Having Issues With My Atheist Daughter
Hello everyone,
As the title suggests, I've been having difficulties with my adult daughter (23F) who I'll call "Annie". Annie and I have never seen much eye-to-eye, but I'd liked to think we'd grow closer as mother and daughter once she hit adulthood, but that hasn't been the case. I was alerted to the fact that she was an atheist when she was 16 by her younger brother, who was very upset at that revelation. We talked to her about the multitudes of evidence all around us of our Heavenly Father's existence, how the Church was sanctified by St. Peter, how doubt is a normal part of faith, but she just brushed us off and said she was an atheist, and to deal with it.
I respect her rights to her beliefs, and while I don't like that she has rejected God's gifts to us, I've only requested that she not try to convert her siblings, which she hasn't. The biggest issue for us happened last week, when I learned that she had in fact sterilized herself. At first I didn't want to believe it, but then she told me that she found a doctor to do it, and that I had driven her to the appointment a few months ago. I do remember driving her for a scheduled abdominal surgery, though she was vague with the details, and I suppose this is why. I would not have helped facilitate this had I known the true purpose for this surgery.
I try to hide it, but I'm beside myself. I'm so angry and disheartened that she chose to do that and while she doesn't believe it's a sin, the Church says it is. I don't want to kick her out of the house (she's far too young to live on her own, and her job doesn't pay very well and she's still a full-time college student), but I also don't want my other children to be negatively influenced and think these actions are morally licit.
Please help.