Struggles with your FAMILY???

[Flicker]

I was wondering if any of you liberal Christians have had or are having conflicts with your family over religious topics such as the correct soteriology (means of uniting with God in the eternal world) or ethics (what is the divinely virtuous mode of behavior), or history (how God created life).

Are there any other areas you might be struggling with your parents in?

Are your parents fundamentalist (believe in divinely requited destruction for wrong)? Are they liberal Christians? Are they non-Christians?

Have your parents tried to re-convert you to Biblical Christianity? Have they ever told you God was going to punish you? Have they become more conservative as you've become more liberal? Has anyone been kicked out of the home because of theological conflicts?

Let's talk about how we relate theologically with our folks.

 

[CaDan]

I was wondering if any of you liberal Christians have had or are having conflicts with your family over religious topics such as the correct soteriology (means of uniting with God in the eternal world) or ethics (what is the divinely virtuous mode of behavior), or history (how God created life).

Are there any other areas you might be struggling with your parents in?

No, not really.

Are your parents fundamentalist (believe in divinely requited destruction for wrong)?

Oh, probably my mother qualifies as a fundamentalist. And it doesn't matter.

Are they liberal Christians?

Nope.

Are they non-Christians?

Nope.

Have your parents tried to re-convert you to Biblical Christianity?

Nope.

Have they ever told you God was going to punish you?

Nope.

Have they become more conservative as you've become more liberal?

I don't think so.

Has anyone been kicked out of the home because of theological conflicts?

Oh heavens, no!

I get along very well with my parents. Yeah, I'm weird.

 

[Caylin]

My grandmother hates it that I'm an atheist, but the transsexual thing bothers her more.

 

[Flicker]

My grandmother hates it that I'm an atheist, but the transsexual thing bothers her more.

Were you born a male or a female?

My parents used to be pretty moderate Christians, but the more I move toward liberalism, the more reactionary they get.

 

[Caylin]

Were you born a male or a female?

My parents used to be pretty moderate Christians, but the more I move toward liberalism, the more reactionary they get.

I was born with male parts.

 

[Flicker]

I was born with male parts.

Well, you look very feminine in your photo. Good job on the breasts -- the look very authentic. How does one do that?

 

[Athene]

My parents aren't christians so they don't care, they're actually quite relieved Im not a fundamentalist.

My in-laws on the other hand . . . they aren't what I would call fundamentalists but they do belive the bible to be literal and infallible and the earth was created in 6 days 6000 years ago. I tend not to talk to them about my faith . . . I cannot be bothered with being preaced at, it was bad enough when they found out I accepted evolution . . . it's different arguing with people on the internet, i switch the computer off and they're out of my life, I have to see my in-laws on a regular basis.

 

[Im_A]

I was wondering if any of you liberal Christians have had or are having conflicts with your family over religious topics such as the correct soteriology (means of uniting with God in the eternal world) or ethics (what is the divinely virtuous mode of behavior), or history (how God created life).

Are there any other areas you might be struggling with your parents in?

Are your parents fundamentalist (believe in divinely requited destruction for wrong)? Are they liberal Christians? Are they non-Christians?

Have your parents tried to re-convert you to Biblical Christianity? Have they ever told you God was going to punish you? Have they become more conservative as you've become more liberal? Has anyone been kicked out of the home because of theological conflicts?

Let's talk about how we relate theologically with our folks.

my family has never made theological standpoints so important to be close.

i'm a biproduct of a man who's mom and dad were methodist, but he became feverantly atheistic, then either became, or went back to Christianity after the divorce of him and my mother and a woman who was raised Baptist, but now struggles in her faith. so my outcomes will either resemble theirs or i will be unique, unique in comparision to their faith.

my dad and i, when i was younger, did have a conflict in regards to religion. it was because when i was a kid, i was always wanting to be over my head with theological stuff, and my dad didn't understand why i wasn't like most kids. he kept telling me to not concern myself with things of that nature, and the only defense i had, was the pitiful defenses that i heard in churches that had nothing to do with the actual issue we had. the responses was either hypothetical examples, of, parents teaching their children to not worry about religion, then they die and they'll go to hell, when the issue wasn't fire insurance, but was more along the lines of my dad just wanting me to be a young teen and enjoy my youth, and to not worry over trivial matters.

