Hello everyone, my name is Heather, I'm new here. I would like to get some advice from other atheists...
I grew up in a catholic family and attended church every Saturday as well as Sunday school. My dad is a child of 7, my grandma and grandpa being pretty religious people. So obviously they raised their kids to be that way too. 1 out of 7 aunts and uncles doesn't believe in God, but the rest are all catholic, reading the bible every day, one of my aunts works as a missionary for glenmary church even. The past few years my religious beliefs dwindled down into nothing, and so this year (after the birth of my first born child) I decided it was time to admit to myself that I do not believe in god or follow any religion. I think it had a lot to do with the birth of my son and realizing that he was not a miracle gift given to me from a higher power, he is the result of me having sex with his father, and I don't want to raise him to be afraid of some mysterious being and fearing hell his whole life. Which that whole thing obviously would sound very backward to any religious person.
Anyway, I wanted to come out of the closet to everyone but got nervous and decided to hide it from 99% of my family. I love my family dearly and they are great people, but I know they wouldn't accept my beliefs and would probably give me the cold shoulder for awhile and tell me they feel sorry for me, and they'll pray for me, and "how can you look at your son and say that there is no god?" Most of all really, I'm afraid to tell my dad, because he's wonderful and he means everything to me and I don't want to hurt him or make him disappointed in me. But I do want my family to know who I am, and not have to pretend I believe in something I don't.
Oh, another thing is that I've been pressured to ask when I'm going to baptize my son, and family members will want to take him to church. I don't mind if my son goes to church, but I don't want religion to be pressured onto him. I will teach him about what other people believes, and I will tell him what his parents believe, but I do not want other people brainwashing him with their beliefs.
I find it disgusting that anyone should have to worry about being ridiculed or shunned due to not believing the same way as someone else, especially when that something I'm expected to believe in is just a story written in a book, that no one has any legit proof is even real.
Anyone gone through this, and have any advice? Thanks!
I grew up in a catholic family and attended church every Saturday as well as Sunday school. My dad is a child of 7, my grandma and grandpa being pretty religious people. So obviously they raised their kids to be that way too. 1 out of 7 aunts and uncles doesn't believe in God, but the rest are all catholic, reading the bible every day, one of my aunts works as a missionary for glenmary church even. The past few years my religious beliefs dwindled down into nothing, and so this year (after the birth of my first born child) I decided it was time to admit to myself that I do not believe in god or follow any religion. I think it had a lot to do with the birth of my son and realizing that he was not a miracle gift given to me from a higher power, he is the result of me having sex with his father, and I don't want to raise him to be afraid of some mysterious being and fearing hell his whole life. Which that whole thing obviously would sound very backward to any religious person.
Anyway, I wanted to come out of the closet to everyone but got nervous and decided to hide it from 99% of my family. I love my family dearly and they are great people, but I know they wouldn't accept my beliefs and would probably give me the cold shoulder for awhile and tell me they feel sorry for me, and they'll pray for me, and "how can you look at your son and say that there is no god?" Most of all really, I'm afraid to tell my dad, because he's wonderful and he means everything to me and I don't want to hurt him or make him disappointed in me. But I do want my family to know who I am, and not have to pretend I believe in something I don't.
Oh, another thing is that I've been pressured to ask when I'm going to baptize my son, and family members will want to take him to church. I don't mind if my son goes to church, but I don't want religion to be pressured onto him. I will teach him about what other people believes, and I will tell him what his parents believe, but I do not want other people brainwashing him with their beliefs.
I find it disgusting that anyone should have to worry about being ridiculed or shunned due to not believing the same way as someone else, especially when that something I'm expected to believe in is just a story written in a book, that no one has any legit proof is even real.
Anyone gone through this, and have any advice? Thanks!
