Katnip89

Cheers to that.
I like your quote btw. and nice LFG avatar.... what's that psycho's name? He's awesome

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"People laugh at me for being different, and I laugh at everyone because they're all the same." - Anon

The guilt of man shall be his downfall, and Honesty shall right his wrongs - Me, Myself, and I

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you'll be amazed at the results.
George S. Patton

2shotsoflife

lol ill cheers to you too His name is Richard. lol. not many people know what LFG comic is nice.

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I once wanted to become an atheist, but I gave up - they have no holidays. -Henny Youngman

Katnip89

I agree. I don't like making people feel uncomfortable about their beliefs , because I don't enjoy the feeling when people do that to me. and I would probably have an Irish uprising to deal with if I pursued any deeper than I already have.... I would gain ... minute ammounts of confidence knowing that they understand me, but it's not worth losing them over it.

And you're very welcome for serving. A poor boy like myself out of North Idaho, The Air Force kindly accepted my services. I'm training to become an F22r Aerospace Maintainence Technician "Crew Chief", and hoping to be the best fighter pilot in the world some day.

__________________
"People laugh at me for being different, and I laugh at everyone because they're all the same." - Anon

The guilt of man shall be his downfall, and Honesty shall right his wrongs - Me, Myself, and I

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you'll be amazed at the results.
George S. Patton

nkrummy

Hey Katnip,

Well I have got to be the worst person in the world to give advice on this topic, but at least I can tell you that I know what its like and I can relate. You are definitely braver than I am though. I haven't even had the guts to tell my family (also Irish Catholic) that I don't believe in it anymore. The idea that I don't know if I even believe in God would really freak them out. I guess I'm sort of a 'closet agnostic' ... and you're just out and proud! LOL

Religion is a difficult thing. Some people will never ever ever be able to accept the fact that you "have no faith" because they just don't understand it... they can't look at you the same way. There's something about you that suddenly makes you seem a little too alien. But you are where you are for reasons that you understand and ultimately if you're happy with that, who cares about hashing it out with all of them?

Maybe just try to avoid religious discussion with them as much as possible if you find that it just brings out the negative in everyone anyway. If you avoid the religious talk as much as possible and take the high road, maybe you'll find that you can all get along in a mutually respectful way, and maybe they'll see that you have a healthy outlook by the way you act and by the fact that you don't appear to carry any hostility around with you.

Good luck!

Katnip89

Thanks rummy,
I think I might just do that. Taking the high road for me has always been the hard thing to do, because i'm always ready for a good fight :P. Knowing that it is my family though , seems like the brightest thing to do. Thanks for the tips!

__________________
"People laugh at me for being different, and I laugh at everyone because they're all the same." - Anon

The guilt of man shall be his downfall, and Honesty shall right his wrongs - Me, Myself, and I

If you tell people where to go, but not how to get there, you'll be amazed at the results.
George S. Patton

nkrummy

haha- I know what you mean. I think the same is probably true for most of us on these boards... we have that gene that makes us want to debate everything for sport.. and I think that's why most of us end up here- lol.
But most people just get annoyed by that sort of thing, and your family would probably interpret any confrontation as a sign that you have a chip on your shoulder.. and nothing you said would be able to "sink in" for them anyway.

Astral

I don't mean to sound terrible but if you don't have the brass to stand against your own family how can you really be serving yourself?

If you don't stand for anything you can fall for anything. And that may be the reason you are in conflict. Be honest with yourself FIRST, and sometimes that means you have to be honest with others. If you are willing to sacrifice your happiness for others it can be noble, but keep in mind the price that it will cost.

So if you are at odds with your family's faith... make it known. Which life do you prefer? A false one or an honest one? If you can hide your own religious views then you don't even have that much faith in your own religious views to begin with. Might as well become a blind follower with the rest.

Jodou1

I myself have a family full of Baptists and Mormons. I was once confronted with the statement "It must be easy to be Agnostic because you have to have any standards." I wanted to reply "It must be easy to be christian, you have your stanards chosen for you." But being that I was at a family get together and at my aunt's home, I swallowed my pride(which happens once every few years :P) and just let them have the last word. I could've argued on and done nothing but alienate everyone around me, or accepted the fact that they don't WANT to understand me.

Their views on me do not change how I percieve the world or myself, it doesn't diminish what I know to be true or the ethics I have. No one and no religion can set higher standards than you can set for yourself.

The best advice I can truly give you, is lead by example. Be a generous and loving person, be charitable and honest. When they call you out, be able to know that they have no reason. You're not a bad person because someone else deems it so.

AB517

Wow

I was in the same boat too when I was younger (almost exactly). I had the exact same convo’s. I must admit though I was way more abrasive than I am today and although my parents didn’t "not like" because I told them I don’t believe in God and Christians are missing the point.

1st) don’t tell them your way is better … just that it is a healthy way of living just like a religions can be. See if they understand that there are many “right” ways to do things.
I used to use cars as an example: witch kind to buy. Not right/wrong thingies, just practical or not.

It took me 2 years to convince some of my family members that it just a tad bigger than the bible. You seem like you are doing fine. It mite be selfish, but think of yourself as the teacher in this area. Use their knowledge and help them grow slowly.
For one example:

Mine was the “no Jesus … no heaven” thing. It took me 2 years to help them past this one. I used a ton of examples and was redundant. Finally I got them to the point of understanding that Jesus is just a tad more capable than a Jew in sandals of 2000 years ago.
They now say “Heaven is for everybody that chooses it”

You will understand and will be fine soon enough. You may not turn them but you will love them for who they are … and if you do not feel sorry for them and just love/enjoy them … you will be enlightened.

Your doing great so far.
I suggest you NEVER put your name on the net like this.

shadowind

i think i enjoy debate/argument more then the people around me. that is probally why i spend a hour or two on forums. its more enjoyable then listening to someone talk and not say anything.

yea i've talked alittle about my ideas to my family, but they don't quite get it either. but their my family, we'll disagree, we'll love, life will go on.

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remember "for mere impulse of appetite is slavery, while obedience to a law which we prescirbe to oursleves is liberty"-rousseau: the concept of the general will "if we can not reconcile all opions, then let us endeavour to unite all hearts."-?"to be is to be perceived"-? "‘We can be as honest as we are ignorant. If we are, when asked what is beyond the horizon of the known, we must say that we do not know’-Robert G. Ingersoll