Just My Luck
Well, my father is turning into something that I completely despise. He's becoming someone that tries to force his beliefs onto someone, me, that doesn't believe the same things he does.
A little background. I went to parochial schools from 7th grade on through graduating high school. Lutheran schools. Before that, I was forced to go to sunday school, church, and the whole nine yards. In high school, we had a daily chapel service, and daily religion classes. After graduation, I had a "crisis of faith" of sorts. Mainly, I realized that I didn't have any.
Fast forward to now. My lack of faith has always bothered my father. Two or three times a week I get the "I wish you'd come back to church" lecture. Yesterday, my dad set up a meeting for me with the new pastor at his church. I'd never met him and, truthfully, I didn't really care to. However, just to get the old man off my case, I agreed to meet with the guy. Talk about a setup. He, the pastor, not only wanted me to come back to the church, but he wants to be my buddy as well. First off, I'm NOT coming back to church. If I do, it will be because of my own reasons, not because some jumped up little kid just out of the seminary talked me into it. Second, this poor kid could never handle being "my buddy". I'm sorry, but I break at least one of the ten commandments every day. Could he deal with that? Doubtful. Third, if you're trying to get me to come back, you don't try to embarass me the first time you're meeting me. The pastor and I were having dinner, and when the food arrived, I immediately tucked in since I was rather hungry. He waited until I was already eating, and told me, not asked, to join him in prayer. Umm, no. YOU can pray all you like. Do NOT try to force me into something. He was a nice enough kid, but that was the end of any chance he had of getting me back to the church. Not that I really had any intention anyway.
Now, my biggest bitch about all of this is, why can't people let other people have their own beliefs? Why do I have to conform into what my dad thinks I should? I'm not hurting anyone by not believing in a God. I don't even believe that there is some sort of "higher power" out there. I'm just not a spiritual person. My beliefs on a multitude of different subjects are really a hodgepodge of differences. I believe in the death penalty, but I don't believe in abortion. I also believe that it should be the womens' choice, not mine. The bible itself is full of condradictions. In one part it says "an eye for an eye" and in another, it says, "turn the other cheek".
Why can't people just let others believe what they want?
A little background. I went to parochial schools from 7th grade on through graduating high school. Lutheran schools. Before that, I was forced to go to sunday school, church, and the whole nine yards. In high school, we had a daily chapel service, and daily religion classes. After graduation, I had a "crisis of faith" of sorts. Mainly, I realized that I didn't have any.
Fast forward to now. My lack of faith has always bothered my father. Two or three times a week I get the "I wish you'd come back to church" lecture. Yesterday, my dad set up a meeting for me with the new pastor at his church. I'd never met him and, truthfully, I didn't really care to. However, just to get the old man off my case, I agreed to meet with the guy. Talk about a setup. He, the pastor, not only wanted me to come back to the church, but he wants to be my buddy as well. First off, I'm NOT coming back to church. If I do, it will be because of my own reasons, not because some jumped up little kid just out of the seminary talked me into it. Second, this poor kid could never handle being "my buddy". I'm sorry, but I break at least one of the ten commandments every day. Could he deal with that? Doubtful. Third, if you're trying to get me to come back, you don't try to embarass me the first time you're meeting me. The pastor and I were having dinner, and when the food arrived, I immediately tucked in since I was rather hungry. He waited until I was already eating, and told me, not asked, to join him in prayer. Umm, no. YOU can pray all you like. Do NOT try to force me into something. He was a nice enough kid, but that was the end of any chance he had of getting me back to the church. Not that I really had any intention anyway.
Now, my biggest bitch about all of this is, why can't people let other people have their own beliefs? Why do I have to conform into what my dad thinks I should? I'm not hurting anyone by not believing in a God. I don't even believe that there is some sort of "higher power" out there. I'm just not a spiritual person. My beliefs on a multitude of different subjects are really a hodgepodge of differences. I believe in the death penalty, but I don't believe in abortion. I also believe that it should be the womens' choice, not mine. The bible itself is full of condradictions. In one part it says "an eye for an eye" and in another, it says, "turn the other cheek".
Why can't people just let others believe what they want?
posted by Matt at 9:58 AM
3 comments
