Any suggestions on how to handle my son over the holidays who is a born again Christian and I am an agnostic?

I am also a born-again Christian, so I hope I can help you.

Look at it this way, from his point of view, you are going to hell. It's a terrible reality that no one wants to face for their loved ones. But what you need to consider is how much he loves you to risk you being mad or annoyed or turned off by his faith, so that you can see the truth, and wont be sentenced to eternal separation from God.

If you look at his actions as the highest and most sincere form of love, maybe it wont bother you so bad. Ask him questions. Give him good reasons why you don't believe, but don't tell him he's wrong, don't get frustrated with him, and don't say, "Just let me believe and I'll let you believe" that's not going to satisfy him.

But trust me, he's doing it because he loves you.

Well first of all you say you are an agnostic - not an aetheist so you are sort of hedging your bets, sitting on the fence. Where an aetheist says "There is no God, so I can do what I want", an agnostic says "There might be a God, so I had better play it safe and be pretty good "just in case"... based on that, I don't understand why you wouldn't be celebrating Christmas in every way "just in case". I am Catholic and for my "born again" friends and relatives, I have no problem telling them that I was born once and was baptized and confirmed a Christian so I don't need to be re-born. (I do understand the "born again" concept for people who were never baptized in any faith) You love your son and you are happy for him so why can't you just relax and accept his inner peace? He is just visiting you so surely it is easy to listen to him reading to you and to be as polite and accepting to him as you would be to any guest. When he arrives, hug him, tell him how much you love him and his new clean life. Then tell him that you want to talk to him about what he's doing, his life, his friends and that you two can set aside one half-hour a day for him to read aloud to you from his Bible. What harm is there in that, especially if you are agnostic and prepared to consider all options. Better than if he wanted to read violent comic books to you or watch porn. Good grief! You also must take into consideration that people who have just turned their lives around often need help in staying on the straight and narrow. That is why there are AA meetings and support groups. Your son chooses to read the Bible each day to re-affirm himself and give him inner strength to keep clean. You should be supporting this in every way. That is what a parent does. Your upbringing and lifestyle didn't prevent him from having an abusive lifestyle and his faith in Christianity has restored him. Maybe you should give it some consideration. The very least you can do as a gift to him over Christmas is listen to him read. My son was killed ten years ago and I would give up my own life just to sit beside him and listen to his voice no matter what he was reading!!

I have a relative like this as well. And, it's not that I don't want to listen to what she has to say, I just don't want to listen to it ALL THE TIME.

I realize that you're frightened about sending him back to a lifestyle that is detrimental, but I don't think asking him to cool it for a few days is going to cause that much of a backslide. And, frankly, if he does relapse he was going to anyway. It's not your fault.

When he gets going, would it be possible to gently say "I appreciate what you're trying to say and thank you for caring so much about me. But it's difficult for me to process what you're saying when I feel I'm being preached to. Let me take a few days to think about things, and if I have any questions we can talk about it before you leave." and change the subject. Not a perfect solution, but it might give everyone the opportunity to discuss something other than Jesus.

The other solution is to say "You're right Billy. I have accepted Jesus. Yay! Pass the eggnog and let's watch White Christmas."

I would flat out tell him that he can say the prayer before the meal, and though you don't mind talking about his new lifestyle a bit, there is alot more to life to catch up on and you simply don't want to hear nonstop Bible readings. He has to respect you as much as he is asking you to respect him and his lifestyle choices.

As someone who is not a religious person, I could not stand to listen to that for days on end. I'm sorry, I would not have that in my home.

I am also a born-again Christian and I feel that you should support his beliefs out of the love in your heart for him! I date someone who practices some of the Christian (episcopal) and jehovah's witness customs and such, I respect his spirituality and he does the same in return, Like I know he doesnt really celebrate holidays except Thanksgiving and Christmas because the rest of his family does so I have to overlook these things. I told him we can just have days where we do something nice for one another that are not associated with holidays out of respect for his beliefs. He knows my faith is a vital part of who I am so he never has forced me to attend kingdom hall or anything but he has invited me a couple times who knows I may go, as long as my faith remains in Jesus Christ, I dont think it can harm my spirit.

