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Goodbye Jesus

Being bashed with doctrine of Joseph Prince


CousinChimp

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Oh gawd, I just need to vent. I haven't posted before so I guess I'll include a bit of background. Both my husband and I were raised in Australian fundamentalist style churches, just in the last year both of us have had serious doubts and quit church a few months ago. We live in a small city and 99% of all our friends and family are Christian so we have been keeping very quiet on this as it's incredibly hard to come out and especially as we have kids at a christian school, two of which are fervent believers and only very young. 

 

Anyway, my Mum is a pentecostal and loves to share via any source possible her latest insights and spiritual breakthroughs. It's well intentioned and I love her dearly but it's doing my head in. Her latest 'guru' is Joseph Prince, a very wealthy pentecostal pastor of a mega church in Singapore. Apparently he has all the answers. Well I'm over it. I kinda dropped some subtle hints last time I was there when she puts on a video of him, and I said I kinda don't trust JP and I'm not big on pentecostal beliefs in general. Well that made her give me a book to look at and ask if I was having problems with 'unbelief' and I promptly started crying. Damn! I clammed up then and said it's not something I can talk about and we got on with our visit. Epic fail really.

 

Yesterday she texted me another JP video. I ignored it. So she facebook messaged it today. Sometimes I think we could go on forever pretending, but when this stuff happens I am tempted to just make one big friggin facebook announcement and leave town haha.

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Religious peer pressure is often difficult to deal with, particularly when it comes from family members.

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Hello CousinChimp, welcome. I'm guessing that your screen name is an allusion to the Theory of Evolution - that we humans are apes. ? 

 

Very many ex-Christians, or ex-fundamentalists even who still remain believers but no longer fundies, have trouble with (usually older) relatives who act as though a different view of religion is a betrayal, and worse, a sign that you are going to go to hell if the relative doesn't jump in and try to pull you back in. Often, the relative will eventually back off if you make your boundaries clear. Can you express the message that you love your mother but that you are different people and you're not going to be discussing religion - or something like that?

 

Occasionally the older relative comes around to seeing the same problems with the Bible etc. But often, not so. 

 

It's huge that you and your husband are on the same page about this. 

 

Hugs, f

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Hey Chimp,

 

Welcome to the forum.

I know what a PITA it is when family members (Wife, stepson, granddaughters) , as well as friends (OK...HER friends) area ll scream'n fundies. The wife keeps xitan books and tracks all over the house and goes on and on about how so and so is blessed or how blessed we are to have a nice home and a comfortable life.

 

Sometimes I want to shout to them "shut the F up already!" " And we have a nice life because I work my @$$ off! How about some frigg'n CREDIT HERE!"

 

Anyway be thankful you and you hubby are doubting/questioning/leaving the faith together. What I wouldn't give for Mrs. MOHO to just THINK once in a while.

 

Perhaps you and Mr. Chimp could sit mummy down and ask her to cease and desist. She'll be hurt for a week or two but will come around.

    - MOHO (Mind Of His Own)

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Welcome to Ex-C!

 

Yes, we all have friends and relatives who are disappointed, sad, mad or otherwise inconvenienced when someone has a different opinion. I suggest to everyone that we not let others determine how we live and think. We don't believe the things they believe and it's as simple as that. If they have a problem, it is their problem. You have done nothing wrong and are entitled to the same right to think as everyone else. The more we refuse to hide and worry about upsetting a Christian by virtue of us coming to another conclusion the sooner non-belief can be normalized. Be yourself, it's your human right.

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1 hour ago, florduh said:

Welcome to Ex-C!

 

Yes, we all have friends and relatives who are disappointed, sad, mad or otherwise inconvenienced when someone has a different opinion. I suggest to everyone that we not let others determine how we live and think. We don't believe the things they believe and it's as simple as that. If they have a problem, it is their problem. You have done nothing wrong and are entitled to the same right to think as everyone else. The more we refuse to hide and worry about upsetting a Christian by virtue of us coming to another conclusion the sooner non-belief can be normalized. Be yourself, it's your human right.

 

I'm out of my allotted likes for the day but I want to like this 1k times!

It's time I stand up for my beliefs for the second time come Sunday.

Give me strength as that woman can have such an impact on my psyche!

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Welcome

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13 hours ago, MOHO said:

Perhaps you and Mr. Chimp could sit mummy down and ask her to cease and desist. She'll be hurt for a week or two but will come around.

I agree with MOHO.

 

My (STBE) husband and I had to tell his dad to stop talking about the church, our faith, everything--we told him it was driving us away from both the church AND from him!

 

It worked. Now he just has the occasional slip-up.

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14 hours ago, ficino said:

Hello CousinChimp, welcome. I'm guessing that your screen name is an allusion to the Theory of Evolution - that we humans are apes. ? 

 

Very many ex-Christians, or ex-fundamentalists even who still remain believers but no longer fundies, have trouble with (usually older) relatives who act as though a different view of religion is a betrayal, and worse, a sign that you are going to go to hell if the relative doesn't jump in and try to pull you back in. Often, the relative will eventually back off if you make your boundaries clear. Can you express the message that you love your mother but that you are different people and you're not going to be discussing religion - or something like that?

Hi, yep I think evolutionary theory finally won out, turns out I love it and find it even more awe inspiring than creation. Thanks, I think I will have to say that bible stuff is off limits. 

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4 hours ago, Burnedout said:

Have you ever explored attempting to move to a different part of the country away from crazy family and local loony tunes?  

Yes! It's just such a major logistical nightmare. We are in the most isolated major city in the world or something. It may yet come to that. Mr Chimp (hee hee) thinks we can fly under the radar forever, but not with my family. Waiting for the inevitable sh*t storm.

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Are there any chimplings involved?  I don't care what friends and family say to me; but religion is definitely off-limits where Redneck Jr. is concerned.

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13 hours ago, TheRedneckProfessor said:

Are there any chimplings involved?  I don't care what friends and family say to me; but religion is definitely off-limits where Redneck Jr. is concerned.

Yes, three between 4 and 11. I've had to tell her in the past that talk of demonic stuff or praying for deliverance is not ok. I had a lot of nightmares over that stuff as a child. We have decided not to come clean all at once with the kids because it will be very upsetting to the sensitive middle child. We'll probably break it slowly as they get older. Well that's the current plan.

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I can only suggest telling her that you are inimpressed with this Prince bloke and you do not want to discuss matters of religion.  No need for a big announcement of your unbelief if that is not what you want.  If she won't accept that, perhaps best to maintain a distance?

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