Is religion a free right in America? I mean, I think it is but I want your opinions on this. In example...

Well, I'm a Catholic. Now I'm not happy being Catholic. No offense to Catholic people out there, but I just don't like it. I don't like the style of worship, I don't believe some of the major beliefs, um, and there are just some other factors in it.

I told my mother my unhappiness with the Catholic Faith, and she said she respected it, but I couldn't change to be the denomination of Christianity that I want to be. She said I was 12 and shouldn't worry about it.

I tried to explain that it is a free right, so basically I could do whatever I want.

Am I right, or am I wrong?

Like I said before Babes, I can't help here.

Well personally I believe that any person should be able to choose their own faith whenever they want and at what age they want. However, this point could be easily argued. Many rights are not absolute rights, but rather have limitations. For example, people have the right to vote, but not until they are 18. When you go to a private school, many of your rights are not guaranteed because the institution can set its own rules since it is not publicly funded. When you are imprisoned, you lose the right to vote, etc. etc. etc. Unfortunately, you are in the one sector of the populous that is most routinely denied full rights (i.e. people under the age of 18).

If you are looking for something to say to your mother, perhaps you should approach it this way: if you are forced to participate in a religion you do not enjoy or believe in, you will simply become impatient and disolussioned with religion in general (this happened to myself and many people I know). The way I see it, I would think your mother would be glad you are expressing an interest in religion at all. If you are interested in another Christian faith, it shouldn't clash too much with your family's religion. I mean it's not like you're turning to satanism or something! Your mother is probably going to regret forcing Catholicism on you when you turn 18 and never attend Church anymore and no longer have your faith. But I have no idea how your mother would react if you said all this too her, so use your best judgement. I don't want you to get yelled at or something! ;)

there's a religion called wicca or something like that which means you can basically worship any religion you want. this girl in my class is like that. i think it's cool. i'm whatever it is. i'm catholica (lol..my history teacher was obsessed with irish catholic, obsessed and he'd call it catholica), christian, jewish, whatever, name, i'm it. lol..

Well I'm a Catholic and happy with it, so I can't help you there.

Wicca is the worship of nature, I believe. It often gets a bad wrap for being supposedly associated with the "black arts" and witches. I used to be very intrigued by it, and tried to pursue it for awhile, but as with all religions so far, I lost interest.

Originally posted by Bootsy Whoosh
The way I see it, I would think your mother would be glad you are expressing an interest in religion at all. If you are interested in another Christian faith, it shouldn't clash too much with your family's religion. I mean it's not like you're turning to satanism or something!

Well, my mother ain't Holy. I know that sounds very um, straight forward, but she goes to Church and does what she needs to do. She does not pray or anything. She and my father said I have to stay Catholic because THEY are Catholic. Then she considers sending me to a shrink because she says a "normal 12 year old girl shouldn't be worried about this". I AM normal. I wish she would just let me do whatever I want....I asked her, "Would you rather me an Atheist?" but she still said I couldn't....

I was Catholic and became disallusioned with it when I was about your age. When I was certain that I no longer believed in it I quit. Pure and simple. In my case my folks understood and in fact my mom REALLY understood so it wasn't a problem for me. You're stating two different issues: rights of kids and religious rights. Your lack of rights as a kid might cause you to have to go through the motions and continue to stay with something that you don't believe in but your right to choose any religion or no religion is your right in this country, and sooner or later you're going to choose what suits you.

Well I'm an atheist, so I don't really know much about Catholocism but isn't it a constitutional right that you can follow whatever religion or denomination of a religion you want to? I mean as long as it doesn't infringe on the rights of anyone else? And I think it's normal for a 12-year old to think about this stuff, I'm 15 now, but when I was 12 was when I really started to question religion.

It doesnt matter what you CALL yourself, just what you believe, you know? Like, I could be a "Christian" and worship the devil. It's just a name. Like, you'd be the same person even if your name wasn't Karli/Karly lol

Originally posted by Lisa Whelchel Forever
Is religion a free right in America? I mean, I think it is but I want your opinions on this. In example...

Well, I'm a Catholic. Now I'm not happy being Catholic. No offense to Catholic people out there, but I just don't like it. I don't like the style of worship, I don't believe some of the major beliefs, um, and there are just some other factors in it.

I told my mother my unhappiness with the Catholic Faith, and she said she respected it, but I couldn't change to be the denomination of Christianity that I want to be. She said I was 12 and shouldn't worry about it.

I tried to explain that it is a free right, so basically I could do whatever I want.

Am I right, or am I wrong?


You're right. I used to be Catholic, but then I started going to church with my friend who is Methodist and totally loved it, so my mom said it was my choice and I switched.

