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Are/Were your parents believers?

Are/Were your parents Christian believers?


  • Total voters
    18
Moderator
Staff Member
Did you grow up in a Christian home?

Did your parents lead you to Christ?

Or are you from a non-Christian family?

Share a little here.....how has this affected you?

My mother is an atheist.
And my late father was someone who occcasionally went to church at Christmas or Easter

I was saved at age 11, being a Christian at home was not easy.

However, the Lord has provided great Christian role models for me over the years since childhood.

How I thank the Lord for saving and keeping me!

Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits
Psalm 103:2
 
Active
Don't know. They were Godly people, went to church some, think they professed in Jesus In the Eastern Star an Mason's but don't know for sure, we didn't talk much about Jesus. They were both baptized as kids, I was baptized in their Trinity Baptist Church when I was 7. I was Born Again when they were gone and I was 54 years old.
 
Loyal
My mother had some faith, but we didnt have a christian home, we had a broken home, but my mother made me and my brother go to a local church from about ages 9 to 12 for sunday school mostly. At the age of 12, both me and my brother quit going. And at the age of 17, I gave my life to Christ, although just a little at first but the relationship grew better every year. Now 57.
 
Loyal
yes grew up in a christian home, although they were catholic they loved Jesus and always set a great example for me in the way they lived. Never missed church not even on vacation or out of town trips.
 
Moderator
Staff Member
@Fragrant Grace
Might take me awhile to get this down into words Sister! I'll try to keep it short, for I can be a gabber when telling this story even in part! :)

Let's see. My parents were already older....I mean older when I was born. My mom was 46 and my father was 68. My mom was born in 1910 and my father in 1888. So, a different time period for all concerned! I guess this is one reason why I don't look at age as most people do. Also, why Abraham & Sarah to me is not about unique, but more about how awesome God is in touching peoples lives. Regardless of age! See what I mean sister. This may take a while!!!! ;)

Even though I was born in the USA, my parents each came from different countries. My mother from Cuba and my father from Puerto Rico. My mother at the age of 35 almost became a nun. She was taught by the nuns for her entire life as it pertains to education except when she went to the capital to study. Catholicism I guess was what one would have expected to be the main focus for her and by default our lives, which for my brother and sister that would be an affirmative. Yet, for me that would not be the case. They went to Catholic School in their younger years, but when I came along. That all seemed to have changed! It probably had to do with my father's conversion. Which occurred sometime in his 60's and before I was born. Yet, this conversion was not into Catholicism, but to Jesus Christ! He actually got Baptized in a Baptist Church!!! Still have a polaroid of him, right before it happened! One of my mom on that day as well!

I came to find out in the years that followed that my mother's focus was not on the church, but rather if Jesus Christ was worshiped! For her that was the important thing. Good and bad in a way. For we know that deception/cults are out there which also use the name of Jesus, but not our Jesus! Meaning JW's, Christian Scientist, etc. In a misguided attempt to get me into committing my life to Jesus. Maybe, not so misguided, because in the long run her prayers were answered! However, I was taken to and studied under those cults and others throughout my, what some would call were my "formative years"! She wanted me to come to the Lord so badly, that who I came to Him through did not matter! :( Yet, I do believe this was done in love and with great innocence on her part. In looking at her life and the suffering she went through and her unwavering faith. I truly saw her faith in our Savior and Lord as being pure and surely God seeing into her heart. Saw this too. :)

My father was not a church goer. Until his conversion, I do believe at best he would probably have been an agnostic. As to why he wouldn't go to church? I do remember him saying that he wouldn't go because the church was full of hypocrites! I guess he had sat next to a man who acted all Holy on Sunday in church so everyone could see. While my father knew enough about that man that when he wasn't there. He'd be womanizing and drinking up a storm to no end and him being married! My dad was old school and after 45 years in the Merchant Marines, but for Christ and my mom in his life. I do believe he would have tanned that man's hide! Better to not go then do that! Even in his 60's and being only 5'1". He still garnered the respect of men. He just didn't suffer fools lightly. So, I guess he probably thought it better to not go then to do something which would be of great regret to all involved.

