Guest worried Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Hello everyone. My name is Maddy. I am only 15 years old but already I have grown sick and tired of this religion. I was kinda brought up in the faith. We sometimes went to church. Mum was kinda a Christian but dad didn't really have a religion at all. We had a lot of troubles in our life. My mother got very sick and it caused a lot of problems for us. When I was around 12 my mother became very religious and my dad accepted Jesus. Coming from a hard past, I too accepted. For a while I was as religious as they were. But recently I have started to become more skeptical. It started when I heard a sermon about the "Prosperity Gospel". I immidietly thought they was something not right with that. I started exploring more and more, and now I consider myself more of a agnostic. But my parents still think I'm religious. I don't have a problem with going to church, but they keep buying me religious books and taking me to these concerts. I am also learning guitar at the moment and they expect me to work in the music for church. Music has always been a huge part of my life. I love classic rock and japanese rock. I would love to be in the music industry when I'm older. Recently however my mother has given into the stupidness that is "Satan is in metal" Now I think that stuff is a load of rubbish. But she now want's to control what I listen to so that "Satan doesn't get me" They say they want to protect me, but I don't believe in what they want to protect me from! I really want to tell them how I really feel about this religion but I'm really scared too. Part of me still loves my parents, and I am worried that when I tell them they will feel like they have failed as parents. Also another part of me is scared they won't accept me for who I am. Please any advice or support would be very helpful. Thank you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I started exploring more and more, and now I consider myself more of a agnostic. Any Gods?:I belive in a God Are you sure you're an agnostic? Prosperity Gospel Well,this stuff has a doubtful foundation even in the Bible itself. Recently however my mother has given into the stupidness that is "Satan is in metal" You might consider keeping some records at your friends place in case things'll get ugly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker630 Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 Here is the frustrating part of a story like this, and we've all seen plenty of them in here before------what your parents don't grasp is that they can't make someone believe that which they do not believe, no matter what they say. No one can be threatened into actually believing anything. You can be forced to do those things of course since you are still a minor, but remember that your mind is your escape for now. It is your one true safe haven where no one else can get in unless you want them to. And no one can make you like something if you honestly don't like it. That's just crazy. Hang on to those thoughts, and weather the ride as best as you can until you are out on your own some day. As you said----going to church isn't going to hurt you. Turn it into an opportunity to sort out reality from fantasy. And learning Christian music is still music, even if you don't like it much. It is still a good learning exercise, since the basics you will learn can later be used to further your musical life no matter what it is. I say use it to the max. You might not get another chance at it at your age. Only you are in a position to judge what your parent's reaction might be. It may be best to just go with the flow for the time being. You are essentially stuck in your current situation. Just remember that it won't be that way forever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest worried Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 thanks for the advice so far guys oh and about the agnostic thing: I do believe in a higher power or a "god" but I'm not sure excatly what "it" is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raul Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 about the agnostic thing: I do believe in a higher power or a "god" but I'm not sure excatly what "it" is. Do you think,that this "higher power" somehow intervenes in human affairs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest worried Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 about the agnostic thing: I do believe in a higher power or a "god" but I'm not sure excatly what "it" is. Do you think,that this "higher power" somehow intervenes in human affairs? I think somewhat although then again I am not very sure. I am trying to do as much research on my own as I can, but it's hard when your homeschooled and with my parents floating around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker630 Posted August 1, 2009 Share Posted August 1, 2009 I am trying to do as much research on my own as I can, but it's hard when your homeschooled and with my parents floating around Egads, are they also telling you that evolution isn't true? This gets better by the minute. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest worried Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I am trying to do as much research on my own as I can, but it's hard when your homeschooled and with my parents floating around Egads, are they also telling you that evolution isn't true? This gets better by the minute. pretty much. I've been trying to keep an open mind when it comes to that. I'm still not too sure I believe in evolution but I try to look at both intelligent design and evolution. My parents however discourage looking into evolution at all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OpheliaGinger Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 I started exploring more and more, and now I consider myself more of a agnostic. Any Gods?:I belive in a God Are you sure you're an agnostic? The last time I checked, agnostic just simply states, "I don't know." You can believe that a god does exists but do not know what it goes by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
