so.. i find out that my parents are "those people"

[buckettgirl]

since i have be inhabiting my parents basement for past 25 days... i have learned just how much has changed since i moved out many, many moons ago; and just how crazy my parents are.

my parents have become very devoutly catholic over the past year or two.
I really don't much care - faith is good, and if it makes them happy, well whatever.

but then... i move back home to find out that they watch the Eternal World Network several times a week; they attend church several times a week; and totally believe that catholicism is the only one true religion.
They have become the most judgmental, close minded people I have ever had the pleasure to know. :sarcasm:
They have no faith in humans whatsoever. When watching tv, every woman on tv is referred to as a slut... which this is kinda funny to hear them talk cuz its the only word they use...

On Christmas eve, my mom called a local carpet store regarding their ad in the newspaper, which wished everyone a happy winter solstice (this, of course, makes me happy cuz i'm pagan.)
Mom questioned the owner as to why they didn't say merry christmas.... mom told them her name and they were customers who had been pleased with their service but didn't know that they could continue to be customers of this particular store if they couldn't be good christians.
The owner hung up on mom.

They are taking a road trip this coming summer.... driving from western kansas to buffalo new york... just to see Fr. Corapi from the Eternal World Network... which my response to this was "if you are already driving all that way, you might as well drive the rest of the way to new york city and see a broadway show"

On Christmas morning, my mom told me that she prays a rosary for me everyday that I will meet a nice catholic boy and get married in the church... to which she happily added that i don't even have to worry about getting an anullment because i had a weird pagan wedding. I told my mom that the man i end up with won't try to change my beliefs and will respect me for all that i am.

I have also been told that its ok for me to pagan... that jesus will forgive me because i'm ignorant... because i do not KNOW the TRUTH and am turning away from the church.

they keep trying to get me to go to church and have told their priest (whom I have met, and is a nice fellow) to pray for my soul because i *think* i'm pagan.

and then during the election, the things that i heard them say... how hatefilled their comments are... and now - they aren't saying that obama is a muslim anymore; but that he's just not christian.

its crazy. i don't know if i can take 2 months or more of this... i really must stay here until my divorce is final... but they will do everything they can to help me "see the light"

[Arugula Latte]

1. Oh, no. That is frightening.

That would be so hard. I'm so glad my parents never "got religion." (Only my mom is still alive ... She can't stand all that "nonsense" and "superstition.")

My husband's parents had an opposite journey from your parents. They went from being strict, church-every-Sunday, Sunday-school teaching devout Xtians to basically agnostic/atheists who make fun of religion. They "saw the light" -- that religion is a bunch of bull pucky.

Hang in there.

[buckettgirl]

4. i had no idea it had gotten this bad

they are educated people and they are both nurses as well.... and for them to be so intolerant of others, it is just very weird.
not to mention the fact that they used to be moderate/liberal politically and are now hardcore conservative.
and i really don't care that they are practicing catholics - if thats what they want, then more power to them, but they don't see any boundaries whatsoever... i don't need their ideas pushed on me... i will eventually be inclined to rebel (just like being a teenager all over again LOL) and start pushing pagan stuff on them too

[murielm99]

13. This happened to my parents, too.

They were good liberal Democrats, and now they are unbearable fundies.

I would not be able to live in their basement. I would rather be homeless.

[buckettgirl]

5. sorry, dupe n/t

[FloridaJudy]

2. {{{{{buckettgirl}}}}}

Hang in there. I know from crazy relatives, though mine are Marxist...

[Schema Thing]

3. faith is not good

faith is chosen stupidity.

[victoryparty]

7. Possibly, but only in certain instances...

...such as having faith in the integrity of the Federal Reserve.

[undeterred]

6. Annulment is bizarre.

I know someone who was married in the Catholic Church and had 2 children. After 10 years of marriage they divorced, and the wife wanted an annulment- so she could get remarried in the Catholic Church. Her ex was supposed to sign some papers but he refused. The marriage may have failed, but after 10 years and 2 children, how can you say it never happened, or that it was based on false pretenses?