nevertheless, i'm 24 now, and him and i can agree on a theological point of view, that afterlife matters are for the afterlife. now i'm probably still just as fascinated with theology and philosophy now as i was, but i'm satisifed with the answers i have now and the rest will either come in time or it won't come in time.

my mom has and is always supportative. we've been kind of a rock for one another at times in the past. i remember being younger, and buying her books that i thought would help. we never preached to one another, unless it was to help each other out with our issues in that moment...which weren't of a spiritual nature, but what we were dealing with at the time in the here and now. and now to this day? nothing has changed. my mother is sometimes caught off guard by some of my views, but at the end of the day, she's my mommy and i'm her son. my father and i haven't seen or spoken to each other in over 2 years and it's not because of religious issues, it's bigger stuff. but i feel safe to assume that we'd finally maybe be able to sit down and talk and have a drink together and maybe see eye to eye better on discussion such as this. i wouldn't be out to prove him wrong like i used to be. yes, i look back on my past now, when i was like a lot of Christians, and i was a bit egostical and prideful in my own self/my own perspective. but now, i feel safe to say, i could sit down and listen and maybe be taught from him about theological things, or maybe even strengthened in the changes and to keep trying to live a productive life in the here and now. i hope that time comes.

so in the area of theological viewpoints, my family are rather quiet about it, and it's a thing where we all hold our own views. now we have members within the familiy who aren't like that, but i'm not close with them, so i've never had a bad situation from them. even though, it was weird at a funeral i went to, and people saying "AMEN!" while a dead body was in a casket, and it seemed contrary to a verse in Ecclessiastes(sp?) "There is a time to mourn and a time for joy" and i wonder at a funeral, that is the time for joy, but nevertheless, to each their own.

 

[Flicker]

In a sub-Saharan African country where I grew up, funerals are like these big celebratios with drumming, dancing, costumes, naked people, and tons and tons of alcohol. We drink this stuff called "palm-wine" which is really just rancid water that is harvested from the heart of a certain type of palm tree. But it is good enough to get you totally mashed.

So I guess different people have different understandings of when it is time to celebrate and when it is time to mourn.

 

[Im_A]

In a sub-Saharan African country where I grew up, funerals are like these big celebratios with drumming, dancing, costumes, naked people, and tons and tons of alcohol. We drink this stuff called "palm-wine" which is really just rancid water that is harvested from the heart of a certain type of palm tree. But it is good enough to get you totally mashed.

So I guess different people have different understandings of when it is time to celebrate and when it is time to mourn.

very true, hence the reason why i said to each their own.

i see the spiritual side or at least a speculated spiritual side that i see with this. because now they have passed to the next life, and with God.

but then again, i remember something my father told me once while visiting the grave of my grandpa. he told me, he'd rather have him here on earth than him being in heaven, and then he wept in tears. funny that is coming to my head now, but i guess it's where i come from and the reason why i see this issue and why i was a bit caught off guard, the minute one of my uncles yelled out "AMEN!" after the "sermon." it was cool in one way tho. it should somebody maybe conquering the pain and suffering that death can bring.

kind of seeing it from my father's view, i have to agree with him. even though, it's good that they are in heaven. out of pain, suffering from whatever they suffered with, with God and all of that. but i'm not going to make up a methodlogy to subside the pain...even if it is based in joy and celebration or even if people think it is being selfish, but like you said, people see different times to do all that.

that's a neat story you gave. very tribalistic too, am i right? and that's neat to see it from another side, especially a side that i don't know about.

hey btw, no reason for the sorry smiley. you said nothing to be sorry for

God Bless you! <><

 

[Caylin]

Well, you look very feminine in your photo. Good job on the breasts -- the look very authentic. How does one do that?

Hormones make them grow, and a water bra helps.

 

[wblastyn]

Well my parents are pretty fundementalist. Once my dad told me demons would get me from the TV if I continued to play RPG's with magic in them. When I told them about my sexuality they went mad, informing me (because clearly i had no idea) that the bible says it's an abomination, my mum thought I had been abused at school and my dad is now convinced if I pray hard enough that God will "cure" me.

Oh yes, and when they found out I was going to a buddhist temple with my friend (out of curiosity), they went mad again and tried to prevent me from leaving the house. Apparantly I shouldn't go because buddhism is evil and "weird".

We generally avoid these topics now, I think it's best for all of us.

