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

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.