Subscribing to no religion while parents want you to go to church

[ShugendoRa]

Anyone had this issue? Parents wants you to go to church but you subscribe to no religion even though you were baptized and done your communion by going to Sunday school? 

[Leo Gura]

Classic conflict of stage Blue vs stage Orange

That can be difficult if your parents are solid Blue. They will not be openminded enough to allow it. But you might be able to convince them.

You could try to explain to them how meditation will lead you to God. And then when they go to church you stay home and do meditation. Emphasize the mystical aspects of their religion. Every serious religious practitioner does meditation/prayer/contemplation. Guide their religiosity to spirituality.

[ShugendoRa]

@Leo Gura  Your my hero 

[Rilles]

5 hours ago, ShugendoRa said:

Anyone had this issue? Parents wants you to go to church but you subscribe to no religion even though you were baptized and done your communion by going to Sunday school? 

Yep, still have that problem because of my irresponsibity, i should be out of the house but i’m still dragged to church once in a while because i live with them. I just use my observation skills and mindfulness when i’m in church and try to understand stage blue instead of being bitter about it.

[GabeN]

I have it too, but not from parents only, but from a community of 800 people, for example, if I use my phone on Saturday (Shabat), they would (literally) think I've lost it.

[Nahm]

@ShugendoRa Go. Sit in the pew. Enjoy the serenity. Be aware of their self imposed suffering. Understand the nature of it. Keep your focus on breathing from your stomach, relaxing your body head to toe over and over. Let every arising thought go. It is only resistant thinking, and you can let it go. Realize you can be at peace, aligned with your true self in any situation. One in which God is thought to be judging you, is a most ideal teaching environment. One day your parents will ask about your ever present inner peace, your acceptance, your uncondition. They will want to understand as you understand. They will want to know as you know. They will not make the connection regarding their own thought patterns of self disparagement, their beliefs and judgements of self & other, and they will ask you. Until then, there is no need to say a thing. All is Well.  

[Paul92]

Go to church. There might be some nice people there. You might make new friends. Can anyone disprove God as in the Christian God?

[RichardY]

@Paul92 I think it's more of a question of framework(theoretical). If the shoe fits, kind of thing. Either that or "Not knowing"..... 

[mandyjw]

They're not wrong. They aren't right either. There's no reason not to go to church. Usually the only time most of the people experience oneness is when they sing together. That was always my favorite part. But the symbol of baptism and communion are really beautiful too. I never understood until I had looked outside of Christianity for truth. I was never baptized by anyone, but I'm pretty sure God baptized me this past summer when I got knocked over by a wave, went under and got slammed into the sand. I hadn't fully respected the power of the ocean until then. That taught me how to jump right in and float along the waves instead of resisting them after that. 

I'm teaching myself again aren't I? Damn it. 

[Truth Addict]

@ShugendoRa

Give your parents what they want, I guarantee that that alone will make you enlightened.

[isabel]

I also think it might be nice to just go, making your parents happy is so nice, I liked the feeling of being in a church sometimes and I also never understood anything in the bible until I started reading more about non-duality, it starts to make sense with that deeper understanding

that said, when I was younger I just got a job that required me to work on sunday so there was no way I could go...

[MuddyBoots]

Hi 

My parents were ok but I went to a school where chapel was compulsory. You don't say how old you are, but usually in a family the parents are in charge and make the rules in the home. What type of church is it, open-minded or closed?  If you have to attend, then simply attend but you don't have to believe if it's not in your heart. You can read up about other religions and non-religious philosophies to put your parent's church into context; also read alternative and mystical versions of religions (most scriptures were written by other people well after the founders lived, including the Bible, Koran and Buddhist sutras).  Take your time and gradually decide what is right for you, you can do your own practice outside of church in your own time.

Good luck and I hope you don't fall out with your folks.

Nick.

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We are all connected.  However, connections are only necessary if you see life as fragmented to begin with.  Is a wave connected to its neighbour? Well, only if the 'connection' is the whole deep ocean which all waves are made of in the first place!
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