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

I will politely tell my parents that i don't want to go to church and if i go to church solely because they want me too, it will defeat the purpose of going to church. Going to church must be done not be force but with a free will. If at some point i want to go to church i will go there because i wanted to, not because i was forced or under the infuence of my parents. I think they should respect my decision of not wanting to go to church and i have the right to decline if I don't feel like doing it

Religion is a great experience for some, but for others, it's just not the right path. There's many ways you can give back and show your appreciation. For many, it's through religious practices, like going to church. At a certain age, like 18+, you can decide for yourself what's best for you and how you want to celebrate religion, if you want to. I would do so in an open-minded fashion. Understand their viewpoint and know that they want you to grow up with the same mindset as them. Sometimes that can be debilitating though, especially if it undermines others.

Approach them and let them know your feelings. Make a time special to you all and go over why you feel the way that you do. Being open and honest can create a better relationship. Let them know how you feel and how it would make you feel if you can make your own decisions. The best way to get through this issue is to tell them exactly how you feel and why it makes you feel this certain way. Honesty is key and speaking out loud can help the relationship between the parents and their child evidently.

When I was younger felt that sometimes I didn't want to go to church. One day, I decided to speak with my dad because we had a good relationship and I felt like being open and honest with him. I told him that sometimes I feel anxious and nervous to meet a big crowd at church. My dad was glad that I was honest and had the courage to talk about my issues. After that day, our relationship improved and I found that the best way to avoid problems is to be calm and to find what really is bothering us.

Of course you should have the right to choose freely what church, if any, you wish to belong to. And your parents are not being at all clever, in not realizing that pushing a young person in the direction of one church is only likely to increase your resistance. It is really important for parents to recognize that it's good to encourage a teenager to think about spiritual matters and explore and make their own free choice, rather than trying to force them to accept only one set of answers and one specific church, even if they themselves are convinced that this would be absolutely the best thing for you. But lets be realistic. Depending on the specific church or sect involved, they may think that by not following their lead you are missing out on something marvelous, or even, as some churches believe, that you are risking your chances of eternal life and happiness : even if you dont agree with them, you can maybe appreciate why they feel this ay ( even if apparently they can't understand why you feel differently, or that you can honorably think differently ).

Hi there! This looks like a tough situation to be in, especially when you don't know how your parents might react. The most important thing to know is that religion is a personal choice. You can tell your parents in a way that you think they would be able to listen and be open to what you have to say. Having this conversation as a family at a 'family meeting' of sorts is a great idea to let them know that you are serious about not wanting to go to church. Most importantly, make sure you are safe and feel prepared talking about this no matter the outcome. I wish you the best of luck!

Deciding to tell your parents that you no longer want to go to church is a challenging task. It is first important to acknowledge and appreciate yourself for your inner reflection of realizing that this is a discussion that is necessary to have with your parents. How you choose to approach this situation can depend on your interactions with your parents. Have you ever had an experience like this with one of your parents before? Could you reflect on that experience and what went well and what went not as well to determine the best course of action? Whatever you decide to do, I encourage you to continue to advocate for yourself!

it's simple , just tell them you are uncomfortable or just not interested in going to church , it's completely normal to have these feelings or emotions , maybe socialising might be difficult for you , but try to think what is best for you. being a introvert or just being shy can be a hectic thing , and socialising is general is not easy either, but, if you try to face your fears and try to socialise just a bit, it might be helpful. sometimes waiting for a right moment is not very helpful, that is why you need to give it a shot every time you get a chance

Sit down and have an honest and earnest conversation with them, although it might not be something that they would like to hear. It is important to keep communication between them and you open and honest. If you have this conversation in a calm manner they can understand where you are coming from and you can understand their own viewpoint on this subject. If one parent may be more understanding than the other, maybe speaking the one that is more understand first in private. Just so that in case of anything going wrong, the parent that is the most understanding can calm the situation.

This is not an easy question to answer. Coming from someone who was always forced to go to church as a child, despite stating that I did not want to go. I gad the option to choose of wanting to stay or go at the age of 16, and I never went back. My advise to you, is that if it is safe to do so, you sit down and have a talk with your parents and explain your reasons for not wanting to go in a calm and respectful way, try writing down what you want to say before-hand. Secondly, do not expect that their initial reaction will be positive, or that they will be understanding, so afterwards, give them time to cool of and to think. Try reminding them of the saying that goes along the lines of: "Church is not a designated building, but rather any area in which the persons intention is to find a personal connection with God".

I have had a great deal of contention around this topic. Growing up in a religious family can be super stressful. When I told my parents I no longer wanted to be religious, therefore I did not want to attend church, they did not listen to me or even reason with me. When you are a minor (like me) it’s hard to make decisions for yourself because parents/guardians get in the way. The best I have been able to do is just listen and obey my parents. Once I am an adult I will be able to make the decision for myself, and my parents will not have control over what I do. I don not know your exact situation, but the best thing to do is be open about your thoughts and feelings. If you parents do not listen or understand, there really isn’t much you can do from there. But like I said, telling them your feelings and being transparent is the best way from my personal experience.

