So this blog is a different sort from what i'd usually make (what rare blogs i do happen to make anyways). As a brief note, i don't let a religion govern my life, i don't have one. To put it simply, i guess you could say that the closest i am to a "belief" would be agnostic, neither confirming nor denying the existence of a god. This is the issue at heart here that i've always had to deal with from close relatives- not believing in a Christian god. So with that out of the way, on to the REAL topic. I'm not sure how well this topic will go over. I assure you that if any sort of religious war starts here, i will have this topic locked. Not my intention to start a belief war. This is also by no means any sort of attack on what people believe, or what religion you are of. It's directed towards people who ABUSE their beliefs to control or attack other people. Wars, emotional oppression, bullying, peer pressure, power hungry cults, etc.
How do YOU guys or girls deal with people in your life who make antagonistic remarks against your beliefs and try to emotionally "bully" you into believing like they do? That is, apart from leaving home entirely and cutting them out of your life (i wouldn't be willing or able to do so either way). I consider myself mature enough to deal with this, and i have managed it for a long time. But when it comes down to it, i was wondering how OTHERS handle it. When i say oppression, i'm referring to when someone you know (or perhaps even someone you don't know) approaches you for some reason wishing to convince you of something. When you politely wish to not to believe, they turn to negative and sometimes abusive or violent means to try to get you to believe (comments like "you're going to hell, blasphemy, i'm glad i'm enlightened and you're not, i didn't want to share heaven with someone like you anyways, god hates you, etc"). I'm sure many people on these forums can relate to this happening to them sometime during their life. I've probably had most of these insults at least once in my life, most recently the part about not being enlightened and that i'm going to hell (from my own mother ironically).
I used to explain to the other party (in this case, my mother) that i don't wish to put my faith in something that doesn't have tangible proof (in this case, the Christian god). That was long ago (when i was far more naive as a teen), explaining in a calm and rational way (with logic) only incites anger i learned. As an adult, i've found that the only thing i know of that really works is to ignore them entirely. Doesn't stop them, but it shortens the conversation considerably. Just asking them to stop does nothing. Going to church was particularly painful. I don't anymore thankfully since i'm adult, but i was forced to as a child and a teen. It was a rather unpleasant experience being told to hate people who don't believe the same things as you. Or to shun people who were born differently. And in fact, that i'm going to burn in a fiery pit unless i go along with what they say.
It's unfortunate that i have many family members, including my mother at times, who use their beliefs to attack and degrade other people. I don't talk to many of them (the most extreme ones that you can't get through a simple conversation without them spouting a racist or bigoted statement about how someone should die based on looks, beliefs, or even genetic traits they were naturally born with). But some of them i do care about despite all this. Hard to believe yes, but family is family. My mother is the easiest to deal with at least (she actually believes in scientific knowledge like evolution and whatnot), but still uses a religion to degrade others (including myself). I think the worst part is when they try to convince you there's something evil in you causing you to not go along with their beliefs. At that point, if you don't listen, they go for the attacks and religious threats i mentioned. It should also be noted that despite this, i don't even commit any acts they'd consider immoral based on teachings. It's due solely to the fact that i don't believe in a Christian god (i'm one without faith).
Considering my surroundings in family, i'm not sure how i managed to come out so differently. I'm fortunate, and i seem to have turned out ok. In some ways, this oppression may have been a benefit to me. I used to be an overly sensitive person as a kid and teen. As an adult, i've become indifferent to personal attacks, thanks to having been on the receiving end of so many. So how do you deal with stuff like this? People who try to use their beliefs to control and oppress you? I've wanted to ask others with open minds how they deal with such a thing for quite a while. But only recently with some old topics among my family reopened have i finally made a topic about it. And no, i'm not asking for sympathy at all or whining. It's just a topic i've wanted to share for a while and see how others handle it.
How do YOU guys or girls deal with people in your life who make antagonistic remarks against your beliefs and try to emotionally "bully" you into believing like they do? That is, apart from leaving home entirely and cutting them out of your life (i wouldn't be willing or able to do so either way). I consider myself mature enough to deal with this, and i have managed it for a long time. But when it comes down to it, i was wondering how OTHERS handle it. When i say oppression, i'm referring to when someone you know (or perhaps even someone you don't know) approaches you for some reason wishing to convince you of something. When you politely wish to not to believe, they turn to negative and sometimes abusive or violent means to try to get you to believe (comments like "you're going to hell, blasphemy, i'm glad i'm enlightened and you're not, i didn't want to share heaven with someone like you anyways, god hates you, etc"). I'm sure many people on these forums can relate to this happening to them sometime during their life. I've probably had most of these insults at least once in my life, most recently the part about not being enlightened and that i'm going to hell (from my own mother ironically).
I used to explain to the other party (in this case, my mother) that i don't wish to put my faith in something that doesn't have tangible proof (in this case, the Christian god). That was long ago (when i was far more naive as a teen), explaining in a calm and rational way (with logic) only incites anger i learned. As an adult, i've found that the only thing i know of that really works is to ignore them entirely. Doesn't stop them, but it shortens the conversation considerably. Just asking them to stop does nothing. Going to church was particularly painful. I don't anymore thankfully since i'm adult, but i was forced to as a child and a teen. It was a rather unpleasant experience being told to hate people who don't believe the same things as you. Or to shun people who were born differently. And in fact, that i'm going to burn in a fiery pit unless i go along with what they say.
It's unfortunate that i have many family members, including my mother at times, who use their beliefs to attack and degrade other people. I don't talk to many of them (the most extreme ones that you can't get through a simple conversation without them spouting a racist or bigoted statement about how someone should die based on looks, beliefs, or even genetic traits they were naturally born with). But some of them i do care about despite all this. Hard to believe yes, but family is family. My mother is the easiest to deal with at least (she actually believes in scientific knowledge like evolution and whatnot), but still uses a religion to degrade others (including myself). I think the worst part is when they try to convince you there's something evil in you causing you to not go along with their beliefs. At that point, if you don't listen, they go for the attacks and religious threats i mentioned. It should also be noted that despite this, i don't even commit any acts they'd consider immoral based on teachings. It's due solely to the fact that i don't believe in a Christian god (i'm one without faith).
Considering my surroundings in family, i'm not sure how i managed to come out so differently. I'm fortunate, and i seem to have turned out ok. In some ways, this oppression may have been a benefit to me. I used to be an overly sensitive person as a kid and teen. As an adult, i've become indifferent to personal attacks, thanks to having been on the receiving end of so many. So how do you deal with stuff like this? People who try to use their beliefs to control and oppress you? I've wanted to ask others with open minds how they deal with such a thing for quite a while. But only recently with some old topics among my family reopened have i finally made a topic about it. And no, i'm not asking for sympathy at all or whining. It's just a topic i've wanted to share for a while and see how others handle it.
