(October 15, 2021 at 2:48 pm)Ahriman Wrote: It takes more courage to accept something for the sake of domestic tranquility, than to go the other way (so to speak) and be different from the norm.
This has to be one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard and goes against all evidence and common sense.
Growing up I have met many "supposedly" Christian teens and young people who go to Christian groups and church purely BECAUSE they don't have the courage to tell their parents / friends / family that they don't believe in God, would have to face massive amounts of conflict with said people, be subject to trying to be "cured" of their non-belief and in severe cases rejected / shunned, rather than be accepted for it. In other words, they are choosing the easy (and in their mind the only) option as a dependent young person.
It is not just the courage it takes to face that level of opposition, but also the guilt that comes from going against everything you have been raised to believe is good, moral, and right by the people who have instilled your values in you from birth.
When I was going to church groups while growing up the number of people who went to these groups simply because it was the acceptable thing to do, but who were quite open amongst their friends within those groups about their "real" beliefs or lack of was very high, and that makes me very sad.
Coming out atheist in a devout family is probably equivalent to coming out gay in a family environment that considers homosexuality as a sin, and is likely to irredeemably damage families. It is a huge decision / cross to bear (excuse pun) for a young person.
