What to do...

[Jenny A]

it's just that most of my family is on various levels religious. And seriously the word atheist is really hard for me to even pronounce without thinking I did something horribly wrong. I curse a lot and I don't ever feel anything bad for using profanity since I've done it since gradeschool, but the word atheist is just sort of wierd with me, like it's bad. This is because of most of the religious people I know are always saying negative things about atheists, but still the concept of me myself being atheists is scary somehow, you know? But anyways I don't think I'd ever tell her I'm atheist, and just being in here on this site makes me a bit jumpy whenever I hear someone in the hall, lol. So I don't think I'd ever tell her or anyone in my family that's an adult really.

I understand perfectly that guilty feeling for not believing the obviously absurd and impossible. But it will go away eventually.

As for telling, well the more atheists out, the easier for all of us, but, that doesn't mean you should martyr yourself to the cause, even just in your own family. I wouldn't tell unless you think that some positive good will come of it.