I am a single mom who is a teacher. I am struggling with my faith. Every weekend is a battle with my mom. I take her shopping Sunday morning. She gets so irate about me not going to mass Saturday night. Her tirades have turned me off of church...I pray every day but choose not to go to church. Talking to her is like trying to talk to a brick wall. Just got yelled at and cried at again...it leaves me drained and with a migraine every single time. She is able to go to church with friends btw.
This can be a sticky situation--as I expect Thanksgiving will be this week. I DO NOT want to go, but if I don't there will be no forgiveness in this life or the next.
All you can do is tell mom that you ARE religious, just not in the way she would choose for you. And, for the love of heaven, be kind about it. If there is no love nor kindness, then their is no 'religion'.
If she continues to harangue you, make alternate arrangement for her shopping and don't spend any time with her you don't absolutely have to.
You will NEVER win a 'religious' battle. Never. And families are torn apart by just what you are talking about.
Look, I left the religion of my parents when I was 18 and joined another with completely different beliefs. The religion I grew up in was a bad fit for my mental health.
My parents were angry, but they didn't take it out on me; I'm sure they grieved and prayed for me, but they respected my right to believe the way I saw fit.
You've posted before about how moody and unappreciative your mother is. My advice would be not to give her the chance.
Read up on FOG--Fear, Obligation and Guilt.
If your mother cannot keep her thoughts on the subject of religion to herself, I suggest you stop taking her shopping. Boundaries need to be set and stuck to, methinks, for YOUR sanity. Your mother is welcome to her feelings & opinions on the subject, as long as YOU don't have to be subject to HER histrionics about them!
Good luck!
he said in his country if he made a careless statement concerning religion he would have 100,000 maniacs rioting in the streets in a matter of minutes .
good luck in doing so but i think you should try to convince your mother that her beliefs are no more than just that -- her beliefs .