I was raised Catholic but haven't been Catholic for decades. I did attend other churches when my kids were small, because their father insisted that we do so - but when my divorce occurred, I pretty much stopped going to church. I believe in a higher power, but I also believe I can be spiritual but not religious and don't need to attend church or be part of an organized religion to do that. My ex was emotionally and verbally abusive & left me and our children for another woman. He has now become an ordained minister and has his own church, which just really rubs me the wrong way. He has not changed, he just hides it well - that's why it bothers me so much that he's in a position of leadership in a church. He's now pushing one of our adult children to do the same.

That adult child has gone through a very recent period of extreme anger at his father due to past treatment at his hands - but has now forgiven him (which I'm glad for, because I know it helps my child's peace of mind) - and suddenly thinks he wants to go into the ministry. If that's what he wants, then I'm happy for him - but he seems to think he needs to save my soul, and has said as much recently. He wanted me to "promise to read the bible more", and was pushing me to make that promise. It pained me to reject that request, because it seemed so important to him, but I tried to explain to him as gently as possible that I don't feel the need to read the bible more, less or at all, because my beliefs don't lie in that way, and that I am happy the way I am. I feel no urging to go to church or become at all involved with any sort of organized religion - only guilt and pain at rejecting what seems so important to him.

AITAH for rejecting his requests to follow a certain religion or religious actions when I don't feel it's right for me? I'm trying to be as gentle as possible with him, because he seems to be on a journey of faith, and I don't want to discourage that if that's what he feels called to do, but I also don't think I should have to be untrue to my own feelings and what I feel is right for myself in order to make my child happy. It would be disingenuous and there's no way I could maintain it.