A 16-year-old boy had grown up around religious tension, living with his religious stepmother and father. In contrast, he identified as agnostic, but despite this, he would constantly be faced with religious pressures from his household.
A Religious Stepfamily
The young man’s stepmother was very religious, and her devotion to Christianity had led his father down a similar path. This transformation became pronounced after their marriage, shifting the family dynamic to revolve around their religious beliefs.
A Different Path
In stark contrast, the young man’s biological mother held agnostic views, and he had naturally gravitated towards her perspective on matters of faith. This was further reinforced by his extended family, who shared his non-religious stance.
Early Encounters with Faith
Over the years, many attempts were made by the stepmother and father to convert the boy to their faith. Church attendance was encouraged, but it never resonated with the young man. “I never liked going”, he explained. “It’s boring as hell and to me it’s all fake and there are cruel elements to it.”
Resistance and a Heated Exchange
Three years ago, the young man was encouraged by his stepmother to attend a church camp. “She is always telling me to study the bible, telling me I should get involved in church activities”, he explained. “I refused to attend a church camp, which led to us getting into a huge fight.
Mother Vs. Stepmother
The young man spoke to his biological mother about the situation, who supported his decision. “She didn’t want me to go either, and reminded me that it was my decision”, he recounted. “This angered my stepmother so much, and she told me I was rejecting a fun opportunity. I told her I didn’t want anything to do with church and I definitely didn’t want my summer dominated by it.”
The Pressure to Conform
Now at the age of sixteen, the pressure the boy faced to conform to his stepmother’s religion had intensified, particularly due to the presence of younger half-siblings. These siblings were happy to conform to their mother’s religious wishes, and would often judge the young man’s absence at church gatherings and for his non-biblical name.
A Recent Heated Exchange
Tensions had recently reached a boiling point during a recent argument between the boy and his stepmother. She accused the young man of disrespecting the family’s religion, insisting that he should be ashamed to live a life without God.
Taking a Stand
Frustrated with her accusations, the young man once again made his stance clear to his stepmother. “I told her I don’t care about her religion and she needs to back off because she’s making it increasingly unlikely that I will ever tolerate anything religious again”, he remembered.
Reflecting on His Words
The young man’s stepmother and father accused him of being disrespectful and rude. Whilst he expressed some guilt for his harsh words, he still did not regret them. He felt that his stepmother’s accusations of him being disrespectful were hypocritical because she showed equal disrespect towards his agnosticism.
Confessing His Sins
The young man headed online to tell his story, confessing his words and asking readers whether he had acted out of line. However, everyone backed him up. “They’re trying to guilt you into religion?”, questioned one reader. “That’s why most kids raised in religious households hit the ground running when they turn 18.”
Teach His Step-Siblings
Many readers encouraged the young man to guide his step-siblings, preventing them from experiencing similar hardship in the future. “Good for you for standing your ground – you’ve done nothing wrong”, one commenter sympathized. “Explain to your step-siblings that everyone has the right to their own beliefs, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Stay with Mom
A lot of readers questioned why the young man was choosing to live in this religious household. “Can’t you just stay with your mom?”, someone asked, “You’re old enough to make that decision, in most jurisdictions.”
Hail Satan
The thread took a humorous turn when another reader offered the young man their suggestion. “Tell them the only church you’ll consider going to is the Church of Satan!”, they wrote. “That’ll get them to back off really quick!”
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Images are for illustrative purposes only
Source: Reddit