As an agnostic, I am guessing you do not believe in hell, idk but just because you are agnostic doesnt mean you cannot hear the Word of God even if you do not agree with it or you are unsure of its truth. You can hear it and not keep it in your spirit to save face with your son. But there are a lot of good things within Christianity as there are good things within other faiths as well outside of it! So you can take the good and kind of overlook the parts you do not understand or agree.

The bible says it self in Matt 7:1 Judge not that you be not judged so he cannot pass judgement against you without condemning his self!

That is really hard. I have a sister exactly like your son - she is constantly trying to save people. I'm a Christian also, but she is really way tooo much. I try to avoid discussions on religion with her, since she is in Arizona and I'm on the east coast it is fairly easy to avoid. Not sure how I'd handle it if it were one of my daughters. I guess in your case, just try to avoid the subject as much as possible without turning your son away.

I think it is great that they are saved, but not so great that they constantly decide who they need to save and why. (I feel I am saved but my sister thinks otherwise)

Enjoy the holidays as a time of families and friends having fun together.

Who cares what the reason is.

1. Don't stay overnight at his home. Don't allow him to stay overnight at your home. If this means somebody makes hotel reservations, then make hotel reservations.

2. Agree to meet for a meal. One cannot talk (or read) with one's mouth full of food. That would be impolite.

3. Is it possible to make a deal? Tell him you will agree to attend a Christmas Eve service with him, if he agrees to avoid preaching at you the rest of the holiday season.

Yikes! Sorry to hear you're in this situation. Tell him that you're very happy that he's found Jesus, and to keep praying for you, because some day, you may find that path for yourself...and leave it at that. It's the best non-confrontational way to handle it.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE BORN AGAIN

All human beings who have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour are born again. Many individuals erroneously teach that the Lord Jesus Christ meant reincarnation by His term born again. Being born again has nothing to do with the false teaching of reincarnation, but union with God, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and holy transformation that comes ONLY through the acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as one's Saviour. Jesus said that no human being can enter the Kingdom of God unless they are born again, and that humans are born again through water and Spirit (John 3:3-6). The capital "S" in Spirit refers to the Holy Spirit (the 3rd Person of the Triune Godhead) Who one receives only through accepting Jesus as their Saviour. The water is not earthly water but the living waters that flow out of the hearts of all who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour (John 7:38). It is the same waters the Holy Spirit uses to wash and renew us (Titus 3:5) as we are transformed more and more into the likeness of Jesus our Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). This is what Jesus meant by His term “born again”.

What It Means to Be Born Again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLuZpXipO2s

The Lord Jesus Christ (the second Person of the Triune Godhead) made it clear humans have only one physical life (Matthew 25:46) and His most important teaching is that Salvation is found ONLY through faith in Him (Jesus) Who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE, THE BREAD OF LIFE and THE DOOR (John 6:35; John 8:12; John 14:6; John 10:9-11). The way to God and an eternity in Heaven is so simple but many reject it.

Without God, the spiritual part of the human being is dead (Ephesians 2:5, Colossians 2:13). The sin of our first parents (Adam and Eve) caused the separation between God and man. Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Sin causes us to be separated from God which results in spiritual death. Christ, the 2nd Person of the Triune Godhead was made flesh (through the immaculate conception) and paid the price for our sins by dying on the cross so we could THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST AS OUR SAVIOUR be instantly redeemed and united to God and have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who teaches us, comforts us and grants us fruits to live in righteousness and gifts to help and edify the Church. The only way one can receive redemption and union with God is through receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as one’s Saviour.

Only the pure and holy can enter Heaven and be with God. We human beings cannot make ourselves pure and holy no matter what we do and that's why we need a Saviour.

