Medical Malpractice

Help Me: Im 20 years old & my parents forcing me to go to church?

As I sit here writing this no one in my family is talking to me nor have they spoken to me for the past three days. Here is my story:sorry it's long. I came home for spring break form college and didn't go to church with my family on Easter Sunday (I'm have doubts about organized religion) so this Sunday I didn't go neither so my parents sat my family down to have a "prayer meeting" they basically said that if I kept on this pattern I was destined for Hell. Then my dad proceeds to give my 18 year old sister 100 dollars for "good Christian" behavior because she goes but I don't. And told me I should be more like her. my sister just lost credit in her senior calculus class because she never goes and when she does she's late by 15 minutes her report card came in the mail on friday and she has yet to show it to them I found it in the trash she failed most of her classes (even gym) and she never had a job(doesn't want one unless it's Special & she can make her own hours) plus she lied to my parents about getting her acceptance letter from a college when the truth is she didn't even apply. (so basically there rewarding her for lying and bad grades) Me on the other hand I'm a biology major planing to go to medical school and I work and pay for everything for myself plus my grades are good and I play soccer (which helped me pay for most if my tuition)and I shadow Doctors on my free time at the university hospital in Chicago. My dad told me that even with all my education it means nothing if I don't go to church I still believe in God but don't want to be Baptist or follow their practices. I wanted to come home this summer and work plus take classes online through my college so I can start paying my student loan(5000) but I already brought my air plane tickets (I'm originally from new jersey but i go to college in chicago) I have no place else to stay but with my parents for the summer.(which they threaten to kick me out if I don't start going) how can I make them understand I'm not interested In church at the moment and that i am an adult -for God's sake im going to be some body's Doctor someday you would think they would trust me to make my own choices-I know if I go I'm going to be mad about it and it's going to show. I'm not good at hiding my feelings when I feel strongly about something. And my sister was loving ever second of this-please no rude comments Me on the other hand I Yes I know it's not going to KILL me to go to church but it's not soely based on religion my parents are using this as another way to have CONTROL over me (what to think wear who I can see how to behave) I'm 20 and have to be in the house by 9:30 even when I'm away at college they expect me in the dorms at that time.

Public Comments

1. I am a Christian, and I beilive in God, but I do think it is wrong to threaten and yell at a person because they don't beilive. You can't make anyone do or think anything if they don't want to. so it's up to you. You can do what you want. But just remember, weither you beilive or not, God loves and cares about you. He is always with you. But you have to be faithful, which you aren't. You should at least give Christianity a chance. It can make a change in your life. You just have to try.
2. If you pay for everything yourself and don't stay at their house, you can do whatever the freaking thing you want. With the caveat of your family not talking to you. If you are living with them for however long, you are under their roof and they can dictate to you to go to church. If it's just for a short while, GO TO CHURCH!! It won't kill you!!! If you want contact with your family, you will either have to lie and say you are going to church. Or tell the truth and see what happens.
3. Wow that is pretty messed up. I'm a 20 year old Christian myself (when I say Christian, I mean, I believe what they believe, but I don't like organized religion either or placing myself in any category, cuz i mean, it's not about religion, it's about your personal relationship with God), but I am completely on your side. Your parents shouldn't force you to believe what they believe, and punish you by not talking to you when you do something they don't like. It's pretty apparent your parents care about you, but they are going about all this completely the wrong way. They aren't being good examples at all. Have you told them all of this?
4. first of all i'm sorry to hear about your situation. i know that the baptist religion is wrong. how about joining another religion. i live in chicago maybe you can stay with me.
5. Do you think your parents would be accepting if you went to another church instead of a Baptist one? Personally I'd suggest either finding a 'non-denominational' church if you believe in the Christian God specifically, or a Unitarian church if you believe in the concept of God or a higher power in general but don't like having to adhere to a specific belief system, or are searching for the right church/religion for you. If worse comes to worse, accept that it's there house and their rules and go to their church if only to placate them - it's not like you've got to go every Sunday, just on vacations and stuff. And, how do they expect you to be in the dorms or at home even by 9:30 - every single semester, and usually when I've been on vacation, I've had classes or work that go later than that! Personally, I'd suggest if it's at all possible, arrange to shadow a doctor who works a slightly later shift, then if your parents say anything just tell them that's the doctor's hours and you're staying later for work - that'll give you some 'me time' earlier in the day instead of shadowing all day then not having any free time at night. Heck, I took as many late-night shifts as I could on vacation, it wasn't uncommon for me to get back from work after midnight =) Oh, and lighten up on your parents a little if they don't know they're rewarding your sister's lying and bad grades - some people are just excellent at pretending to be a 'good kid' and who knows if she even believes in God at all and isn't going to church just to take advantage of your parents thinking she's a perfect little angel? However, I would suggest conveniently putting your sister's report card somewhere your parents could find. Even if she knows you pulled it out of the trash, it wouldn't be like she could claim you were framing her or anything cause the report card doesn't lie and your parents can call her teachers if they doubt what it says.
6. First of all, you need to understand that your parents home is no longer YOUR home. When you go back to VISIT you need to understand that you are there visiting and it is up to you to follow the rules of THEIR home. If you don't want to follow their rules then don't go back there. You say you are an adult...then start acting like on and stop whining about your parent's rules of THEIR home.