Expert: Carl Fuglein - 3/26/2009

Question
When my parents were still married and I was pretty young, (I am 15 now) I was raised in a pretty Christian home where we would go to a catholic church every Sunday and I also went to a catholic pre-school. I spent a lot of time at my grandparents house where my favorite show was Veggie Tales, we would pray at every meal, and we would pray before we went to bed. As I got a little older my parents started to steer away from our mealtime and bedtime prayers and we started attending a methodist church yet didn't go to church at all most Sundays. When my parents got divorced my mom stopped taking me to church at all. They have been divorced for almost 5 years now and my mom remarried to a non-Christian man. Last summer I went to a Church of Christ summer camp for 2 weeks where I felt closer to God then I ever had before. Tonight at dinner my step dad began making fun of my religion and I ended up leaving the dinner table in tears. My mom told me I was being ridiculous and my step dad didn't even apologize. What should I do to make them respect my faith?

Answer
Victoria-

I'm so sorry you're having this difficulty.  You cannot be responsible for making them respect your faith, but you can make them respect YOU by staying faithful to your faith in a quiet way.  At the dinner table, just bow your head quietly and say your own grace.

Would it be possible to enlist the aid of your biological father?  Sounds like he is a Christian.  Perhaps he could help.  Also, you need to talk to your mom seriously and tell her that she may think you're ridiculous, but that you can't change the way you feel - feelings cannot be wrong or right, they just are, and if you feel hurt, that's okay - tell your mom that it hurts and why.  She may not understand as she seems to have given up her faith, but you've got to try.

I will pray for you.  I hope this helps - I really don't know what else to say.

blessings,
carl