I was raised Baptist and grew out of my faith around high school. I was terrified of what my parents thought, and didn't open up to them about my personal views until after I moved out of the house. It didn't go well, and my relationships with prior generations of my family are still strained.
Things may have turned out differently if I had an open-minded pastor to advise me and help my parents understand, since the pastor is the only form of council or support for many religious families. Instead, all of my doubts were punished and ridiculed, like asking questions and forming my own opinions made me wrong. This of course pushed me farther away from my family's religion of birth.
How would you council a teenager who confided in you that they have lost or given up on their faith? How would you advise a youth who wanted to come out to their parents as agnostic or atheist?
CaptainRibbit13 karma
Merry Christmas!
I was raised Baptist and grew out of my faith around high school. I was terrified of what my parents thought, and didn't open up to them about my personal views until after I moved out of the house. It didn't go well, and my relationships with prior generations of my family are still strained.
Things may have turned out differently if I had an open-minded pastor to advise me and help my parents understand, since the pastor is the only form of council or support for many religious families. Instead, all of my doubts were punished and ridiculed, like asking questions and forming my own opinions made me wrong. This of course pushed me farther away from my family's religion of birth.
How would you council a teenager who confided in you that they have lost or given up on their faith? How would you advise a youth who wanted to come out to their parents as agnostic or atheist?
Thank you for the ama!
View HistoryShare Link