It’s no secret that siblings argue a lot. When disagreements about religion occur, however, things can get even more complicated. One young woman – henceforth referred to as “OP” – took to social media to find out if she was wrong for telling her Christian sister to either stop preaching to her or leave her alone.
A Tumultuous Relationship
OP shed some light on her tumultuous relationship with her sister, who is two years her senior. The pair hadn’t spoken in seven months but on New Year’s Eve they rekindled their relationship. Before long though, a heated discussion about religion brought everything crashing down.
Differences in Morals
OP wrote: “Mine and my sister’s relationship has always been strained due to total difference in personality, views, and morals. We just started talking again on New Year’s Eve after having no communication for 7 months.”
Jesus Loves You
The sisters’ rekindled relationship began to crumble when the elder of the two began to preach to OP. “Please accept Jesus into your heart soon. He loves you and so do I. I know you don’t believe but I really hope you reconsider. I love you,” she texted OP.
OP Will Never Reconsider
OP wasn’t particularly fond of her sister’s message. “I love you too. Please just don’t send me texts like that, man. I don’t like being preached at and I will never reconsider. Thanks though,” she responded.
Spreading the Word of God
In her next response, OP’s sister claimed she wasn’t preaching. She wrote: “I’m not preaching at you. That’s how you see it. Jesus loves you and if you don’t want to accept him, I can’t force you. I just pray for you and I am going to spread the word of God.”
OP Was Annoyed
It was at this point that OP began to feel frustrated. As such, she was firmer with her sister. “Stop. Seriously. Don’t talk to me about it. I don’t text you and say, ‘Please stop believing.’ So stop. If you’re going to spread the word of God and involve me, I’m not going to talk to you. It makes me uncomfortable. So kindly, don’t,” she texted back.
OP’s Sister Wouldn’t Be Silenced
Despite OP’s clear message, her sister maintained that she never preached. “You don’t have to get so angry. I never preached to you. I said one thing. You can stop talking to me, that’s your choice. But I’m not gonna silence myself to certain people. Sorry. It’s probably for the best anyway,” she said.
Christianity Makes OP Angry
OP’s frustration was turning to anger now. She replied: “Okay, bye. It is also your choice to preach at people who clearly don’t want to hear it. Christianity makes me angry. The things you said made me angry. You don’t get to dictate how your words make me feel. So enjoy spreading the word of God. That’s your choice. I will not pretend to be okay with you talking to me about things that make me uncomfortable. You don’t have to silence yourself. Just leave me out of your spread or leave me alone entirely.”
Wishing OP the Best
Finally, OP’s sister said: “I’ll leave you alone. If Christianity makes you angry, I unfortunately have no interest in you being in my life. You shouldn’t let words make you so angry. I wish you all the best. I hope your eyes will open soon before it’s too late.”
Taking to Social Media
Following the exchange, OP began to wonder if she’d been too harsh with her sister. As such, she took to social media to gather opinions from strangers and find out if she was in the wrong. Her post now has almost 500 likes and, for the most part, people said her sister was out of line.
A Bad Reputation
One commenter said: “It’s people like that who give the rest of us a bad reputation. If someone comes to me asking about Christianity, I’ll talk to them about it. Otherwise, I won’t go trying to preach. Everyone is entitled to their own set of beliefs.”
Advice for OP
Another person wrote: “It seems to be difficult for some religious people to understand that some of us don’t want any religion and they can’t change our minds. So while you are not [in the wrong], I do think you should consider going [no contact] with her until she understands having no religion is your religion. Best of luck.”
Not a True Christian
One person claimed that OP’s sister wasn’t behaving like a true Christian. They said: “I hope this is okay to say but I am a Christian and, as far as I’m concerned, your sister did not behave in a Christian-like way. We are called to show love to everyone regardless of their religious – or not – beliefs. You cannot convert someone who isn’t already looking for something and continuing to try can be annoying at best and downright harmful at worst. Your sister knew your feelings and showed a lack of respect and kindness by pushing the issue.”
The Worst Religious People
The decision was pretty much unanimous. “The worst religious people in the world are the ones that are constantly pushing it on others, all while proclaiming their innocence. Sounds like it’s time to cut her loose again. You are definitely not [in the wrong],” another commenter wrote.
Frustrating and Obnoxious
Plenty of people pointed out, as OP had, that Christians wouldn’t stand for the reverse. One person said: “That’s one of the things that is so frustrating and obnoxious about evangelical Christianity. They would find it rightfully rude if we opened conversations by trying to change their beliefs but see no problem with the reverse.”
All About Money
Others suggested that organized religion is all about money: “The best way to get people to follow Christianity is by being a good example. According to their rules, accepting Christ as your savior gets you into heaven. There is no requirement to evangelize except for organized religion so they can get more converts and more money.”
Christianity’s Dark Past
Another commenter said: “This attitude, encouraged by Christianity, to spread the word led to so many genocides. It’s racist and supremacist. I’m sorry for how your sister spoke to you. I’m glad you defended yourself.”
A Personal Story
Others shared personal stories. One person wrote: “I converted to a different religion many years ago and when the locals discovered it – my ex and I lived in a small town at the time – they visited very frequently. I respectfully declined but my ex kept speaking with them. Like, I don’t go around saying everyone should join my religion. Respect my beliefs and get off my property.”
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