Spiritual advice
 

Well anyways I've been having more and more problems lately over the fact that I am agnostic, I know I live in a christian populated country but I'm still having difficulty being accepted by most people, my own grandfather swears up and down that I'm going to hell because I don't follow the christian religion. Recently I got a tattoo of an inverted cross overlapped with a scythe, sybollic of the fact that unholy or evil has no power over me and that i can destroy it if it attempts to harm me. But my main issue is that people hear I'm an agnostic and for some reason they think that I;m this unholy creature whose only purpose is to take away from moral values that they instill into their kids. I have my own defenses against thier alligations but when it gets into a battle of like 12 against one how do i defend myself aside from saying my line of "You have your beliefs and I have mine, I respect yours and it's the least you could do for me."

i know how you feel. i go to a catholic school where more of the population is catholic (though its not a requirement to go there) and RE classes were interesting when we got into debates, especially with the teacher! it does make it a bit uncomfortable when it comes to assemblies and masses though because even if we're not catholic or religeous we're still expected to cross ourselves and go up for blessings and stuff.
anyway, just wanted to let you know that i know how you feel *hugs*

soph.

I'm sorry i can't offer much advice. I'm not so good at standing up for myself. But i think that saying they have their own beliefs, and you have yours is a good enough defence. Why should you have to say anything else. It's hardly their place to tell you what to believe in. It's not their place to say anything to you!

If you can, try and just ignore them. Although i know it's easier said than done. If you aren't doing anything wrong, then they don't have much against you. Just the live your life the way you think you should, and leave them to their own devices.

X

Unfortunately, just as people can't make you change your views, you can't make other people either.
If they can't accept that you don't believe the same things as them,then they're rather narrow minded and you're just going to have to ignore them. It's hard if its your family or people you're close to,but there's not really anything you can do.

I have problems with my parents.
As they say to me... ''your bed is booked in hell''
I'm a sinner they say. As I'm a lesbian and also as result I have sex outside marriage.

I disagree with them totally. I live my life morrally correct. I follow the 10 comandments but in non religious way (as in I love thy neighbour, in modern tolerating ways, which is bloody hard!)

I can't be me around my parents and their friends and can't mention girlfriends or anything of that sort which is really hard as I have to hide my happiness to just get on with them.

So, I really understand how you find it hard with religious people.
But as you tolerate and accept them it is only fair they do the same and not preach.
We can't talk about our way of life so whay should we have to listen to thiers? (even though we do)

Well I'm glad I'm not alone in this sort of feeling, I mean my aunt understands it, she says that in time I may come around to it, but I just haven't experienced anything to mkae me believe, I see and hear spirits all the time, Its where I get a lot of my inspirations when writing every character I have is based off of someone I've seen. Most people say that only if you are religious do you see or hear these things, but I see and hear them all the time, I feel sometimes like I am one of the few that has the ability to connect if only for one second with those who are no longer living. I've gone into a house that had ghosts in it, and while I was in there I kept feeling like I was getting poked by something fairly hard, I had no explaination for it. I just hope that in the future we won't have to worry about all of the religions, religion is just too solid, they really never should have taken it beyond just a set of ideas you could follow if you wish.

My point of view
 

i been over and over this argument with members of my family.
I was brought up as a christian i when to sunday school and loved being part of the churchs family (as mine weren't great) but i as i grew up and developed my understanding of religion, i kinda lost my faith, in everything to do with the church. i found it kinda a lie. Althought my family found this very hard to deal with i found that i am a better off person without the church. some ppeople find that hard to belive but that my say

sounds like me, I'm happier since I left the church, dunno why, I guess because I don't have to worry about what is and isn't a sin, I've never liked the feeling of eyes upon me, it makes me feel claustrophobic

everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and beliefs.
no one is right and no one is wrong.
there are no facts....just opinions.
there are so many differecnt religions today...so stand up for what you believe but also dont be critisizing others for what they believe.
be open minded. take care xox