I'm worried about showing my beliefs?

Question

I'm in middle school and I was brought up and raised to be catholic. Most of my friends are catholic or christian. Usually I don't show my belief in public school, only at the Sunday school where i can express it freely whithout being harassed. I want to show God I love him and I am not afraid to be a strong believer, but alot of ppl out there would break me down if I mentioned as much as a phrase from the Bible. I know because that's happened to me before when I asked a question about showing my reliogn and alot of ppl told me I should just shut my trap and go with the flow of the athiests. I just don't know what to do, and I feel frightened to express my feeling anywhere else because of prior experiences. I love God, but I don't know if it's ok to show it. My spirit has been broken.

Answer 1

Relax and lead by example.

Answer 2

The object is to maintain a balance in your life; God is not going to strike you dead for keeping your thoughts quiet and contemplative; other people also have beliefs and attitudes and they probably don't need yours shoved down their throats.

if you respect other people's right to believe the way they do, and not feel it is necessary to force your beliefs on other people you will do well. Religion is not an appropriate subject of conversation in a secular gathering.

People won't "harass" you if you talk and act in a normal way in public settings; if someone brings up the subject ina derogatory manner, simply respond, "I do believe in God and I am proud of my Catholic beliefs; however, I respect your right to believe the way you do." and drop the subject. change the subject, or if the person persists, excuse yourself and leave the conversation.

why would your spirit be broken if you are a true Catholic or Christian. If you are true to God your spirit cannot be broken. But that doesn't mean you have to be forceful about your beliefs.

Answer 3

First, you can honor God without being over-religious. Saying "Praise God" every other sentence is not true faith.

Remember the words of James: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is: to visit the orphans and widows in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world." James 1:27

You don't have to try to fit God in every sentence. That's not maturity. Simply be yourself and show the love that's in you. Don't gossip. Don't put people down. Don't preach. Maintain dignity. When people ask why you are a person of character, then "Be ready to give an answer for the hope that lies within you".

Too many Christians are of the sort which try to speak of God at every opportunity, and tell people they need to be saved and on and on. This seems to me to be "vain repetition". Be the best person you can be, and people will ask you what it is that makes you the person you are. That is the opportunity to speak of God.

You don't need to ever deny God, You can be a good witness, but remember that a good witness doesn't answer questions that haven't yet been asked.

Answer 4

Sweetie, your spirit hasn't been broken. You've just been intimidated.

Give it some time and a little more maturity. School can be intimidating all by itself, but life is not always going to be like this. And in the meantime, the best possible thing you can do is pray for those who have harrassed you. You don't have to make a big public display of your faith in order to show God you love Him, either. St. Francis of Assisi is reported to have said, "preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words". It's more effective to live your faith than to just talk about it. Be sure to go to Mass regularly, too, it will help.

Answer 5

It is often very hard to stand up for anything that you believe in, no matter what that might be. Especially if you are in the minority in a certain group of people. But you have to decide what is more important to you, your faith in God, or the opinions of your peers. Jesus was persecuted daily by people, but He held to what He had came here for, and that is why you have salvation now. As I said, it is never easy, but it will not only make your faith stronger every time you stand up for it, but you just might help to bring some one else into the light. But it is always your choice. But remember this, God doesn't deny us, or even hide His feelings for us. You will find that when you stand up for what you believe in, in a respectful manor, most people(not all) but most will respect your rights, even if they don't agree with you.

Answer 6

You should feel grounded in what you believe,Letting others dictate what you should feel about yourself or beliefs is not what God intended for us.Stand firm in your beliefs and when others chastize you for your convictions politely stand boldly in what you believe.They may not agree with you,but when they see you are confident in your relationship with God,they'll at least respect your decision to be a believer.The example may even get them thinking more about why you seem so calm and confident in the wake of their criticism.
The Lord moves in mysterious ways.

Answer 7

Peer pressure is harsh. You want to feel like you "belong", but you also want to be true to your beliefs. The only advice I can give you is to be true to yourself. In the long run, you'll be happier.

That's not to say that when someone asks you how you're doing, you reply "Fine, and how art thou".

You can still be true to yourself and your beliefs, without coming across as a religious nut. Just live your life the way you know that God would want you to...

Be strong, for yourself, and for your beliefs.

Answer 8

Mark 13:13 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name‘s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

1 Peter 4:16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.

Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.

Romans 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.
Luke 9:26 For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father’s, and of the holy angels.

Answer 9

Welcome to my world. As an Atheist, I have to worry about being fired (or not hired in the first place), not getting fair treatment in courtrooms, not getting equal care, getting attacked by neighbors, not being treated fairly in general. I also have to worry about friends and family turning their back on me just because I am an Atheist.

If you are being shunned by people for being Christian, I cannot help but think those people shunning you are simply tired of hearing it from you. Just like people get tired hearing about ANY subject.

You Christians LOVE to play the persecuted ones, don't you?

Answer 10

The answer to your problem is simple.
Your god only exists in your imagination, following a powerful indoctrination by supposed well-meaning parents while you were an impressionable and trusting child, and then your teaching by the equally self-deluded.
Delete any belief in an invisible and imaginary friend from your life NOW, while you are still young enough to make the most of this one and only life you will ever get.
Once you accept reality into your life, everything falls neatly into place.
No gods are real. They are ALL man-made inventions from many many years ago.
It really is time to examine the truth about religion and see it for what it is. If not, your mind will be screwed for the rest of your life.
You DO see that you are being ridiculed for your fantasy-life, don't you? That's far kinder than telling you that your school-friends think that you are just plain stupid.
Atheism is the only logical choice - except, it seems for those in the USA. A very backward nation.

Answer 11

Most Christians are intimidated by the world and ridicule to keep silent.

You will not believe all the names I have been called and the rudeness expressed towards Christians because of our beliefs on Yahoo R & S.

First of all, you need to shore up your relationship with the Lord. If you are secure in Him, eventually you will be secure about Him in front of others.

If someone asks you a direct question about faith, you need to be ready to give an answer.

One thing you can do is quote scripture to them, but leave the reference off. If they get curious then you can tell them what your source was.

Second, what you need to pray for is discernment. There is a time to speak up, and a time to shut up. The difference is knowing when to do what.


Prov 26:4-5
4 Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
(KJV)