My MIL doesn't, but my parents...wow.

I'm Pagan, and after a lot of searching and educating herself, my BD16 decided she is Wiccan. She also told me about a year ago that she's bi-sexual. My daughter is a wonderful child, never in trouble, still a virgin, sweet, caring, respectful.

My parents have straight out told me that I'm going to hell for being Pagan. That anyone who is not straight is going to hell. I don't know if they know my daughter is a bi-sexual Wiccan or not, as we rarely speak anymore, but they'd probably tell her the same thing. Their own grandchild.

I hate religious zealots of any sort, of any religion.

*edited to add* My parents are fundamental Baptists. They go to church every Sunday for months, then won't go for years. They follow their religion when it suits them. Therefore, I call them hypochristians.

I was raised to believe that you respect another persons religion. I raised my own children that way. I believe that is an essential part of raising a decent and respectful child. You may not always agree but you should show respect to your elders and especially to your parents!

Remember, that how we raise our children is very important since they will raise our grandchildren and generations to come. I personally want my grandchildren to show me respect even if they disagree with me on politics or religion!

Just saying...

I feel for you. It is very difficult dealing with people who are extreme with religion. My MIL is not too bad. She just makes me laugh, because she is forcing her husband to go to classes so they can get married (remarried?) in the Catholic Church. She was divorced from my DH's dad years ago, but is now going through annulment procedures so the marriage can take place. However, she will drop the F bomb a lot, and she is ok with her married son carrying on an affair with another woman. Not my DH, lol. She has 5 boys, and a couple of them are just rotten. If you are her "blood," you can do no wrong. However, since I am not blood, I am not nice, because I won't support DH's nasty, lazy children. She has a lot of opinions and kind of twists the religion to suit her at times, but not too bad.

My mother, however, is off the charts with religion, so that is why I can relate to you. Since I am not saved, when Jesus comes back, he is not coming for me. I am also going to burn in hell because I am pro-choice and because I have no problems with homosexuality. Now, my addict brother, who continues to lie and steal and basically destroy everything around him, is going to heaven because Jesus will keep forgiving him. And because I cut my brother off, I am going to hell. So, really, I am just going to hell, I guess. It is not funny, but I am done crying, because it has been hard-his addiction and her religion.

I DO NOT blame your skids for not liking your MIL. It is hard to hear and see what she does/is doing. As they get older, they may tolerate it more, or become more turned off. It is hard to say. I had a hard time with my mom for a while, but I am so used to it now. I feel bad for your DH, because I know what it is like to be in his shoes.

My parents are this way about religion. They are Pentecostals and pull the same thing.

For instance:

My mother refused to watch the movie Philadelphia with Tom Hanks because it was about gays (despite me telling her it was about someones rights being violated due to him having HIV). However she loves the movie Pretty Woman, a movie about a prostitute with a heart of gold. Lesson here....gays bad, prostitutes good.

My mother refused to watch any of the Lord of the Rings movies because they dealt in magic. I explained the author of the books was a Christian scholar and there was a strong Christian theme in the movie. However, she wanted me to watch Chicago, a musical about a few murdering women. Lesson here......Christian Scholars bad, murdering sluts with hearts of gold, who also sing are good.

My parents are fanatically religious and extremely judgmental. And if I recall my early years, both traits are something their big three frowns upon.

And they wonder why I'm Agnostic now.

My parents aren't religious like Shaman29. However, BM is, which there is nothing wrong with since it instills good values on the step kids and such. She is soo religious that they cant watch Harry Potter because their is a demonic aspect to the movie, but Twilight is okay. She told the Kids that Santa wasn't real when they were about 4 & 6 years old, because she doesnt like living a lie.
Me and my SO, took the kids on a weekend trip during Easter this year and we had to stop in at a hotel, his daughter 14, started to cry because we were going to lie about her age since kids 12 and under stay for free. His Son 12, also had a Major anxiety attack once when there was a really bad thunderstorm and he thought it was the apocalypse.
Talk about walking on egg shells all the time. I dont know whats offensive to say and whats not.
Just thought I'd chime in. Good luck, in laws can be quite challenging sometimes!
When you seperate its funny how they suddenly become nice(probably because were no longer with their son) LOL!

Talking about movies and Harry Potter and LOTR reminds me...

