Hey sam, recently my mum and her partner have suddenly gotten interested in jahovas whitnesses, i hear that they dont celebrate christmas and birthdays and i know this may seem a little bit selfish but im12 years old and have never realy come in to contact with god or relligions and im not sure if i actually want to be a jahovas whitness and to be honest i dont mind learning about it but anything further makes me worrie to much. my mum has also recently said that you are not a good, nice and kind hearted person if you dont believe in god, but i know that people dont have to believe in god to be ether of these things.
can you help me get through this?
Sam
Hello,
Im so glad youve written to tell me whats happening in your life right now.
It sounds like religion hasnt played a big part in your upbringing so far but now your mum and her partner are interested in Jehovahs Witnesses and youre worried this is going to bring a lot of changes to your life.
Its positive of you to be willing to learn about something new, like the set of beliefs that Jehovahs Witnesses follow. Im not an expert on it, but I know there are rules within the religion and youre right when you say some relate to whether Christmas and birthdays are celebrated.
I get the sense you feel confused by your mum now saying that only people who believe in God can be viewed as good, nice and kind hearted. Youre not sure about this, and you wonder why it would be that people who arent religious cant also be good. It may be too early to know how much your mum will want her new religious beliefs to affect your life, but it makes sense youre feeling worried and unsure about what might be a big change in your life.
You ask if I can help you get through this, and I know ChildLine would like to help you with that. It would be good to have a conversation with one of the ChildLine counsellors, or with a trusted adult in your family, or even at school. With their support, you might feel more able to voice how you feel to your mum and her partner, if there are ways in which you feel uncomfortable with their new religious beliefs. And if you cant phone or log in for a 1-2-1 chat with a counsellor, you can also communicate with them through the ChildLine Email.
There is also a board specifically about Faith and religion in the message board. You can look at if you want to read what other young people are thinking and saying about religion in their lives. You could even start your own thread, to ask about other young peoples experiences of Jehovahs Witnesses.
Take care,
Sam
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