When your beliefs are different to family/friends...

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

There's a great bit in Isaiah - at the end somewhere, really near the end, like chapter 58 onwards, I'm thinking 65 but could be wrong - about doing what's right in the sight of God and not in the sight of man. Decide who you're going to please and do it. If you have studied the Bible and believe that eating pork is wrong then stick to it - show your family the scripture.

Personally, I believe that what God has made clean no man should make unclean (somewhere in Acts... I need to brush up on my memory verses) BUT that's my belief, not yours. We are both trying to do what is right in the eyes of God and I'm not to tell you that I'm right about it and you're not, but I will say why I believe what I do and let you be guided by scripture. (Can I ask where you get your beliefs from? I'd rather be corrected if I need to be.)

If you are lied to then as far as I'm concerned, it's not your problem - the person who lied will have to answer to God on two counts; lying and going against God's word. You do the best you can to the best of your abilities and God can't blame you for someone else lying to you.

Good for you for sticking to your guns and I agree, if you can't trust someone then they shouldn't babysit.

(BTW, Maz, I agree Christening shawls are nice to have for a christening, but why not knit a lovely shawl for another reason: christening shawls aren't scriptural, gorgeousest baby in the world shawls aren't non-scriptural.)

[Heaven]

Thankyou very much for your post Ryn, it's exactly what I think. I would never be so disrespectful as to trick someone b/c I didn't agree with their beliefs or tell them I thought their beliefs were wrong/silly. I don't really care if ppl have different beliefs to me as long as they're happy.

I tried to start writing about the not eating pork thing but I was not making any sense or explaining myself well, lol, so I found an article on it instead that explains much better than I could here I haven't read all of it tho coz it's pretty long!! But I think it gives the idea.
Basically there's two views on different parts of scripture and what they mean regarding if the food laws were abolished or not. There was heaps of articles on it when I googled.

[Ca Plane Pour Moi]

Thanks for that, SaraJane, that was an interesting read. Certainly something to think about.

I don't eat pig meat anyway - the odd bit of meat I do eat is mostly fish or beef for the Sunday roast - but something to think about for my son, who eats pretty much everything. I do eat prawns so will be poring over those Bible verses this weekend to make sure they check out when taken in context!

[Heaven]

Yeah, I didn't eat much pork before anyway and then after reading stuff like that the stuff about how gross pigs can be was enough to put me off anyway, lol. But I love prawns and calamari Oh well.

[Lulu]

Maybe you could announce to everyone that you are now following the Duck God. Wear only orange on Tuesdays and insist they take their shoes off and turn around anti-clockwise before they enter you house. Wave your arms around chanting to 'cleanse their auras' as they enter.
Set up a little table in the corner and place random objects such as your hairbrush, blender and some vacuum cleaner bags on there. Surround them with candles.
If there is a family function you don't want to go to, tell your family you cant possibly go as its Sacred Purple Day.

A few months of this and they will be relieved when you tell them you got bored with it and have decided to go back to normal and never give you crap about it again.....

[studentmum]

DH and I are seventh day adventist (sda) christians. This is something that has come from DH's family and my family are all athiests (although they may say otherwise when asked... I believe in something??? That kind of thing)

Anyway, main things about sda's we don't drink alcohol, don't eat unclean meat (pork, seafood w/out scales), and being adventists for the seventh day we observe the Sabbath on a Saturday. Try explaining this to a judgemental family who thinks you've been brainwashed by the new boyfriend!!

So after 8.5yrs I think they are starting to accept my choices, although deep down they probably still think i'm nuts!

The hardest part about personal beliefs is when you feel like you have to defend them, they are personal and therefore not up for negotiation with friends or family that's hardest part for them to understand.

Anyone who takes a stand and goes against the grain to follow their heart and their faith - GOOD ON YOU!!!

[Heaven]

Ryn- would be interested to hear what you think whenever you look into that article more thoroughly (even if you don't agree and why, like to hear all perspectives!)

Lulu-

Sarah-

The hardest part about personal beliefs is when you feel like you have to defend them, they are personal and therefore not up for negotiation with friends or family that's hardest part for them to understand.

Totally agree!!!!!!! I don't see why people should have to defend their beliefs to family who don't agree, non of their business!!

[krysalyss]

Well it isn't a religion but it does indicate a difference in some fundamental beliefs - we are vegetarian and almost everyone else in our group of family/friends eat meat. My SIL was vegetarian and still doesn't eat a lot of meat. Mostly people are very respectful of our choices to be vegetarian and raise our son that way. We do get some comments especially regarding what a vegetarian actually is. And sometimes my mum makes a few comments that make us feel like we are being difficult. We also avoid conversations about meat eating as some people get very offended by us being non-meat eaters even though I don't think we push our views onto anyone else. If they ask us directly then we are honest. We get questions about why we don't eat meat from our friend's kids and we try and answer honestly without disrespecting the fact that their family eats meat. So like any difference of opinion you can get along just fine or you can try and change each other and have lots of clashes. I think presence or lack or respect determines how you all get along - not necc the difference of opinion.

[NaeNae]

Interesting thread.

DH and I have VERY different beliefs. He is Christian and I am - well I like to pick and chose the bits of anything I like and create my own

I was brought up Christian but we never went to church with my parents for anything but when we went to Nan and grandpas place we'd go to the Seventh Day Adventist church they were apart of, but was always uninterested in the teachings

When kids come along they will be brought up with good morals and values and thats whats most inportant and when they are old enough to choose for themselves then we will support whatever choice they make.

I must say Dh does go to a 9pm mass each chrissy eve and often plays at his local churches family service as a "fill in" . I go along to the Christmas service but thats where i draw the line. I get tired of listening to the "old school" minister babble on and once a year is enough for me