As I’ve said countless time, I’m a little heathen who sees no problem with “allowing” those who believe in a higher (is Satan considered a higher or lower power? Just curious) power, as well as those who do not, into my life. I’ve had my mom tell me to change my religion on Myspace to “Agnostic” because she wanted to cause less friction within the family, and, as a result, my Myspace went private and the religion remained the same. I won’t deny how I feel because she doesn’t want to upset anyone.
I don’t seem to have a problem with my peers (see: class of 2008; they’ve grown up with me, so they know how I am), in regards to my theological standing. I don’t shove it on them, they don’t shove theirs on me. It’s a mutual agreement. The big joke is when I go to church, for Pete’s sake (I’ve gone more to be with my boyfriend than to actually worship).
Adults, on the other hand, are not as accepting of my stance.
I was in the car with three other people, all of whom attend church. The subject got onto one of them, M., missing church because of the project that three of us were working on (the driver was the father of the fourth member of our group, who went to M.’s house with the two of us in order to figure out a computer problem we had had). I proceeded to call M. a “bad little heathen” – which let her and the other teenager, T., know that I was just messing with her. My next sentence was, in a teasing tone, “And you see, this is why I don’t attend church – no guilt! I can make my own plans! Seven Deadly Sins, here I come!”
M. and T. cracked up, but the father tried to speed-convert me (“Jesus died for your sins, you shouldn’t be so cavalier about church”). I smiled at him and (rather sweetly, I thought at the time) told him flat out that if he wasn’t comfortable with my views, he could pull the car over and I’d walk the rest of the way.
He didn’t, but there was some tension between us.
I admit, I came off as very stand-offish, but I’ve never had any experience with adults trying to convince me what I (don’t) believe in is wrong. Usually, the attitude of an adult regarding my standpoint is that I’m young yet, still naïve and stupid, and that I’ll come to realize that there is a higher power once something bad/shocking happens in my life. The mentality of those close to my age is that I’m going to be damned (or, in the case of one girl, “I need to bring someone to church, and they need to be baptized, and you’re the only person I know without a religion, so would you come with me?” That set me off, not gonna lie, because I do *technically* have a religion – I was baptized Roman Catholic as a baby, and until I am 18, that is my religion. Even if I don’t believe in it, my mother’s choice was to make ma Catholic, and Catholic I am until I am legally an adult), and that my devil-may-care (pun possibly – most definitely – intended) outlook is unacceptable.
I guess the whole point of this blog is that kids aren’t as cruel as one may think – I know that I’ve had issues with other teenagers, but they’ve basically been resolved. As a minor, however, I am forbidden to enter into an argument with an adult, because it is bad manners… When, ironically, his lack of consideration for my (lack of) beliefs was the true show of bad manners.
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I'm not religious, and now that I think of it, I never had an experience like this when I was younger (I'm twenty now). I don't ever remember having an adult question my (lack of) religious beliefs. I think they were probably afraid that they would insult the way that my parents raised me.
Common sense is as rare as genius. ~Emerson
Colorado November Ballot Measure to Legally Define a Fertilized Egg as a Person
I find it so funny how you answer people when they ask about your veiws. No hedging, no white lies, just telling the truth about how you feel. And at least you didn't have to get out of that car and walk...
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Mind Control is Easier Than You Think
At that point, we were only about a mile away, so the walk wouldn't have been a huge strain. :) And thank you, that's an awesome compliment.
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http://progressiveu.org/062647-ohmigawd-did-you-hear
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I am so glad you did not have to walk...Us adults loose our sense of humor when we get to adult hood sometimes. I should have guessed you were talking with Catholics;)
~T
All truths are easy to understand once discovered; The point is to discover them ~Galileo
If I were in that situation, I probably would have cowered behind the seat and taken it. Especially at 17! You have guts to stand up for what you believe (or don't, as it were)!
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman