What's worse, force someone to pray or let them be?

The way your mother is telling you to pray isn't a very nice way to do it. And, by threats, she's making it sound like if you don't pray you're doomed for all time. Yes, we should all pray, but unfortunately being Catholic, your mother feels bound to restrictions, traditions, and rules which are not easily broken, and she's afraid that if she teaches you and your brothers and sisters "wrong" according to the church, that her own soul is endangered, and that's a shame. I'm a protestant Christian, and we have no such restrictions. I do pray (sometimes not as often as I should), but we aren't taught that there are harsh consequences if we don't pray according to the church's "rules" or whatever. Nobody can be forced to do anything, whether it's praying or going to church, and in doing so, she doesn't realize she's pushing all of you away from her and God rather than to him. I hope this will be resolved soon before more damage occurs. The pathway to Hell is paved with good intentions. Sometimes we have good motives, but they're gone about in the wrong way, sending people down the opposite path.