How do I tell my parents I don't want to go to church?

Perhaps you could explain to them that faith is very personal and you would like to have the personal freedom to choose who, how, what, where and when to worship?

Your parents brought you up as a free thinking individual. You should summon up the courage to face them on the topic. You should sit with them and explain why is it that you do not wish to go to the church and urge them to try and understand your feelings.

Explain to them calmly and respectfully, or you could write a letter to them. I go to my church twice a week, and I want to continue, but if I wanted to stop...I would try to ease it out. Maybe suggest that I go only once a week, then less. Is there a reason you don't want to? Considering this can help.

I can imagine you are anxious about this significant conversation with your family. What I did is I said very clearly that I do not support the institution of church and I no longer wish to attend mass but I still have spiritual beliefs. Attending church felt dishonest to me if I didn't believe in it and I made my parents see it from my point of view. That said, I reassured them that I will join our family christmas traditions and won't interfere with their religious life out of respect and because it was important to them. Look, I am not saying the same speech will work with your family but you can't go wrong with empathy and assertiveness.

I have the same problem as well. What I found works best for me is simply sitting them down and letting them know how you feel. Tell them you want to live your own life and make your own choices. That church makes you feel uncomfortable or restricted.

Think about why you don't want to go to church. Is it too early in the morning? Do you not believe in what they preach?.. Could you go to a later service or discover a new church that fits you? .. Just talk to them. Maybe when they were your age they had similar thoughts.

Try and have a sit down talk with them. Perhaps if you explain what your reasoning is they will be understanding and allow you not to go. Try and be civilized during the conversation and if things don't go your way just remember your parents are doing their best in their minds to make sure you are raised the best they can. I really hope the talk goes well for you and remember that you have friends here at 7 cups if you ever need to talk about difficult situations! We are here for you to help and listen

Hey and thank you for reaching out :) As a disclaimer, if you are afraid to tell your parents because there's any violence (verbal as much as physical) in your family or that you might have to fear punishments, please stay safe and consider talking to someone that might be able to support you. Well, on the other hand, there's just good ol' parents that are Christian themselves and are used to you going to church with them. In that case, I recommend talking to your parents about your views regarding religion. Maybe you have stopped believing in God for a specific reason or in general and talking to your parents about it can be a great relief because they will want to understand why you are unwilling to go to church anymore while knowing that you still respect their belief and point of view. Growing up means developing your own personality and views, and not all of them will be like those of your parents. Maybe you could pick up the topic with a discussion, then moving on by telling your opinion about it and that you are unsure about religion / sure that you are not believing in God anymore / don't support the church you are in? I wish you best of luck!

It can be hard for family to understand when you don’t feel the same way as them religiously, especially when this is something close to them. It might help to start by having a reason not to go that they are happier with - for example, you need to study. Over time it will start to feel more normal to them to not have you with them at church, and they may be satisfied as to why. When you’re feeling comfortable, try to tell them calmly that you don’t feel like you want to go to church anymore. Tell them in a normal way without big gestures. It may help to talk over this conversation with someone you trust beforehand.

Well first understand why you don't want to go to church. Is there something about church you don't like? If you have a good reason on why you don't want to go to church, then you can make a better point to your parents on why you don't want to go to church. But lets say that you don't have a good reason why you don't want to go to church. Well then really just have a chat with them and tell them you don't want to go. Speak from your heart and tell them what's on you're mind about this topic. If they still say no, then try to find the brighter side of the situation.

Beginning to say "No" to your parents is difficult - we all know that. When it comes to religion, and religious beliefs, the saying "No" gets multiplied by about a million. Telling your parents straight up "I don't want to go to church" could offend them, and this could result in them becoming annoyed or stressed out. There is no best course of action here - you are the expert of your own situation. How do your parents react in similar situations? How do you think they would react if a sibling told them? You know how your parents will react better than anyone else does... I wish you all the best.

In most western culture countries religion and belief are something everyone can choose on their own. Parents may want a child to get into a certain belief, but it's not in the law to follow your parents beliefs and religion!

Faith is a very sensitive topic for many people, especially if they're very strong in their faith. I would suggest asking them if you can talk to them. Then sit them both down and say "mom, dad, I understand that your faith is very important to you. I don't want to go to church with you anymore." Then go on to explain why it is that you don't want to go to church. Try and stay calm and explain your ideas. If it would help you, you could make a power point to show them. Then you just have to present the power point to them.

When having this conversation, never make it about your parents. Take care to not get angry and to not criticize the religion of your parents, because that will only escalate the situation. Instead, use "I" statements, such as "I don't feel comfortable going to that church" or "I respect your beliefs and would appreciate if you could also respect mine". That way, you are not personally attacking either your parents or their religion, but just requesting that you can be your own person and have your own beliefs. I hope this helps and that your parents will be understanding.

Just be honest and upfront and tell them you don’t believe in this stuff, respectfully so that their response will be respectful. In under stand that it may be hard, but I promise you won’t regret it! They may try to convince you other wise of your decision, but they will learn that you are growing and need to be let change on your own, as your opinion is your opinion. If they react with anger or disappointment, they are probably in shock and you should probably stay away from the topic for a while, and after it is calmed down gently bring it up again, and hopefully they will act more calmly. Good luck!

