Have you ever been in this situation?

I still have the Bible I was given when at secondary school in 1975, every pupil received one according to the religion on their records. Mine was down as RC as I was baptised in the RC church. It's been so well read by my DH that the cover is falling apart.

I also have a big and beautiful family RC Bible that my maternal grandmother bought many years ago. I would often go to mass with her when ever I stayed with her as child. My mum told me many years later that she'd bought it from a door to door sales man. It had been rather expensive and the reason she bought it was because she was looking after my brother at the time when he was a baby, she was having rather a tottering time with him as he wouldn't stop crying and the only way she could get rid of the sales man was to agree to make a purchase.

That sounds lovely annodomini, what a wonderful family heirloom to be able to pass on.

I have a gigantic family bible, going back a good 150 years. It has various records of births, deaths and baptisms inserted.

I won mine. At Sunday School. [halo]

Yes I have a bible - two in fact, as I have one in French as well for some reason. The English one I bought during my teen years (the 1950s).

It could do with the attentions of good editor. Did you know that one chapter appears, word for word, in two OT books?

Whilst not believing in God, I would always capitalize such a book out of respect to those that hold in the highest regard, ie The Holy Bible : Quran : Pāli Canon, etc.

Thank you Ariadne. Much support and empathy has been given and gratefully received. I've found my pming with soontobe especially helpful. All of your posts have been shared with my DH and he too is thankful for all of the contributions.

You have all stirred us in to re examining the direction we've been going in and that is no bad thing. My DH has just read me this quote from CS Lewis
"God who fore saw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain".

cos it's so important

Thank you Pompa I am glad I am not alone.

If it refers to the Holy Bible it should be capitalised.
If it refers to a reference work ie. the birdwatchers bible it would be lower-case.

I never knew that the Bible had to be spelt with a capital B. I will look it up sometime.
I dont think Smileless will mind me saying that I we have been pming, and so support and empathy has been given.

Diverting and intrusive questions are not, I think what is needed here, nor are quotations (much as I love a good quotation) but empathy and support are needed, and I know will be much valued.

Smileless I do hope you find your way through this quandary. If I believe in nothing else, I believe in the power of (human) love. x

Why do you ask feetlebaum if he has a Bible? And why do you write it with a lower case "b"?

I think it is the loud ostentatious praying that is frowned on, in the Bible and by individuals - like the The Pharisee's, who stood by himself and prayed: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other people--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector."

feetlebaum - "Where three or four are gathered together in my name..." ?!

soon, it's not necessarily "understandable". That makes it sound like something we need forgiveness for. It might be something to be glad about.

I'm sorry if I'm splitting hairs here.

feetlebaum - can I ask, do you have a copy of the bible?

Brummiegran, it is totally understandable to relate to how you were brought up.

For anyone who wants a look, there are a large number of references on google about public prayer, prayer requests etc.

I do not think that prayer is something that is answered directly - all assuming that you believe in the existence of a god or gods - but most religions have texts that set out the principles by which to live and these are usually about love and kindness (in spite of the way that this has universally been corrupted). These are the principles that might help smileless in her dilemma.

I recall that prayer in public is expressly condemned in the 'holy book' of the Christians...

Hi smile less, yes the Protestant reformation reordered the bible and separated then dismissed some of the Old Testament. The New Testament is the same. What is really different is, I think, the approach and focus on God directly intervening in your life. I have evangelical friends and when they pray publicly for certain things I feel embarrassed. It was never part of my upbringing.

Yes. Try to enjoy your holiday and let this all float away for a while.

Smileless I cannot think of any writing in the bible that would advocate a grandmother being denied a normal close relationship with her grandchildren.

I don't know the passages he is quoting at you, but even if he considers you to have broken one of the Ten Commandments (! ) there is no way the punishment for that would be taking love out of a child's life. Is he by any chance quoting the "sins of the fathers being visited on the children" stuff?

But I guess it's not going to help for us to get involved with the war of the quotes. It's just very puzzling. And hard to understand.

I am glad to hear that you are enjoying a holiday in Florida smileless - great stuff.

Have confidence (dare I say faith!) in your well-thought-out decision, painful though it is. Your son needs to understand that this decision is taken with the background of the principles of your faith, but that you can also empathise with where he is coming from.

Enjoy the sunshine - which I assume you have there.

Well said Absent, you need to believe what God has said to you, how others interpreter what they believe he has said to them, you cannot influence.
Be true to your own beliefs.
Tolerance will prevail eventually.

Smileless 2012 Only you know if God has spoken to you. If you truly believe that he has, then no amount of quotes from Scripture makes a jot of difference. Ditto for your son.

I was raised RC but had a sense of the Divine when I was very small, This feeling has come and gone over the years. I'm not RC now but C of E and find comfort going to services occasionally.

The sense of the Divine has matured since I was a little child (under 5) but it has helped me in times of trouble. I can only describe it as pure light.

Never doubt yourself Smileless but do speak to a local priest or vicar. That's their job after all and I'm sure they would be glad to speak with you.

When my Dh passed away a very strong woman vicar visited me and was very helpful indeed.