You should always be upfront and make sure they won't get angry easy. Make sure that they are in a good mood. Then make sure you provide WHY you don't want to go. Have details as well. An example would be Maybe you want to be a bit older before you look into a religion. I know how you feel and religion is a big deal to a-lot of people. Maybe you just don't want to go because it's just not for you. Parents should always respect what we have to say and listen to us. Hope I helped :)

First of all, you must tell them the reasons why, i know parents can be quite scary , especially about religious things, but yo7 must know that , they would never mean any harm on you . Because you are one of the greatest things that happened in their entire life. They just wants what best for you. They love you no matter what happens. So don't be scared about telling them why you don't want to go to church. They would understand that . And communication between a parent and their offspring is a great thing too. Good day to you.

It can be hard to tell your parents you don't want to go to church particularly if your family is religious. Conversations regarding the topic of church can be long and difficult to engage in if you don’t identify with being a religious person. For this reason, it may help to really internally inspect your reasons for not wanting to go to church. You can ask yourself the following questions: Is there something going on in church makes me feel a certain way? What is the impact going to church on my life? What are my beliefs and values concerning the subject of church and religion in general? Reflecting on these questions and your reasons for not wanting to go to church will help you clarify in your mind how you want to present the issue to your parents. Staying calm and laying out your reasoning in a logical, non-judgmental, compassionate and diplomatic manner will give you the best chance of being heard by your parents. At the moment you see the topic of the church is sensitive and it’s understandable you fear causing some offence to your parents about how you go by the communication but please take your time and think things through carefully. Everyone has difference in their opinions and these differences in our opinions make us all unique! Arranging a chat with one of our listeners or online therapist may give you the support on the subject of family stress or emotion management. Best of luck!

Depending on the church, that answer can vary. You might try to have a heart to heart talk with them and see how it goes. Try to get them to understand your beliefs and make it clear that you respect theirs. I have gone through this myself and I know how awkward it can be. It is possible down the road that you will find a new religion and hopefully your parents will be supportive of that. Remember that you cannot control them, and you cannot make them react how you want them too. But if you approach them calmly and state your personal beliefs, you have a much better chance of them accepting you. Try your best to not raise your voice and maybe even try to compromise. If your church has a nursery then maybe you can work there while they are in church.

You could start by sitting them down and telling them you want ot have an open and honest conversation with them about religion and going to church. That way they allready know what direction you want to go with your talk. Explain to them that going to church is just not for you and you want to make up your own mind about wether or not church is important to you. If you have strict parents they might tell you you need to go anyway. But at least they know you dont want to go which might have them think differently some time in the future.

Religion is a topic that depends on what you believe in and how you feel. As an individual, if you do not believe that you have the same faith as your parents and do not want to go to church, I think that it is important for you to clearly voice your opinions. Find a good time to talk to them. Sit them down and tell them that you don't want to go to church. Give them a clear explanation as to why you made this decision. This is essential especially if they struggle to understand why you feel the way you do. Good luck!

Considering I don't know you or your parents or you situation I don't think my advice would be applicable to your life but what I do know is you know yourself better than I do and your parents. Ask yourself what the consequences could be (positive or negative), who do you think they would react and if you can handle it. It can be hard to say no and religion is no exception so it makes sense you are worried but you must take into account your current situation and what it could be like if you told your parents. In the end its a decision you shouldn't be making using advice from random internet people that you don't know and more importantly don't know you.

As someone who grew up in a religious home, this is a tough one. First, I would be curious as to what parenting style your parents would be categorized under. If you are not familiar with the 4 main parenting styles, I would suggest doing a Google search and reading up on them. Approaching an authoritarian parent about these issues is a lot different than approaching an authoritative one, for example. Next, you should also be aware of the consequences of requesting something like this if you are still living under their roof or are financially dependent on them in some way. Again, though, those things are completely dependent on your parent's temperament, how important religion is to them, etc.

Having to tell someone something they don't want to hear is always scary and intimidating. You have to be honest with yourself and your parents. Going to church is something you don't want to do and that is okay. You have to share your feelings and that is okay. You want to be happy with your life. And if going to church is something you don't want to do then you need to share that with your parents. Write down things you want to bring up to your parents on a piece of paper. That way they can understand where you're coming from.

That is a thing I am dealing with right now as well. Let me tell you about how I handled it. My parents are members of a pretty strict church with a tight community around it. I have had a long journey when it comes to faith and figuring out what I want and believe for myself. I have talked to many people and read books and all that. I wrote a letter to my parents, covering everything because they never let me finish and will interrupt me and start arguing when I haven't even finished my sentences. I wrote it all down, from my childhood views, to all the other churches I saw and other religions, and then a part about the stuff I don't like and disagree with in this particular church. And then a part about what I am going to do from this point, what my views are now(to treasure them that I am not throwing away all of their values) and a part about my boyfriend and how he fits into this. I have printed out the letter to give to them so they can reread it. I asked them to wait to respond to this for a couple of minutes so they can think a little bit. Then I answered questions but made it clear that I am not doing discussion right now and this is a made decision, it is no longer open to change. My mind is made up. This has been reaaaaly hard for us and they felt hurt and angry and I can tell they want to jump to all kinds of tactics to make me do what they want me to do. Thankfully I am now old enough that I do not have to listen and also know their patterns so I can make sure I do not get dragged back into the drama. I think it will take time but they will see I am still their kid and the same person as before. I think it will work out in the end. I had the luck that I could pick the right moment and timing of dropping this bomb and I do not know if you have that as well. This was the way I picked out of several options. Contact me if you want to brainstorm what will work in your situation!