Maybey try and speak to them together. Go for a walk with them or actually go to the church one time and speak to them there. Try and understand that this is there religion and belief so always respect it mention this first and ask them to respect your beliefs and feelings explain the details of how you feel about going to church. You don't have to be firm or scared there your parents. There should be a bond of trust where you shouldn't feel agitated to tell them something. Think about plan what your going to say before you say but try not to offend them at the same time.

I understand that it can be hard to tell your parents that you do not want to do something that you have been raised doing. Going to church is one of these things that people have different opinions on. If you are able to talk to your parents and make them understand why you do not want to attend church anymore they should understand. However, if they do not then it is okay to try and explain it to them again. If your parents have be brought up going to church then it may be hard for them to comprehend why you do not want to go and that is okay, you will just need to be patient and help them understand why you feel this way.

I think the first place to start is being open and honest. Find a time where you can sit down with them and have a conversation. Sometimes it helps to make yourself a list so you know what you need to say and are able to get everything out. The most important thing is being open and honest and upfront with them. Explain what you need in a clear way. If the conversations starts going ways that you dont want it is okay to take a step back and start again do what you need to do for your own mental health as well

I think you need to tell them the truth. You need to tell them the reason you do not want to go to church. You need to ask yourself these questions first though Is it the church? Is there something about your families religion that isn’t working for you? Do you not like religion? Once you understand your motives you’ll know what steps to take next. You can try saying this "I understand that faith is important to you, and I'm not abandoning it or you, but I don't feel like I'm getting what I need from the weekly services"

Sit down with your parents and explain best you can in your own words why you don't want to go to church. If it helps you could always write down why it is you don't want to go, why your reluctant or the feelings involved, this can help you understand the feelings yourself which can make it easier to explain to others. If it is less scary you could approach the conversation with each parent instead of having the same conversation with them together. Doing this could reduce the level of anxiety because you aren't worried about what both would say at the same time

i have experienced something similar with my parents before and it was hard for me as i assume it is for you. make sure you let them know your not trying to brush them wanting you to go to church off let them be heard. listen to what they have to say and accept it and reciprocate with your own feelings and personal views. make sure they feel as if their views and wishes are being listened to clearly. you know yourself and your parents a lot better than me and this is your situation.

This is a touchie topic for many house holds. I know it is in mine. I have teens and well they don't have that choice to not go to church, but I am open to hear them on this. I'd suggest you keep sharing in a respectful way on how you feel about going to church. Make sure to point out good facts this decision should be yours and why. I do hope soon your parents will be open minded to you.

I understand how stressful this can be. Coming from a religious family they tried everything. All I can say is be honest but have a good think about what you believe in. For example I believe in facts, if it can be proven I pay attention, I understand people have different beliefs and I respect that, I just don't. I hope that helps in any way if at all :)

I would tell my parents that religion is ONE OF THE WAYS to connect with god. If it was the only way to realize god, then whole world (including all species) would have been prescribed that way directly in there Hearts, instead of Books to some (God never does partiality). I'm not against religion, I respect that you follow a religion with love n compassion. Don't worry I'm not away from God, I'll just explore in the way my soul directs.

Please make sure you're in a safe situation where they won't lash out at you for your decision. If that's the case, you might want to sit them down and explain your decision and why you chose it. If they disagree, know that in time it won't be up to them whether you go or not.

This may not make sense for some people, but I think that having patience, and waiting until your old enough to make those decisions in your own freedom, is the best way to go. Its hard knowing that your parents still have control when you are ready to make your own decisions. If you tell them early on, they might get agitated, and it might start conflict, and tension around the house. If you believe your parents are trustworthy enough to support your decision, maybe try something like bringing it up at dinner, or asking to talk alone during their free time.

tell them its not what you want to do anymore, i went through the same thing i was just honest and they understood

Sometimes, there’s honestly no way to tell them. Start with stating the obvious reasons why you don’t want to attend. You can always turn down an invite—if it was from a total stranger, it’s very easy to say no. If it’s parents, even other family, it can be hard to turn down the invite. If you choose to stay home from church, don’t expect them to take it that well at first. They maybe expecting what appears in their mind to be “good for you” and, “I bet if you try it, you may even have fun.” I get that parents just want the best for their kids, even if they are making it on their own, and doing financially well. If you are a Christian parent, sometimes making your children go, even in their teen years may end up being a mistake. I know that parents want what’s best for their kids, but sometimes you have to let your kids think they are getting what they want (it’s just like in the Bible when the people didn’t see that David was the king they wanted, but they thought they wanted Saul instead, as king)—but, it turns out they didn’t really want Saul—it’s same principle. Hope this helps

This can be difficult. If living with them it may cause conflict . It's best to communicate your feelings face to face.

Be straight up with them , they may take it the wrong way or they might understand . you never know until you try . If church isn't your type of thing then let them know . They can't force you to become someone who aren't .