Forcing religion upon people ..

I for one have had enough of people trying to force religiong upon me. I was 6 years old, and was forced to participate in an RE lesson every week even though I didn't really believe. All through secondary school I was actually forced to do RE, and if I didn't I was treated like dirt, so in year 9 I refused to do it. Then as I meet people who are believers, they try and force me to take guidance in God and Jesus. I don't believe! Can't people respect that and leave me to make my own desicions, not live by a BOOK?

hmm i respect your decision not to want to do the class and people shouldn't treat you bad for that.
However it might be a good idea to learn about different religions, even if you end up not following any. Religion is an important subject in this world whether you belive in it or not. Try to reverse the situation, how do you think the deeply religious people feel when they are forced to learn all these 'lies' about how the world works in science? I am not religious at all but i have learned to keep an open mind, suspend my beliefs, and learn about other's beliefs.
p.s. Bob, love that quote!!!
aaron

My family is trying to get me to believe in god and when I told them I don't believe in the bible they freaked out. I'm not going to live by a book. I don't see why they can't respect my beliefs.

I recently watched a program on television that stated that new evidence shows that Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted in the same era. The evidence implied that modern humans left more evidence of religious rituals than Neanderthals did. Of course we as humans tend to believe what we want to believe. I am obviously biased having been born a cradle catholic in the year of our Lord 1955. I know I am trying to cover a lot of seemingly unrelated ideas here that may not seem to be connected. The question is if Neanderthals and modern humans coexisted in prehistoric times or the before Christ era. Science and religion have coexisted with conflicts. Is it not a paradox that now many think we have evolved away from our need for morals? I believe religion is as inescapable as the observation of natural events

DAMN STRAIGHT!!! Religion has become so comercialized that its not worth my time... And the thing i find the funniest is, the only thing that differs a religion from a cult is the amount of people believing in it...If god does exist, he will respect the fact that i do the right thing whenever i can, and if he wants to send me to hell for that, he can damn well kiss my A$$ and do it...NOTE: i've had like 10 people try to ''save my soul'' in the past two weeks. GRRR... LEAVE ME ALONE!

OMG I completely agree I cannot stand it! I'm not anti-religious at this point, but seriously, if you want me to become like that just keep RIGHT ON trying to convert me! I even heard that there is a new reality show which follows some old has-been actor guy as he walks around shopping malls and stuff trying to convert people to Christianity.

I don't want to live my life by what a book says. What does a book really tell me? What people think happened or what people know happened? In the bible it talks about all these 'miracles' that happen and that god is behind them. Well I don't see them happening now. Does anyone else? Really all I see is death, violence, and destruction. I mean thats all thats on the news. This is what really makes me question the bible and other beliefs. Its that the so called miracles don't happen now. Though I guess thats kind of stupid now that I think about it.

Yes I agree with Ismail ‘ as Christians we must discern what is the will of God from the will of the people. God was crucified and put to death by the will of the people. The temple has been turned into a market place. God is the master of Life. Peace and Creation. People that further the cause of death, violence, and destruction in my opinion are not in unity with the Holy Spirit

It is my humble opinion that you cannot force anyone to become immersed in religion. I am a recovering Catholic. I was raised in a devote Catholic household and the brainwashing didn't take. There is a little known gospel, that was hidden by the Catholic church until the mid forties, the gospel of St. Thomas. Google search it and read it. It was written in the language used at the time of Christ's crucifixation and most scholars believe it to be the only true and accurate gospel of Jesus. It will never be incorporated into the bible as it shoots big holes in organized religion. I would encourage everyone, religious, spiritual, athiest or pagan to read it and make your own decsisions. Life is about choices and the outcome of them.

You cannot force religion of people. What is that old saying, oh yes: You can lead a hor-ti-culture but you can't make her think....or is it you can lead a horse to water? I get so confused....

hey. i totally agree that religion should not be forced apon people, you have the right to believe what you like and people should respect that. but i don't understand what you mean about the RE lessons. i dont know how old you are or when you were at school etc. but in our RE lessons we dont just learn about christianity. we learn about all the different religions and are simply taught of their ways of worship, nothing is forced upon us!
Polly

I believe in God, but I can't make you believe in him. If you want to know what I believe I will tell you, but if not it won't be forced. I have had other religions forced on me when I am content with my own. It is up to the person that they want to do in the end.

-Tainted Mikochan

i kicked the nun at sunday school argued with a priest during confession and spit the bread wafer thing at the priest.... results of being forced into christianity

Religion would not do you much good ...what you need is an exorcism

LOL @ Brian - fair enough!

There's a lot to read in this thread and i didn't have time because i have (worship) band rehearsal in a couple of minutes but i will state my view.

I am a pretty strong christian and have been on and off for 15 years. But i admit i have a strong dislike for evangelists and jehova's witness'.

I have always felt that following God is my decision, i made it for myself, no one forced it upon me and that's the way it shud be. I don't feel it's morally fair to force religion upon neone, i suppose its just when ur a christian and u feel God's love u want EVERYONE to feel that same feeling it's hard not to force it upon people.

To the first post, which i did get time to read, i do not live my life by a book; the bible or qu'ran or ne type of religious text is merely a book of morals and just suggestions on how to live ur life. Ne ethically correct person would follow the 'rules' of the bible without realising; e.g to not steal, murder, be an adulterer etc.

There's my view