Do You Have Different Beliefs from Friends and Family?

  • Cereal Killer

    Cereal Killer (100)

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    My dad's side of the family is composed mainly of bible-thumping Protestants, atheists (many of the bitter, I don't need your god variety), and confused agnostics like myself. My dad actually believes there is truth in all of the religions throughout history, as these 'beings of the sky' were likely extraterrestrials visiting Earth, and the people looked on them as holy. So yeah, little different.

    My mom's side of the family is all Catholic, or at least raised as such, like my mother. My mom typically only went to church regularly during one of her come-to-Jesus sort of phases. Mexican Catholics, shocking right? I used to go to church with my grandparents when I lived with them, and sometimes later on, mostly holidays. I didn't dislike it. Some of their beliefs are a little...intense, though. I remember telling my crazy aunt about my having seizures, and the first thing she asked was when was the last time I had been to church, and demanded that I go talk to the priest at her church with her before mass. LMFAO!
    November 16th, 2013 at 09:00pm
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    @ Cereal Killer
    Your dad and I have very similar viewpoints. I think all religions are basically the same game of telephone as well. (I also believe ETs were most gods as well.)
    November 17th, 2013 at 03:03am
  • TheGreatHendowski-.-

    TheGreatHendowski-.- (100)

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    My mom is a southern Baptist, and my dad is Agnostic. My family on my dad's side is all Roman Catholic, which is what I was baptized as. I believe in God, heaven, hell, etc, but not to the extent that my family does most of the time. My friends are all atheists, so we have a lot of arguments over religion. I really feel left out sometimes because my faith differs from everyone I know at least some, so there's never anyone to talk to positively about religion; it's all just arguments, so I keep to myself about it.
    December 8th, 2013 at 09:27am
  • archivist

    archivist (660)

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    My mum's a strong Christian, but she's a smart one with realistic beliefs. She doesn't believe in a big fat Caucasian man floating about casting lightning for her God; she and I alike believe that the universe is governed by a set of physical laws such as the idea of objects in motion continuing such motion.

    I, on the other hand, don't practice a religion. I am also not atheistic. I simply think that we see and believe what we want to (this is mentioned briefly in HG2G and called the Someone Else's Problem field) and nothing in the universe can convince us otherwise.
    December 20th, 2013 at 06:41am
  • JeremyTheThirteenth

    JeremyTheThirteenth (105)

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    Two of my friends have converted to Paganism. Most of my family is Christian except an aunt who is atheist. It's kind of hard being a Christian because you're taught to spread the word of God, not shove it down people's throats but to at least get the thought into their mind or have them consider it. One of my now Pagan friends was a Christian and the other was an atheist.
    December 27th, 2013 at 05:15am
  • folie a dru.

    folie a dru. (1270)

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    My stepdad told me he was an Atheist the other day so I'm the only believer left in my family.
    December 27th, 2013 at 04:34pm
  • Crash Thrusts.

    Crash Thrusts. (100)

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    My mom and I are both Christians, but she's a more of a "by the Bible" type of Christian, whereas I prefer to be more open-minded. I believe in God and Jesus being God's son, but I don't believe everything the Bible tells me. I respect other peoples beliefs and prefer to not get in religious debates because let's face it, they never end well. I don't believe people go to Hell for being attracted to the same sex. I also believe Church and State should be separated.

    My brother...honestly, I don't know what he believes in. I would call him an Agnostic, but he denies it if I ask. He thinks science and a higher power are reasons everything is the way it is. He believes we're not supposed to know how this world came to be. But like I said, he's complicated.
    January 4th, 2014 at 01:22pm
  • Matt Nicholls.