This is difficult to answer as I don't know about your specific context (age etc). Your parents may expect you to attend church up to a certain age. Then it becomes a question of when can you make up your own mind and some parents may never be happy with your decision. Religion is deeply linked with emotion and core values so it's a difficult topic to talk about, especially with parents! You could reflect on your reasons and what you're feeling. You could then approach your parents at a time when you're all calm and alone. Conveying how you feel is the most important thing. Be prepared for your parents to convey disappointment or even anger but try to remain calm. You have the right to discuss how you feel about attending church with your parents and hopefully your parents can respect how you feel.

Calmly explain to your parents that whilst you respect and appreciate their beliefs and how they have raised you, that you have personally begun to move away from those beliefs (I assume). Or if it's the case that you want to uphold your beliefs, but not go to church, then explain this to them aswell. You may be met with some animosity depending on the severity and depth of your parents on beliefs. But especially if you are an adult, you are more than entitled to move on and create your own belief systems etc. If you are a child, you're still entitled to do this, but it may take a little more swaying.

It is hard to tell your parents you don't want to go to church. If it's social anxiety, tell them the truth and try to make them understand. If it's atheism go with the same approach but with a different tactic. If it's just the lack of enthusiasm for religion or church itself tell them that you don't feel like going. It's probably harder to do the last if your parents are too religious. The most important is don't lie to them, it might backfire. I remember when I once asked my mom not to go to the temple, she was angry but after I told her I didn't like being around people that much she understood. Another time I had lied about being sick but it didn't work out so well for me. The point is, tell the truth and be clear to avoid being asked again.

This is a tricky one that can often cause conflict at home. I would suggest to sit down with your parents and ask them first to listen to you with open heart. This way, they won't see that it is their fault or that you are being a bad child. Then, tell them that you do not want to go to church anymore and it is final. Hopefully, they will allow you to grow spiritually at your own phase so that you can know better yourself... You may or may not explain your reasons for not wanting to go to church. This will depend on how you weigh the situation. Often than not, our parents would get upset that we do not want to go to church anymore because they believe that it is our duty to God and to the fellowship and they only wanted the best for us even if we may not agree with their belief system.

Tell them this in a relaxed manner and when thet are calm:if you insist that i come and it makes you happy then i will but know and think about this which my relation with god is in no one hands exept myself and thats what i choose to demonstrate it in my own way so you may force me sometimes to come with you but it wont help what i also believe is what you want from me.please respect me and my lifestyle even about the church because im grown and i have my own mind dear father and mom.

I think you have to first consider how they are going to potentially react so you can work out a plan of action. Practice what you are going to tell them so that when the time comes you can say it with confidence and have solid reasoning to back it up. Now to actual conversation. Ask them to let you finish what you have to say before butting in. Then calmly let them know that you do not want to go to church anymore. Provide your reasons then open the floor for discussion. Depending on your age, your parents may have more control over your actions so it's important to calmly voice clear reasons as to why you don't want to go to church. If they squash the issue give it a few months and make another attempt.

This will not be easy and could result in backlash. If you truly do not want to do to church, bring it up casually just to see their reaction. Maybe even ask them what their reaction would be if you decided to no longer attend church. If they are open to the idea but still uncomfortable about it, try to compromise with them. If they go to church without you, maybe spend some time to while their away to do some housework. This way it's not a huge disagreement, it's a win-win scenario. On the hand, if they are opposed to it and not looking for a compromise, it's small sacrifice to make to go with them. You may not feel as religious as they do, but it's better to keep the peace than to cause a rift over one trip to church a week.

Telling parents that you disagree with them is a very stressful thing to do. You have to proceed very cautiously. Judge their mood and on a good day sit them down and tell them that you have to talk to them. I'd saying something along the lines of "I understand that we grew up in very different times. I appreciate you giving me the gift of religion, but I just don't believe in the same thing as you". In my case, I found it better to sit down one of my parents (the one that's a bit more liberal). Even though my parents still believe that I'll grow out of it, they have grown to expect my skepticism. While this will probably be an ongoing process with some disagreement, the best thing you can do is be honest in a polite way. You parents need to understand that you are a different person than them and that's okay. Good luck!

If your parents are strict about church appearance, at least give it one or two tries so you can give them concrete examples on why you don't want to go. I think it's difficult to engage parents in debates about religion practices, especially when they really adore you. I'd say try not to confront them, but offer to do similar activities where you can also be closer to God at your own pace, like meditating or attending a group session. Then ask them if they can give you time to find your own way with peers or kids your own age. They would likely understand, thinking about their own journey in spirituality.