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A Friday Vent
My FIL is super uber duper Catholic. He used to be an alcoholic when DH was really young and when he gave up drinking he took up religion big time. There isn't a problem with that, the problem lies in that we are not nearly as religious as he is and he tries to push things on us.
My vent is that today he sent us an email with a link to an article where it says that yoga is not favourable in any form from the churches perspective and then says..."not sure how it would apply to hot yoga....". I do yoga for the exercise, not for the spirituality. But there is no point in even arguing with him so likely we will just pretend I don't do yoga anymore.
This is kind of like the time he gave us an article that said that vaccinations were made from aborted fetuses...... 
He says that he feels like it's his job to make sure our soul's go to heaven and that he will do anything he can to make sure that happens even if it means we will be frustrated/angry with him. So now we just kind of listen to what he has to say, give up on arguing and go about our business.
Any advice for dealing with something like this?
I hope this doesn't offend anyone, that is definitely not my intention.
Re: A Friday Vent
Kate's Recipe Box || Relatively Bookish
Same physical church? No - they live about 3 1/2 hours away from us. We are Catholic as well though. They usually go to Ukrainian Catholic mass though and we go to RC when we go. Same fundamental views though.
I was thinking that because he can't physically see you in church every week he might be more "concerned". If that makes sense.
I would just tell him that you're happy with the spiritual guidance you're getting from your current priest/church. And repeat it every time he says something.
Kate's Recipe Box || Relatively Bookish
How frustrating! I like Kate's suggestion though, it sounds the most "leave me alone" without being rude. I don't really know how to deal with people like that, usually I just say uh huh and then ignore or avoid them. My aunt is super Catholic and sometimes used to get on me about things, usually I would let it go in one ear and out the other. We're Catholic and I'm pleased with the way I've always done things and the churches I've gone to. T is way more religious than I am though, we always get into the "are eggs allowed during Lent?" argument. He insists eggs are meat and shouldn't be eaten on Fridays during Lent, and I argue right back with him that vegetarians eat them, therefore they aren't meat and I'll eat them all I want. But it's different to argue with my husband than with someone else.
I'd just say "thanks for the advice" and leave it at that. If he still gets on you, take Kate's advice and say you're happy with the spiritual guidance you're receiving at your own parish and move on.
I have never heard of cradle catholic before but I guess I am one too. Dh isn't Christian he believes in god but not real,y organized religion. I don't agree with a lot of things the catholic religion stands for but still consider myself catholic because that is how I was raised. My dad is ?ber religious and would have liked Brin to be baptized but I can't convince dh to do it. Oh well. My advice is the same as pp, I usually ignore/ smile & nods.
Many of you know that faith is super uber important to me but I recognize that it isn't for everyone. It has brought me such joy, happiness and peace that I of course want to share that with the ones I love... so I get where he is coming from to an extent. I think the couple pushbacks I'd have to the parents is that the basis of the Bible (on which all Christians, Catholics too, found their faith) is being saved/going to heaven based on grace, not works or things we do/don't do. Honestly, my God would not roll over and lash out lightning if I ate an egg or not during lent. Honestly, I do not observe lent. Lent isn't in the Bible and there lies the line between religion and a relationship with God.
I think you can try to do what Kate says or if he doesn't let it go... there's a lot of valid, theological debate about those things (yoga, egg eating in the pp) and my side of the debate is that there is nothing in the Bible that suggests those things are wrong. Nowhere does God say dont stretch and exercise your body. In fact, the Bible says your body is a temple and to care for it. The question within church is opening your mind up to "meditation/chants/etc." I think you could probably tell him that modern day yoga classes are exercise based and not at all related to religion/faith. I love yoga! You can explain that there is no chanting/meditation of sorts... that it is simply stretching and strengthening your body... in fact if it comes up, tell him that you are going to a strength/flexibility class! If he is worried about your soul... quote him Ephesians 2: 8-9... it isn't anything that we do, not our works, that saves us...
Anyway, I think that when someone mentions something to me that we "should" or "shouldn't" do (like drinking, dancing, etc) in religion, I respond by, "show me where it says that in the Bible." Yoga and eggs were not on God's discussion list back then... doubt they would be today... just my two cents.
If they can't, my response is, "I lovingly thank you for your concern, but my ultimate authority is to God and His word and if it isn't in there, that's someone else's opinion, which I respectfully disagree with."
PS... Yvonne... I think you were the one with the egg thing... I think my response would be, "can you eat bread during lent?" which of course he'd respond yes to... and my response would be, "well, bread is made with eggs!"
I can be such a debater,lol!