    Matt Nicholls. (100)

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    My family is Christian. My mother grew up Baptist, but switched over to Lutheranism whenever we (mainly me and her) started to go to church. My father grew up Catholic, but now no longer believes in a god. I don't really know about my dad's side (I'm not particularly fond of them after finding out my one uncle molested his sister-in-law [my aunt] while she was sick with cancer), but my mother's side believes. I'm certain my great-grandfather believes (he is 90 years old after all) and my grandmother and grandfather believe. We're a family who doesn't pray or go to church or anything like that. We don't even discuss it, but my mother and grandmother both know that I don't follow a religion/don't believe in a god, but they're very accepting of it, and I love both of them very much for accepting that fact. I think my mother's a little more accepting of the fact that I'm an Apatheist, instead of straight up Atheist or Agnostic.
    April 29th, 2014 at 07:23pm
  • chromatography.

    chromatography. (255)

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    Cereal Killer:
    My dad's side of the family is composed mainly of bible-thumping Protestants, atheists (many of the bitter, I don't need your god variety), and confused agnostics like myself. My dad actually believes there is truth in all of the religions throughout history, as these 'beings of the sky' were likely extraterrestrials visiting Earth, and the people looked on them as holy. So yeah, little different.
    Not to sound offensive, but this seems rather plausible. New scientific discoveries are often the act of building upon previously known scientific facts; there is a certain amount of science that is still theoretical because we are unable to conduct the experiments needed to prove the hypotheses.

    I know this is an idea of deities being extraterrestrial that is often explored in Thor-orientated comics; and how these aliens' transient visits to our planet spurred legends.

    Personally, I'm an atheist because I know, in my heart, that I do not possess enough faith to believe in supernatural beings. I do not have the scientific evidence to convince me that there is a god, nor do I have the desire to discover this 'evidence' because I believe that logic will ultimately explain these perceived supernatural occurrences. Hard facts govern my beliefs and I cling to them like they're gold. Of course, I write all of this after being raised as an austere Roman Catholic.
    May 13th, 2014 at 10:22am
  • Ayana Sioux

    Ayana Sioux (1175)

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    I can relate to my family, but not as much on most of my friends but it's okay because I'm Buddhist and Buddhists are accepting of all religions. I was basically raised to be whatever I chose to because my mom is agnostic and I believe my dad is too. They never instilled a religion in me. Instead they slightly introduced religions. I became a Buddhist because I had Buddhist beliefs prior to knowing what Buddhism was about. I also became one because when I was going through hard times I found a Dhammapada in my dad's closet and I read it all. The first time was meh because I didn't really feel it. But when I was struggling emotionally, I turned to it again, it it helped me a lot. I still didn't convert until I found out that Buddha wasn't a god, just a regular dude. That's what sold me because I didn't believe in god at the time and I still don't.
    May 19th, 2014 at 07:18pm
  • FuckNo

    FuckNo (100)

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    *waves tiny flags*

    I am the only openly agnostic atheist person in my entire family. That's dozens of people and I'm the only one. Only one. Most of my family is baptist. Crazy baptist. I think my brother might be an agnostic atheist, or just agnostic, but I'm not sure. I also have a brother that's a non-practicing Christian. It means politics and religion can never really be discussed before I'm ganged up on and told to stop talking, because I'm 'not old enough' and 'don't know what I'm talking about'.
    May 26th, 2014 at 02:36am
  • cupid boy

    cupid boy (100)

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    I have very different beliefs to my friends. The majority of my friends have a religion, I know a spiritualist, a Buddhist, a few Catholics, Christians and a Muslim. I know a few Atheists and one of my friends believes more in Science than religion itself.

    I was born Catholic, but my family were never religious so I've grew up not really following anything. I was told as a child that so long as I am a loving and accepting person, who is honest, loyal and helps people as and when they can - then that is good enough. Despite not having a religion, I am always interested in how my friends see the world differently to me because of it. We all relate in some ways, sometimes we disagree - it took a long time for some of them to accept that I was gay however we are golden now, they accept me and anyone in the LGBTQ+ community. Sometimes things can get confusing but we all enjoy talking about it, and I feel that when you have such a diverse group of friends such as myself, you have to have some understanding and be willing to listen; just because you don't believe a religion is right, doesn't mean that the person is wrong.

    I don't know if I will ever have a religion or follow a religion, I just know that I love life and I adore the concept of love and they are the two things I use to fuel my own belief. I believe that there is a lot of good in this world and that if there is a God, then they will love us all regardless of what flaws we may have. After all, they created us. Why would they hate us?
    May 28th, 2014 at 01:59am
  • Collin Berend

    Collin Berend (230)

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    Yes, my entire family is radical Christian and I am an atheist.
    July 6th, 2014 at 12:24am
  • solo sunrise

    solo sunrise (260)

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    My mom is agnostic, maybe Taoist at one point. I think and my dad is deist or pantheist, though he can quote a large chunk of the Bible, some of it in Norwegian. His family is mostly Lutheran; my extended family members on my mom's side are either Presbyterian or Catholic, and my grandmother is sort of Wiccan. I'm agnostic, I guess. No one really presses their beliefs on me, and when they talk about religious stuff I'm usually pretty polite about it.
    March 30th, 2015 at 06:17am
  • This.Useless.Heart.

    This.Useless.Heart. (115)

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    Almost everyone I know is either a Christian or an athiest, but I'm an agnostic (with sort of a slightly Christian leaning admittedly.) My relationship with religion has always been a little complicated, but I think that makes me better able to deal with the different worldviews I encounter on a regular basis. Basically, I don't mind different beliefs as long as people aren't jerks about it. Unfortunately, I have to exercise a lot of patience because I know a lot of folks who are assholes about their beliefs -- both Christians and Atheists. Facepalm
    September 14th, 2015 at 10:22pm
  • KiddoOverload

    KiddoOverload (100)

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    my family is what we describe in Denmark as culture christian... they got christened and later confirmed their belief, but they don't go to church every sunday or pray before eating or that kind of stuff, and you will not find a cross or anything like that in their house. none of them is wearing a christian cross.
    still we have all been christened, later confirmed it and their family has been buried in the belief.

    my fiance is agnostic, although he hates the term, he is a person who wants to see proof before believing. he also thinks that religion is like a parasite ruining everything on its way, controlling people and such. we've had some mean discussions because of my beliefs, but I think he's somewhat okay with my religion :D

    as for myself, I'm asatru, I believe in the old norse gods, I belief they are a side of myself that I can call upon and sacrifice to for strength, wisdom or whatever I feel the need to ask help for. but I also belief they can help to some extenct and the rest is up to myself. kinda like my medication for ADHD, it helps me tone down some of the symptoms, the rest is up to me :D

    I think.. that I have never been christian in the real way, 'Coz ever since I was a child the old norse mythology has interested me, I found it exiting reading alot about it.
    my fiance has agreed that our children will not get christened, instead they will get a "knee-sitting" where it is my fiance who will claim them into his family (bloodline) and giving them his last name.

    I find that better than christening where there seems to be so much focus on the god parents and the child being welcomed as gods child. in knee-sitting it is about my fiance's family and the child. I like that alot :D
    April 24th, 2017 at 12:29pm
  • VixL

    VixL (100)

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    Old thread, but I really relate to this. I used to be VERY religious back when I was a kid, in middle school, and in High School. It helped me when I was going through my depression and social anxiety, because I saw God/Jesus as my “best friend” and the only person who loved me. Meanwhile, I was still extremely mentally ill. However, my mom does not believe in mental health. I stopped being as religious as I got older. Although I still consider myself a believer in Christ.

    What frustrates me is that my family is now in a sect of extreme religion. Bordering on cultism. And it makes me feel like I have to believe what they believe because they are the majority. If I don’t, then I’ll be deemed a demon and labeled as one. My younger brother is schizophrenic and got super religious, and my mother thinks he’s healthy. However, he’s not. It scares me.

    I want to leave my mother, because she keeps talking all this religious conspiracy theories and is so extreme that sometimes I don’t feel safe with her if I tell them I disagree.

    But this is nothing new. There are tons of people who exprience this and go through this exact thing in life. So, I guess I’m just going to have to pretend to believe what they believe until I am able to separate myself from them.

    Sometimes I do a good job of pretending, but sometimes I slip up and they try to burn me at the stake.

    Hopefully one day I can get in an environment where I don’t have to worry about this kind of stuff anymore.
    October 30th, 2018 at 11:59am
  • keigo takami.

    keigo takami. (205)

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    I grew up in a Catholic household. My grandma and my mom were the most religious. My uncles and aunt, not so much when I was growing up but my aunt has gotten more religious as time went on. I grew up in the church. I went to mass, I did my sacraments, I went to church events because my grandma and my mom always volunteered and hosted various events.

