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Dealing with Family.

How have you all dealt with your religious family members?

Are you still in the closet?

Have they disowned you?

How do you handle holidays and family functions?

Does anyone still have religious spouses?

I'm sure many of us will be encouraged and can learn from your insights.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Crystal on December 17, 2010 at 3:24am

How have you all dealt with your religious family members?
Well, I generally try to avoid them. I know that any contact with them will invariably end in them trying to guilt and coerce me back to religion. Maybe I'm just a weak person, but I can't handle it. The thought of having to turn to religion makes me suicidal.

Are you still in the closet?
I don't think I've told any of my family straight out that "I am an atheist", but I've hinted at it with my mother. They know I dislike going to church and doing other religious things. If my parents have half a brain between them, they've probably figured it out by now. The people I currently surround myself with know about my atheism.

Have they disowned you?
I'm having financial difficulties so I asked my mother if my boyfriend and I could stay in an extra room in their extra house. Mentioning my boyfriend was probably a stupid mistake, but I did it anyways. They have church-friends taking care of the place. Her response was that since I was "living in sin" I would be too much of a burden on her friends. Never mind the fact that my brother (who has no aspirations to do anything with his life) is living there already. At least he isn't a sinful heathen.

How do you handle holidays and family functions?
I don't celebrate holidays with my family. For a while, I actually refused to participate in any holidays. Now we just celebrate holidays and special occasions with my boyfriend's family.

Does anyone still have religious spouses?
N/A, but I would consider religion to be a dealbreaker for me. I just wouldn't be able to handle having to go home to religion every night.

Permalink Reply by Steph S. on July 17, 2012 at 12:18pm

I have to deal with religious family members. I'm the only Atheist in my family. The way I deal with them is not to talk about religion and avoid the subject. I try to avoid family functions and holidays I just hate - but I get through them.

The site is wonderful for me - because here I am free to be me.