Denden

AITHA for telling my family if they’re going to have a 15 minute prayer before my son’s birthday party dinner and lecture everyone about God, to just not show up
I am a single father of 3. My family (mother, sisters and grandparents) became extremely involved with the Christian church over 2 years ago. So much so that it has become a chore just to visit any of them since all they want to talk about is their religion. When we get together it’s never “how have you been? How’s work? How are you?” It is always “when are you going to join us at church? The Holy Spirit really helped me this week. Have you read the Bible I gave you?”. I try to now distance myself from them as much as I can and just spend time with my kids. Last year my mother asked if she could take my kids to get ice cream and go to the park. Little did I know it was a church related event and my daughter quickly called me to pick them up because “a man was speaking into a microphone and people were fainting all around them and crying to god”. That was the last time I let them go with my family alone.

My birthday was in April and I had friends, family and coworkers over just to relax and take time off, swim a little and play backyard games. When it came time to eat my mother took it upon herself to make a huge speech about how it was/is difficult raising a son that does not believe in religion and her testimony that god is the way. I felt the ambience change and everyone got uncomfortable. After that I tried to blow it off and continued entertaining people that were there. That’s when my family brought out their pamphlets and began going to everyone and preaching to them. Talking to them for 10s of minutes at a time. I pulled my mom to the side and told her that this is not the place nor time for all of that. She apologized and they left soon after.

My son’s birthday is coming up and while at my moms for Memorial Day she quickly asked me if it was ok to speak to some people about the lord. I took it upon myself to inform everyone if they are going to act like a congregation to a child’s birthday party to just not show up period. Everyone looked upset at me. Now I have them calling and texting me saying I should be ashamed of myself for “denying the lord to people”. I honestly want to just cut them all off because these past couple of years have been insufferable.