Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Tyler Durden on February 14, 2009 at 2:09pm

Well, I only live with my mother, and she was cool with it. We're not all that religous in my family. Sure they believe in God, but not the way everyone else sees him, being a supernatural being sitting in the clouds judging who's good and who's bad *I.E. Santa Claus?*, but more like an aura people use for motivation. When I told my mother I was an Athiest, she just said "Alright, whatever floats your boat."

Permalink Reply by Femina Irata on March 31, 2009 at 10:55pm

Oh, please don't make that statement that "Parents will always love you no matter what". That's wonderful that it's true for you, and for many people, but there are some of us that are not so lucky.

I don't mean to sound snarky, it's just one of those things I've heard too often, and it gets under my skin. It's just another bit of conventional wisdom that must be examined. :)

Permalink Reply by Alise on March 22, 2009 at 7:02pm

None of my family knows that I'm an atheist, though I'm sure it's suspected since I constantly am criticizing religion in more subtle ways and I've never been interested in going to church. I know I will say something eventually, but at the moment I'd rather keep the peace. I'm sure my parents would get over it, but I'm very worried about the effect on my grandma, not that she would disown me or anything like that, but I know it would make her very sad and worried, and I don't want her to feel that way on my account.

Permalink Reply by Femina Irata on March 31, 2009 at 10:53pm

My mother knows, but like other things about me that she knows (my bisexuality, my childfree choice, my pot smoking), she prefers to act as if she doesn't. Her whole side of the family is uneducated and very christian, with a weird sort of dogma that's half-bible, half-folk superstition. She's a bit less fervent, and thinks her brother's fundamentalist evangelism is silly, but I think she just believes because she doesn't know what else there is.

My father's weird. I choose not to speak to him for complicated reasons, but I am actually thankful he's an agnostic. Unfortunately, the beliefs he clings to are anti-abortionism and a vague afterlife-idea. My problems with him are not religious in nature, while my mother still gets this idea to try and drag me to church every once in a while.

Permalink Reply by Richard Thomas Buffalo on April 9, 2009 at 2:08am

My mother is an agnostic so it wasn't a big deal here. However for my family who lives in N carolina, they took it rough.

Permalink Reply by Terry on June 4, 2009 at 7:19am

This is going to be quite a long read but it has a message at the end for most people wondering if they should come out of their solitude and tell their loved ones. Even though my profile says I have some christians in my family I talk to rather openly, it doesn't detour from the fact that when I was first having doubts about catholicism I was ostracized in some regards by my mother whom I was always very close to. I'll never forget that honest comment in the front yard that one day when I told her I don't think I'm catholic. The look on her face was probably the most disappointed I have ever seen her. I started leaning towards evolution around 12 or so then one day I was confronted by my mother as to why I had lost my faith (the first of many conversations to ensue.) I remember she had mentioned all the glory of nature and how that was proof of God's existence. I explained the ancestral algae present about 3.4 billion years ago and what came to be after that. After saying the complexity of nature is no mundane thing in all of it's cellular magnificence she had called me evil and said I was lost. Even called me the devil a few times. Even in my thirst for evolutionary knowledge I constantly had nightmares about burning in hell. One night after hearing me scream from a nightmare my mother checked on me and I broke down asking if I was going to burn forever. After a while she tried to recommend I use faith and science in my life, but more and more I would see nature as non-sentient and without justice to the weak. It got to the point where she had said she doesn't want to see my emotionless face saying it was "Too much science" and telling me "Should you find faith in something my arms will always be open." I snapped back saying no they wouldn't. but shortly after wards I had convinced her over the years that satan does not exist and she's less fanatic about it now, and it seems like without talking about it we are once again mother and son. So if you haven't already Alina just keep trying to avoid telling them, I don't think the resentment is worth it. Not to mention that a "Trusted Friend" can find out and tell people, making it hard to make friends. I think life as atheist is rather lonely but I'd rather have loneliness than ignorance.

Permalink Reply by Josh on June 27, 2009 at 8:43pm

My parents know. Not that big of a problem though dad brings it up when i am with him and he's with one of his friends. Mom doesn't bother that much. so all around their cool with it

Permalink Reply by Corey Garrison on June 27, 2009 at 11:54pm

thats kinda bullshit that your parents would pretty much disown your for something as stupid as this but i could see it happening pretty easy.

my parents are the same way and when i told my dad i was atheist he just told me he was the same way when he was my age and one day ill grown into the truth, it was something stupid like that. im pretty sure that when he was my age he just didnt care and in my case i know for a fact that there is no such thing as a god. when you really really have to just stick it out and ride along with you parents you can, iv had to do it alot. but once you get to the point where you can just come out and slap them in the face with it... it just feels good :D i know im not like everyone else but i really enjoyed being able to separate myself from my parents in this way

PS. is it ok to curse on this site? im saying shit and fuck and all kindsa other stuff and i dont see anyone else saying anything, just want to know if there is a rule saying not to swear xD

Permalink Reply by EdnaTheFlighty on July 1, 2009 at 10:04pm

It seems absurd that people would want their kids to grow up less informed and less free-thinking.

I feel like a spoiled brat, having parents that don't mind, or even encourage my atheism. My dad himself is an atheist, and I live with my mother, who is a Protestant. She is kind of one of the more liberal of Christians, and I'm grateful that she just lets me sleep in on Sundays now.

Maybe it's just the environment; in Canada I feel like atheism is pretty much as common and accepted as almost all forms of theism. We're all a bunch of hippies up here I guess.

Permalink Reply by Silver on July 11, 2009 at 12:39am

I kinda feel like that sometimes as well.
Mom's nontheist, she believes that there is something special about life as in the way that the body goes back to the earth when something dies, and how the energy of living thing goes into other living things
Dad's an agnostic. He has a habit of going up in public and questioning christian displays at fairs and such.

I honestly find it absurd that the other nonbelievers in my school have to deal with fundies for parents.
The main group that I am not an open atheist with are my peers. I'm only open with my closest friends who are not fundemental christians.

Permalink Reply by Craig on July 21, 2009 at 3:53pm

I grew up withoutthe crap and my parents accepted me. It's not unheard of for a disown to happen so I would wait till independence is assured.

Permalink Reply by Jared on July 22, 2009 at 11:47am

My parents know, and have known for some time, the only shit I've taken was getting called heathen by my mother, which I found pretty amusing lol. My parents are ok with it, I don't think they take me seriously though. I believe my mother is more agnostic than anything, I have no clue about my father. I have two aunts, I came out to my uncle on the less religious aunt's side and it went pretty smoothly, I don't think it would be the same way if I came out on the more religious aunt's side.

• ‹ Previous
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• Next ›
• Page