What annoying things did your Christian parents force you to do/did to you?

[Guest KrysLostInSpace]

Going to church and listening to them drone about their ideology is a given. What were the little things? When my father prayed over me ever damn night (still does many nights even though I express discomfort), he'd put his entire hand on my head. I hate being approached or touched in a lot of ways. Mostly anything that can be deemed threatening. I tried to move away one time and he grabbed my hair. That freaked me out bad. Another annoying thing was walking on the Christian minefields with them. Knowing when to keep your mouth shut. Mom wasn't bad. She knew not to say much about her beliefs with me unless it was an open discussion. Which is rarely was. I had no interest in discussing anything. Mostly out of anxiety. Dad was the real problem. He's the kind of Christian who thinks ("knows") he's right. I could never string together a coherent argument around him because I'd feel inadequate and likely be shut down. I got angry easily with him. Despite going for the offense, I felt more like I was on the defensive. Usually because it was my freedom I was trying to attain. Like not being in church. I don't really have a close relationship with my father despite him being a warm person to me. It's so confusing when your parents are decent people and yet they can be so unintentionally toxic. 

[florduh]

Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night services. Occasional week of "revival." Every year a week wasted at "camp meeting" during the precious summer break from school. Yeah, I hated every minute.

[TheRedneckProfessor]

My mother breathed for pretty much my entire childhood.  She's still breathing to this day.  Most annoying thing ever.

[MOHO]

Sunday priesthood in the early AM then Sunday School an hour later.

 

Not so bad in and of itself but we spent all day Saturday working in the yard so losing the entire weekend sucked. This was especially annoying as I sensed my father's weekish approach to the Mormon doctrine. Aerospace engineer he was so I'm guessing his otherwise logic oriented thought processes had something to do with that. His apathy likely motivated some of my questioning. Different topic that.

 

5 hours ago, KrysLostInSpace said:

He's the kind of Christian who thinks ("knows") he's right.

I am married to that person. Annoying when logic and reason is countered with the condescending response of simply barking my name in a loud an authoritarian tone.

 

[disillusioned]

Family worship time. Basically an at-home church service every single evening.

 

I should mention that both my parents are pastors who were trying to "plant" their own cell church at the time. So at least a couple of times a week family worship time became multi-family worship time. At the end of the day, just a lot of worship, and a lot of wasted time.

[Guest KrysLostInSpace]

On 8/23/2020 at 9:43 AM, MOHO said:

 

I am married to that person. Annoying when logic and reason is countered with the condescending response of simply barking my name in a loud an authoritarian tone.

 

I'm not you but I would consider divorce.

[MOHO]

10 hours ago, KrysLostInSpace said:

I'm not you but I would consider divorce.

I think about this.

Everything else is so good though.

If I could only remove fundyness.

[ConsiderTheSource]

Absolutely nothing. 

 

He was an agnostic.  But, he put me into Sunday School as he considered it "free babysitting".

 

He allowed the indoctrinators/programmers code my brain at an early age.  I now consider all of this crap child abuse.

[◊ DestinyTurtle ◊]

Mostly, a near-lifetime of hurt that comes from having constantly insinuated that God most probably hates me and created me and people like me for the sole purpose of being tortured eternally for His Glory. I'm sure my dad has no idea what garbage was coming out of his brainwashed mouth but for a child with a vivid imagination it was a source of absolute terror and trauma. Also, he discouraged any consultation for therapy or help, because secular psychoanalytical theory is satanism in disguise. Have you noticed how cults and abusers in general seem to passionately shun therapy?

 

Oh, and passive-aggressive dinner prayers that were most often used to indirectly demonize and criticize friends and family - even sometimes the ones sitting at the dinner table.

[◊ Krowb ◊]

Nothing. I came out of Christianity looking for the Truth within the scriptures. No bad experiences, no abusive family dynamic (far from it - a very loving home). The quest began simply to answer my wife's questions about christianity. It was a multi-year process for me to finally reach the conclusion it is a collection of man-made documents.

 

I enjoyed going to church and all the events. Both of my parents were heavily involved in the administration, and even though Dad couldn't be a deacon - divorced, he still served or chaired almost all the major church committees and Mom was in charge of a couple of committees as well.  Baptist churches love themselves some committees.

 

I look back on it fondly, but with sadness - all that time spent could've gone towards meaningful pursuits instead of chasing after shadows on the wall.

[MOHO]

On 8/25/2020 at 10:26 AM, ConsiderTheSource said:

He allowed the indoctrinators/programmers code my brain at an early age.  I now consider all of this crap child abuse.

You better believe it!

Imagine my shock and horror when Mrs. MOHO joined the youth ministry at her church and proclaim her "blessing" and "opportunity" to "bring the work to the young ones before Satan gets to them". We're talking 4 & 5 year olds here!

 

This is not only child abuse but, through their efforts to ensure that the little ones grow up with the same thought processes, it may also be form of fascism.

 

[MOHO]

On 8/25/2020 at 10:57 AM, DestinyTurtle said:

Have you noticed how cults and abusers in general seem to passionately shun therapy?

Yes, I have sir!

My fams do this vehemently!

 

They have absolutely NO CLUE what psychology is but will trash it as Satan's tool because "pastor says"

The husband of Mrs. MOHO"s new friend is a practicing psychologist who is devout as is his wife. I wonder what cognitive dissonance for her will come of that?

[Jagdish]

Had to go to church EVERY freaking Sunday. I detested Sundays. It was church in the morning and then no play afterwards because Sunday is Gods day and you should never have any fun on that day! (my words not theirs). The way it was put was that Sunday is a day of relaxation (read no fun), and we had to stay dressed up for most of the day. It was years before I did not feel guilty when I did something other than church on Sunday.

[Eugene39]

9 hours ago, Jagdish said:

It was church in the morning and then no play afterwards because Sunday is Gods day and you should never have any fun on that day! (my words not theirs). The way it was put was that Sunday is a day of relaxation (read no fun), and we had to stay dressed up for most of the day.

 

You too? We were at least allowed to play quietly indoors and didn't have to stay dressed up. Then back to church in the evening for Bible study, and then the Sunday evening service was frequently another sermon on hell.

[Tsathoggua9]

My mom, sister and I usually did the morning Sunday service, and sometimes Sunday School, as well. Sometimes we would do the Wednesday night service, but we weren't "religious" about it. Grew up in the Hendersonville Church of Christ (a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. I didn't mind it so much, but would rather have spent the time reading books or comic books or watching television. The people at Church were nice, but I played with neighborhood and school friends much more than the church folks. Can't complain too much -- my mother let me read whatever I wanted! And there were no restrictions on TV, either, as long as I did my homework.