Faith in humanity

LadyMadonna1985's picture

When you come to a point in your life where your beliefs take a drastic turn from that of the ones who mean the most in your life. How do you tell them, without causing a major rift coming between you.

For the past couple of months I have been kind of depressed, because I got to a point in my life where I realized I didnt believe in God, and the thought that he doesnt exist to me was very hard to accept.

So how much harder is it for my mother, who is also like my best friend to suddenly act like satan incarnate just walked into her home when I tell her my beliefs. She had noticed that I had been depressed as of late, but also knew that I had been hesitant to tell her why.

I just don't know how to mend this rift. What am I supposed to do, lie to her and tell her I believe in God? And that I am willing to keep my mind open to the possibility that he does?

Christians say that truth is the most important thing to them, so why do they get angry or upset when you are honest and open up to them about your beliefs just because they aren't what they believe.

And I have to admit if it was anybody else who was angry at me for this, I would tell them where they could shove their belief system. But when it comes to my mom, I just dont know.

But anyway earlier today she told me without god there would be no love or meaning in life. Do all christians have so little faith in what a person can be without a religion or god backing them?

For me the way I found my way to where I currently am in my beliefs system was that I asked myself how most theists define god. And from what I have heard they define him as the force that created all that is. And my answer to what that particular force is would have to be the universe itself.

But my beliefs havent changed who I am as a person. Why am I suddenly in the eyes of some of my closest friends and family a "cold hearted, hateful person"? I just don't know how to make them see that I havent changed.

[b]Melanie

I personally can not lie

I personally can not lie about who i am. I do not want anyone to think that i am something that i am not, for i feel that being true to oneself is very important to me. If my mother had reacted like yours i would probably had told her that this is who i am, i can't change it because i see no reason for which to believe in what you do. I wouldn't lie to my mother about who i am not matter how much it hurt her, she deserves to know who i am.

I would ask her if she'd rather you lie to her? To be dishonest to her? Maybe try to put her in your shoes.

 

I do find it quite sad that people truly believe without religion to stand on all life is meaningless and without purpose. Personally i find the meaning / purpose religion gives as shallow and utterly boring to put it mildly. To think that i get to choose my own purpose my own meaning is so much grander then anything that could be possibly set in stone for me by some malevolent tyrant. 

 

Good luck i hope it works out well for you. 

 

Zombie's picture

I can't personally offer

I can't personally offer advice on this as I was never really close to my family before i became an atheist and am not particulary close now.

What I can perhaps say is to give it time, let her have some to get used to the idea of you being an atheist. I assume this is a relatively recent development? Do you live with your mother by any chance? 

Morte alla tyrannus et dei

LadyMadonna1985's picture

I can say that yes this is

I can say that yes this is a relatively recent development. It is a process that has been in the works for quite a while now, however I wasn't completely sure where my beliefs centered until a couple of months ago.

 

And yeah, while I am in college I am residing in my mother's house

[b]Melanie

Zombie's picture

Well, unless you can move

Well, unless you can move out on your own, looks like this is something you must deal with. How much longer do you have in school?

Morte alla tyrannus et dei

LadyMadonna1985's picture

hmm

Well I finish with school in february if all goes as planned. And I am planning on moving out. I guess my worry was based on the long term effects of my revelation.

[b]Melanie

Zombie's picture

Ah, I see where you are

Ah, I see where you are getting at now.

Well, there is some truth to that old saying, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Hopefully some time apart from your mother will make her more understanding, mothers are genetically programed to love blindly imho. 

Morte alla tyrannus et dei

    one thing for sure ,

    one thing for sure , we don't know, that is the first verse of the ancient tao ...

we can't know, .... now what ? LIE ? .... "religion is silly" .... then they killed our friend atheist jesus .... for saying so .... I like that dude .... xians don't get it,  pharisees .... talented bible paul was nuts .....