Wife upset i am an atheist

[Southern Atheist]

So I've been married 7 years and a little over a year ago I became an atheist due to realizing my belief in the Christian god was unfounded. I found the reasons I believed were fallacious or unjustified and after looking for answers and proof that the Christian god actually existed I came to be an atheist. I live in the bible belt and I can count the number of open atheist I've actually met in person on one hand, my wife is the only person I have honestly told that I have come to be an atheist and she is understandably upset as we were both believers when we married although we were never really religious as in we didn't go to church. She doesn't have any good reasons to believe herself I think its more like she's just hopeful there is a god and she wants me to be in heaven with her when we die even though I've told her I don't believe heaven exist. Also she thinks its just more "normal" to believe than not to believe especially around here when 90% of people are Christians. I haven't tried to push her towards atheism at all mainly because her father is deceased and I feel that thinking he is in heaven helps her cope. To sum it up she is very upset and she can't understand why I have become an atheist and I don't feel I can fully explain why I have without seeming to attack her belief even if that's not my intention.

I'm not really asking for opinions on what I should do although I welcome them, just haven't been able to talk about my current situation with anyone and wanted to get it off my chest and wondering if anyone has been in this situation before.

Sure. I am an atheist with an RCC ex-wife. It was easy enough to simply get along with that disparity for a time. That time stopped when kids turned up. Then it became a huge issue. While I can sympathise/empathise with your position, I cannot tell you what to do in your particular situation. I don't know you, nor your partner, nor the dynamic that entails. So I would not even attempt to tell you what is the correct thing to do.

What I can do is tell you that you are not alone in such a position. And I understand that perceived loneliness. I lived it.

What I can do is relate how my similar position played out. That does not mean that your path must be the same as mine. But at least you have the idea that there really are fellow travellers out there and we really do give a shit about others in similar circumstances.

Thanks and I see where you are coming from with the kids thing I believe that is her biggest concern because we have a 3 year old and she is worried about how we will raise him, I've told her that I am not against letting her take him to church or whatever, i'm not even against going to church myself if she wants as i'm not afraid of hearing that stuff. But it old her that when he ask me about it I am going to tell him the truth about what I think of the subject, I feel like when he gets older he can make his own decision and I will certainly do my best to try and teach him critical thinking and logic.