It's honestly really confusing!
    June 8th, 2013 at 11:55pm
  • K H A L E E S I;;

    K H A L E E S I;; (200)

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    I'm personally an Agnostic. However, I was raised in a pretty conservative Episcopalian family. From the time I can remember till about 13 I went to church almost every Sunday and was pretty religious. As I grew older, I separated from the church and their belief system and abandoned my beliefs in God for personal reasons. I'm 20 now and have lived, personally, without religion for a good 7 years. However, my mother and I sometimes get in to arguments because she is still deeply religious and thinks that what I'm dealing with is a 'phase'. The older I get, the more I'm around people of different religions and cultures, I realize that the world is so open and interesting with all of it's belief systems that I personally could never attach to just one. Yes, I feel like an outcast around my family sometimes with all of their talk of God and what have you. I can never denounce what they believe in or mock it because even though it goes against my ideals, it gives them hope and makes them happy. I think that's purely what religion was created for, happiness and a prospective of hope for the afterlife. There are many times I do not agree with church, some of the views that they possess, and I am a strong proponent for separation of church and state. But, I know that stereotypes can be shattered and a persons religious views shouldn't be judged based on their leaders.
    June 12th, 2013 at 10:42am
  • The Real Mitt Romney

    The Real Mitt Romney (250)

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    I don't even know what I am. I'm not Christian, which nearly everyone around here is. I tried getting into Buddhism but I don't think anything is for me. But I don't associate with Atheism. I'm just nothing right now. Trying to become Buddhist, but it takes more than a few hours of reading about it and a few attempts at meditation to become one.
    June 21st, 2013 at 09:41pm
  • babygoats

    babygoats (100)

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    Pretty much my entire family is Catholic, except for my uncle and his family in Georgia who are Lutheran. Although my parents aren't exactly super strict about it... As for me, I'm an Atheist. I have been for about three years or so. The only one who really knows is my stepdad, because I thought he would be the most accepting of it, but he still tells me "I don't understand it, you need to believe in something ." What he really doesn't understand is that I don't have to believe in ANYTHING. The one person who I will try to avoid telling at all costs is my grandmother, since she's super religious. She tells my family we're going to hell because we almost never go to church. (Like I said, my parents aren't very strict about it.) The only times my parents do go are on christmas and easter, and they always insist on dragging me with them. So pretty much I have no choice. I think my grandmother is catching on to me though because when they do force me to go, I don't do anything. I don't get communion. I just sit there quietly and wait for it to be over. Which isn't a bad thing, because at least I'm being quiet and respectful and not rolling my eyes in disgust (no matter how badly I want to.)

    As for my friends, a lot of them are religious. I don't pick and choose my friends based solely on their religion, I try to be accepting of everyone. Since I'm stuck going to a Catholic school, its a given that a good amount of my friends will be Catholic. Don't get me wrong, the school itself is nice, but I wish I could go to public school to be free of all the religious bullshit... And uniforms. But I digress, I've had my fair share of issues with my religious friends, but nothing that we don't eventually move past. Some of them are a little more accepting of me than others. Even though a lot of my friends are religious, a good amount of my friends are Atheist like me. You would be surprised at the amount of people at a Catholic school who are "closet" Atheists.
    June 25th, 2013 at 08:17pm
  • Writer in the Rye

    Writer in the Rye (100)

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    I COMPLETELY respect everyone, not matter what they choose, I'm a Catholic and I don't know what I'd do without my faith. The only problem I have though, is my best friend is an Atheist, and she has the habit of calling me Jesus. I'm absolutely flattered by her intentions, however after I've told her to stop she continues on with it. I think it's disrespectful after I told her to stop, but I guess it's out of my hands? Haha any advice??

    I totally don't have a problem that she's an Atheist, it's just how she presents herself to me that bothers me :/
    July 11th, 2013 at 04:07am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ writingismypassion23
    I think coexisting is beautiful and I just think it would be nice of her to show you respect considering she values your friendship. If she won't do that, you'd have to realize that she's either too immature to understand respect or doesn't value your friendship. I have asshole Atheist friends. They've never said anything to me, but I've seen posts of theirs on Facebook that offend me.
    July 11th, 2013 at 04:12am
  • Writer in the Rye

    Writer in the Rye (100)

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    @ dru vs. yzma 2016
    Thank you so much, I needed that. I hate the excuse of "well you just hate atheists" or "well you don't think like we do". I just feel like some (definitely not all!) atheists think it's okay to make jokes about our religion, not knowing what a big part of our lives it is. I mean, would never say anything to her, so why is this on me? Haha, I don't know. Oh, and I also HATE the joke of, "You're the one who has an imaginary friend", oh my goodness that has to be the worst for me, it just makes me feel like crap haha
    July 11th, 2013 at 04:15am
  • wx12

    wx12 (10125)

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    writingismypassion23:
    @ dru vs. yzma 2016
    atheists think it's okay to make jokes about our religion, not knowing what a big part of our lives it is.
    Actually, I would say atheists make jokes about religion precisely because we know what a big role religion plays in life. Mostly, it frustrates me that people do so much harm over something so false/baseless, but sometimes you have to stop being outraged/angry and just laugh about "imaginary friends" or whatever joke you make.

    I mean, your friend thinks your God is false/imaginary/a lie constantly. Whether a joke is involved or not, that's the principle belief of atheism- I think your ideas about God are 100%, indisputably false. If you're offended by the joke that your God is imaginary, shouldn't the serious, well formed and outspoken opinion that gods are fake be even more offensive?

    It seems to me Christians are actually just offended by the definition of atheism, and then any subsequent thing done by an atheist (whether it's a joke or some other expression of belief) is automatically offensive.
    July 11th, 2013 at 07:59am