Coming out as Atheist

[Bob Kelso]

Welcome!

You know your situation better than anyone here. I'm glad you're in America where it's not terribly dangerous to be an apostate, but please be careful. A lot of young people have to choose to just bide their time until they go to college or move out of the house. If you think your parents would punish you in some way that is unbearable, then it might be better to just play the part.

Remember, they cannot make you believe anything. They can make you go to Mosque, they can make you pray, they can make you attend extra religious teaching. But they cannot force you to believe. No one can. If you have done a lot of thinking and research and learning and the evidence points to Allah not existing, then that is what you are convinced of. Keep learning, keep reading and exploring, and get good grades so you can go to college and become your own person.

A wonderful thing about being a freethinker is that there is no skin off your back by playing the game while it is prudent to do so. I hope you stick around! We don't get a lot of ex-Muslims on the boards, and we'd love to hear your opinions on things!

*my emphasis*

Came here to say something similar. Pride in who you are is a helluva thing to swallow sometimes, but if it's in your best interest then keep your wits about you and think it through.