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i feel guilty

my father is theist and i know he feels depress a little because before every sunday we go to church. my mother is still theist but i think she is a deist now that's why she isnt interested in religion anymore. i dont want to compromise my belief at the same time i dont want him to feel that he is alone in our house when it comes to a religion.

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Permalink Reply by Richard Healy on July 20, 2010 at 3:25am

Um... don't live your life for other people? Surefire way to be miserable.

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Permalink Reply by violet cleonstar on July 20, 2010 at 3:47am

i know that.. im just asking some suggestion. what should i do so he didnt feel depress?

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Permalink Reply by Tom Thompson on July 20, 2010 at 6:14am

Dealing with a family member who suffers from depression can be a challenge for anyone. There is actually nothing you can do other than be supportive. I'm sure there are lots of resources that can guide you and him through that though.

Just realize that even though it may be your behavior or beliefs that are causing him to be depressed, you are not responsible for his attitude. He is responsible for how he deals with circumstances that he finds himself in. If he is unable to then he may be incompetent and require medical assistance.

I am most definitely not an expert though so you should seek real counsel.

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Permalink Reply by Sam Jones on July 20, 2010 at 3:30pm

What you can do now is show him that you can be happy no matter what you believe in. Being depressed that the people around you are evolving is a bad thing. You should be supportive, but, also be yourself. You can't let his crisis of faith get you down. Use this as an oppertunity to show him how to be truly free, free from the tyranny of religion.

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Permalink Reply by violet cleonstar on July 21, 2010 at 8:41am

thank you for the advice :)

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Permalink Reply by Rich Lane on July 20, 2010 at 4:02pm

Church is a social gathering place as well as a center of religion, so he shouldn't feel alone there. I would suggest you stick to your guns on the weekly services, however, if there's a family picnic or other gathering sponsored by the church, I would see no problem in going to those.