I also believe, that if he had lived past my 10th birthday that he would have probably beat me into submission to following the Lord! I believe God had another path/plans for me. :) What I do remember about him is. Here was a man that worked all day, 6 days a week and at night as I would lay in bed watching him. He'd be reading the Bible. Each and every night! I could never stay awake long enough to see him put it down! The next morning I'd find myself in my own bed :)

So, was it a Christian family? I'd have to say so. My mother taught me by example a love of the Lord and of humanity. No matter where they might be, though not having much herself. Yet, always having a helping hand for the down trodden, which were usually homeless, picking from the garbage etc. While my father showed me that no matter your age or how old you are. You can still grow in knowledge of God's Word, and to walk in a way that you'd need not be ashamed of anything in Christ Jesus.

I do look forward that one day I will see them again in Glory. This I do not doubt, but for my own life. So, as Paul says to do. I work out my own Salvation in fear and trembling. Also, not looking forward to the whopping that my father will have waiting to give me!!! ;)

Thank-you for allowing me to share a bit of my life and my parents life with everyone here at TJ Dear Sister. I always find myself amazed that I have lasted this long in this life, and truly pray that I may be helpful, if even a small bit. In the increase of our God's Kingdom and to His Glory! Alleluia.

Love you Dear Sister, with the Love of Christ Jesus.
Blessings always to you and yours!
YBIC
Nick
<><


 
Active
I gave my life to Christ, although just a little at first but the relationship grew better every year. Now 57.
Hope you don't mind, I chuckle a bit at this and just love it, makes my heart light and joyous to read/here your testimony. Simple and true, if we allow Jesus, we all increase in faith!
  • 2 Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savoir Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.
  • Romans 10:17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.
May we all grow closer to him every day!
 
Active
Both my parents were on fire for the Lord when I was growing up. They were very active in an Assemblies of God church. My dad has lost his way a bit these last few years. Being entertaining atheism and other thought. He is suffering with memories of child-hood abuse. Blames God for it. I know that God sees past this. God looks at the depths of our hearts and minds. Our phases don't always phase Him. My mother still on fire and praying for him daily.

I vaguely recall the meetings at the assemblies of God church as a young boy (like 6-7). But I have clear recollection of how I felt at these meetings. A cloud of absolute love, mercy, kindness in the air. Definitely contributed to me repenting / finding God as a young teen. I guess I initially assumed I was ok. Until God pointed out my sin that was upsetting Him. Our assumptions of what we are vs the reality is a wake up call.
 
Active
No, but my parents did marry in a church...a presy.
Mum is atheist and dad is agnostic. Think my dad did say he went to sunday school but dont know if it was a church one or one where he had to learn chinese?! We only ever went to church for weddings. Church was just the thing other people did.

I was always curious what people did in church and why they went every week, cos I never got to go. I had no idea what it was all about...i knew people sang songs and someone talked it was like assemblies in school.

My sister had a good news bible given to her by the neighbours with the stick figure drawings and I remember being such a book worm sneaking to read it. I was especially fascinated by the book of revelation. We did celebrate christmas though and I had a childlike faith and grasp of who Jesus was, although why it was mixed up with santa and snow and reindeer and chimneys I couldnt figure out lol. My parents never did the santa thing though it was my sister who orchestrated it all. But she didnt see the need for God really. I was different..I had a hunger for Him. Cos I was spritually starving. I went through years of depression and battling demons before I was saved.

How it affects me, well sometimes I have to hide where Im going on Sunday if mums in one of her moods. I dont tell her I pray for her and I didnt tell her I taught bible cos shes very antichrist.
Dad is ok that I go to church. But he never talks about spiritual matters cos he has no awareness of it. But sometimes when the weather is wrong he might complain to God about it. Cos I cant do anything about the weather!

I was led to Christ through quite a number of people but the one who sowed the seed that brought fruit was a sister online who suffered depression..and got victory. Her faith in God and her testimony drew me and she explained the gospel to me. I received it with much joy when everything sort of fell in to place after seeking..but it was Gods grace (through faith) that I was saved.

I keep praying my household will be saved but dont quite know when this will happen. Its a difficult one when its your own parents.
 
Moderator
Staff Member
@KingJ - Praying for your father that the fire he once knew be rekindled in the Lord

@Lanolin - Praying for the entirety of your family that they may come to the Lord

YBIC
Nick
<><
 
Moderator
Staff Member
Mum is atheist and dad is agnostic.......