DH is atheist, but BM is Christian and is raising skids to be Christian. BM used to be Catholic, but I'm not sure if she still is.

Anyway, I raised my bios to choose their own religion based on educating themselves, and to be open minded and tolerant and accepting of other's religions from when they were little.

DH lets SD7 and SD10 (she turns 10 this weekend) watch things like The Walking Dead and 40 Year Old Virgin, things I would NOT have let my bios watch at that age, especially TWD.

One day we were talking about a Stephen Hawking documentary and SDs were in the room. SD10 asked if they could watch it. DH asked me (in code, lol) if it talked about God and disproving that a god exists. I said kind of, but they didn't come out and actually say their is no god. He told SDs that he needed to watch it first.

I laughed after they left the room and when DH asked why I laughed I just said it proved a major difference in how we parent. I would have let my bios watch that documentary at their ages and then we would have discussed it. But no way in hell would I have let them watch things like TWD, especially the 7 year old!

My bios and I do watch The Walking Dead now, and we still have long discussions about it that turn into philosophical discussions.

Oooh yeah, my fdh sister and brother in law just moved back in with fmil while they look for a house, so in fmil house it is, fdh's mother, of course, sister, brother in law, great aunt and step father. We like to call them the judgement squad. They are all super christians that can do no wrong and like to cast judgement on everyone else. When fdhs sister moved back in town (she had just graduated college) we offered her and her husband a place to stay because fmil is an overbearing passive aggressive... she actually made her daughter "choose" between her and her bestfriend because fsil was spending "too much time" with her bff instead of her mother... yeeeahh... anyhow, we offered them a place to stay and they seemed delighted that we'd offer yet when they moved back into town they moved in with fmil. Now don't get me wrong, I was slightly relieved because family living w/ you gets old quick but I was confused as to why they chose that route being they complained about fmil butting into their lives so much. Well lo and behold we later find out that they didn't want to live with us because we aren't getting married until next year and they felt it was wrong for them to "support" our decision to live in sin by moving in with us... they did however ask if they could store their stuff in our 3 car garage because we "have the room" ...apparently it's okay for our sin dust to get on their furniture but not them if they lived here? Now they complain because we have dinners, gathering etc with other couples but they never get the invite...I mean why would we? So they can sit and judge every non-married move we make? Sooo I guess it's not okay to live with us because we aren't married yet, it is however okay to party and drink it up with us in OUR home that we continue to not be married in. So stupid. The cherry on top is fdh is the first man I've slept with, while these two (fsil,fbil) have fucked 3 other people prior to marriage yet just because they kept from bumping uglies until their married night they are SOOOO self rightous... oh blow me.

wow, totally went off track with this... can you feel my frustration?? lol

To add, fmil is a psycho that hides behind her bible and does nasty things and says it's because she's a good christian and needs to.

WOW, OP, do we have the same MIL? My MIL is a bible beating holy rolling hypocrite but totally believes she is a virtuous, God fearing, perfect child of God. She is so so judgmental, so devious, and spews venom hid behind her fake churchy smile. She is the type that says if God said it I believe it, is so close minded, thinks anyone that is not of her faith is for sure damned to Hell, especially Catholics, which is so ignorant. She thinks she is so much better than everyone else because she has no worries or cares because she gives it all up to God and prays about it and never ever lets the devil (doubt) creep in and we should not either. Just pray about it, I get SO sick of hearing that. What is funny about her is that she will pray about this or pray about that, then whatever it was she was praying about, goes in the exact opposite direction of what she was praying for and she completely switches gears and pretends like that is what she wanted. I am in no way bashing religious people. I believe in God. What bothers me about her is it is all so fake. She to me, is just an old woman trying to get into heaven by talking the talk but not walking the walk but then having the nerve to come down on everyone else for their shortcomings. She is like some of the rest of the poster's family, she won't watch Harry Potter, because magic is of the devil, but relishes in Halloween and other things that you would think she would freak out about. She is alays bashing network tv for being so immoral, but if it is a show she likes, well it is just harmless entertainment. I stay away from her as much as possible. My DH's issues are directly related to being raised by this wishy washy woman.

Wow, I remember when my former MIL was shocked and horrified that I was reading "The Satanic verses" by Salman Rushdie, it being a book about devil-worshipping and all. Effing backwards morons. She also subscribed to the whole Focus on the Family weirdness, anything that justified beating your kids and spouse.