There are 2 kinds of people on the earth: people who love God and people who don't. Those who love God will be drawn to His Son Jesus Christ and accept him as their Lord and Saviour. Those who do not love God will not love His Son and accept Him.

1 John 2:23

Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

Those who do not love God are not good people but His enemies (Romans 5:10) and He has already prepared a place for them (Hell). Many say they love God but they are liars. How can we prove they are liars? God sent His Son to die for us, but these reject Him (Jesus) and the truth about Him.

The truth about Jesus Christ can be found only in the Holy Bible. Three days after the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, He resurrected from the dead (Luke 24:1-8; Acts 10:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4) and 40 days later, He ascended into Heaven (Acts 1:3; Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-11).

A PERSON BECOMES A CHRISTIAN THROUGH FAITH. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as one's Saviour is the ONLY WAY one can receive CLEANSING OF SINS (1 John 1:7), REDEMPTION (Ephesians 1:7), ADOPTION BY GOD (Romans 8:15), THE INFILLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, the 3rd Person of the Triune Godhead (John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 6:19), SANCTIFICATION (Hebrews 13:12; 1 Corinthians 1:2), JUSTIFICATION (1 Corinthians 6:11), TRANSFORMATION (2 Corinthians 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Hebrews 9:12-14; Titus 3:5) and SALVATION (Romans 10:9; Revelation 21:8).

When a person has faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, the Triune Godhead takes up residence within them! Adonai lives within believers (John 14:23), the Lord Jesus Christ lives within believers (2 Corinthians 13:5, Galatians 2:20) and the Holy Spirit lives within believers (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

If a person physically dies without ever having made the Lord Jesus Christ their Saviour, God would not accept them into Heaven. They would go to Hell and then at the end of the Millennium, would be thrown into the Lake of Fire.

The Lord Jesus Christ describes hell as an actual place in the afterlife:

Luke 16:22-24

“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

The Lord Jesus Christ preached on the Lake of Fire and revealed this place of torment to John in visions (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10; Revelation 21:8; Revelation 20:15; Revelation 20:14 Revelation 19:20).

REDEMPTION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH

Because mankind is incapable of meeting God’s standard of perfection necessary to abide in God’s presence (Romans 3:19-20,23), God sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay the total debt for the believer’s sins and mercifully credits to his account Christ’s righteousness (Romans 3:21-28,5:1-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Jesus’ gracious act of atonement was complete and covers all sin (Colossians 2:13-14; 1 John 1:9). Salvation is not based on good deeds but according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:4-5). Believers are justified by faith; it is a gift by God’s grace (Romans 4:3-8; Ephesians 2:8-9). A true, living faith will result in a desire to live a holy, loving life of good works (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26), but failure to be absolutely successful at righteous living does not negate the believer’s justified status.

If you sincerely say this prayer, your sins will be washed away, you will be redeemed to God, be saved from eternal torment and inherit the Kingdom of God:

"Dear Jesus,

I am a sinner.

I repent of my sins.

Please forgive me and save me by your shed blood;

come into my heart.

I want to receive you as my own personal Lord and Savior.

Amen"

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THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS AND OTHER ANCIENT NON CHRISTIAN SOURCES PROVE THE VALIDITY OF THE BIBLE:

http://www.westarkchurchofchrist.org/library/extra...

https://www.probe.org/the-dead-sea-scrolls/

FULFILLED PROPHECIES ALSO PROVE THE BIBLE IS RELIABLE:

Fulfilled Prophecy: Evidence for the Reliability of the Bible by Dr. Hugh Ross http://www.believers.org/hughross.htm

PROPHECIES OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IN EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE

http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/jesus66books.htm

The Father is God, the Son (Jesus Christ) is God & the Holy Spirit is God

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJUWnt07FQM

SEQUENCE OF END-TIME EVENTS IN BIBLE PROPHECY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMsvk3FEkWk&featur...

https://victoryinjesuschrist.wordpress.com/