Be there for your sister and your dad as for your mum it is very sad that religion has such a hold upon her when at the end of the day if only she could see her world would be that much happier spent with her loved ones and not a church that twists things in order to influence the vunerable. Religion and those that influence others by fear and twisted views have a lot to answer for. Anna x

Were your sister and ex girlfriend kids who were laughed at, never grew up and still live in mommy's basement?

I would say just read books.
Religion is all in books. That's the only way it can survive.
Telling someone to believe something won't make them believe it, and if it's that important at all there's no harm in checking out other religions. Especially because a lot of religions kinda require that you only follow that particular religion...

So, yeah... Christmas coming up... on December 25'th.

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I would like to get a little advice or at least a few opinions on how to best play a part in a current family problem.

As children, my older sister and I were both sent to a "fire and brimstone" Southern Baptist school and brought up in the church. It was extremely repressive and a very bad experience.

In addition to the hypocrisy we witnessed in these institutions, our mother was fanatically religious at home, teaching us:"If it's not God, it's Satan" and telling us every time we misbehaved that we would burn in hell.

14 years ago, my parents had another child. My father pulled my mother out of the church and away from the influence of fear preachers. He assured me that my little sister would be raised to think for herself and to make her own decisions.

Today my little sister called me, upset that "Mom has flipped out and she thinks I'm possessed by evil spirits because I went to an after school club where they teach about paganism."

I don't want to intrude on the way that my parents are raising my sister, but at the same time, I don't want her to re-live any part of my childhood. Any advice about what part, if any, I should take in this?

Ladylid, you rock

Just don't like such sweeping judgments on an entire group...just silly to me.

Think about it! YOU rose above the maddened brain wash to be a liberated thinker as a direct result of the brutal exposure to such chapter and verse dogma, hence your position now. Give her the same range of expected, intelligent probability!

Also, expose her to how many manipulative revisions the The Bible and such sacred dogmatic texts have undergone ... AND the fact that the Catholics even removed the entire chapter on reincarnation from The Bible centuries ago, as it did not suit their agenda!

A deeply ritualistic and RIGID religious upbringing of ANY kind can lend a critical reasoning thinker the best ability to think through the bondage and refuse it as it is so fanatically fringe and extreme! Humankind has always subjected themselves to one after another intense legend and mythology w/ narrow operational M.O. In the end, it is actually the BEST fuel to light the path to free thinking/living! (IMHO) It is actually the lukewarm dogmas that are most difficult to discern, so identify and escape!

I've yet to meet anyone as free thinking as myself! I too was raised STAUNCH fire and brimstone Southern Baptist. Our preacher literally SCREAMED from the pulpit the entire sermon. His repeating screeching yowl? That "We were ALL going to burn in Hell for eternity and that is FINAL!" Thanx, mister ... biggest monster in a closet a child could be subjected to. What a head and heart ache; No thanx ...

If he ever said more, I must have missed it as my spirit ALWAYS checked out at that point. No wonder S. Baptists are such hypocrites in secret lifestyle! All I could think was ... "Well, then lemme outta here because I'm gonna party~hardy before a lifetime of fiery torture!" I was so far past overjoyed the day my Ma had finally 'sensed' my turning my back on it all and stopped waking me up to go! No words were ever spoken ...

In my young 20s I lived in a Kundalini Yoga Ashram and rose to the level of adept mastery and taught the yoga. I polled our entire community population and realized every person there had escaped intense Catholic and Judaic upbringing and formal schooling education thereof. EVERY SINGLE ONE! I was the stray SB, from JUST as intense and grueling a religiously warping upbringing. We had all replaced one rigid ritual for another, some subconscious need for the ritualized life after all!

I stayed the tear away rebel that took what worked for me and discarded the rest, the rules never 'had me' as they did the rest! (This is a behaviour I STILL protectively maintain on the 'spiritual quest'!)

'Twas then I came to realize that many escapees replace the staunch dogma w/ another, they just deem it so much more 'user~friendly' (read: 'KEWL'!) that they never notice that they scheepled themselves into a whole new contracted belief system, replete w/ the same sort of prerequisite, defined dogmatic 'structure'!

I've noted this phenomena routinely in all the 'New Age' Arts and even Atheism. Folks still load themselves into a narrowly defined 'box' and remain. The healthy path is the moderate path: take what WORKS and gives comfort and move on. Don't stagnate in one area, one structure! Stay FREE!

I still have The Bible memorized and can use all the comforting verses as needed. I will also always have the tools I collected from the journey through the Arcane, the Akashik Record, MY Visions, the Native American, The Tibetan, The Hindu, The Buddhism, The Tao, The Kabbalah, The Tantric, Esotericism, The Poets, The Philosophers, The Music, The Arts, Nature, Humour, on and on. And MOST importantly, the journey w/in MY FREE MIND/SPIRIT! The truth is always right there inside us, free for the exploring ...

It is all pieces of a bigger and mysteriously puzzled Life roadmap. Dabble and journey far; keep what works and discard that which injures, threatens and takes hostage. You WILL go far and never stop in this manner, as will your dear sister. No two paths are the same, though many of us are likely to arrive at a common destination!? Many a slave takes the high road to freedom, ever has it been and shall remain!

GL ...

I would like to get a little advice or at least a few opinions on how to best play a part in a current family problem.

As children, my older sister and I were both sent to a "fire and brimstone" Southern Baptist school and brought up in the church. It was extremely repressive and a very bad experience.

In addition to the hypocrisy we witnessed in these institutions, our mother was fanatically religious at home, teaching us:"If it's not God, it's Satan" and telling us every time we misbehaved that we would burn in hell.

14 years ago, my parents had another child. My father pulled my mother out of the church and away from the influence of fear preachers. He assured me that my little sister would be raised to think for herself and to make her own decisions.

Today my little sister called me, upset that "Mom has flipped out and she thinks I'm possessed by evil spirits because I went to an after school club where they teach about paganism."

I don't want to intrude on the way that my parents are raising my sister, but at the same time, I don't want her to re-live any part of my childhood. Any advice about what part, if any, I should take in this?

First thing that you mentioned was "fire and brimstone" churches. It is is important that "fire and brimstone" is taught from with in the church..as it is the first step in forming good sound Christian Judgement. My own opinion on "fire and brimstone" teaching churches is that some has to be taught for those that need it. (And I beleive there is a point where it will discourge some fallowers such as yourself. And it is also unfortunate that your mother appears to have taken these teachings to an extreme.

It is important to remember that your parents are who they are and they have the reight to raise thier daughter and your sister how they see fit. And there is not much you can do about this. This does not mean that you have to support what or how they chose to do so.

As far as your role as a sister and a daughter to your parents goes. It is important to remembet that you love them both. (I would hope) I am unsure how old your sister is and what and how extreme they "fire and brimstone" teaching is being drilled to your sister. The best way for you to deal with both your parents and your sister is in kindness and in love. Try to be understanding and act in love especially with your parnets. If they ask you for your input and you disagree you can say you have not comment or that this is your opinion. You might also add that it is your choice to practice or believe what you choose. AS for you sister you could try to explain that "fire and brimstone" teaching is only one part of Christ's teaching and there is so much more for your sister as well as yourself and your parnets to share. IN that I would say that the church is the church. Most of all speak your mind in kindness and in love and everything else will work itself out. If you would like to elaborate on the situation feel free to message me personally and I can try to help some more