 

[CthulhuDragon]

I am just beginning to have strife with my family as they slowly realize that I no longer believe what they believe. They are fundamentalist pentecostal conservatives and I'm an athiest liberal, so there are quite a few differences.

Most simply avoid topics and this works well. But some members, my grandmother in particular, feel the need to preach at every given opportunity in an effort to "save" me. Of course, the end result is that I simply avoid her, so that really backfires.

 

[Soul Searcher]

With the exception of one memeber my family is more in agreement with me than in disagreement. Most of them respect my opinions on these issues and the ones who may have disagreed in the past have come around to seeing the light.

I do have one brother who has gotten heavily into a more fundamentalist group and has pretty much pulled away from the family. I don't know what happened to him but the change has not been for the better. I almost never see him anymore. He never calls and rarely answers the phone. Doesn't return calls, unwilling to help his real brothers and sisters in thier time of need while always coming to the aid of those who are in his church.

For example when our mother passed away she had no insurance and it fell to us to pay the expenses. We have a large family and some are better off than others. This brother being in the top three yet everyone except him offered more than they could afford to help out while he avoided the issue as long as possible. Finally I did get him to give a few dollars but he did not seem very high on the idea.

Less than a year later our younger sister died in the same boat and again we were left with the charges. They have since been paid but my brother has not given a cent while the others have chipped in $1000 each some of who are in much greater need than he is. When my other brother mentioned the expenses he just said I hope they don't ask me.

Now I hear that he might be going to jail for harrassement of a car dealer. I don't know what his church did to him but as I said the change has not been for the better.

 

[mpshiel]

My views have always been far different from my family which has been mild friction but tolerance - at least until I became open about entering into a lesbian relationship, commitment and marriage. Then the views became extreme. Siblings who hadn't gone to church in 5 years called up to tell us that "God doesn't see you as married" and "You are not going to heaven" - So except for my immediate parents the rest of the family has taken a pledge not to be in the same room with me.

But, I do not consider this to be religious - I believe that they are putting social and personal predjudices in the clothing of religion (I mean, I believe God is a woman and they didn't have a problem with that, but I'm a lesbian and....). I think for almost all of my family if you replace "God" or "The bible" with "I feel" you get a much better view of what is going on. They are not interested in bible discussion or various views of religions, they want to believe what they believe. So I guess no, I haven't had a problem due to religious beliefs.

 

[I <3 Abraham]

Are your parents fundamentalist (believe in divinely requited destruction for wrong)? Are they liberal Christians? Are they non-Christians?

They are DEFINITELY liberal Christians.

Have your parents tried to re-convert you to Biblical Christianity?

As opposed to what? Chopped liver Christianity?

Have they ever told you God was going to punish you? Have they become more conservative as you've become more liberal? Has anyone been kicked out of the home because of theological conflicts?

No, I don't really know and no.

Let's talk about how we relate theologically with our folks.

Over my dead body!

 

[I <3 Abraham]

My views have always been far different from my family which has been mild friction but tolerance - at least until I became open about entering into a lesbian relationship, commitment and marriage. Then the views became extreme. Siblings who hadn't gone to church in 5 years called up to tell us that "God doesn't see you as married" and "You are not going to heaven" - So except for my immediate parents the rest of the family has taken a pledge not to be in the same room with me.

Well, if you got married by a minister or priest or something then God does see you as married. Either minister's have authority to adminster sacraments or they don't; either baptize yourself, marry yourself and bless your own communion wine or dont say that a gay couple isn't married.

You think God is a woman? Why do you think that God would have a gender? I think it's just as silly and to say that God is a woman as it is to say that God is a man. It does nothing but create a second class human to say that God is one gender or another. Men and women are human, humanity was created in God's image. Let's not push anyone into the periphery.

Also, they actually said that you were going to hell? What a gaggle of jerks.

 

[DrFate]

I am just beginning to have strife with my family as they slowly realize that I no longer believe what they believe. They are fundamentalist pentecostal conservatives and I'm an athiest liberal, so there are quite a few differences.

Most simply avoid topics and this works well. But some members, my grandmother in particular, feel the need to preach at every given opportunity in an effort to "save" me. Of course, the end result is that I simply avoid her, so that really backfires.

Are you ever tempted to start talking about the old ones? I would be.
No Narlyanhotep No Chaos
Know Narlyanhotep Know Chaos

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