.....How it affects me, well sometimes I have to hide where Im going on Sunday if mums in one of her moods. I dont tell her I pray for her and I didnt tell her I taught bible cos shes very antichrist.

I can relate very much to your background @Lanolin

Anything said to my mum about Jesus, Christianity or salvation is met with hostility.
She would accuse me of being judgemental etc
We even had many years with no communication.

She pushes buttons to get into an argument
I believe the Lord has enabled me to deal with this.....by flooding my heart with love and kindness at those times when my flesh would usually want to react to her goading. Through His power I no longer bite back.
And in turn she has mellowed.

Keep believing and praying sister Lanolin........He is abundantly able to save even the hardest of atheists.

Praise the Lord!
 
Active
No, but my parents did marry in a church...a presy.
Mum is atheist and dad is agnostic. Think my dad did say he went to sunday school but dont know if it was a church one or one where he had to learn chinese?! We only ever went to church for weddings. Church was just the thing other people did.

I was always curious what people did in church and why they went every week, cos I never got to go. I had no idea what it was all about...i knew people sang songs and someone talked it was like assemblies in school.

My sister had a good news bible given to her by the neighbours with the stick figure drawings and I remember being such a book worm sneaking to read it. I was especially fascinated by the book of revelation. We did celebrate christmas though and I had a childlike faith and grasp of who Jesus was, although why it was mixed up with santa and snow and reindeer and chimneys I couldnt figure out lol. My parents never did the santa thing though it was my sister who orchestrated it all. But she didnt see the need for God really. I was different..I had a hunger for Him. Cos I was spritually starving. I went through years of depression and battling demons before I was saved.

How it affects me, well sometimes I have to hide where Im going on Sunday if mums in one of her moods. I dont tell her I pray for her and I didnt tell her I taught bible cos shes very antichrist.
Dad is ok that I go to church. But he never talks about spiritual matters cos he has no awareness of it. But sometimes when the weather is wrong he might complain to God about it. Cos I cant do anything about the weather!

I was led to Christ through quite a number of people but the one who sowed the seed that brought fruit was a sister online who suffered depression..and got victory. Her faith in God and her testimony drew me and she explained the gospel to me. I received it with much joy when everything sort of fell in to place after seeking..but it was Gods grace (through faith) that I was saved.

I keep praying my household will be saved but dont quite know when this will happen. Its a difficult one when its your own parents.
Wow, I have an added new respect for you!
 
Active
Did you grow up in a Christian home?

Did your parents lead you to Christ?

Or are you from a non-Christian family?

Share a little here.....how has this affected you?

My mom grew up in the Anglican church; her dad was the church organist. My dad was anti-religion, it was just something that wasn't discussed. My brother was baptized Anglican, but when I came along, my parents decided they'd let me ''decide for myself'' once I was old enough. Even though he was baptized Anglican, I followed my brother to the United Church because he was in the choir for a couple years too.

In retrospect, I'm glad they did, because when the Lord saved me, He didn't have to de-program me from any religious training.

In retrospect, I wish someone had shared the gospel with me when I was a child. I wonder if being saved at a young age might've prevented a lot of the problems I had in my teens and given me a solid foundation a little sooner than age 29. Yes, I grew up in the United Church, but I can't say I remember hearing the Gospel, how Jesus was crucified for my sins and resurrected.

When I was saved, I decided to also follow the Lord and not be content with so-called ''fire insurance.'' My parents never encouraged ''religion,'' but I never had them discourage it either.
 
Loyal
my folks adopted me as a infant I had a club foot which meant I might have been crippled for life, but my day drove me a(when I was a baby) 45 minutes into the city every friday afternoon after he worked all week and all day on friday to have a new cast put on my leg so they could turn the club foot back to normal. I was 100% cured of the club foot and enjoyed a life of sports and recreation because of that mans commitment. My dream is that Jesus will be my dad and mom and me bible teacher at some time in eternity.
 
Loyal
My father was a good faithful Pentecostal all of his life, but I saw only about once year growing up because my mother had moved with me and my brother from Oklahoma to California earlier that I can remember. She married a Catholic and nominally that is what she was, but actually neither she nor my step-father ever attended any church that I can recall.

