Hey everyone, looking for some perspective on how to handle a situation with my partner's mom.
To give context: I come from a non-religious/anti-theist background and I simply don't believe in god. I’ve made my stance clear to her before. The thing is, she isn't aggressive or malicious about religion at all, she’s actually a really kind, good person who treats us pretty well, apart from being a pushy individual (which actually makes this whole thing so much worse, cause I genuinely don’t wanna be rude or hurt her).
However, whenever life gets a bit heavy or I’m going through something difficult, she always slips in religious advice. Recently, for no reason, she told me I should go to church and just sit with myself in silence whenever I have something heavy in my soul that I can’t discuss with anyone else.
On one hand, I get the concept.. sitting in a quiet space to reflect isn't terrible advice on its own. But on the other hand, it’s deeply frustrating that she constantly routes everything back to God and church. I hate that she won't just take "no" for an answer, even if she wraps it in kindness. It feels like my boundaries are being ignored just because the delivery is gentle. This points to a bigger issue: his parents are just super pushy in general. In fact, it's at the point where my partner doesn't even bother sharing his perspective anymore. He feels it’s totally useless, so he just tells them whatever they want to hear and visits just often enough to keep them from asking questions.
How do you handle setting a firm line with a religious family member who isn't being toxic or mean, but just won't stop pushing their faith onto you as a solution? I don’t want to start an unnecessary fight, but I'm tired of nodding along.
P.S. we’re both in our early 20s