Welcome, young fellow.
Difficult situation you've described and you are certainly not the first.
One thing about believers is that they will be more tolerant of belief in something else rather than belief in nothing. Atheism is too much of an attack on them. What if you just distance yourself from that church without indicating that you reject god totally? As you say " the older I got the less I liked the idea of a murderous, misogynistic, jealous, voyueristic control freak who tortures you forever if you don't love him governing the universe." Throw in the political stances of these so-called churches and just say you are looking for something else? Something more positive?
They might just put that off to a teenage "phase" but if you can live with half-measures it is something to consider. In 10 years when you are out on your own you can announce that its all crap and you are done with it. Hopefully by then you'll have gotten the hell out of Alabama.
Difficult situation you've described and you are certainly not the first.
One thing about believers is that they will be more tolerant of belief in something else rather than belief in nothing. Atheism is too much of an attack on them. What if you just distance yourself from that church without indicating that you reject god totally? As you say " the older I got the less I liked the idea of a murderous, misogynistic, jealous, voyueristic control freak who tortures you forever if you don't love him governing the universe." Throw in the political stances of these so-called churches and just say you are looking for something else? Something more positive?
They might just put that off to a teenage "phase" but if you can live with half-measures it is something to consider. In 10 years when you are out on your own you can announce that its all crap and you are done with it. Hopefully by then you'll have gotten the hell out of Alabama.
