Talking to your family about being an Atheist

[cneron]

I never doubted that the Koran was as riddled with holes and nonsense as the Christian Bible. I'm a universal atheist; I think all religions are equally ridiculous. I can see how being surrounded by a religious family would make you seek a community of unbelievers. It's not unusual for open atheists to get emails and not-so-subtle remarks from their pious friends and relatives. It's disrespectful, and if it continues it can cause a serious rift. It's the arrogance of the believer; they're sure they're right and we're wrong, and our opinions are not worthy of respect. The aunt of a friend of mine---my friend is an accomplished photographer and rabid atheist---gave some of his nature photos to her church for a calender which they sold for profit. She did this without his permission, and he got no compensation for it. So, not only was his work stolen, it was used to promote a cause he opposed! She couldn't understand why this annoyed him so much (but at least he learned to watermark his photos after that).

Anyway, the moral of this story is that atheists (in the U.S., according to several polls) are the most despised minority, and if you're is going to be open about it you need to be prepared for the backlash. I don't know where you live, but I look forward to reading your future posts and hearing about the experiences of an ex-Muslim. Welcome.