decafaholic Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 You seem to be taking this rather well. Good for you! No one should try to tell you when/if you should tell your parents about your non-belief. When I was asking myself that question, I decided that I would keep it a secret until I absolutely couldn't stand it anymore. To listen to the music you want, I reccommend getting some headphones and streaming music off the internet. I use www.jango.com . It's free and legal. And unless they go through your stuff thoroughly and regularly, you can put some music you like on a small mp3 player and put a bunch of christian music on there too to throw them off. As long as you don't listen to the lyrics, there is some beautiful Christian music out there. I like some songs by Hawk Nelson. chris Tomlin has a beautiful song called "I will Rise" if you can look past some of the words. Some people think Lifehouse is a Christian band so you can use that to your advantage. Relient K is a crossover group too that I like. You could remind your parents that The Fray is a group of Christian musicians playing on a mainstream label. Remember: there is no such thing as Christian music- only Christian lyrics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
★ Citsonga ★ Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 The last time I checked, agnostic just simply states, "I don't know." You can believe that a god does exists but do not know what it goes by. An agnostic is one who is unconvinced whether there is a god or not. One who believes that there is a god is either a theist or a deist. Just saying that it is unknown who/what that god is doesn't change one's belief that there is a god, so such a person would not accurately be described with the term agnostic, at least not in its standard usage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Davka Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Worried - other than being disappointed, how do you think your parents would react if you told them what you're thinking about religion? Would they be willing to discuss these ideas reasonably with you, or would they be more likely to try to force you back into the Christian mold by sending you to more events and trying to talk you into faith? I guess what I'm asking is, how much do your parents trust your ability to think and reason for yourself? How much do they respect you as a person? The answers are very important in determining the way forward. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ Fuego ♦ Posted August 2, 2009 Share Posted August 2, 2009 Welcome! Many of us here fall into the "Deist" catagory, thinking that there is something more to us than meets the eye, but unsure of what exactly. Some have chosen a particular path like Buddhism while others like myself are simply looking into things and pondering a lot. You have three years to go before you can jump ship, more if you are financially dependent on your parents. I've seen how controlling and superstitious some parents can be in the church. They tend to see the devil everywhere and go around praying and anointing things to keep the boogyman away. So much for the all-powerful God adopting them as children and dwelling within like a walking ark of the covenant. Before I left the fold, I taught that the devil feared us, and that we shouldn't fear him or his "manifestations". Now I understand how the concept of the devil grew over time, and was especially enhanced during the Medieval period. In other words, he isn't real. But since you have to live with people that believe in him, perhaps you can use the above to ask them why they fear him. You might also show how the scriptures display the nasty character of the God of the Bible (not the real God, if there is one). Here is an article I wrote about that: The God of Abuse Being monitored by other people is one of my buttons. I really hate it, and it doesn't matter who it is. I understand that in certain places it comes with the territory (like living with parents, or at the workplace). But overall, the idea that freedom is bad and needs to be forced into conformity with superstition or politics or <insert cause here> really chafes me. I am still undercover with my deconversion, not because I'm ashamed in any way but because I still value relationships with some people. It will come out eventually, but not just yet. It hasn't even been a year yet for me. Anyway, I digress. Welcome and I hope you can visit often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShallowByThyGame Posted August 3, 2009 Share Posted August 3, 2009 The great part of being young is that you know in a few years you will be legally free to explore the world completely on your own terms. I recommend getting a job and saving up money just in case. Never stop reading and learning. Follow those who seek answers, abandon those who think they have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Speedbump Posted August 4, 2009 Share Posted August 4, 2009 For what it's worth, both J.S. Bach and Frederick Handel wrote wonderful, complex music for lute and guitar. Many of these were turned into hymns, so your parents shouldn't have problems with you listening to them. They are difficult to master and can only improve your guitar skills. Cristopher Parkening, and Andres Segovia are artists who have recordings out. Trust me, if you can play this stuff metal will be a breeze once you're free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest worried Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 thank you for all your support so far ^^ Some Christian music I don't find that bad. Like for example I really like the band Delirious and yes they do have some songs that are full on "Worship god etc" but they also have songs with very good messages(a good example was thier kingdom of comfort album) I also do like The Fray and some other various bands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucifereus Posted August 6, 2009 Share Posted August 6, 2009 Don't worry in 3 years you're free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest VigCS Posted August 7, 2009 Share Posted August 7, 2009 I really think you should tell your family. It took a load off my chest when I told mine, but they were rather accepting of it. If they really love you, they may be upset at first but they'll eventually come around. However, if you truly behlieve you're at risk of being kicked out of your house for such 'heathenistic thoughts,' I'd wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chefranden Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Please any advice or support would be very helpful. Thank you Lots of music stars got their start in the church. It's an opportunity to play and learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Davka Posted August 9, 2009 Share Posted August 9, 2009 Please any advice or support would be very helpful. Thank you Lots of music stars got their start in the church. It's an opportunity to play and learn. Can you say "U2"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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