I remember being baptized Catholic when I was 6 years old. From that point on I became a devout Catholic and started serving as an altar as soon as they would let me. When I went to visit my father in Oklahoma my older brother and I attended a Pentecostal church during our visits there.

My brother attended Catholic services with me for a while, but he quit completely by the time he started high school. I continued faithful attendance until I graduated from high school. For many years I was the only church goer in my family. After high school I attended no where until age 32. My wife was also Catholic but like me had not attended church in a long time. That was changed through witness of a neighbor family. To this day I have never met anyone who walked closer to God as they did. It was not them urging us to go to church that did it for us. They never pressured us, but their witness was their lives. In 1976 my wife and I with our two toddler children came to Lord. We are still serving God. We now have one great-grandson.
 
Loyal
Did you grow up in a Christian home?

Did your parents lead you to Christ?

Or are you from a non-Christian family?

Share a little here.....how has this affected you?

My mother is an atheist.
And my late father was someone who occcasionally went to church at Christmas or Easter

I was saved at age 11, being a Christian at home was not easy.

However, the Lord has provided great Christian role models for me over the years since childhood.

How I thank the Lord for saving and keeping me!

Bless the Lord O my soul and forget not all His benefits
Psalm 103:2

@Fragrant Grace - This is very good! Thank you for opening up this conversation. This is true Christian fellowship where we share our hearts and our life experiences with one another, and how God changed and is changing our lives. I am enjoying reading all the testimonies here immensely!
 
Loyal
Did you grow up in a Christian home?

That is a difficult question to answer. I would have to say “No,” and this is why. My father was an abuser in the worst ways possible. At least some of my siblings and I were deathly afraid of our dad. Hatred, violence, yelling, and multiple levels of abuse toward us and toward our mother were what we knew and experienced on a consistent basis. My goal was usually to avoid him as much as possible so that I did not have to face his wrath. After my aunt set up an appointment for me and one sister (ages 12 & 15, maybe) to talk with our pastor about the physical abuse of our mother, my father was committed to a mental hospital for I think about 1.5 years (my sophomore and junior years of high school), but not because he beat our mother. The pastor said he could do nothing about that unless our mother pressed charges, which she probably would not have done. It was because God gave me the courage to tell him about the other abuses of us kids that Dad was committed.

My dad, though, was like the Pharisees. He taught legalistic Christianity at home, and he enforced it, too – you can’t drink, smoke, play cards, dance, or go to movies. We had to stay dressed up every Sunday, and we were not allowed to play with our friends on that day. And, if we put anything on top of a Bible, “wham!” That was an absolute no-no.

My mom was abused by my dad severely. I think maybe she dealt with the abuse by withdrawing into TV shows, or into her sewing or cooking/baking. We didn’t talk much. I tried, but felt like it went nowhere. I never felt she loved me. She would never say she did. She didn’t hug me or console me. She didn’t believe in praise. That wasn’t her way. She felt like she wasn’t supposed to have kids and often lamented that she wasn’t a very good mother. She was a good woman. Don’t get me wrong. And, when I was sick, she was the best! She took very good care of my physical needs, but not my emotional needs or my spiritual needs. I just couldn’t communicate with her on that level, although I tried. I just don’t think she understood me. She wasn’t like me, and I wasn’t like her, although now I do remind me of her, at times, in my looks, my mannerisms, and even in my quietness. I am not the bubbly outgoing type, and neither was my mom. But, she did a lot of good stuff for people, and she had many friends. I don’t think she knew a stranger.

But, I did grow up going to church. We went pretty much every time the doors were open. I was there Sunday mornings and nights, Wednesday nights, and for any extra services, like during missions’ conference, as long as we had transportation to get there. We didn’t always. I also got to go to church camp for a week just about every summer, because either my aunt or a lady from church would pay my way, so that was a blessing. That was heaven to me (Beulah Beach Camp), which is where I believed in Jesus to be my Lord and Savior, probably at the age of 7. As a teenager, I was also involved in youth group and Pioneer girls. My mom was always supportive of us getting involved in the church, and made certain we got there to the meetings. The church denomination was C&MA (the same as A.W. Tozer), so it was a very solidly biblical evangelical church where I heard much preaching on holiness, godliness, and the fruit of the Spirit, etc. So, I am so thankful to the Lord for that. That gave me a very good foundation for my Christian walk of faith. God is so good!

