RE: Question for Atheists: Is coming out as an atheist as hard as coming out as gay?
October 1, 2014 at 10:03 am
(October 1, 2014 at 2:44 am)Blackrook Wrote: Do you believe this "coming out" process to be as difficult and stressful as coming out as a homosexual?
It's hard to say, and it's probably quite situational. The closest I can give you is an anecdote regarding my own family.
My younger brother is gay and came out when he was around 15 or so. I wasn't there for the conversation with my parents, but they are both quite supportive of him. They attend a church that does not condone homosexuality.
I came out as atheist to my parents around two or three years ago (having been out of their house for probably around eight years by that time). We still have a good relationship, but so far as I can tell, they seem to regard this as me "going through a phase". We otherwise never really talk about it, and it doesn't seem to be something they want to talk about.
So, anecdotally, coming out for either to my parents seemed to be about the same, although they seem outwardly accepting of homosexuality and quietly, yet begrudgingly tolerant of atheism.
