I have been having similar talks with my father for over 30 years but to no avail.He was once religious but he has come to the conclusion that religion is bullshit ,but he still believes in a god . I have come to realize it is impossible to talk sense and logic to someone who believes in god because they want to believe in god and enjoy it similar to an addiction to a drug .It is not a matter of intellectual inferiority but a cultural and environmental conditioning that is almost impossible to overcome mostly born of fear ,so they are afraid to not believe .He accepts my non belief and has absolutely no problem with it .

I do not believe that in most instances they are UNABLE to see through it; it's that they do not wish to do so. What else is there for ordinary people, those who have not actually given this subject much thought or study? Almost no one finds the alternative attractive---simply ceasing to be---so they khold to the "better deal."

They can't see the contradictions, because religion 'brainwashes' people into not seeing them.

Like my favourite 'tease' for door knockers (mostly JWs): Problem with Adam/Eve and garden of Eden expulsion. They wouldn't have eaten the apple.

The serpent tempted them.

They would have resisted.

But they had 'free will'.

So, they were free to resist?

But the serpent/satan is clever, etc...

They would have seen through the lies.

Serpent/satan is VERY clever! They were only human, fallible and weak (They always get to this point )

Ah, but god made them 'perfect'. They wouldn't have been fooled .....

I know it's silly, but always funny to see the JW's confusion. Some of the mental contortions they perform to reconcile the contradictions......

I'd like to share something I wrote shortly after my brother passed. I hope it helps a bit.

It's been a couple of weeks since my brother passed and I have not really said anything about it For the rest of my life Christmas will always be the time Jamie left this life. But it will also be the time that he rejoined the greater universe.

I am not a religious man and I don't know what lies beyond this life if anything. I do know a few things. The tiniest particles in our bodies, the atoms of calcium in our bones, the iron in our blood, all of these are born in the heart of a star. When this star reaches the end of its life cycle, it erupts and spreads these atoms into the universe where they join other elements and give birth to another star. Some of these starts have planets and, on our little bit of star stuff, life is born. I like to think that my brother has simply gone back to the universe and the particles that once were him will, one day, be scattered once again.

I like to think that some of him will become part of another world, another living thing, perhaps a brother who loves and is loved.

A writer once said that we all have time machines. Those that take us into the future are our dreams. The ones that take us to the past are called memory. I find Jamie when I use either one.

May you all have a wonderful Christmas and the New Year bring health and happiness.

It's staggering to me the number of people who will simply accept what they're told without questioning it or applying critical thought to it before reaching that decision. Religion coulldn't survive without this intellectual indifference. Ask your dad if he's ever thought critically about what he believes.

I'll bet he hasn't.

And so it goes! Just b/c you love someone, doesn't mean you can educate them.

So basically your dad is telling you his god is going to burn you forever if you don't tow the line and yet he is still willing to worship the bastard.
You obvious have more love for your father than he does for you.

We've been living in 'end times' since the invention of religion... Religious people don't accept the many times this prediction had proven to be false.

One thing about your dad: he loves you and cares about you. He wants the best for you, that I'm sure of. He most likely accepted the false promises and contradictions long ago about God and at this point IMHO he will never let them go.

Just love him and your mom back... And this subject will come up again. You will need to choose between your truth and their comfort in the fairy tales their Good had given them.

The best to you and your family.

The belief in an end of times is ancient. For example, the giant jubilee at 1000 CE was based in part on the belief that the end was coming then. Following Jesus' death, his followers expected it then.

End times coming is So hard core! Can you do anything to find out about their finances? Because these End Time people tend to be Very rapacious! Hugs!

Take your time.... They have been predicting the "end times" for hundreds of years.

He should be more concerned about how Donald Trump is killing the world!

Keep in mind the nature of faith. Your parents were immersed in their's from the moment they could understand speech, probably went to church with their parents every Sunday of their childhood clear into their adult lives. If they ever had a question of faith the support system around them would pull or possibly scare them back into the fold until those religious beliefs became a part of their very being. I think most of those my own age were caught in the same trap not having or seeing the countless other possibilities not afforded our ancestors. The adage "old habits die hard" is not only true, it's practically the rule where religion is concerned. Is there a way to reach someone thoroughly indoctrinated into a belief system, sadly short of creating a lot of pain and alienation not really. The most you can do is explain to your father that your belief system while built on the one he taught you has expanded beyond it. You and hopefully your father will accept and understand that, then build a new relationship from there.

