For kids of religious fanatics

gentlefalcon said:Spoiled or not, everyone should have the right to their own religious or non-religious choices. Isn't that what's written in the Declaration of Human Rights? ☕

I focus on things I love, I plan to finish my degree and get a job, hang out with friends, earn my own way, and live my life. I've already graduated; I didn't fail any years. Again, if I moved into a shared apartment, I'd be giving up a certain level of material security. And the job market isn't exactly booming right now either.

I've been listening to my parents' dictates since I was a child. Imagine what it's like growing up under the weight of tradition and intense religiosity. This didn't just start two or three years ago; it's been happening since birth, though their fanaticism really ramped up around 2005.

Back in 2005, I was 17. What could I have done back then? How could I have lived independently?

This isn't about whining; it's about the American story, about the reality of modern America. I am speaking on behalf of tens of thousands of young people.

Is it just Mom who's a fanatic? 🙂

gentlefalcon said:Look, I am finishing my degree, but I can't exactly push June or September deadlines back to April.🤣
It seems like you’ve completely missed the point here.🙂 😁
I was expecting some actual substance based on the depth of experience I carry myself.
Is going to Mass and practicing religion really what fascinates you?

The whole prayer meal thing just strikes me as ridiculous. I'm a practical person and I've honestly forgotten most of the prayers. Especially when they start cycling through five Ocenas, five Hail Marys, three Glory be to the Father, then intentions for the deceased, and then for people whose names you can't even recall. Apparently, doing all that on every single holiday is what makes life interesting for you.☕

There is a massive difference between finding something interesting, agreeing with it, and just being smart enough to diplomatically figure out how to survive in a certain environment.

And that whole thing about crossing yourself outside every church? Come on, 🤣 are you gathering material for a stand-up comedy routine or what?

Man, it must be so nice to play the righteous victim of parental oppression while living in a nest lined with cash. 😍

Joseph Wright4 said:🙄

🤦

Get real. You sound pathetic.

You aren't 17 anymore, so that's irrelevant. Decide for yourself whether financial security or independence matters more to you... for now, it seems obvious which one you're choosing.

(it's pretty obvious those old folks would help you out financially if you really needed it... whether you move out or not... or are you trying to tell us they'd cut you off? - I highly doubt that)

(not sure if you realize that even though you claim to be 23, you're using the same rhetoric as some high schooler complaining for no reason, or maybe for a good reason..)

I don't really stand to gain as much materially as I did four or five years ago. Back then, I used to receive things seemingly out of thin air around $333 or $167, but now $6.75 😍
If I were to suddenly walk into a church, everyone would see right through it; they'd know it wasn't a genuine spiritual awakening, but just a grab for material perks. We've been at odds for far too long for me to suddenly undergo a sincere conversion. 👍

Shouldn't everyone be allowed to hold their religious or non-religious views on equal footing?

gentlefalcon said:I don't really stand to gain as much materially as I did four or five years ago. Back then, I used to receive things seemingly out of thin air around $333 or $167, but now $6.75 😍
If I were to suddenly walk into a church, everyone would see right through it; they'd know it wasn't a genuine spiritual awakening, but just a grab for material perks. We've been at odds for far too long for me to suddenly undergo a sincere conversion. 👍

Shouldn't everyone be allowed to hold their religious or non-religious views on equal footing?

What does that even mean? If I'm following you—you're annoyed because your parents nag you when you skip Mass. Well, there isn't some law passed yet that limits that kind of thing, especially with the whole parent-child dynamic...

Don't think I'm trying to coddle you, but people at 23 are out here having kids, dealing with mortgages, or struggling to pay for college, or a million other things that actually matter. From that angle, your "problems" seem a bit... I don't know, spoiled. Like "I have impossible problems and I don't know what to do" levels of trivial.

It's almost impossible to change your parents (not physically, obviously, but their character). Just be a little more diplomatic. Don't pick fights that don't matter. It'll make your life easier.

Acts all holy while jerking off and blowing through his parents' inheritance.

☕

frozenraven5 said:Is it just Mom who's a fanatic? 🙂

There is a massive difference between finding something interesting, agreeing with it, and just being smart enough to diplomatically figure out how to survive in a certain environment.

And that whole thing about crossing yourself outside every church? Come on, 🤣 are you gathering material for a stand-up comedy routine or what?

Man, it must be so nice to play the righteous victim of parental oppression while living in a nest lined with cash. 😍

It’s my mother and most of my extended family, and honestly, I don't even visit them at all.
I haven't seen them in over six or seven years. In this situation, I actually have options.
I just have no interest in them.

When it comes to religion, there is no such thing as a diplomatic approach. The mere fact that you don't step foot in a church brands you as an outsider, an infidel, a sinner, a pagan, or just plain unstable.
The only way to navigate that is through endless patience, hypocrisy, and living a double life, but then you end up loathing yourself. 😁 Aside from the fact that it’s just Sundays, I suppose I could force myself to go—doing it 48 times a year, roughly 12 times a month, I might be able to stomach that somehow.

But you can't drag me into Madison Square Garden and demand that I sit there for seven or eight hours watching people howl, weep, wail, and collapse at my feet.

And you certainly can't expect me to show up for services on a weekday, either.

No, I’m not "gathering material." If it's midday, I am expected to cross myself, which I simply don't do. Every time we walk past a church or a shrine, I'm apparently supposed to make the sign of the cross.

They go to mass at least 150 times a year. During Christmas and Easter, they spend the entire week there, especially since those are national holidays. Mom goes to the early morning services, but Dad doesn't. Why shouldn't he go? He should have the right to choose. ☕

Then there are the five or six pilgrimages throughout the year: places like Lourdes, Fatima, Rome, or Santiago de Compostela. It’s one thing to visit those places as a tourist, but it’s quite another to spend seven or eight days glued to priests and walking from church to church, only seeing your own bed when you sleep.

gentlefalcon

Charles Doyle6 said:Acts all holy while jerking off and blowing through his parents' inheritance.

☕

It’s a little too late for that now, honestly. They already know exactly where I stand—my position has been crystal clear and firmly declared from the very beginning.
There are far too many days ahead of me that I could easily step into and play a part.
If it were just once a week on Sundays, I could probably manage, but this whole setup is something else entirely. Going to church maybe 150 times a year isn't exactly a walk in the park, especially when you factor in my mom’s routine. She insists on showing up an hour before the service even starts just to join in on those Rosary prayers led by some of the older ladies in the parish. There was actually a time when I resorted to lying about being at Mass; I’d just scour the internet to find out which specific Gospel and Epistle were being read that day. Back then, we only had one priest, so memorizing his sermons was actually pretty easy.

It all started looking pretty suspicious, honestly. How am I supposed to claim I’ve already made it home before they even arrive? If I show up later, they’re going to catch me red-handed because they sit right in the front rows and hang around the exits. If I actually stayed to wait for them, there’s no way they wouldn't spot me. I’ve tried every workaround in the book. I even went to a local flower festival outside the church, grabbed a few olive branches, and headed straight home, thinking the greenery would be a good cover, but they saw the branches too. It just isn't working. Some of these holiday services are lightning-fast, lasting less than two hours, which completely kills my plan. If I want to go with my mom, I’d realistically need to be sitting in that church for at least three or four hours just to make the timing look legitimate.

gentlefalcon said:It’s my mother and most of my extended family, and honestly, I don't even visit them at all.
I haven't seen them in over six or seven years. In this situation, I actually have options.
I just have no interest in them.

When it comes to religion, there is no such thing as a diplomatic approach. The mere fact that you don't step foot in a church brands you as an outsider, an infidel, a sinner, a pagan, or just plain unstable.
The only way to navigate that is through endless patience, hypocrisy, and living a double life, but then you end up loathing yourself. 😁 Aside from the fact that it’s just Sundays, I suppose I could force myself to go—doing it 48 times a year, roughly 12 times a month, I might be able to stomach that somehow.

But you can't drag me into Madison Square Garden and demand that I sit there for seven or eight hours watching people howl, weep, wail, and collapse at my feet.

And you certainly can't expect me to show up for services on a weekday, either.

No, I’m not "gathering material." If it's midday, I am expected to cross myself, which I simply don't do. Every time we walk past a church or a shrine, I'm apparently supposed to make the sign of the cross.

They go to mass at least 150 times a year. During Christmas and Easter, they spend the entire week there, especially since those are national holidays. Mom goes to the early morning services, but Dad doesn't. Why shouldn't he go? He should have the right to choose. ☕

Then there are the five or six pilgrimages throughout the year: places like Lourdes, Fatima, Rome, or Santiago de Compostela. It’s one thing to visit those places as a tourist, but it’s quite another to spend seven or eight days glued to priests and walking from church to church, only seeing your own bed when you sleep.

You completely ignored my other posts. 🙂

And look, you aren't the only one who grew up like this. It's just that everyone else figured out how to balance things without all this bitterness and constant conflict.

Reading your stuff, I don't see any actual desire to find a solution—all I see is you piling on more problems. Maybe the issue isn't your faith, but your blatantly rude attitude toward something they clearly hold sacred.

That path leads nowhere. Once you've truly had enough, you'll change something. Until then, just sit there and write your little jokes on the forum.

Honestly, reading you makes me feel like I'm looking at a 17-year-old going through puberty 🙂 instead of a 23-year-old man.

Joseph Wright4 said:What does that even mean? If I'm following you—you're annoyed because your parents nag you when you skip Mass. Well, there isn't some law passed yet that limits that kind of thing, especially with the whole parent-child dynamic...

Don't think I'm trying to coddle you, but people at 23 are out here having kids, dealing with mortgages, or struggling to pay for college, or a million other things that actually matter. From that angle, your "problems" seem a bit... I don't know, spoiled. Like "I have impossible problems and I don't know what to do" levels of trivial.

It's almost impossible to change your parents (not physically, obviously, but their character). Just be a little more diplomatic. Don't pick fights that don't matter. It'll make your life easier.

I was forced to attend church services all through my childhood and teens. I did my First Communion, my Confirmation, and even sat through religious education classes in school after being confirmed. Eventually, I checked out of the parish activities entirely. I used to lie to my parents, telling them I wasn't attending, only for them to find out during Mass that I actually had been elsewhere. 🙂
Once I started college, they tried to push campus ministry on me, but I shut that down immediately. That was when they finally realized they weren't going to win this one. ☕

Religious fervor can be a dangerous thing. I've heard psychologists actually warn parents to be careful with how intense they get about religion, because it can end up severing family ties completely. In my case, I ended up cutting off entire branches of my family because they were such fanatics. They just wouldn't stop interrogating me about it.
I don't even want to fight them anymore; I just try to stay oblivious. I don't want to know which holidays are coming up or when Sunday is. The second Mom realizes I'm not at service, she starts her whole "conversion" routine, acting like she's struck by a sudden wave of guilt because she didn't raise me "properly." ☕

The alternative would be for me to start arguing with them about holy days, or fighting against the priest coming to the house—even though I'm standing right there when he visits. If I did that, Mom might soften up and try to be closer to me. She'd start hoping that maybe, just maybe, I've found my way back to the Church. Then the next Sunday rolls around, she sees nothing has changed, and she feels that sting of shame in front of the priest because everyone knows her kid doesn't show up. There was even a time they whispered that I was sneaking off to a different parish with my friends.

Mom honestly thinks the devil has taken hold of me. 😁 When I was a kid, maybe around 11 or 12, she actually wanted to call a psychologist because she’d been listening to some religious radio program that gives advice on how to help "lost souls" find the right path again.

Those people are real. There are certain "Catholic psychologists" whom parents bring their children to, hoping for a spiritual intervention. Under the thin veil of science, they basically label you as unfit for society. It’s funny, though—I just looked up the name and the street of one of these psychologists who supposedly "treats" kids for not attending Mass, and they don't even exist as legitimate scientists online.
It seems we're dealing with certain individuals who present themselves as experts while hiding behind a fake scientific persona.

silentcrane11 said:Good grief!!!
I guess you really do hate the Church if you're passing up such an easy, comfortable life—one that you could arguably secure just by showing up to Mass once in a while, at least while your parents are still around.🤣

So, I guess this guy is supposed to just sell out and ditch his convictions for some material comfort? Just trample over everything he believes in because religious fanatics are breathing down his neck?🙏
Pretty sketchy advice, honestly..
Anyway, I mean, any kind of forced pressure usually leads to a rebellion sooner or later. The guy is at a crossroads: either sacrifice his principles for a smooth ride, or strike out on his own, skip the services, and earn his own way.
Either way, there’s a trade-off.
Only he can sit down and figure out what actually matters to him.
It's honestly sad what happens in some families because of this religious fanaticism—this warped mindset children are raised in and the toxic pressure fanatic parents put on a kid who doesn't want to follow in their footsteps. And then they use blackmail... like, "Go to Mass, even if you're the worst kid ever, and you'll have everything." But if you don't go like we do, you could be an absolute saint and still have nothing. You might as well pack a bag and leave. It's pathetic, gross, and totally hypocritical.😢
Religion can seriously turn people into monsters.

I used to sit there and listen to the news on TV for a few minutes to get the rundown on what the Mass service was about and when they’d be arriving around noon; I actually knew the schedule down to the minute. Then they went and shifted everything around, moving the whole thing to the early morning hours.
Even if they had arrived on time, I would have still been sitting there waiting for another two or three hours until that 11:00 AM broadcast hit so I could finally catch all the details. ☕
But they never really understood my process—the fact that I was staying informed through the internet and television. Instead, people just sat there judging me, thinking I was some kind of dropout who wanted to leave the church early. Eventually, I started telling them that the constant updates from the parish office were just plain annoying; honestly, why should I care who is getting married?
The problem was, I couldn't find any way to make them believe I was actually staying home. I tried everything to create an illusion; I’d move my shoes around, pull clean clothes out of the closet and spread them in my room just so my mom would think I had actually headed out. That little ruse worked for maybe two years. Beyond that, how was I supposed to explain that I didn't want to pile into the car with them? I would much rather spend my time going to see local theater productions than ride along with the family. So, I tried reasoning with them, saying that leaving an hour early for the Rosary didn't work for my schedule, and that I’d just show up specifically for the Mass itself and stay for that one hour.

gentlefalcon

Thomas Davis6 said:So, I guess this guy is supposed to just sell out and ditch his convictions for some material comfort? Just trample over everything he believes in because religious fanatics are breathing down his neck?🙏
Pretty sketchy advice, honestly..
Anyway, I mean, any kind of forced pressure usually leads to a rebellion sooner or later. The guy is at a crossroads: either sacrifice his principles for a smooth ride, or strike out on his own, skip the services, and earn his own way.
Either way, there’s a trade-off.
Only he can sit down and figure out what actually matters to him.
It's honestly sad what happens in some families because of this religious fanaticism—this warped mindset children are raised in and the toxic pressure fanatic parents put on a kid who doesn't want to follow in their footsteps. And then they use blackmail... like, "Go to Mass, even if you're the worst kid ever, and you'll have everything." But if you don't go like we do, you could be an absolute saint and still have nothing. You might as well pack a bag and leave. It's pathetic, gross, and totally hypocritical.😢
Religion can seriously turn people into monsters.

That’s exactly where the issue lies. Back when I was just a kid, forcing myself to sit through church services felt like a heavy weight on my soul—it honestly made me feel like a bad person just for being there. Ever since I stopped attending publicly, though, things have shifted. I feel significantly better mentally, even if my bank account isn't quite as full as it used to be. 😁
Back when I was a teenager, I went along with the whole routine because, let's face it, there's this unspoken social pressure to just let your parents call the shots and run your life. It’s almost like an unwritten rule you're expected to follow until you hit adulthood. But here's the thing: even now, five years after I officially came of age, they still refuse to respect my autonomy or acknowledge my own perspective. It's like they're stuck in this loop where they think my adulthood hasn't actually started yet.

My mother put it quite bluntly when she told me, "I am never going to reconcile with your stance, because there won't be any unbelievers under my roof. We don't have people like that in this family." 😁

I don't really have much of a relationship with my parents, mostly because of where we stand on religion. Every single conversation I try to have with my mom eventually circles back to faith. It’s like there’s no middle ground. If I pass an exam, according to her, it wasn't because of the late nights or the studying I actually put in—it was only because she prayed for me. But if I fail? Well, then it's suddenly my fault because I didn't pray enough, implying that my shortcomings somehow managed to outweigh her blessings. 🙂
Honestly, I feel like I’d finally be able to breathe if I could just live my life without having to deal with religious people for any extended period of time. It feels like there's always that constant, unavoidable contact, and I'd much prefer a life where that's simply not part of the equation.

It’s honestly embarrassing for them, having to deal with that whole mess involving their eccentric relatives and neighbors. You see it all the time—these elderly women in the neighborhood will corner them and ask, "Where's your son? We never see him around." It puts them in such an awkward spot, and it makes their mothers feel absolutely sick to their stomachs having to make up excuses just to get them off their backs. They end up spinning these little webs of lies, claiming he’s just attending service at a different parish across town just to avoid the whole uncomfortable conversation.

I tried to play it off with my parents, pretending I was actually heading to church, but they aren't nearly as easy to fool as I thought. They just start drilling me with questions, and honestly, it’s getting harder to maintain the act when you're staring down that much scrutiny.

So, why wouldn't I just hop in the car with them and drive to Mass? It’s a fair question, really, if you look at it from a purely logistical standpoint. But when you start peeling back the layers of how these things actually work, you realize there’s more to the decision than just filling up the gas tank and hitting the road. It isn't always about the convenience of the ride; sometimes, it’s about the principle of the thing or simply how the dynamics of the group play out. If you think about it like choosing between taking an Uber or driving your own sedan to a game at Madison Square Garden, the choice isn't just about the distance—it's about the autonomy and the specific way you want to experience the journey itself.
Why is it that I can never seem to spot anyone actually sitting in the pews before Mass is about to begin? It’s one of those little things that keeps bugging me, and honestly, I can't quite wrap my head around it. You walk into the sanctuary, maybe a few minutes early to just sit there, find some peace, and settle your mind, and what do you see? A whole lot of empty space. It feels like everyone waits until the very last possible second—right when the opening hymn starts or even when the procession is already moving down the aisle—to finally shuffle in through the doors. It’s almost like people view church more as a scheduled appointment than a place to actually gather and prepare. You know, instead of arriving early to reflect or offer up a quick prayer, there’s this collective rush to beat the clock. It reminds me of how people treat a big game at Madison Square Garden; nobody wants to be the first one in the seats, they'd much rather wait until the lights dim and the energy is peaking to make their entrance. There’s a certain stillness that exists in those moments before the service starts—a quiet dignity that gets completely lost when a crowd of people comes barreling in all at once, looking flustered and checking their watches. I don't mean to sound like a grump, but there's something to be said for showing up early, being present, and respecting that sacred window of time before everything kicks off. Is it just me, or does this lack of punctuality feel like we're losing a bit of the reverence that should come with it?
How exactly am I supposed to beat them home? It’s like I’m outrunning the very idea of them.
If I end up rolling in later than they do, it really brings up a bigger question: why wouldn't I just wait around for them in the first place? It’s like asking how I’m supposed to beat my own car home. You can't exactly outrun your own vehicle, can you?
Then you have to ask yourself: how is it possible that I can claim such deep knowledge of the Gospel, yet I struggle so much to actually describe the people who sat there reading them?
I guess I’ve drifted off into storytelling again. Honestly, I don't really pay attention to how people present themselves; I couldn't care less about what anyone was wearing. My focus was entirely on the Gospel. That whole "let both men and women be..." sentiment? It just wasn't hitting the mark back then.

I find myself in a bit of an uphill battle here, too, mostly because of the perception that the majority of Catholics actually bother to show up at church. It creates this unfair double standard where, if a kid raised in the faith pulls some massive, colossal stunt, everyone just shrugs their shoulders and calls it forgivable. It’s like the community gives them a free pass because they grew up in the pews, whereas anyone else would be judged much more harshly for the exact same mistake.
Take a look at how they tell it: they’ll spin some tale about how certain altar boys were supposedly cursing God through their stories, yet those same kids are still out there every single morning, braving the freezing cold to stand by the altar, while I’m just lying here at home, taking it easy on a Sunday. 🙂

Give me a break... you're 23 years old acting like a toddler. Clearly, you didn't grow up with an older sibling to teach you some manners. 🙂
I live in a town where everyone is super religious. They basically worship this one priest. I guess I’m the only one who isn't obsessed or showing up for Mass. My parents aren't even fanatics; they only go to church now because of my brother's confirmation, so I just stay home and pray privately. My grandma, though? She's a total fanatic. Thank God I don't live with her. Looking at my cousins, they're such little angels—never say a swear word, just sweet little things. XD
For instance, my mom and grandma used to drag me to church when I was a little girl, and obviously, I wasn't having it. I was about three. The ladies were busy praying the Rosary before Mass even started, and I kept wandering out and dragging my mom around. Eventually, Mom got fed up and told me to sit still. Then, out of nowhere, I blurted it out loud enough for everyone to hear: "Mom, what's Dad cooking at home??" 🤣 Of course, all the ladies started laughing. Mom was mortified, along with Grandma, and she realized it wasn't going to work, so she just took me home. Problem solved. 😁

Some people show up to church every single day, but when I think about their pasts and how they actually act, it feels totally hollow.
Same here. I went on one pilgrimage once, on foot, and I did it for myself. Nobody forced me. As for Mass, I might go maybe five times a year. That's if it's Christmas, Easter, or if I'm a godmother for a confirmation or a wedding, or a funeral for my grandpa. It's not like you're going to die if you attend a funeral. You don't have to go for some distant relative's uncle; just go for your own parents or grandparents and call it a day. And don't start with the drama. Just tell your parents you suddenly believe in God, but you don't feel the need to hit Mass every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday to be a "good" believer. Tell them you pray every day and leave it at that. If you're only doing it for the money, sitting through an hour of Mass won't kill you. You don't have to stay for the Rosary afterward; just let your parents see you there, get the cash, and everyone wins.

I don't mean to step in or play judge here, but it seems like your parents might have missed passing down the most vital foundation: a genuine love for faith and for Jesus. That said, it’s never too late to discover that connection on your own terms.🙂

gentlefalcon said:I was forced to attend church services all through my childhood and teens. I did my First Communion, my Confirmation, and even sat through religious education classes in school after being confirmed. Eventually, I checked out of the parish activities entirely. I used to lie to my parents, telling them I wasn't attending, only for them to find out during Mass that I actually had been elsewhere. 🙂
Once I started college, they tried to push campus ministry on me, but I shut that down immediately. That was when they finally realized they weren't going to win this one. ☕

Religious fervor can be a dangerous thing. I've heard psychologists actually warn parents to be careful with how intense they get about religion, because it can end up severing family ties completely. In my case, I ended up cutting off entire branches of my family because they were such fanatics. They just wouldn't stop interrogating me about it.
I don't even want to fight them anymore; I just try to stay oblivious. I don't want to know which holidays are coming up or when Sunday is. The second Mom realizes I'm not at service, she starts her whole "conversion" routine, acting like she's struck by a sudden wave of guilt because she didn't raise me "properly." ☕

The alternative would be for me to start arguing with them about holy days, or fighting against the priest coming to the house—even though I'm standing right there when he visits. If I did that, Mom might soften up and try to be closer to me. She'd start hoping that maybe, just maybe, I've found my way back to the Church. Then the next Sunday rolls around, she sees nothing has changed, and she feels that sting of shame in front of the priest because everyone knows her kid doesn't show up. There was even a time they whispered that I was sneaking off to a different parish with my friends.

Mom honestly thinks the devil has taken hold of me. 😁 When I was a kid, maybe around 11 or 12, she actually wanted to call a psychologist because she’d been listening to some religious radio program that gives advice on how to help "lost souls" find the right path again.

Those people are real. There are certain "Catholic psychologists" whom parents bring their children to, hoping for a spiritual intervention. Under the thin veil of science, they basically label you as unfit for society. It’s funny, though—I just looked up the name and the street of one of these psychologists who supposedly "treats" kids for not attending Mass, and they don't even exist as legitimate scientists online.
It seems we're dealing with certain individuals who present themselves as experts while hiding behind a fake scientific persona.

Man, reading about those Catholic psychologists makes me want to go to confession...😠
Society really ought to ban those people from practicing. But then again, we live in a broken society with broken standards—religions that destroy people's brains way faster and more intensely than Mr. Muscollo can scrub a floor stain.😁
Whenever I say that Catholic doctrine has only brought harm to people, I find proof in reality pretty quickly. It's just that most people find it easier to look the other way and let this stuff happen in a society where psychological and sociological insights should, by all rights, be shedding light on human behavior.

gentlefalcon said:I was forced to attend church services all through my childhood and teens. I did my First Communion, my Confirmation, and even sat through religious education classes in school after being confirmed. Eventually, I checked out of the parish activities entirely. I used to lie to my parents, telling them I wasn't attending, only for them to find out during Mass that I actually had been elsewhere. 🙂
Once I started college, they tried to push campus ministry on me, but I shut that down immediately. That was when they finally realized they weren't going to win this one. ☕

Religious fervor can be a dangerous thing. I've heard psychologists actually warn parents to be careful with how intense they get about religion, because it can end up severing family ties completely. In my case, I ended up cutting off entire branches of my family because they were such fanatics. They just wouldn't stop interrogating me about it.
I don't even want to fight them anymore; I just try to stay oblivious. I don't want to know which holidays are coming up or when Sunday is. The second Mom realizes I'm not at service, she starts her whole "conversion" routine, acting like she's struck by a sudden wave of guilt because she didn't raise me "properly." ☕

The alternative would be for me to start arguing with them about holy days, or fighting against the priest coming to the house—even though I'm standing right there when he visits. If I did that, Mom might soften up and try to be closer to me. She'd start hoping that maybe, just maybe, I've found my way back to the Church. Then the next Sunday rolls around, she sees nothing has changed, and she feels that sting of shame in front of the priest because everyone knows her kid doesn't show up. There was even a time they whispered that I was sneaking off to a different parish with my friends.

Mom honestly thinks the devil has taken hold of me. 😁 When I was a kid, maybe around 11 or 12, she actually wanted to call a psychologist because she’d been listening to some religious radio program that gives advice on how to help "lost souls" find the right path again.

Those people are real. There are certain "Catholic psychologists" whom parents bring their children to, hoping for a spiritual intervention. Under the thin veil of science, they basically label you as unfit for society. It’s funny, though—I just looked up the name and the street of one of these psychologists who supposedly "treats" kids for not attending Mass, and they don't even exist as legitimate scientists online.
It seems we're dealing with certain individuals who present themselves as experts while hiding behind a fake scientific persona.

You're exaggerating a little bit on certain points.

You're gonna need some real evidence for that last part. 🙂 Since you clearly know what you're talking about, please, drop the names—I'm dying to know. 🙂

Thanks.

Thomas Davis6 said:Man, reading about those Catholic psychologists makes me want to go to confession...😠
Society really ought to ban those people from practicing. But then again, we live in a broken society with broken standards—religions that destroy people's brains way faster and more intensely than Mr. Muscollo can scrub a floor stain.😁
Whenever I say that Catholic doctrine has only brought harm to people, I find proof in reality pretty quickly. It's just that most people find it easier to look the other way and let this stuff happen in a society where psychological and sociological insights should, by all rights, be shedding light on human behavior.

I mean, honestly? I love this stuff. It’s hilarious how it works—someone just drops some random claim out of nowhere, offers absolutely zero actual evidence to back it up, yet we all just... collectively decide they're right? We just blindly swallow it whole! It’s wild, man. Like, where did the logic go? Gone. Just vanished. We're all just sitting here acting like these people are geniuses when they haven't said a single thing of substance. It’s ridiculous!

Alright, look—it’s obvious there’s a fanatic on both sides of this mess. Seriously, if you can't think rationally, just jump out a window already! This conversation is strictly reserved for people with tunnel vision who refuse to see anything except their own side.

Absolute disaster. Total train wreck.

gentlefalcon said:I used to sit there and listen to the news on TV for a few minutes to get the rundown on what the Mass service was about and when they’d be arriving around noon; I actually knew the schedule down to the minute. Then they went and shifted everything around, moving the whole thing to the early morning hours.
Even if they had arrived on time, I would have still been sitting there waiting for another two or three hours until that 11:00 AM broadcast hit so I could finally catch all the details. ☕
But they never really understood my process—the fact that I was staying informed through the internet and television. Instead, people just sat there judging me, thinking I was some kind of dropout who wanted to leave the church early. Eventually, I started telling them that the constant updates from the parish office were just plain annoying; honestly, why should I care who is getting married?
The problem was, I couldn't find any way to make them believe I was actually staying home. I tried everything to create an illusion; I’d move my shoes around, pull clean clothes out of the closet and spread them in my room just so my mom would think I had actually headed out. That little ruse worked for maybe two years. Beyond that, how was I supposed to explain that I didn't want to pile into the car with them? I would much rather spend my time going to see local theater productions than ride along with the family. So, I tried reasoning with them, saying that leaving an hour early for the Rosary didn't work for my schedule, and that I’d just show up specifically for the Mass itself and stay for that one hour.

😂😂
Hehe, some pretty sneaky ways to pull one over. Not bad, seriously, not bad... you little rascal...😁
That sounds like the devil whispered a few ideas into your ear just to steer you away from the "Truth" offered by the Church, sighing happily thinking, "Hehe, almost got this soul!"😁

frozenraven5 said:I mean, honestly? I love this stuff. It’s hilarious how it works—someone just drops some random claim out of nowhere, offers absolutely zero actual evidence to back it up, yet we all just... collectively decide they're right? We just blindly swallow it whole! It’s wild, man. Like, where did the logic go? Gone. Just vanished. We're all just sitting here acting like these people are geniuses when they haven't said a single thing of substance. It’s ridiculous!

Alright, look—it’s obvious there’s a fanatic on both sides of this mess. Seriously, if you can't think rationally, just jump out a window already! This conversation is strictly reserved for people with tunnel vision who refuse to see anything except their own side.

Absolute disaster. Total train wreck.

It’s really no secret that this stuff happens. Honestly, I’m not looking for a fight with anyone specifically, unless we’re talking about those religious psychopaths who spend their time wrecking young lives. That's the kind of thing you actually have to stand up against. When I say I’m against Catholic doctrine, I know exactly what I’m talking about. It just clouds your judgment and misleads people, and I wasn't about to let myself fall for that trap.

Frank Booth9 said:Give me a break... you're 23 years old acting like a toddler. Clearly, you didn't grow up with an older sibling to teach you some manners. 🙂
I live in a town where everyone is super religious. They basically worship this one priest. I guess I’m the only one who isn't obsessed or showing up for Mass. My parents aren't even fanatics; they only go to church now because of my brother's confirmation, so I just stay home and pray privately. My grandma, though? She's a total fanatic. Thank God I don't live with her. Looking at my cousins, they're such little angels—never say a swear word, just sweet little things. XD
For instance, my mom and grandma used to drag me to church when I was a little girl, and obviously, I wasn't having it. I was about three. The ladies were busy praying the Rosary before Mass even started, and I kept wandering out and dragging my mom around. Eventually, Mom got fed up and told me to sit still. Then, out of nowhere, I blurted it out loud enough for everyone to hear: "Mom, what's Dad cooking at home??" 🤣 Of course, all the ladies started laughing. Mom was mortified, along with Grandma, and she realized it wasn't going to work, so she just took me home. Problem solved. 😁

Some people show up to church every single day, but when I think about their pasts and how they actually act, it feels totally hollow.
Same here. I went on one pilgrimage once, on foot, and I did it for myself. Nobody forced me. As for Mass, I might go maybe five times a year. That's if it's Christmas, Easter, or if I'm a godmother for a confirmation or a wedding, or a funeral for my grandpa. It's not like you're going to die if you attend a funeral. You don't have to go for some distant relative's uncle; just go for your own parents or grandparents and call it a day. And don't start with the drama. Just tell your parents you suddenly believe in God, but you don't feel the need to hit Mass every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday to be a "good" believer. Tell them you pray every day and leave it at that. If you're only doing it for the money, sitting through an hour of Mass won't kill you. You don't have to stay for the Rosary afterward; just let your parents see you there, get the cash, and everyone wins.

Why do you say: thank God I don't live with my grandma? 😁 I'd love to see you try living with a fanatic in your own family. You act exactly like I do; it's just that nobody calls you out on it. I'd happily spend my Sundays at home quietly praying and watching Formula 1. You have no idea what I'm talking about. I'm talking about a mother who is a fanatic believer and can't wrap her head around the fact that her son won't step foot in a church.
When I was a kid, I was constantly asking my mom, "Mom, how much longer do we have to be here?" and nothing worked. 😂 Do you really think I'm some pushover who just takes whatever my mother throws at me? I'm actually looking forward to this upcoming Easter and my latest attempts at redeeming my sinful soul. ☕

And after Easter, I'll probably be quiet again: "Nobody is forcing you." And then I'll be labeled a fanatic for my lack of faith. 👍

Take my refusal to be a godmother at a First Communion, for example. In our circles, godparents are almost always chosen from well-to-do families, so accepting would basically mean a lifetime of buying expensive gifts for some quasi-religious person.🤣

Honestly, the whole idea of marriage isn't even appealing to me anymore. My mom is basically waiting for me to settle down with some "practical" devout woman, but let's be real—those types are usually boring and, frankly, not much to look at. It’s like trying to find a decent meal in a desert 🙄
If I went that route, I'd just be circling back to the exact same headache. If I marry someone who isn't Catholic, my family loses it; but if I marry someone who shares my actual views, then I'm still facing an uphill battle.

Take my parents, for example. They see people showing up at church processions who haven't stepped foot in a sanctuary since the nineties, suddenly acting all pious. And then they turn that judgment on me: "You're going to follow suit; you'll be crawling through those church doors soon enough." 😁

So, I tell them straight: "Look, I've already been part of the Church, and quite frankly, I don't care for the crowd there. Most of them have questionable backgrounds—people living double lives, pretending to be one thing publicly while hiding their real lives under different addresses."

My mom, for instance, thinks self-flagellation is perfectly normal behavior. She actually believes scientists have uncovered actual nails from the cross of Jesus from two millennia ago.

Thomas Davis6 said:It’s really no secret that this stuff happens. Honestly, I’m not looking for a fight with anyone specifically, unless we’re talking about those religious psychopaths who spend their time wrecking young lives. That's the kind of thing you actually have to stand up against. When I say I’m against Catholic doctrine, I know exactly what I’m talking about. It just clouds your judgment and misleads people, and I wasn't about to let myself fall for that trap.

So, if you don't mind me asking, which religion do you follow?