I am putting this in Unusual Beliefs as half of a joke, because it’s my brother-in-law who has this weird notion that Christian music is the only stuff worth listening to. He asked me if I liked metal. Of course I do! So he started naming a bunch of bands I’ve never heard of - Whitecross, Petra, and some others. I looked at him like he had 2 heads. Never heard of them. He asked me who I like. I had to tread cautiously because this is a person who will bait you. So I told him the heaviest thing I listen to is Jimi Hendrix (I know that’s not metal…I was testing the waters). He gasped and said, “That’s the devil’s music! You need to allow Jesus into your heart and drive out the wickedness that that music has on your heart.” Oh boy. Good thing I didn’t tell him I like Rotting Christ (Greek black metal band)! Now I am a condemned soul because I don’t listen to Audio Adrenaline, Newsboys, and other esoteric crap. My home life sucks ass. I need my own place. Now I can’t let the sound of my music drift from the room I am confined to without getting glared at. Thinking of finding a motel for tonight.
I’m thinking of words that would probably get me booted onto the street next time he talks to me. Before this little nonsense, I told him this morning that my uncle has prostate cancer. His response? “Mmmmmm…” Gee, thanks a lot a$$hole for your empathy. I’ll make sure that when your parents die, I skip the funeral and snort coke off a hooker’s ass in celebration. No, I am not that petty or stone-hearted, but I am very tense right now, and vindictiveness sounds good now.
Yeah, why the insane need to push your religious beliefs on someone who doesn’t need or want them? Is it a power trip or something? I thought that crap went out in the middle ages, when the churches ran Europe and invented the religious crusades to gain power and territory.under the guise of converting the so-called heathens. But church and state are divided now, for a good reason, at least in the U.S.
Sorry for the sidetrack Alien. The problem is what can you do in your situation? It doesn’t sound like your extended family are very open-minded for religious people They’re a little hard-headed. I think you can hold your own with most people but you are outnumbered here. Yeah, I would find some outside interests to get away from these people. Just be polite and find some outside activities. To get away from the indoctrination.
Thanks @77nick77. Here’s what I think is going on: He knows I am, at the very least, not much of a Christian. I have hid the atheist side of me for obvious reasons. He probably knows, or at least suspects, that my wife, who was brought up in the same church as him but is 14 years his junior, is not as devout as he is. Furthermore, we did not attend church today because my wife was sick, even though she went through the trouble of making food for the potluck after the service. What I’m trying to say is I think he wants to push his agenda on us and belittle us. I am losing my patience. I am starting to eat dinner without waiting for him to say grace. I am being denied my basic rights, but I have nowhere to go, so I tolerate it. I feel like we are being exploited at his pleasure, and things are not going well at t he moment. Soon my wife’s parents will be attending the same church as “us,” and they are even worse than he is. I foresee many battles in my future and possibly a knee-jerk reaction on my part as I drive away and head for the hills.
Work on finding your own place. Of course that is your goal without me saying it. How are you at confrontations with family? I’m lousy at it. But you are in the right here. This guy and his family are the ones causing the trouble, not you. Maybe you could get everything straightened out in one big ugly confrontation and get it over with and set some boundry’s. This is probably bad advice, I like to just get along. Go on the attack. Tell them, “If you’re so righteous and want to follow gods tenets than be more tolerant of me”. Live and let live. Explain that not everybody in the world is religious.
I say this knowing you are a smart fellow Alien and this stuff has probably already crossed your mind.
Yeah, I don’t know much about her but she is definitely cute. The son of the people from my church was big in Christain rock. He collaborated with Amy Grant on a song and they were nominated for a Grammy for it. If he would have won it would have boosted his career into stardom. When the announcer at the telecast of the Grammies announced his name as a nominee the camera panned over him and he was on national TV. He lost. Cool guy though, I met him at his parents house one night. Funny guy.