    Growing up, I didn't think much of it. I didn't really believe nor disbelieve in God. But once I got older, and I realized there were more religions out there, I stepped away from that. I loved World History in high school because we learned about Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. I realized that I wanted to learn more about other religions and understand them more, especially because even in school almost everyone was Christian or Catholic. There were hardly any Muslim students or Jewish students.

    I'm not sure what I believe in or what category I fall into, but I know that I don't consider myself Catholic. I wouldn't consider myself a Buddhist either, but I am really interested more in that religion and I try to read up on it more. My mom hates that and she thinks I only say that because I don't want to go to church, but it's bigger than that. A lot of it is what they believe in. I know not every Catholic or Christian are terrible people, the same way that not all Muslims are terrorists, but she says things that piss me off and she excuses her religion for it. Like saying she doesn't like trans people or gays because of her religion.

    Also, this is more of a me thing that I'm still petty about: but my aunt and I are super close and she just had a baby a while back. I helped her through her pregnancy and even was there when the baby was born, and I stayed with her in the hospital afterward. She's going to baptize the baby but she said she doesn't want me as the godmother because "I don't go to church." But she choice her "friend" and her friend's husband as the godparents, even though they aren't that religious either and the girl's husband didn't do his sacraments. I'm just petty because I think it's not about how much you go to church and how much you believe in God, it's about the right people being a good example for your child. I'm just salty because it's kind of a slap in the face for me lol, especially when my aunt asks for help with the baby and I'm even getting her a discount at my work so she can have the baptism party there.
    April 1st, 2019 at 08:40pm
  • Aval3rion

    Aval3rion (100)

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    I'm an atheist, my mom is sort of iffy, but my mom's boyfriend's parents are very religious, and often try to persuade us to go to church more often and she tries getting us to read the bible, and makes my step brothers study the bible, pages at a time. I'm totally okay with someone being a strong christian, and following whatever beliefs they have, but as for me and my non believer family, I don't appreciate when someone tries to push religion on me. I don't like being asked why I don't go to church. If I don't want to, I wont. I don't see why I would, considering I don't believe but I respect people that do.
    June 19th, 2019 at 12:21am
  • nearly witches.

    nearly witches. (15250)

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    My dad's family are protestant, but not really practicing. They have their beliefs and all that and all of their kids (my dad included) went to Sunday school, but there's never really been a pressure of sorts for any of them to be very religious or attend church or whatever. It's more of a 'if you believe then do that however you feel comfortable'

    My mum's family, on the other hand, are VERY staunch Catholics and that kind of rode rough-shod over my whole childhood. My parents were always very much a case of make your own decision when you're old enough but I always feel like my mother was kind of pressured into sending me to a Catholic school, and taking me to church, etc. I'm not allowed to swear around that side of the family (I'm 26, not a child) and God forbid I use the lord's name in vain. Some of my great aunts etc are nuns and it's basically very very strict on that side. I was pushed into making my first communion etc and forced to go to church both through school and at home and there are certain members of the family that I actually still have to lie to and pretend I go to church every Sunday and actively practice Catholicism.

    Luckily enough my parents are super-progressive/whatever and when I was old enough to start making my own choices they asked me if I wanted to go to church and I told them no, primarily because Catholicism had been shoved down my throat so much that I honestly never want to read another bible in my whole life. My mum also no longer goes to church, and neither do my sister or my brother. My granny doesn't really mind. I think she'd rather we were all religious but I think she kind of understands more now that we're older that it doesn't make us bad people, I guess? However, it's absolutely 100% glaringly obvious that the rest of the family think less of us because of it, even if they do insist that they don't. Not that it really bothers me, they can think less of me if they want.

    I'd say I'm probably an atheist at this stage, so I differ to each of the sides of my family and if I ever do end up having kids, I definitely won't force them into anything. They can make a choice when they're old enough to understand, I won't raise them with anything because I feel like if someone does want to believe in something, that should be a natural progression and not something you're raised into, if that makes sense?
    April 19th, 2021 at 12:50pm