TeenHelp
Get Advice Quick Ask Support Forums Today's Posts Chat Room

Get Advice Connect with TeenHelp Resources
HelpLINK Chat and Live Help Facebook     Twitter     Tumblr     Instagram    Safety Zone
   Hotlines
   Alternatives
   Calendar

You are not registered or have not logged in
Hello guest! (Not a guest? Log in above!) As a guest you can submit help requests, create and reply to Forum posts, join our Chat Room and read our range of articles & resources. By registering you will be able to get fully involved in our community and enjoy features such as connect with members worldwide, add friends & send messages, express yourself through a Blog, find others with similar interests in Social Groups, post pictures and links, set up a profile and more! Signing up is free, anonymous and will only take a few moments, so click here to register now!



Religion and Spirituality, Science and Philosophy Use this forum to discuss what you believe in. This is a place where everyone may share their views freely.

Closed Thread
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Rate Thread
  (#1 (permalink)) Old
eim Offline
Member
Welcome me, I'm new!
*
 
eim's Avatar
 
Age: 24

Posts: 1
Points: 4,548, Level: 9
Points: 4,548, Level: 9 Points: 4,548, Level: 9 Points: 4,548, Level: 9
Join Date: December 3rd 2015

Question Religion being forced upon me? - December 4th 2015, 12:32 AM

Hey guys,
I decided to join teenhelp because I really want advice on an issue that's been bothering me for a long time but i don't really have anyone to talk about this with.
I'm 15 years old and I was raised as a Catholic, I was baptised and made my Communion and Confirmation. I have been going to church every Sunday for my whole life. To be honest, I have never really enjoyed it but especially in the past year ive been questioning what I do and don't believe. However, I still continued going to the church but in May I finally plucked up the courage to tell my mum how I feel and that I don't want to go to the church for mass every week. I thought that she would understand and respect my opinions and beliefs, considering I am 15 but I didn't get the response I want. She told me that if I dont go to mass every week she will feel like she has failed as a mother, even though my brother stopped going a few months before, at 17. She told me first I can make my own mind up when I'm 18 but she lowered that to 17 when I pointed out about my brother.
I'm so hurt that my own mother thinks so little of me as to not let me have my own beliefs. Forcing me to go every week is pretty much making me be someone I'm not which I think it extremely unfair for a 15 (almost 16) year old.
I'm not an atheist, at least for now. I'm actually not sure what I believe. I do know however that going to church every single weekend is not for me and it isn't something I want to do.
Can you guys give me any help or advice? How can I prove to my mother that I'm old and mature enough to make up my own mind and have my own religious beliefs, and convince her that I shouldn't have to go to church every week? I'm sick of being treated like this
  (#2 (permalink)) Old
Pein Offline
how the world shall know pain
Not a n00b
**
 
Pein's Avatar
 
Gender: Male

Posts: 99
Points: 6,041, Level: 11
Points: 6,041, Level: 11 Points: 6,041, Level: 11 Points: 6,041, Level: 11
Join Date: December 19th 2014

Re: Religion being forced upon me? - December 4th 2015, 03:39 AM

I understand how you feel. Religion is constantly forced upon me growing up. Its the main reason I left organized religion. But I'd suggest trying to show her by acting mature. Try telling her with more of a since of confidence and calmness. And if she can't see it with that. you may have to embrace the suck until she does. And for me when I have to go to church I don't see it as a going to worship god. But to learn what others believe and why they believe it. So if you have to embrace the suck and go try seeing it like that.
  (#3 (permalink)) Old
MWF Offline
Member
I've been here a while
********
 
MWF's Avatar
 
Name: Robert
Age: 29
Gender: Male
Location: N/A

Posts: 1,632
Points: 25,205, Level: 22
Points: 25,205, Level: 22 Points: 25,205, Level: 22 Points: 25,205, Level: 22
Join Date: May 22nd 2010

Re: Religion being forced upon me? - December 4th 2015, 04:23 AM

Your mom sounds like my mom, so I'll explain what my mom would be like if I quit (which I probably won't anytime soon). My mom has been trying for my entire life to instill in my family Catholic values and an enthusiasm for Church teaching that has mostly worked quite well, and she takes a ton of pride knowing that as a family, we're all united under the same faith. But she is actually the weak link if we decide to jump ship; she has tried so hard and invested so much into it that she's gone completely overboard from time to time in her views (she won't yield even a little bit on abortion/contraception, gay marriage, divorce(?), infallibility of the Church, and other strange things) and logically, if we quit, it would most likely be because we thought she was completely ridiculous, effectively making it her fault. For her though, because being Catholic is so important to her, it would destroy her idea that for 20+ years she was a good, Catholic mother who raised good, Catholic sons. Not to mention, she thinks our family being at mass together is an indicator to being a good family, and if we stopped, she would think the unity is lost. (some of this could have been edited down to reduce space)
The message on this site is usually "you first" because the assumption is that the issues we have on here eat away at our psyche, but if I were you, I would weigh how this effects everyone involved first.
Closed Thread

Bookmarks

Tags
advice, catholic, church, forced, questioning, religion


Posting Rules
You may post new threads
You may post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are Off


 
User Infomation
Your Avatar

Latest Articles & News
- by Mel

Advertisement



All material copyright ©1998-2024, TeenHelp.
Terms | Legal | Privacy | Conduct | Complaints | Mobile

Powered by vBulletin®.
Copyright ©2000-2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Search engine optimization by vBSEO.
Theme developed in association with vBStyles.