im 12 y/o and i just don't want to be a muslim anymore. not because im not proud of the religion, i dont want to be muslim because i dont agree with the religion. being a muslim means the person i want to be when im older can not exist. and the thing i want to be when im older requires for me to wear trendy clothes and the trendy clothes are short skirts, croptops, etc. and it's against islam,, but there are so many more reasons to why i dont want to be muslim too, but this was just one. please reply, since i cant handle this anymore and feel guilty and depressed about it.
Sam
Hi there,
Everyone has the right to have their own faith, beliefs and values - and this includes having no faith. When you’re younger it's common for parents to introduce you to the values and beliefs that they hold, but when you grow up you will start to form your own opinions.
Whether you have grown up within a faith or not, there may come a time when you find yourself questioning the way things have been presented to you. It's natural to question things and it's good to do that. Questioning your beliefs is how you get to know more about yourself and what your values really are.
If you have grown up in a family or community with strong religious beliefs it can be very difficult to leave those behind. You might be worried that parents will be disappointed which can add emotional pressure to stay within that religion even if you no longer wish to . It's important to know that it's okay to be true to what you believe, even if that isn’t shared by the people you care about.
There may be a lot of friends and a community around you who believe the same things your family does, which can also make it difficult to be open about how you feel. It can feel like a very lonely place when you have to pretend to believe something that you no longer do. There are lots of people who have left religions before and there can be just as strong a community among non-religious people. It might be a good idea to talk to young people who have similar doubts about their faith. Childline's message boards have a section for spiritual and religious problems - it might help to post there to see if anyone else has left Islam and to see what their experiences have taught them.
I hope this has helped. If you feel like talking more about this, our counsellors are there for you to talk to.
Take care.
Sam
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