One thing that has been bothering me is how people view my religion. I’m a Christian, a couple of years ago my dad became a Muslim. Whenever upset or whenever he thinks I’m giving attitude, it seems like he throws my religion against me he says “the bible says this this this…” It hurts because I know I’m not perfect and I never will be. I don’t want to have a conversation about it with him. Also the thing is that, he doesn’t really follow the “rules” he must do as well, he makes it seem like I’m the worst kid in the world.
HELP YOURSELF:
• Faith is something that is unique to every individual and is only as good or bad as the people who possess it. Because of this, it is often times hard for people to talk about. Thanks for trusting the Teen Central community with your story.
• On TeenCentral.com under the “Learn” tab, there is an entire section dedicated to “Spirituality”. There is even some information regarding Islam and Christianity. Understanding someone else’s religious perspective may help open up that line of communication. Check it out.
• If you feel like you can’t talk to your dad about this stuff, is there anyone else in your life that can be there to support you? This can be anyone, a trusted adult, an older peer, neighbor or even a spiritual leader. Reach out to that person. Just being able to vent to someone can instantly ease some of your frustrations.
CONSIDER THIS
• Remember some people may use their faith and belief system to guide their life decisions. They may also use elements of their faith, like prayer and meditation, to cope with life stressors. Is this something that is helpful for you? If so, take some time to help calm your thoughts. Use this quiet time to sit and focus on what is important to you.
• If prayer or meditation isn’t something that helps you de-stress, let’s think of some other ways to cope. Writing in a journal is sometimes helpful. Seeing your thoughts and feelings in black and white can be very freeing for some. If you were to talk to your dad, what would you say to him? Write it down. Or just take some time to write about your day. What balances you?
• The most important thing to remember is to be respectful of a person’s belief system, as it is an important piece of who they are! Because religion is like a fingerprint, everyone’s is going to be slightly different. And guess what? That’s what makes us all unique.
