(March 21, 2017 at 10:51 pm)godlessheatheness Wrote: I haven't made it officially open. I have a lot of family that is going to freak the fuck out when they find out. I wanted to see if anybody had any stories about their own coming out.
I don't want to feel like I have to hide it. I want to be open and be able to post things on my facebook but I am absolutely scared of my dad and his family and how they are going to freak.
I thought my family was going to freak out. Turns out I was pretty off the mark. The only one who was truly "upset" was my father. He tried to have debates with me for some time about the subject in an attempt to sort or steer me back into theism but he always ended up getting angry and it would turn into a screaming match between us. Looking back I think he was more bothered that I questioned his authority on the subject rather than actually being mad at me for not believing in the stuff.
So yea my dad was the most upset, but it wasn't anything radical. After arguing with him on and off for maybe a few times in a year or two, he pretty much let it go. Now when the subject comes up he just tells me that he'll pray for me and he loves me and says he hopes god finds his way into my life. Coming from anyone else I would probably take this as a bit of a passive aggressive "fuck you, you're wrong," but I know my father means well. Our relationship is okay now... I'm probably closer with my dad than anyone else in the family.
My mom was just sort of disappointed and she also, even to this day unlike my father, tries to debate the subject with me from time to time. Most times this issue doesn't come up though. When it does my mom just reminds me that god is important in her life regardless of what I think (I'm not sure why she feels the need to make this known).
My grandparents are both basically deists and didn't seem to care when I said I was an atheist.
In fact my grandparents are most accepting of the Satanist title that I've adopted over the past few years. My mom is horrified every time I talk about Satanism (she thinks it's an evil cabal of devil worshipers who lure unsuspecting atheists into the group only to later reveal them to Satan and his evil ways) and my dad just sort of shakes his head in disappointment about it. I think it's funny...
Usually, it's never as bad as you think though. Do you have a plan for how you're going to tell your family???
“Love is the only bow on Life’s dark cloud. It is the morning and the evening star. It shines upon the babe, and sheds its radiance on the quiet tomb. It is the mother of art, inspirer of poet, patriot and philosopher.
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
It is the air and light of every heart – builder of every home, kindler of every fire on every hearth. It was the first to dream of immortality. It fills the world with melody – for music is the voice of love.
Love is the magician, the enchanter, that changes worthless things to Joy, and makes royal kings and queens of common clay. It is the perfume of that wondrous flower, the heart, and without that sacred passion, that divine swoon, we are less than beasts; but with it, earth is heaven, and we are gods.” - Robert. G. Ingersoll
