Anon4
- Date posted
- 4y
babbiebabbie
- Date posted
- 4y
I have a hard time with the separation of ideas in religion and politics. Like, the religion I used to profess is anti-gay marriage, and if I don’t think that’s right, then I have to throw out everything that religion ever taught me, because all of it must be bad. In reality, I think there is good and bad there, and I can (should be able to) decide for myself what I believe. But instead I feel horribly guilty for not being able to accept all of it. Is this the sort of thing you mean?
Anon4Anon4
- Date posted
- 4y
Well, I definitely had that issue in the past. I mean I still do, but it’s kinda taken a backseat. But yes I absolutely had that problem cause I was raised Lutheran and I’m bisexual, so when I was coming to terms with being bisexual I couldn’t understand how I could be both a Lutheran and bisexual cause it’s a sin. I thought I would have to choose between Christianity and just living a sin filled life (I don’t just mean being bisexual, I mean like premarital sex, or literally anything that could be perceived as sinful that most people do these days). I was terrified I was going to become like a by the book stickler and not live a normal life, so everything religious had to go. I was triggered by anything to do with religion for a long time cause I thought it was going to make me a Christian again and I was going to become one of the crazy Christians.
babbiebabbie
- Date posted
- 4y
@Anonymous I relate to this so. Hard. Also bisexual, raised Catholic and...yeah.
Anon4Anon4
- Date posted
- 4y
But what I mean is, I am having a very hard time accepting political beliefs that don’t match mine exactly. Specifically, my parents’. Their core values aren’t bad, like generally they don’t want anyone to suffer or have their rights taken away. But certain things are more important to them than others and while I can understand to some degree, I can’t understand completely and I’m having a very difficult time accepting that they think differently. Social media got into my head, because so much out there says if we’re not radical liberals, we’re bad people. So, the question of “what if my parents are bad people?” came into my head and even though I KNOW they’re not bad people, that question haunts me and I became terrified that I would never be able to accept their political differences, that I genuinely believe they’re bad people, and that I was going to have to cut ties and never see them again. Problem with that is I would rather die than cut ties with my family and never see them again.
babbiebabbie
- Date posted
- 4y
Ah, I see. Yeah, I’ve had some of this too, though not quite to the same extent—it’s more like “how can I respect them if they support x?” I have to keep reminding myself that they’re human and have their own anxieties, and I know so well how anxiety can blind me in certain areas. They’re doing the best they can, or that’s what I keep telling myself. And Jesus wants me to love them no matter what (I do still believe in him even if I don’t know quite where I’m at religiously).
Anon4Anon4
- Date posted
- 4y
@babbie Right, the “how can I respect them if they support x?” is part of it. I can’t stand thinking they’re bad people or that they contribute to something bad. And for awhile I could convince myself that yeah they’re just human and they mean well, but when so many people all over the internet and even some in real life are saying “if you’re not a liberal, you’re a bad person” it’s like...are they right? I don’t think so and I can’t stand thinking they’re right, but also I think about all of the issues and I just get so confused.
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