I am 13 years old and I have a atheist father and a non-religous mother. I really feel that I should go to the Christian Church. However, I am scared to tell my parents. Also, I don't know that much of the bible and I don't want to go to church all by myself. What should I do?
2006-11-19 14:24:16 · 33 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Thank You all. My parents told me I couldn't go. However, I bought a bible and am reading it in my room. God bless you all
2006-11-20 14:25:04 · update #1
Tell your mom.....she may have some leftover contacts, or friends who will be glad to take you.
Honey, you can believe in God---and have him believe in YOU-without church.
I only feel His Presence when I am up to my elbows in the soil, planting things in the Earth!
You can worship Him in a lot of ways!
2006-11-19 14:29:21 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Is there anybody at school you could go with. I use to be involved with youth ministry and some of the kids that went to a weekly "church/bible" group came with friends from school. Some kids were in similar situations to yours. In a lot of cases the parents won't mind. If they are open minded and it is something you WANT to do and it isn't hurting any body I don't see what a big deal it is. I would be interested in knowing why your dad is an atheist and perhaps you could ask about the things he believes and does not believe at the church you go to. Not knowing if you have a church in mind or not, I'm not sure if you can go with a friend or if you might just be better to go by yourself. Whatever you decide, if you tell your parents it might me a good idea to ask God to give them an open mind and open heart to your desire to attend church. Ask God to bind up any evil spirits that may want to get in the way of them letting you go also. Anyway, I think it is very commendable that you want to go to church. God Bless You!
2006-11-19 14:32:33 · answer #2 · answered by Bags 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Good for you! Do you have a friend that you can go with? Anyone else in your family, uncles or grandparents that would take you?
If not, going alone will feel uncomfortable at first, but it won't take long before you will have new friends and feel right at home. Find a church that has a good youth group, this will help you to build friendships with others. You may even try going to a youth group first and getting to know some people before stepping out into church. What ever makes you feel more at ease...just don't give up on going! Good luck and God bless!
2006-11-19 14:31:55 · answer #3 · answered by Cjs 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The first thing to do is read the bible. Before blindly joining any religion be sure it is the right one for you. Becomming Christian just because the crowd does makes you a sheep, not a christian. It has to be something that calls to your heart.
If it is, find a friend who is willing to go with you. Then talk to your parents. Be open and honest about how you feel and why. If it is what is important to your heart, they will understand. They may not agree with your religion, but that doesn't mean they will prevent you from having it.
Remember that religion is a VERY personal thing. We can each believe only what WE believe. Just because you believe something doesn't mean you can force someone else to believe it. Pretending to believe doesn't make a difference. If the Christian God IS the only God, he will know who believed and who pretended to believe "just in case". I prefer to think that a god would accept people as good if their heart and life was always filled with love and kindness. A life of generosity of spirit should mean far more than what building you sat your butt in on Sunday.
2006-11-19 14:30:27 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Someone (a friend ) or something must've got you interested in religion.
See if you can go to their church or youth group .
Ask your parents if they could would understand that you need to search this out.
Discuss with them how they became an atheist and non religious. You need to consider their point of view.
Check out all religions...........don't let anyone force you into a religion. Never allow them to say their religion is better. You will know what feels right for you.
I was raised Protestant, got married in a Catholic Church. When my daughter went through her 1st Communion,I knew then that I wanted to convert. I went to RCIA, where I learned and was welcomed into the Church.
Go to this website and check out different faiths:
Beliefnet
http://www.beliefnet.com/index/index_10000.html
You may also like reading the Bible
Latin Vulgate
Douay-Rheims Bible
http://www.drbo.org/
Good Luck and May God Bless You.
2006-11-19 15:00:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was in a similar predicament. I come from a strong Christian family, but I have joined my friends in a Buddhist temple. I had a lot of trouble telling my parents, but I did what I thought was best. A small quote: "Bravery is not having fear. Bravery is confronting the fears you have."
Moving on, I think that you should try and tell your parents that you think that it's the best for you. If you have an aggressive parent, like me, he/she might take it a little bluntly and say no. If this happens I urge you to preserver and try to find some people who share your feelings.
On the bible part, it's just a matter of reading it and researching it. I joined the Buddhists with nearly no prior knowledge on how to do things, and I eventually learned. All you need to do is apply yourself to your religion and all the answers will come.
In a nutshell, be brave, find support, and persevere.
Good luck!
~Kemnti~
2006-11-19 14:37:27 · answer #6 · answered by Kemnti 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ask some of your friends to let you come to their church. You can also look up churches in your area in the phone book. Once you start going, you will feel more comfortable with it. If your parents get upset, you can still read your Bible in private. God is not limited by other people's actions.
2006-11-19 14:34:22 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Bless you! Few teenagers your age have sought God especially in a non-religious environment. I hope this can help you:
First decide what church you want to go to or what denomination you want to be in. Second, go to that parish (or center, etc) on a week day so that no one wil notice you. Look for the person in charge (a priest, a minister, etc) and tell him your problem..I believe both of you will resolve the problem you have. Good luck.
2006-11-19 14:31:45 · answer #8 · answered by Jimmy 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You don't need to go to a church with others to talk to "God", IF you believe in a "Higher Power" and you fill the need to communicate with your high power, ( I'm not going to say Him or Her because I don't want you to think that there has to be a gender stereo type attached to the Divine one,) by all means go ahead and do so.
Don't let one friend or another try to sell you on their religion and or try to influence you that their faith is better then some other faith. Praying is as easy as talking and you don't need to know, as they say The Lords Prayer or The Hail Mary, just talk and give praise and you will be heard...."God" is always listening
2006-11-19 14:48:34 · answer #9 · answered by mario p 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
try going with a friend or relative. your parents love you and should trust you enough to make your own choices about your beliefs. just sit down and talk to them and tell them that you want to go. and don't worry about not knowing much of the bible, you will learn it as you start to go to church more.
good luck and god bless.
2006-11-19 14:36:36 · answer #10 · answered by *~ riddles ~* 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't force your parents to go to church, hun, but it's a blessing in itself that you wish to go. You could go to a Christian church with a friend or other family member. Don't be afraid to tell your parents. They love you and should respect your choices. They choose not to believe, but trust me, living out a life of faith, though it's not easy, is the best way to live out one's life. Good luck. May God show you the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Good for you though, I really respect what you are doing, wanting to go to a Christian church. Myself, I come from a family who goes to church, yes, but that's about it. Me, I'm proud of my strong faith and love going to church and talking with other members of the congregation. I'm only 14, but I set an example and hopefully otheres will follow. This is what you need to do, set an example and hope your family will be behind you 100%. Good luck and if you ever feel you need any advice or support on this, feel free to click on my name and send me a message. Good luck, I wish you the best,
Kiara
2006-11-19 14:31:02 · answer #11 · answered by Kiara 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