Anonymous

I told my father that I am unsure about God and don't want to be conformed into the Catholic Church, they think my friends dad who created a free thinkers church influenced me and doesn't want me to see him, What do you think I should do?

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7 Answers

Call me Z Profile
Call me Z answered

Cookie is right. Obey your parents wishes, your time will come soon enough. Then you can act on your thoughts as you please.

Danae Hitch Profile
Danae Hitch answered

Most of the time, when you confess something to your parents that go against what they have taught you, you are going to get push-back from them.

They raised you with their value system and probably feel that their ideas, opinions, beliefs are best.

My best advice is that you simply tell your parents that you want to thank them for their religious teachings and that you appreciate all their hard work as parents. Then just drop it. Some parents don't want to hear that their kids have different ideology than they have. Some parents will listen and let their kids explore different ideas.

Yours don't want you to explore different religions and ideas about religions. You can make this a big deal and your life can be h3ll until you move out. Or you can simply keep talking to your friend's dad and asking him questions and keep your trap shut until you move out and you can do what you want.

Cookie Roma Profile
Cookie Roma answered

I think you should listen to your dad.  It's not like you can't do whatever you want once you become a legal adult and no longer live under his roof. 

Ally Gh Profile
Ally Gh answered

My parents are Muslims and the first time I told them I do not believe on God, they were very supportive but they said think and read before you make any decisions. 

My mum was a bit unhappy but she accepted it too. However, it can be very difficult for parents to see their children go a different path than they imagined. Belief is not something you can have for the happiness of others. But the least is you can keep your beliefs to yourself until you reach an age when you can express them. For now, you should have nothing but respect towards your parents.

Darik Majoren Profile
Darik Majoren answered

Until you are 18, you need to respect the wishes of your parents.

Even if you see no Merit in the request, respect should be observed unless it causes irreparable harm either psychically or physically to your person. If the worst thing your parents make you do is go to Catholic Mass . . . You have a great childhood.

thanked the writer.
Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
I feel the need to expand upon my answer since others on this topic fail to grasp what "Free Thought" truly is.

While you attend Catholic Church you are a fully capable, and right, for pursuing "Free Thought" as a means to Reason and Logical enlightenment. This is done by being completely honest and starts with yourself. Self examination and the "How's" and "Why's" regarding our surrounding environment need be truly free of ANY direction taken from any myths (religion).

You will receive erroneous information that the only way to truly think "Free" is if your thoughts are either guided and directed in some way by (religious Texts) or by some "Holy Spirit" . . .

Understanding "self" is being brutally honest, but in the end we end up understanding others and what TRULY motivates them. You will be surprised how easily you are able to "Read" people . . . especially those who are powerless to understand themselves.
Tom  Jackson Profile
Tom Jackson answered

Are you talking about conformation or Confirmation (the Sacrament)?

In the Sacrament of Confirmation you are "sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and are strengthened in their Christian life."

To conform is to follow others or the rules and regulations of the organization.

My suggestion is to be confirmed even if you have some doubts about the nature of God.  That way if you decide they are worthwhile and do exist, you have them and can use them when you need them.

As to your "friends dad who created a free thinkers church," if I were your father, I also would want you to avoid him.  Why?---because "Freethought" is also a belief system about reality (just like Catholicism).  It just happens to hold the philosophical viewpoint that "positions regarding truth should be formed on the basis of logic, reason, and empiricism, rather than authority, tradition, revelation, or other dogma."

I am a Catholic.  As a Catholic, I am necessarily a "freethinker."

I believe that truth exists and is the proper object of study.

And logic, reason, and even empirical evidence---with the light of faith---provides the informed basis for my beliefs.

Freethinking as a philosophy is attractive to any human being on the face of it, but it is limited because it limits the tools you can use to find what is "true."

It's best to avoid "free thinking" as a philosophy rather than a way of thinking until you have studied logic, philosophy, and the limits of "Freethought" in general before you make an informed decision about which is the best way to seek the "truth" throughout your life.

And if you are like me, you'll be older than 25 when that happens.

Ty Hibb Profile
Ty Hibb answered

You don't mention your age and your reason for disagreeing with your parents. Are you in search for the truth or are you just resisting parental direction? Sometimes your reason for doing something can be more important than what you do. The bible says at John 4:23,24 "Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth."

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Darik Majoren
Darik Majoren commented
"John 4:23,24 "Nevertheless, the hour is coming, and it is now, when the true worshippers will worship the father with spirit and truth, for indeed, the Father is looking for ones like these to worship him. God is a Spirit, and those worshipping him must worship with spirit and truth." - So in exactly WHAT way, is that hour upon us NOW, more so then, say, July 28, 1914 or September 1, 1939 . . . October 14, 1962?

Does the Bible ACTUALLY determine 2016 to be the year that this is true for John 4:23,24?

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