Share a little here how has this affected you?

Well, although I knew that God loved me, and he was there to comfort me, to encourage and strengthen me, as I cried myself to sleep many, many nights, I had this idea of God that he was not able to do anything about my circumstances, i.e. that he was not completely sovereign over my life and circumstances, and thus Satan had power over my life, although he didn’t, because I was a child of God. If you asked me if God was all powerful and completely sovereign I would say “Yes,” because that is what I believed with my mind, but my reactions often to my circumstances spoke just the opposite. My mind believed one thing, but my emotions believed another, which was obvious by how I often responded. And, I felt powerless to do anything about it, either, other than the Lord did give me the courage to tell the pastor about the abuses, and then when my dad came home from the hospital, and he tried again, I had the courage to tell my mom. The physical abuse stopped at that time, but not the emotional/mental/verbal abuse. It continued big time!

So, I lacked a lot of confidence, I was easily taken advantage of by others, and I didn’t believe I had the mental ability to learn much of anything beyond the Bible, especially anything having to do with social studies or science, politics, and the like. I graduated high school with a 1.4/4.0 GPA. I entered college, too, reading on a 4th grade level. I had a very hard time having an intimate relationship with my husband early on and I had a lot of hurts stored up inside of me which I stuffed inside because I had no one willing to listen to me. I felt very alone a lot of the time. And, I had a hard time knowing how to be a mother, too, but I learned. But, God healed me. He delivered me out of my fears, though I still have to fight them off sometimes, and he filled me with his joy! He loved me in ways no human ever could, and through all that I suffered, my love for him grew deeper and deeper.

I had a strong hunger for God and for his Word very early on in my life, and I just drank in the Word and wanted to grow in my walk of faith and to obey my Lord in being who he wanted me to be. I didn’t want anything to do with hypocrisy, which was modeled to me by my father, but I wanted a relationship with Jesus Christ which was real, and alive, not fake. I believe God used all the abuses in my life, and there were more, to draw me closer to him, and to make me into the person I am today, so that he could use me now in the way in which he uses me, for his glory and purposes, to be a light in a dark world in sharing his truths to the people of this world via the internet. Had I not gone through what I went through, I don’t believe I would know God’s heart like I do, and feel what he feels, and have the passion he has given me for this ministry. So, although Satan meant the bad things for evil in my life, God meant them for good, for the praise of his glory in my life. All glory to God!
 
Active
I’m enjoying these testimonies too. I found myself saying “amen!” a lot as I read through them.... :)
 
Active
My father was a good faithful Pentecostal all of his life, but I saw only about once year growing up because my mother had moved with me and my brother from Oklahoma to California earlier that I can remember. She married a Catholic and nominally that is what she was, but actually neither she nor my step-father ever attended any church that I can recall.

I remember being baptized Catholic when I was 6 years old. From that point on I became a devout Catholic and started serving as an altar as soon as they would let me. When I went to visit my father in Oklahoma my older brother and I attended a Pentecostal church during our visits there.

My brother attended Catholic services with me for a while, but he quit completely by the time he started high school. I continued faithful attendance until I graduated from high school. For many years I was the only church goer in my family. After high school I attended no where until age 32. My wife was also Catholic but like me had not attended church in a long time. That was changed through witness of a neighbor family. To this day I have never met anyone who walked closer to God as they did. It was not them urging us to go to church that did it for us. They never pressured us, but their witness was their lives. In 1976 my wife and I with our two toddler children came to Lord. We are still serving God. We now have one great-grandson.
Amadeus do you now go to a catholic church or pentecostal. Or are there now churches that are both..pentecatholic?
 
Loyal
Amadeus do you now go to a catholic church or pentecostal. Or are there now churches that are both..pentecatholic?
Actually neither. I was an active Catholic until I graduated from high school [1961] and then a nominal Catholic until 1976 when I went into the UPC [United Pentecostal Church (Oneness, Jesus Only)]. The UPC was pentecostal but did not believe in the trinity. In 1987 I began attending a non-denomination church which might be called pentecostal depending upon your definition. I am with the same group to this date.
 
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