Yes, my wife reacted the same way, thinking that since I didn't believe in God any more that I was going to be an evil, immoral person who would cheat on her. Of course, by being the same person I was I showed her that that was not the case.
But the very important thing is that you need to tell her exactly how you feel about religion. Try to be as gentle as possible and don't make it about her. Tell her that you're still the same person she fell in love with, you just aren't convinced that the stories in the bible are true. Maybe before you use the word "atheist" which unfairly has a totally negative connotation with most Christians, you might say that you have agnostic views, which most Christians tend to think means you just aren't sure. At any rate it's a softer letdown than telling her that you think all religion is bullshit.
But the very important thing is that you need to tell her exactly how you feel about religion. Try to be as gentle as possible and don't make it about her. Tell her that you're still the same person she fell in love with, you just aren't convinced that the stories in the bible are true. Maybe before you use the word "atheist" which unfairly has a totally negative connotation with most Christians, you might say that you have agnostic views, which most Christians tend to think means you just aren't sure. At any rate it's a softer letdown than telling her that you think all religion is bullshit.
Christian apologetics is the art of rolling a dog turd in sugar and selling it as a donut.