[NV Whino]

9. I beleive that's where immaculate conception comes in.

[monmouth]

10. My ex-husband's new wife wanted me to do the same thing. Of course, I

refused..I didn't care about the church but certainly was not going to negate my two sons from that ill-fated contract. She divorced him many years later and their (girls) are a mess. Just goes to show ya..LOL.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

12. It gets more ridiculous

Apparently, you can obtain your annulment not only without cooperation and consent, but without the knowledge of the other party.

My dad pulled this shit on my mom. Mind you, the man converted when he married my mom so I never knew how seriously he took it, but he seemed to find it very convenient when it suited him. After almost 40 years, his drinking got so bad he was barely holding a job (this was back in the day the best way to sell heavy equipment was to lubricate the customers), so she gave him the boot. As men are often useless on their own, he fell right in with another woman (actually, this could have been going on for a couple years beforehand)--who decided they needed to be married in the church to make it okay. Had the marriage annulled (because after five kids and 40 years, it was obviously never meant to be, donchaknow). My mom wouldn't have even known if the ex-MIL from hell hadn't blabbed it to everyone. She went to her church and read the priest the riot act and he just shrugged it off and said it's SOP. Stupid fucking misogynists.

She's still catholic, but that really took the edge off for her, I think. Of course, as a "heathen" who rejected religion in early grade school, it never really bothered me to be rendered a so-called bastard, but it was still a shitty thing to do to a woman who had lived her life according to their rule book.

ETA something more on topic: Buckettgirl, I jettisoned a husband who got religion and turned toxic on me. Best thing I ever did, and the anger and revulsion were a great motivator for me, rather than allowing myself to feel helpless and sorry for myself. Just being related to someone does not mean you're obliged to subject yourself to their beliefs. Maybe this will be turn out to be the spark for a positive change in your life, too. Escape and (good) change can be incredibly rejuvenating!

[skygazer]

8. My dad recently found Jesus

Apparently he was in Florida all this time. Who knew? :eyes:

Anyway, my dad who spent most of his life as a drinking, whoring, cheating liar now tells me he prays for me and blithely assures me that when god closes a door he opens a window (to which I respond that it's fucking cold out and I wish he'd quit doing that).

In my dad's case, I think it's because he's in his 80's now and is realizing that if all those stories are true, he's going to end up somewhere hotter than Florida if he doesn't straighten up his act. Which to me makes him more of a hypocrite than ever but at least I'm not living in his house.

Hang in there, buckettgirl - after all, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. :P

[PassingFair]

11. buckett girl, your posts remind me of David Sedaris.

Tread carefully!

[rurallib]

14. Maybe on the way to Buffalo they could stop by the grave of the priestwho molested me

maybe that would help add some perspective.

[flvegan]

15. You should tell them you're a lesbian.

When their heads explode, you can keep the house.

:hide:

I kid, really. Sorry that you have this situation. I'd be self medicating within a week of getting into that.

[hunter]

16. I wish I could send you my mom. She talks directly to God.

Your parents would be hiding their religion in the closet and fearing for their souls once my mom was done learnin 'em.

The devil in hell is scared of my mom, and she could probably put Fr. Corapi on permanent hiatus by whispering something in his ear, some dirty shameful secret that only he and God knew. My mom wrestles with God's meanest rottweilers for fun. In a theological argument with the Pope she'd walk away with his red shoes and he'd be left standing there barefoot with an odd grin on his face, a head full of doubt, and pining for some quiet time to meditate at some undisclosed location in Ireland.

There ain't a person on the planet who can be secure in their faith in my mom's presence, not devil-worshipers, not saints, not even atheists. Build a wall to protect your fragile faith and my mom can bring that wall down like Joshua at Jericho.

Oh well. If I was you I might develop a deep fascination with Ezekial, especially one of the more graphic translations of chapter 23. I mean how the hell did that lunatic know how much a stallion ejaculated? I don't know about your parents, but I'd sure keep him away from MY horses. Guys have DIED playing games like that.

I first read the entire Bible when I was seven years old. I had to, it was a kind of self-defense.

"The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose" and the vast majority of them that cite scripture are doing so for the devil's purpose.

Peace be with you dear. this is a temporary situation. Hug a tree for me.

:hug: