Isn’t religion a funny thing? Pretty much every single one has a book filled with sacred teachings involving one (or more) gods which may or may not be real, a strict set of rules to follow, and millions of devout followers who love to do one thing – make more followers.
One guy, who isn’t anti-religion but isn’t religious himself, shared how his girlfriend’s mom had been upping her efforts at “saving” him, for the sake of her daughter. When she turned up one day with two church friends in tow, though, things went sideways fast.
More info: Reddit
There’s no shortage of people who think it’s OK to “save” those who don’t follow a religion, and to be honest, it can all get to be a little bit extra
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One guy who isn’t religious, but isn’t anti religion either, lives with his Christian girlfriend, whose mother thinks his lack of faith is a problem to be solved
Image credits: Freepik / Freepik (not the actual photo)
The guy tried to be polite, going to an Easter church service, but ever since then his girlfriend’s mom has been like a dog with a bone when it comes to his spirituality
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Things came to a head when, under the guise of dropping off some of his girlfriend’s stuff, her mother brought two strange women into their place for a “faith intervention”
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Stunned, the guy kicked all three of the women out and has banned his girlfriend’s mom from coming over until she apologizes, but now he’s wondering if that makes him a jerk
The original poster (OP) and his girlfriend “Sasha” have been together over three years, talking engagement, saving money, doing the whole “stable adult couple” thing. The only catch? Religion. He doesn’t practice, she grew up religious, and her mom has decided his lack of faith is a temporary glitch that needs fixing, preferably soon.
It started out small: church pamphlets, loaded questions, articles about “unequally yoked couples.” OP tried being polite, even went to Easter service once, which her mom treated like a spiritual breakthrough. From there, things escalated into praying for his “stubbornness” and framing him as a danger to her daughter’s future happiness.
Then came the ambush. Her mom stopped by to drop off boxes, except she brought two church women along. There OP was in his gym shorts, packing tape in hand, when perfect strangers started asking him if he’d accepted Jesus. Sasha froze, but the living room had already turned into a pop-up revival nobody had asked for.
Spoiler alert: OP kicked them out, saying his home was “not your ministry project”. His new rule? No visits without an apology and no more religious stuff. Sasha’s agreed her mom crossed a line but says banning her forces an impossible choice on her. So, OP’s turned to an online community to ask if setting a basic boundary makes him a villain.
OP’s in a tricky spot but, seriously, who wants their living room turned into a surprise battleground for their soul? Why do people like Sasha’s mom think it’s OK to push their religion on others? And what’s the best way to deal with them?
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Here’s the thing: according to GotQuestions, Christians are actually commanded to proselytize – that’s the fancy word for seeking converts. And, when it comes to being a follower of Christ, what Jesus wants, Jesus gets.
Not all Christians agree on how to share their faith, though. Catholic culture, for example, makes a distinction between evangelization (inviting someone to consider Christianity) and proselytism, or trying to force conversion – we’re looking at you, Sasha’s mom.
So, if there’s no stopping them, what’s the best way to deal? Whether it’s a stranger in public, someone at your door, or a close friend or family member, the good news is that there are ways to let them know you’re not interested.
The pros over at wikiHow offer some handy tips. Some of the best include changing the subject, not taking a defensive position or engaging, expressing joy that they’ve found something that works for them, and, if you’re dealing with a street preacher, just walk away. See ya, buddy.
Well, if Sasha’s mom can’t lay off the Bible bashing, it’s OP’s relationship that’s going to need saving, not his soul. Here’s hoping she’ll respect his boundaries and leave his lack of faith out of things in future.
What’s your take? Should OP have gone along with the missionary act, or is it time Sasha’s mom got a reality check? Drop your thoughts in the comments!
In the comments, readers agreed that the guy was not the jerk in the situation and that his girlfriend’s silence during her mom’s ambush was a major red flag
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