Expert: Clint - 8/30/2011

Question
I'm 15 and was raised as a Lutheran.  However, I've recently started noticing things about religion that just don't make sense.  I do honest research about different religions, but I just have trouble buying into it.  I've recently started to identify myself as agnostic.  I brought this up in a religious discussion with my parents one day.  My father told me that sometimes I just need to go on faith and that I think things over too much (the second part is somewhat true).  In other words, I should follow blindly.  But I don't want to just blindly follow.  He made a comment about it being normal to question religion "at my age".  I feel like he's regarding this as a phase when it isn't necessarily so.  I am open minded to new religions and philosophies, but I don't think that my agnosticism is a phase.  How can I get him to accept my new way of thinking?

Answer
I'm happy to see you think for yourself rather than think as others tell you to think. You will not change your father's mind on anything of this subject. Why do you still feel the need to be validated by anyone on this subject? It's not like you're asking if it's ok that you kill people. You're basically asking if it's ok to make your own mind up about a subject that's subjective to interpretation any ways. And for anyone to tell you that you are "bad" for thinking agnostic or atheist makes them bad to begin with.

Any ways, let it go. Don't speak about it and just go along for now. At 15 it's all you can do. When your 17 or 18, then speak your mind in defiance, just be ready to pack up and move. Religious folks tend to alienate and reject those who don't support their delusions. And so they should too, as they have no truth to stand on. Weak arguments usually end up in defensive aggression for the loser. The only reason religion has lasted this long is through ignorance, fear, peer pressure, and threats. Now the world is smarter and less threatening, so they are losing.

Good luck in the future and be good for goodness sake.