Wicca is really interesting. A whole bunch of my friends are into that kinda stuff. People totally get the wrong idea about it. They aren't evil gothic witches. Their normal people. :D

Thanks for everyone who responded to this....it means more to me then you think

Yep, you have the right to believe whatever you want.
I was baptized and supposedly "saved" when I was 11
but I was a stupid kid (no offense to any 11 year olds...
I'm just saying that I was a stupid kid) and I was
just going along with what I've been told my whole life.
Now I'm not sure what I believe but I'm not an atheist,
so I call myself agnostic since I don't have an organized
religion. I just believe in God..."higher power"...whatever
you want to call him, her, or it. As far as I'm concerned,
there's someone or something out there that's responsible
for the creation of the world and all life forms. I don't know
about the Bible either. There's some stuff in there that
I don't agree with. I'm not what you'd call a fundamentalist;
that's for sure. Anyway, enough rambling on for me.

I went to the Catholic church for a while & I liked it. It felt more holy to me. All the uppity & well, "snobby" people are Catholic around here & I don't feel comfortable around them. I couldn't be a true Catholic though because I don't believe in some of the Catholic beliefs. I don't go to church now, but pray @ home & stuff. If you don't want to be Catholic when you're 12, you shouldn't have to! I'll think of some advice later cause I can't think right now :(

Originally posted by Lisa Whelchel Forever
Is religion a free right in America? I mean, I think it is but I want your opinions on this. In example...

Well, I'm a Catholic. Now I'm not happy being Catholic. No offense to Catholic people out there, but I just don't like it. I don't like the style of worship, I don't believe some of the major beliefs, um, and there are just some other factors in it.

I told my mother my unhappiness with the Catholic Faith, and she said she respected it, but I couldn't change to be the denomination of Christianity that I want to be. She said I was 12 and shouldn't worry about it.

I tried to explain that it is a free right, so basically I could do whatever I want.

Am I right, or am I wrong?





I think you're right. You should choose the religion that is right for you. I never went to church as a child and still don't now that I'm a teenager. Neither of my parents went to church either though, so in a way, not going to church was the way I was brought up. I don't think which religion you go by makes you a good or bad person. It's how you act towards other people everyday that counts. For example, I knew lots of girls in the old town I used to live in who went to church every Sunday and there were times when they could be very mean to others. 7th grade was the worst. Everyone picked on this one kid and eventually got him expelled from the school for no good reason. Even though my family doesn't go to church, it doesn't make us bad people. And, no matter what religion you choose, that shouldn't interfere with how you really are as a person.

...but organized religion does nothing for me!

I was baptized Catholic and tired quickly of the hypocrisy involved. I mean...how can you respect a religion that allows you to sin, and then 'cleanse' those sins just because you talked to a priest! They're treated like they're special and 'Godly'...but just read the newspapers lately!

And 'Christians'...don't get me started! It seems that if you're not 'one of them' you are essentially not worthy of their company! The ones I've come across lately haven't renewed MY faith in Christianity!

I'll turn on the TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network) whenever I'm feeling down and need a few GOOD laughs! Those boneheads NEVER fail to crack me up! :lol: What's sad is there are SO many people who buy into their ways! "The more you send us...the bigger your wallet will become in time"! I'm paraphrasing here...but isn't that rediculous?

Sorry if I offended anyone...just my opinion on the subject.

pontoon :cool:

Originally posted by MyStErIoUs ChIck
Yep, you have the right to believe whatever you want.
I was baptized and supposedly "saved" when I was 11
but I was a stupid kid (no offense to any 11 year olds...
I'm just saying that I was a stupid kid)

ooh ooh I'm 11!!!!!

I think you should have a chioce of your religion

Originally posted by pontoon


I'll turn on the TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network) whenever I'm feeling down and need a few GOOD laughs! Those boneheads NEVER fail to crack me up! :lol: What's sad is there are SO many people who buy into their ways! "The more you send us...the bigger your wallet will become in time"! I'm paraphrasing here...but isn't that rediculous?



Those shows are so stupid! The people like are paralyzed and Benny Hinn puts his hand on their head and OH! THEY CAN WALK!


My old Catholic church was the worst. The people there were just....ugh. One guy put a $5 bill in the offering thing, stood up and got $4 change. (He was right in front of me.)

Originally posted by NancyRulz24
!

My old Catholic church was the worst. The people there were just....ugh. One guy put a $5 bill in the offering thing, stood up and got $4 change. (He was right in front of me.)

Your kidding! That's like that beer commercial where he sees a blind beggar guy with a seeing eye dog, and he needs change for a 10 and so he puts the 10 in and gets change, and the people are all getting off the subway, going, Ohmygod, he just stole from a blind homeless man! or something. OK i'm done