GodsChild wrote to someone else:

It's unfair not to tell them, you are being deceitful with those you call friends, I think you know how strong their faith is and you're scared of that kind of strength.

It is true that I am being deceitful towards my friends, that they are all assuming I'm still a believer and religious at that, but am I being unfair towards them?

I don't know...personally I'm confused. My family doesn't want me to inform the community of my apostasy.

At the same time, I feel that I am being deceitful which maybe be wrong or not, I don't know.

So opinions people!

What you believe is your business, and you owe no one an explanation. It is up to you to make the decision as to whether or not anyone else needs to know, and if you choose not to tell anyone, that is not being deceitful. That is keeping something personal, personal.

You may be described as being deceitful, but only in a very narrow acceptence of the term's definition. I sense absolutely no malice in what you are doing, so who cares? Seems to me you aren't even the one benefiting from the deceit. Besides, why should it be any of their business if you don't wish to share it.

G-C thinks wearing his stupidity on his sleeve is some kind of badge of honor. He's wrong, as usual.

If you don't tell them because you don't want to listen to their bullshit or you don't want to hurt their feelings those are your choices.

You certainly don't owe any explanation to some idiot who thinks fairy tales are real.

I've also been told by my immediate family to not publicly display my religious disbelief to my extended family. I told them that I would not lie if I was asked directly.

I think you're just protecting yourself. /shrug

Firstly, don't listen to a damn thing GC says, ever. Which is most important. Next thing, no I wouldn't say it's deceitful. It's your personal views/opinions and it's entirely up to you to share them or not.

GC has no substance to present, so he bluffs by insinuating you are afraid of his and his mob's lack of substance.

Thanks everyone. What do you guys think is the "higher" road option here? I agree it's not wrong, but what do you guys think is "higher" road?

Here is some pros of keeping it secret:

1) Keeps my family happy (important to me)..
2) Stops a whole drama around me with my friends.
3) Stops a drama around me with my family (backlash from community)
4) Keeps friends as friends.

Negatives:

1) I can't marry a Muslim woman, and having a relationship to a non-Muslim woman will be seen as wrong, and these things will come out. So when it comes out, it will look like I am being disobedient and ignoring commands of God, which I find a worse image then disbelieving in religion (even though the latter in Islam is worse, I rather have the image of honestly disbelieving religion, then disobeying God's commands).
2) I feel like I'm two faced, hiding under a mask, and although perhaps not wrong like you guys say, there is no malice behind it, it just feels it's more honorable to show whom you really are, and not pretend to be something otherwise.
3) I feel like it's a sort of cowardice motive, fear of what people will think of me, which I know will be negative. And I hate being a coward.

I'm not sure where you live but I think your fears could possibly be founded in some communities. So I wouldn't be cavalier about avoiding the appearance of cowardice.

Frankly I suspect GC just wants you to tell your friends so they can work on you to bring you back into the fold.

I live in Canada.