They don't WANT to see through the contradictions. I can imagine it would be hard to question what you've believed without question for your whole life and admit to yourself it's BS. That's why I think most change (not just religious) is generational. It takes each generation being less religious, you aren't going to change the mind of adults who have believed certain things their whole life. Not often, anyway.

Yeah.."faith" doesn't need logic or facts. Neither does fanatical belief. Studies show that people who have fanatical beliefs have metacognition problems in a portion of their brains..they are unable to see their own errors, or resolve cognitive dissonances.

[bigthink.com]

It's Damn hard when family is involved

I have argued for a long time that an omniscient omnipresent all-powerful universe-creating god would no doubt also exist in all of time simultaneously. At the very least be able to will itself to any point in time.

Some people find hope and peace by believing and that is fine as long as they don't try to "convince" others about their believes. You just stick to what you believe in and go easy on your dad.

Watch some of Anthony Magnabosco's Youtube videos, or read anything by Peter Boghossian. Anthony bases his street epistemology approach on Peter's techniques. Fantastic non-confrontational conversations that have theists rethinking their belief. Granted, some don't want to think, or question their belief because in doing so, it has been hardwired in them to NOT do that.
These discussions don't have to be 'uphill battles,' however, if they cause too much grief or tension, hate to say, it, perhaps, putting effort to surreptitiously eschew the discussion all together.
My highly christian orthodox best friend and I avoid these topics of discussion, because IF in the case I would have a breakthrough with him, he would have to completely re-evaluate his entire life decisions. Coupled with the fact he uses religion as a coping mechanism, i'd feel terribly responsible to remove that crutch from him. However, if he came to me, on his own, I'd definitely have this discussion with him in the utmost respectful "Boghossian" way

Don't blame him for centuries of traditional belief. The inquisition still exists, just softer and gentler. Love him for who he is and continue to question.

In their older age, people do not give up their core beliefs readily. My father and mother died as believers. They knew that I was not, but we simply chose not to talk about it.

My folks were pretty much like that. It was difficult for me to deal with it when I was young. As I grew old, I learned to dance around that stuff and tell them what they wanted to hear. I understood I wasn't going to change their old school mind set. IamGlad I did, they are both gone now but at least I have good memories from their last years.

Even if he's right about "the end times" being near, it's still false that anyone "should make a decision soon".
As Matt Dillahunty often points out, we can't choose our beliefs. We're either convinced or were not.

Best to just accept their religious nonsense and not quarrel with them about it.

I agree with the idea that supposedly was stated by Pele, Everything is Practice! Recently I came across DISC theory. I see a lot of society that seems to fall within this idea, but of course thats my Idea. It comes from Professor Masterson who I am looking forward to reading his book emotions of normal people which expands on his theory, Discipline,Inducement,Submission, Compliance. This is the person who is credited with creating Wonder Woman as well as the Lie detector machine. His thought was that it is within people to want to submit to a loving authority but that forced compliance brings about repression. I think that can be seen in most standard religions. I personally enjoy the study of theology and psychology. Ive been in this thing in my own mind and dealing with anger at religion. I have practiced not getting into debate of what I do or do not believe, but mind you it is only a practice. I continue to practice learning and finding my own path wherever it leads me and having an idea. I remember from 12 steps the idea that religion is for people who are afraid of hell, spirituality is for people who have been there. I have also laughed a little too hard at things like a meme where there is a picture of pat robertson next to the crypt keeper and it says one of these is an animated corpse attempting to scare the shit out you with words from a musty old book and the other is the crypt keeper or [cc.com] . I don't think anyone exist that hasn't had parental issues to deal with, me included. Part of that issue was being sent to Southern Baptist school when i was 5 after my father died. Im grateful though that it wasn't about my belief though and what I needed to believe wasnt pushed by my mother at home. I found out that actually had to do with my aunts issues with my fathers family a separate issue all together. I can't speak for everybody but for me I have come to learn that for the most part people do what they can at the time. They don't mean to hurt others and are not aware of the harm that their actions can cause others. Mostly they are lost in their own issues and reacting to them. I could go into a whole lot of issues and go way off track but the main thing here is that im sharing my idea of the practice to be kind whenever you can but don't hide your truth even if your truth is i don't know, i think I don't know is one of the best answers out there and its okay to be honest with your father. Its been my practice to talk it over with a counselor so that i practice not speaking my truth in a hateful way, agin its a practice cause i can tell you from past experience I have definitely worded my answers to inflict the most pain possible when i have felt hurt by others. I wish you the best in your journey dealing with this and am open to discuss

It's the brainwashing.