I was raised christian-baptist but always doubted and FEARED. I was seriously scared of everything ..then I started to question and tried my very hardest to prove god existed..but I couldn't..now that I have let go of all religion I feel like a ton of bricks have been lifted off of my shoulders! For the first time I feel FREE! I live in the south so I seriously do not know ANY atheist and this will seriously piss my family off..how do I tell them?!
I'm not in high school Lil. I am married and living with my husband.
@blah blah yep I can say those things without fear because it's not real. I didn't just become an atheist 5 seconds ago and decide to inform the Internet. It's something that I have known for about 6 months. You Dont know my life mind ya business.
Just get it out in the open. They're open about their beliefs, aren't they - so don't feel bad about it. They have their beliefs, and you have yours... Sort of. ;D
That is always a difficult thing.
My grandfather goes to church everyday, and I have accepted that I am an atheist for the past 11 years (I think I always was, but didn't truly accept it). I still haven't told him, although I haven't been in a church in 10 years. Are your parents avoid ant? Maybe you could just stop going to church, and let it be implicit instead of explicit.
It really depends on your parents. If you think that your parents will be OK with it then I think you should just sit them done and say something along the lines of how people can be good regardless of whether they believe in god or not and give some examples of good atheist role models. If they seem to agree with you then tell them that you're an atheist. If you don't think they will react well then I don't think you should say anything until you've moved out of home.
Wow! A ton of bricks off your shoulders .... and the first thing you do is skitter off to a forum about religion and spirituality and author questions using phrases such as " ... your precious book ...".
do you feel a need to tell them? if it will cause problems, why not just avoid it? its your own business. if you find yourself at a table where grace is being said or constantly in situations where you re expected to act like a christian, i would just tell them. if not , dint bother. sometime its better to lie to Pol you care about. for their sake. a lie of omission
Before you tell your parents, perhaps read the Bible for yourself. The fear you speak of was probably induced by the preacher/s rather than the Bible.
There should be no fear in God.
Try to look beyond "the church" and to a God who creates the beauty around you and who loves you, doubter or otherwise.
Ultimately though, you are responsible for your own actions and your parents cannot live your life for you, and neither can they force you to believe something you cannot accept. But neither can they be blamed by you for refusing God, so look at your relationship with God, rather than your relationship with "the church" and its adherents.
It really is none of their business, unless it is your husband. You don't need to make an announcement, but if the subject comes up, its best to tread lightly.
Don't tell them but don't lie if they ask or anything. That's usually what I do although not exactly because my family members are all Atheists except for my mom kinda but she's just a hypocrite. With my friends they usually ask me I tell them, they ask me why, I tell them my reasoning, I ask them what they believe, they tell me then try to convert me, after that I'm like respect my beliefs and I'll do the same, then they're like OK... Fine but you're going to Hell you know, then I'm like I don't believe in Hell, then they're like right... Whatever. And after that it usually never comes up again. It's pretty stupid and strangely standard. I assume your family will flip out though. Only one person has ever even kind of flipped out at me and basically said you have to try every single religion until you find one you believe in and if you don't then you can rightfully be an Atheist because you know none suit you but she was like really pissed off and screamed about it. I was like 10 at this point and I was embarrassed cause my mom sided with her and I was all by myself on that argument which had never happened to me before. I was so mad at her after that and from that day forward, I hated all of my moms friends... Because they're all the same.
I probably can't relate very well, because all my entire family are atheists. I think you need to tell them in person (so they can't hang up the phone) and just tell them gently and respectfully of their religion. If they ask, state sensitively why you don't believe. Tell them you love them, and hope they don't break family bonds over something so trivial.
Atheist: How do I tell my family I'm an atheist?
