Wanting some advice… —margaritajuanita

So....

my mother, who is definitely one of my most favorite people of all time and also as hardcore TBM as you get, basically, and is devastated that I don't go to church or read my scriptures anymore keeps asking me why I believe in "the words of man" more than I believe in the words of God.

Of course, it's because I don't believe those words--from the prophet (who is a man, p.s!), the bible, the bom, etc..are the words of God. However, I didnt say it like that because if she knows that I don't even believe in Jesus anymore, she would probably have a seizure or something and, truly, the last thing I would ever want to do is hurt my mom at all.

How do I even respond to something like that?

Here's what I've taken to doing recently, not only with Mormon friends but also Christian friends. If I want to not engage them on actual beliefs, yet still be intellectually honest about where I'm coming from, I just limit the discussion to practical things rather than beliefs. For instance, if someone asks whether I still believe in God or Jesus, I just say that "it doesn't do anything for me" or I "just don't feel the need for supernatural beliefs, personally."